When Rangers announced at the end of last week they would be extending their managerial search a further week to receive more job applications, it raised a few eyebrows. Pedro Caixinha was sacked last month and with important matches continuing in the Scottish Premiership, many Light Blues supporters are hoping that club chiefs decide on the future direction of the club as soon as possible.
It is a chance to have as wide a field as possible to choose from though, which isn’t the stupidest idea we’ve ever heard, especially when the importance of this decision could not be greater. Get this appointment wrong and it could set the club back for years. Rushing into an appointment doesn’t do anyone any good.
Derek McInnes is the red hot favourite for the position according to OddsChecker, but in the unpredictable world of football, who knows whether the Light Blues can do the necessary deal with Aberdeen to bring the former Light Blues midfielder back to Ibrox.
Who are the alternatives that Rangers should consider?
Here are THREE that could do a fantastic job at Ibrox…
Michael O’Neill
A respected manager who has just finished a tournament cycle with Northern Ireland, Michael O’Neill ticks plenty of boxes for the Light Blues in terms of what they’re looking for in a new boss.
He’d bring authority and discipline to Ibrox, something they’ve arguably lacked for years, and his pragmatic brand of winning football would likely improve results too, which have been far too inconsistent since their promotion to the Scottish Premiership last summer.
His record with Northern Ireland is undeniable, leading the country to their first major tournament in 30 years at Euro 2016, even qualifying for the second round from the groups at the finals themselves. They came so close to qualifying for the upcoming World Cup too, just missing out to Switzerland at the weekend.
Experience in club football is limited but he did work miracles at Shamrock Rovers, where he guided an Irish club to the group stages of a European competition for the first time in history.
Is he the man to lead Rangers into a new era?
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Former Rangers favourite Giovanni van Bronckhorst had a wonderful playing career winning trophies not just at the Light Blues but with Arsenal and Barcelona too.
His winning mentality has transferred into the managerial arena, guiding Feyenoord to their first Eredivisie title in 18 years in just his second season in charge, having won the country’s national cup competition in his first.
This term has been more of a struggle though, with his side failing to cope with the demands of European and domestic football. Feyenoord are currently seventh in the league table and rooted at the bottom of their UEFA Champions League group, having lost all four of their matches.
Has Van Bronckhorst taken Feyenoord as far as they can go? Is it time to bring back success to one of his favourite teams?
It might seem far-fetched that Rangers can attract a Champions League manager to Glasgow, but that’s the kind of ambition that fans will want to see and he is currently, incredibly, third-favourite to land the position according to OddsChecker.
Graeme Murty
The decision makers at Ibrox wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t strongly consider Graeme Murty for the vacant manager’s role at Rangers.
The full-time U20s coach at the club, he’s done a sterling job as caretaker in two spells, bringing stability to performances and results that surely puts him in the frame to succeed Pedro Caixinha? In eight matches in charge, he’s won five and drawn one, which came against arch-rivals Celtic away from home, the closest the Light Blues have come to competing with the Hoops in over two years.
This weekend he has the chance to do something Caixinha never did at the club, win three matches in a row, and if he does that then the calls for him to take over permanently will grow, with two strong performances against Hearts and Partick Thistle delighting fans in recent weeks.
Even as a short-term option he could do the trick, potentially leading the club forward until the end of the season where they can make a more reasoned judgement on a new appointment, without the baggage of mid-season problems.