Billy Davies given ‘absolutely brilliant’ reference by former Derby County chief in bid to become new Rangers manager
Billy Davies has been given a glowing reference by a former board member at Derby City as he looks to get back into management at Rangers.
Don Amott has called the 59-year-old former Gers player “absolutely brilliant” for the Rams, as per the Daily Record (5 October), and has “absolutely no doubt” that the ex-Nottingham Forest boss “would bring success” to the Light Blues.
Davies took Derby into the Premier League in 2007 but has been out of management since 2014 when he was sacked by Forest after a controversial second spell in charge, but was reported by the Daily Record on 4 October to want the Ibrox job and have the support of “influential figures associated with the club”.
Amott said: “I am in no doubt that Billy Davies would bring success to Rangers, I am in absolutely no doubt about that at all. He has the experience, is a proven manager and a top, top coach.
“I know Rangers haven’t made the best of starts to the season but Billy has shown at every club he has been at that he can come in and get results.
“Billy has great experience in the game and that is important for a top job like Rangers. I honestly believe he would do well at Rangers.
“If I was back in senior football now and I needed a manager then Billy is the first guy I would go for. He was absolutely brilliant for us at Derby County and is a top coach and manager.
“Billy is the sort of manager who creates a real bond and team spirit in dressing rooms and that along with his ability to get the best out of players were major factors in us winning promotion to the Premier League.
“He has been to four Championship play-offs and that in itself shows the quality and proven track record that Billy has.”
Rave review
It goes without saying that any manager who has been out of the industry for almost a decade is a gamble, and while much of his absence is said to be for family reasons his previous job must have had some bearing.
Davies was seen to have left the City Ground for the second time with a “shattered reputation” in 2014 [Guardian], with his style said to have descended into “downright paranoia”.
Given some of the major criticisms of Michael Beale’s time in charge of Rangers was that he made too much noise around himself and got involved in the wrong battles it would surely be wiser to go for a character less interested in their own standing rather than that of the team.
Granted, Davies’ management CV is far more extensive than Beale’s was when he was given the job under a year ago, but there are valid questions about whether the game has moved on from managers out of work for three or four years, let alone nine.
It seems highly unlikely that the one-time Gers midfielder is in with a genuine chance at this stage, but with glowing references from the likes of Amott and apparent support around Ibrox it perhaps can’t entirely be ruled out.
His reputation for galvanising dressing rooms is certainly a quality that the Light Blues could do with right now, with the squad looking devoid of confidence and inspiration for most of Beale’s final weeks in charge, as extensive new signings struggle to settle.
In other Rangers news, one man is said to be “advancing” on the job after three sets of talks with the Ibrox hierarchy already.