Barry Ferguson suggests Nigel Pearson as potential surprise candidate in Rangers manager race
Barry Ferguson has named Nigel Pearson as a surprise suggestion to take over as manager of Rangers, following the sacking of Michael Beale.
The former Leicester City boss who kept the Foxes in the Premier League before they went on to win the Premier League is currently in charge of Championship side Bristol City with his contract at Ashton Gate expiring at the end of the season.
Currently, it seems as though the Light Blues have narrowed their search down to two candidates, with Kevin Muscat and Philippe Clement the favourites to take over at Ibrox [Alex Crook, 10 October], but that hasn’t stopped Ferguson from suggesting there could be a twist in the race yet.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show on Monday (9 October) he said: “You never know, there could be a left-field appointment, I am trying to think of experienced managers down south.
“I am looking at Nigel Pearson for instance who has managed at the highest level, down at Bristol City, guys like that. I don’t understand why they’ve not been mentioned. I am sure there are others but that’s one that springs to mind. It’s exciting to see who will be announced.”
Experience
Rangers need to get their next appointment right after the disastrous start to the season and they appear to have taken their time to whittle their shortlist down to the last couple of candidates, with both managers having a history of recent success as well as experience managing around the world.
Pearson would bring with him experience and plenty of know-how, but he has not exactly been a serial winner in the recent years of his career, but the job he has done at Bristol City cannot be understated and does have some direct correlation with what is required at Ibrox.
When the former Sheffield Wednesday defender arrived at Ashton Gate they were in a relegation fight with a number of players on big contracts they didn’t deserve. In the three years he’s been in charge he has massively reduced the Robins’ wage bill while bettering their league position year on year.
Now that doesn’t make him the perfect fit to take over the reins at Ibrox, but had the Light Blues board decided to look for a short-term fix rather than a manager for a long period, Pearson would have offered a similar prospect to Neil Warnock.
But in the grand scheme of things, Rangers’ decision to appoint a more long-term manager will be the right choice and it is easy to understand why Gers fans aren’t exactly excited by the prospect of another Championship manager taking over after Beale.
In other Rangers news, Ferguson has also said that fans shouldn’t rule out the prospect of Derek McInnes taking over