A former Premier League manager is reportedly keen on taking the reins at Rangers, and is now simply waiting for a call from the club’s leadership about a potential move to Ibrox. The news comes amidst a difficult weekend for Rangers, which saw their rivals Celtic clinch the Scottish Premiership title for the fourth consecutive year and a remarkable 13th time in 14 seasons. Celtic secured the title with a dominant 5-0 victory over Dundee United, while Rangers were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw against struggling St. Mirren. This result underscores the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs this season.
Following the draw with St. Mirren, Rangers’ interim manager, Barry Ferguson, didn’t hold back in his assessment of his team’s performance, calling it “not good enough.” Despite acknowledging the challenge of playing away at St. Mirren, Ferguson emphasized that when a team takes the lead twice, they need to secure the win. He pointed to this inability to maintain a lead as a key reason why Rangers have failed to challenge for the title this season. Ferguson also expressed his frustration with the club’s lack of competitiveness, especially in light of Celtic’s triumph, stating that he hoped the pain of their failure would drive the players to start properly challenging for trophies.
While Ferguson has undoubtedly made some improvements since taking over from Philippe Clement, his future at the club is uncertain. Rangers, alongside their American investors, the 49ers, will likely be looking for a permanent manager to take the helm at the end of the season. According to a report by The Scottish Sun, one of the potential candidates for the job is Russell Martin, the former Southampton manager. Martin, who was dismissed by Southampton after a poor season that ended in relegation, is said to be very interested in the Rangers position and is awaiting a call from the club’s hierarchy.
Despite his struggles with Southampton, Martin earned significant praise from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. After a 1-0 City victory over Southampton in October, Guardiola spoke highly of Martin’s tactical setup, describing it as a “good game to learn as a manager.” He praised Martin for the way his team executed their movements and linked up with the striker, emphasizing that it was not an easy task and that he himself learned a great deal from watching Southampton’s play. This endorsement from one of the game’s most respected figures highlights Martin’s potential as a manager, despite the challenges he faced at Southampton.
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