Sam Allardyce ready for Rangers job, names dream assistant who’d join him
Rangers fans wait with uncertainty as to who will be taking to the home dugout at Ibrox from next season.
There have been managers at all levels of the success spectrum over recent years, and Barry Ferguson has come in to restore some excitement to a difficult campaign.
He has certainly delivered although often achieving the hard way, with some pulsating games ending Gers’ way and a mouth-watering Europa League quarter-final with Athletic Club in prospect.
Allardyce on Rangers job
Ferguson has re-entered Ibrox already with the respect of the supporters at Rangers, which is key at this point in the Light Blues’ journey.
After the stint of Philippe Clement came to its inevitable end, Ferguson was charged with restoring some life and pride back into an ailing, out-of-sorts squad – with a European run hugely preferable.
The former Ibrox captain has only signed a short-term deal – effectively that of an interim manager – meaning the role could well be up for grabs in the summer.
This is multiplied by the fact Rangers are set to be taken over by a new US-based regime, who are likely to have their own extensive ideas in place for progress – which could mean their own list of managerial candidates.
Six-time Premier League Manager of the Month-winner Allardyce, whose last post was a short-term role at Leeds United in 2023, wryly put himself forward for the job.
Interviewing Billy Davies on his podcast, ‘Big Sam’ earmarked the Scotsman for the assistant role. Davies first managed Motherwell, and went on to lead Derby County and Nottingham Forest.
Allardyce, speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast (3 April), said: “I’ll tell you that the best management team for Rangers, in my opinion, is Sam Allardyce as manager and Billy Davies assistant. That’s a dream ticket.”
49ers won’t be short of interested candidates
Once the seemingly imminent takeover by 49ers Enterprises’ Paraag Marathe and Andrew Cavenagh is complete, they are expected to take the bull by the horns.
Rangers could convince many managers to come and deliver at Ibrox despite the unrivalled pressure of the role, or could even offer a short-term extension to Ferguson to steady the tide.
| Barry Ferguson | Win rate |
| Rangers | 66.7% |
It has almost felt like trial and error in Govan when it has come to managers, and the Gers fans just want to be consistently competing with Celtic again, as well as maintaining that European knack.
Ferguson, right now, seems up to the task – but the bar was set low and long-term success is a different story.