Rangers warned they’re making a mistake amid Sean Dyche appointment claim
Steven Gerrard’s return to Rangers is nearly confirmed following successful talks with Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe.
Gerrard’s appointment could be announced in the next few hours, with the 45-year-old ready to turn around Rangers’ fortunes this season.
Russell Martin’s short-lived career at Rangers left many managerial candidates linked with the vacancy, although Gerrard has quickly emerged as the clear frontrunner.
Sean Dyche was linked with the Rangers job, although he was quickly ruled out of the equation.
Bill Leckie believes Sean Dyche would have been the right man to lead Rangers
Dyche has been without a club since he was sacked by Everton in January, yet his previous ties with Kevin Thelwell in Merseyside led to speculation that he could take charge at Ibrox.
Speaking on talkSPORT on 10 October, amid the breaking news of Gerrard’s appointment being close, The Scottish Sun journalist Bill Leckie was critical of Andrew Cavenagh’s decision to go for Gerrard.
He said: “The owners admitted they made a huge mistake with Martin, but something doesn’t feel right about returning to Gerrard.
“He won one trophy out of nine for Rangers, yet he’s supposed to be the guy to come in and fix everything.”
Doubts have been cast over Gerrard’s current ability as a manager, and extra scrutiny has been placed on his inability to win domestic trophies during his first spell in charge.
Leckie added: “I think Dyche would have been great for Rangers. In terms of what they need right now, Rangers need players who know what they’re doing, and they need reliability.
“Dyche would have given them that, but he decided early on that it wasn’t for him.”
Statistically, Gerrard’s record as a manager is far more impressive than Dyche’s.
| Gerrard | Stat | Dyche |
| 292 | Games managed | 558 |
| 161 | Wins | 192 |
| 66 | Draws | 161 |
| 65 | Losses | 204 |
| 55.1 | Win percentage | 34.41 |
However, what must be taken into account is that Dyche managed two teams who were expected to fight relegation every season, yet his seventh-placed finish with Burnley in 2017-18 was an incredible achievement.
Gerrard failed to impress at Aston Villa, which led to his sacking just 11 months after leaving Glasgow for Birmingham.
Whilst Gerrard has experienced what it’s like to manage Rangers, there is a very credible argument that explains why Dyche would have been a better fit.
What’s clear to all fans is that Dyche would have instantly solved the defensive issues that plagued Martin’s reign over the last three months.
- Read more: David Tanner piles in on Russell Martin after what he did to Rangers player – ‘It’s madness’
Sean Dyche could provide Rangers with defensive stability they desperately need
Dyche has praised Rangers’ stature in the past, calling the Bears ‘massive’ in 2016.
Known for his pragmatic and direct style of football, Dyche would ensure that Rangers wouldn’t be susceptible to the counter-attacking frailties they have shown in both domestic and European competitions under Martin.
With two tall strikers in Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti at his disposal, Dyche could have turned them into extremely effective finishers, much like he did with Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood, and Sam Vokes at Burnley.
Gerrard could turn out to be even more successful at G51, yet Dyche would have given the Light Blues an instant change in form as they look to rebuild their season from scratch.
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