Charlie Nicholas suggests new Rangers boss could be in place for Hibernian clash
Rangers are looking to book a place in the final of the League Cup when they take on Hibernian on Sunday, and a new manager could be in the dugout for the game.
Whoever succeeds Steven Gerrard will be hoping to start life as Bears boss with silverware, and Charlie Nicholas insists that would surpass whatever the Aston Villa boss did during his three-and-a-half-year reign at Ibrox.
Rangers only won the Premiership during his time at the club, failing to impress in the cup competitions, but the next boss will be eager to succeed where his predecessor failed.
Nicholas told the Scottish Daily Express: “Developments at Ibrox will have delighted the green and white side of the city.
“I am not saying Celtic are now favourites but if they can win matches and put the pressure on the new Rangers manager then it will be interesting to see what pans out.
“The flip side of that is the new manager could be in place for Sunday for their League Cup semi-final with Hibs, so very quickly the new man could be in a final and could lift a trophy very quickly into his time at Ibrox.
“That would eclipse what Steven Gerrard did in his first few years. Gerrard is leaving them as champions but they are still that unpredictable force. One trophy in nine isn’t the greatest of records.
“It was a success story in stopping Celtic making it 10-in-a-row. So that job was done but the team could have delivered a lot more.”
Debatable?
Rangers fans are fuming with the manner of Gerrard’s exit, and the new boss will definitely become an instant hero if he can win the League Cup.
Retaining the title and helping them land the Scottish Cup to complete a clean sweep of domestic honours would be huge, and the incoming boss will definitely surpass the heroics of the Villa boss with such achievements.
Rangers were knocked out twice by Aberdeen in his first season before losing to Celtic in the 2019 League Cup final despite dominating almost the entire 90 minutes.
They were dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Hearts later in the year, suffering the ignominy of being eliminated by St Mirren and St Johnstone in both competitions last season.
The new boss can change all that and help the Light Blues truly become the best team in Scotland.
It is the only way he can outdo Gerrard as stopping Celtic’s 10-in-a-row is up there when it comes to huge achievements.
Rangers are taking their time before naming a new boss, and the new man has a lot of work on his hands taking up such a challenge in the middle of a campaign.
In other Rangers news, The Athletic has shared if billionaire wants to buy the Bears after major development this month.