Rangers supporters surely can’t wait for this miserable season to finally end.
On Wednesday night, Barry Ferguson’s side fought back from a goal down win 3-1 at Ibrox, with Cyriel Dessers scoring twice, before Nicolas Raskin made the points secure for Rangers late on.
Having also smashed Aberdeen 4-0 on Sunday, the Gers have secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since 2 February; they were without a win in seven successive matches at Ibrox beforehand.
The Light Blues will conclude the campaign against in-form Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday lunchtime, but most Rangers supporters are more preoccupied with wondering who their next manager will be.
Well, could we find out very soon?
The latest on Davide Ancelotti to Rangers
Earlier this week, a report by Madrid-based outlet AS claimed that Davide Ancelotti is one of the front-runners to become the new Rangers manager.
Anthony Evans of the Daily Record noted that it has ‘taken us all by surprise’ that Ancelotti is the ‘leading contender’, even if Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes he is ‘one of the most sought-after’ coaches in world football.
On Monday, it was confirmed that his father Carlo, will become the new Brazil manager, with Davide now hoping to pursue his own managerial career.
Nevertheless, it would surely be a major risk at this juncture for the new 49ers ownership group to appoint a 35-year-old with no prior experience of being a head coach, so here’s who they should hire, or should we say re-hire, instead.
Who should be the new Rangers manager?
According to a report by Mick Brown of Football Insider, Rangers are ‘set to step up their efforts’ to re-hire Steven Gerrard as manager, adding that the board are eager to appoint a new manager ‘quickly’ ahead of the transfer window opening and then pre-season.
Mike McGrath of the Telegraph has previously documented that Gerrard is on the 49ers ‘longlist’ of candidates, but could he now be at the front of the queue to secure an Ibrox return?
The 44-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by Al-Ettifaq in January, with John Duerden of the Guardian describing his time in the Saudi Pro League as ‘mostly underwhelming’, winning just 19 of 55 matches in charge of the Dammam-based outfit.
However, the Liverpool legend was significantly more successful during three and a bit years as Rangers boss, as the table below outlines. His reputation became “amazing” in the words of former England defender Glen Johnson and it’s not hard to see why.
2016/17
3rd
67
SF
SF
Did not qualify
2017/18
3rd
70
SF
SF
Qualifying round
2018/19
2nd
78
QF
SF
Group stage
2019/20
2nd
67*
QF
F
Last 16
2020/21
1st
102
QF
QF
Last 16
2021/22
Gerrard departed after 13 Premiership games.
*season curtailed due to Covid
Indeed, Gerrard led Rangers to their only Premiership title since 2011, going the entire league campaign undefeated, winning 32 of 38 matches.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout describes Gerrard’s tenure as “impressive” considering he took on a “very difficult” job, while Ewan Murray of the Guardian documents how he was ‘adored’ by the Rangers support, despite requiring three attempts to ultimately topple Celtic, historically preventing ten-in-a-row in 2021.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Rangers legend Ally McCoist believes Gerrard “would be welcome back”, adding that a return could be best for all involved.
So, having proved he can deliver silverware in the past, Gerrard is surely the perfect candidate to be re-appointed.
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