Glasgow Rangers are still on the hunt for a permanent first-team manager. With each day passing, the Ibrox faithful will become more anxious about who it might be.
Pre-season will likely start in late June, which doesn’t give the board much time to find the right candidate for the job.
The takeover by the 49ers Enterprises is showing plenty of progress, but will it be completed by the time preparation begins for the 2025/26 campaign?
That much remains to be seen. There have already been a few names linked with a move to Rangers. José Mourinho was reportedly keen on a move to Glasgow, according to TEAMtalk last month, but his massive wages, plus the fact that a compensation fee would have to be paid to Fenerbahçe, surely rule him out.
Elsewhere, former RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund manager Marco Rose is another potential candidate, especially due to his connections with the Red Bull football group.
Again, his wage demands might prove to be out of reach, although things may change once the 49ers complete their takeover deal. One man who may or may not be returning to the club is Steven Gerrard.
Latest on Steven Gerrard's potential return to Rangers
The Englishman, who led the Light Blues to their last Premiership title in 2021, has been one of the favourites to become the next permanent manager.
On the surface, the move makes perfect sense. He is out of a job, knows what makes Rangers tick and most importantly, knows how to get the better of Celtic domestically.
There are differing claims over whether Gerrard is in the running to make an incredible return to Ibrox, however, with Chris Jack of the Rangers Review outlining: “It is understood that the appointment will be a manager with no previous involvement with Rangers. The new era will be a new beginning.”
That said, journalist Mike McGrath has suggested that Gerrard’s name is among the lengthy list of candidates being considered. In any case, with Athletic Club being knocked out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage, the Gers will now enter the Champions League at the second qualifying stage.
2021/22
22
12
1.86
2020/21
56
44
2.52
2019/20
54
36
2.17
2018/19
60
32
1.9
Via Transfermarkt
Those ties begin towards the end of July, indicating how urgent it is to bring a new manager in as soon as possible.
Could Danny Rohl be an ideal fit for the role?
Rangers could turn to Danny Rohl as their new manager
German manager Rohl could be the man that the 49ers are targeting as the new head coach, if recent whispers are to be believed.
It was reported by talkSPORT that the manager has left Sheffield Wednesday just days after the end of the 2024/25 Championship season.
It was believed that he had a release clause of £5m in his contract with the Owls – a figure which surely would have ruled out a move by Rangers – but now it appears as though he is without a club.
Regarding his future, Rohl has always seen himself aiming higher than the English Championship, saying: “I’ve always said that I’m very grateful to Sheffield for the opportunity I’ve been given there. And I’m someone who always wants to develop the club further.
“And to do that, you have to weigh up how far that’s still possible or whether the maximum has perhaps already been reached under the current conditions.”
If Rohl is indeed a free agent ready to be snapped up, then the 49ers could do no worse than take a look at the 35-year-old.
Why Danny Rohl could be more exciting than Steven Gerrard
Gerrard’s spell at Ibrox will live long in the memory of the supporters, especially after ending a barren decade-long wait for a league title. There were difficult times, too, however. The first couple of seasons saw the Gers struggle, especially after Christmas.
After winning the Premiership crown, Gerrard wasn’t backed sufficiently and thus failed to kick on from that moment, allowing Celtic to return to the summit of Scottish football.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows under the former Liverpool captain, and his exit still rankles with a few of the fans, that’s for sure.
In Rohl, what exactly would the Ibrox side be getting? He doesn’t have much experience managing at the highest level. Indeed, his only senior role was the Sheffield Wednesday job, where he took charge for 89 matches across all competitions, winning 34 games.
He tends to utilise a 4-2-3-1 formation, which would work out well with the players he could inherit at Rangers, no doubt about that.
Although his lack of managerial experience will be held against him, Rohl has won plenty as an assistant. Between August 2019 and June 2021, he was second in command to Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich.
Of course, the Bavarian side won the treble during the 2019/20 campaign and Rohl played a key role in this success as arguably the brains behind the trophy-laden season.
He followed Flick to the German national team, spending time as an assistant between August 2021 and September 2023. Germany failed to get out of the group stages at the 2022 World Cup, however.
Dubbed as “unbelievable” and the “best head coach” he played under by Josh Windass, it is clear Rohl has plenty to offer as a manager.
Under difficult circumstances at the Owls, he avoided relegation in 2023/24 and led them to 12th in the most recent season, missing out on a playoff spot by just ten points.
He might not be perfect, but the fact that he offers something fresh could be exactly what the 49ers group are after, instead of going over old ground with regard to Gerrard.
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By moving in a different direction, the Light Blues will look towards entering a new era this summer as they look to finally end years of hurt by challenging Celtic for the domestic title.
Will Rohl be in the dugout come July? Only time will tell.
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