Steven Gerrard and ‘exceptional’ out-of-work boss – The candidates to replace Russell Martin at Rangers
Russell Martin’s appointment at Rangers has been nothing short of a complete disaster, and his departure now feels inevitable.
Rangers were humiliated in the Champions League qualifying play-offs as they lost 9-1 on aggregate to Club Brugge, and this was the final straw for most fans.
Martin’s arrival at Ibrox was greeted with scepticism, but it has gone worse than anyone could have imagined, with Rangers winless in the Scottish Premiership and out of the Champions League.
Many are calling for the new Rangers ownership to ruthlessly sack Martin less than three months after they appointed him, and there are several candidates who could be better suited to Rangers.
Steven Gerrard could return to Rangers
The last Rangers manager to win the Scottish Premiership was Steven Gerrard, who did it unbeaten in 2020, and there were calls for him to return.
Gerrard controversially left for Aston Villa later that year, but after failed stints there and in Saudi Arabia, he is now unattached.
| Steven Gerrard’s record as Rangers manager | |
| Games managed | 193 |
| Wins | 125 |
| Draws | 42 |
| Losses | 26 |
| Win percentage | 64.8 per cent |
| Honours | Scottish Premiership x1 |
The England legend could return to instil a winning mentality, as a familiar face to guide Rangers out of the mess Martin has failed to deal with, but it remains to be seen whether he will be interested now after being overlooked before.
Sean Dyche could instil winning mentality
Sean Dyche is currently out of work since being dismissed from Everton earlier this year, but he would arrive with plenty of experience.
Dyche achieved great things at Burnley with limited resources, and is an old-school, no-nonsense coach who could fix the broken mentality at Rangers.
The former Everton manager is almost the opposite of Martin, and has recently claimed that winning is more important than implementing a style of play, a philosophy which is much more suitable to Rangers than what Martin has tried to do.
https://x.com/NoTippyTappyPod/status/1959591519825936456Gary O’Neil could be a likeable alternative to Russell Martin
Beyond his failures on the pitch, Martin has failed to endear himself to Rangers fans off the pitch, with his personality a cold one which is tough to buy into.
Gary O’Neil could be a good alternative in this sense. O’Neil helped Bournemouth and Wolves avoid relegation, and during his time at both, was popular among fans for a while.
“I think the job that Gary did at Bournemouth was exceptional. I think the job he did at Wolves was exceptional as well,” pundit David Prutton stated earlier this year.
While the job at Rangers does come with more pressure, being a likeable figurehead could buy O’Neil more time than Martin has been afforded, and this could help him try and fix Rangers, with more patience among the fans if they can see a process in place.
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