Rangers board discuss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Douglas Park wants manager before Hibernian clash
Rangers’ board has already discussed the possibility of hiring Giovanni van Bronckhorst to replace Steven Gerrard, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper reports that chairman Douglas Park wants a new manager to be appointed before the Scottish League Cup semi-final with Hibernian on November 21 and sporting director Ross Wilson has spent the last 24 hours drawing up a shortlist.
It is understood that ex-Feyenoord boss van Bronckhorst is in the mix to succeed Gerrard in the Ibrox hotseat and Wilson has a close working relationship with the Dutchman’s adviser Guido Albers.
Speaking to the Daily Record, a source close to van Bronckhorst has reportedly said: “Gio is very much aware of the situation at Ibrox and was quietly amused when he found out betting had already been suspended on him getting the job. The truth is, there has been no direct conversations with Rangers but Gio is monitoring the situation closely.
“He’s never hidden his ambition to return to Rangers one day as manager so, yes, he’s obviously excited to hear his name being mentioned. Let’s put it this way, he’s ready and willing to answer the call if it comes. He’d be in Glasgow tonight if asked.”
Speedy turnaround
Rangers cannot afford to drag their heels as they have done in the past.
Gerrard’s gone now and while we’re grateful for all the brilliant work he’s done at Ibrox in the last three years, especially last season, he’s not left the team in the best of places.
Sure, we’re top of the league, in a cup semi-final and have a good chance of qualifying for the Europa League knock-out rounds. However, the squad needs some TLC in the next couple of transfer windows and form this season has been inconsistent and performances have been unpredictable.
Defensively, we’re a lot worse now than we were last season. We’ve already conceded as many goals in the Premiership as we did on the way to title number 55 last term.
Whoever replaces Gerrard needs to hit the ground running but they also need to come in well before that match against Hibs.
Ideally, someone will be at the helm by the end of play on Sunday so they have a week to get up to speed before the trip to Hampden Park.
In other Rangers news, a Sky Sports journalist has shared what Gio’s told him that suggests he wants to manage the Gers.