Kevin Thelwell already looking over his shoulders at Rangers after ‘shock’ exit news
Rangers appointed Kevin Thelwell as a sporting director at the start of the summer, but he is already facing criticism.
Under Thelwell, Rangers have brought a lot of new players in, but not all of them have impressed, while his decision to hire unpopular manager Russell Martin has been a disaster so far.
Thelwell has also made an expensive gamble on Youssef Chermiti, who joined Rangers from his former club Everton for a significant fee.
With Martin under pressure, it was reported that Thelwell threatened to leave Rangers if Martin was sacked, and there is now another factor which could lead to a shock exit.
David Weir leaves Brighton amid Rangers return speculation
David Weir established himself as a true Rangers legend during a five-year playing spell, and later returned as an assistant manager.
He has since excelled as a director at Premier League side Brighton, but he has now made a sudden departure from the Seagulls after six years in different roles.
Weir was most recently the technical director, overseeing a lot of superb buying and selling as Brighton climbed up the table and qualified for Europe.
Journalist Alan Nixon has described his exit as a “shock” given the good work Weir did at Brighton, but this could now open the doors to a remarkable Rangers return.
David Weir was previously linked with Rangers
Weir was linked with a return to Rangers before Thelwell was appointed, but there is still a chance that the former centre-back could come back.
Thelwell is facing scrutiny over a poor start to the season under Martin, and if the manager is sacked, the director’s future may also be questioned.
If Thelwell leaves, it would highlight a poor start for Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises as new owners, after promising stability, but Weir could be the perfect candidate to replace him.
Weir’s availability may even encourage Thelwell into changing his mind over Martin. The longer Martin continues to fail at Rangers, the worse it will be for Thelwell if he continues to back him.
With the threat of Weir replacing him hanging over his head, Thelwell could score instant popularity points by dismissing Martin and admitting to an error in hiring him, but if he doubles down and Martin is eventually sacked anyway, then there would be no hiding place for the director.
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