Gordon Smith maintains that Rangers are ready to engage in a high-stakes wager regardless of who they choose to put everything on the line for by hiring a new manager.
No one on the list of runners and riders, in the opinion of the former chief executive of Ibrox, is a sure thing when it comes to hiring for the top position. Smith is sure that a crystal ball doesn’t come with that brief as the Rangers board continues to evaluate options, with Kevin Muscat and Philippe Clement the front-runners.
No matter how successful a candidate has been in the past, he or she might not be the right fit for the job in the present. No matter how impressive the qualifications for that appointment are, it’s always a gamble. In terms of the next boss, I personally have no preferences.
“Clement is an intriguing possibility because he was able to travel abroad and incorporate a different type of football into his management style. From a personal standpoint, I would choose someone who is familiar with the British game if I were choosing the new Rangers manager. That, in my opinion, is what Rangers currently needs and will be a crucial part of their thinking.
“Having said that, Ange Postecoglou, who managed in Australia and Japan before coming to Celtic, proved to be a huge success, proving that you can never be sure or predict in advance who will be the best person to come in. It’s a
Some Rangers fans may be unhappy with the amount of time the club is taking to officially choose a new manager, but Smith thinks the circumstances surrounding Michael Beale’s departure have given the team some leeway in their search. It was always going to take a little longer for Rangers to find a new manager since, typically, the incumbent isn’t performing all that well and it’s time for a change, he added. The board would have likely taken some action to find a replacement, but since Michael Beale’s dismissal came as a bit of a surprise, that hasn’t really been the case this time.
The decision to fire the manager was reached after the board acted swiftly in response to the outraged fan reaction to recent performances. The score against Aberdeen was the final straw. Additionally, they must have believed that the approaching international break would open a window for them and provide them just enough time to bring someone in.
“Steven Davis has obviously also been brought in to take command during that temporary manager search, but it does take a little longer because there are a number of things involved when hiring a new manager.
If the candidate is already employed, there will be a cost associated with hiring them, and that is a significant aspect. There will be candidates for whom Rangers would have to pay a price.
The hiring of a new manager for Rangers might have financial repercussions as well. Smith has firsthand experience with calculating the math and negotiating a deal to hire an existing manager from a club.
“When I was chief executive at the SFA and Alex McLeish left for Birmingham City, the board decided that George Burley was the primary candidate they wanted. I had to start negotiations with Southampton and we had to pay a fee to get him in,” he stated. Since managers were still in demand when I joined Rangers as chief executive, I was never in my position during that time.
“To a certain extent, the length of time it takes the club to make that appointment weakens the support of any new manager. From that perspective, the fans will already know who the new man is going to be from the list of candidates who have previously been mentioned since it looks in the case of Rangers that the candidates have already been identified.
When a selection is finally made, “it won’t come as a surprise to the supporters as it looks certain to be one of the names who have already been mentioned as being identified as the main candidates.”
As Smith admits, the Celtic factor will be the first to be addressed, making sure some silverware is delivered, it will also be a thankless task for whoever replaces Beale.Whoever joins will have a difficult task ahead of them because Celtic is a strong opponent.
The first job for the new manager will be to determine whether Rangers or Celtic will be the top team. Can they overtake Celtic as the premier team, compete with them for big trophies, and do well in Europe?
“The recruitment was the major factor that proved to be the worst mistake in Beale’s circumstance. Rangers must sign the appropriate kind of player, and that’s where
