Rangers next manager hunt state of play as Jansen gives emphatic answer plus Muscat, Lampard and Clement latest
Rangers face a big Europa League group game in Cyprus but while the travelling light blue legions are basking in the glorious weather on the sunshine island, the heat is on the Ibrox chiefs who have skipped the trip to the Mediterranean to find a new manager.
Michael Beale was binned on Sunday night and Steven Davis has taken temporary charge as the hunt for a manager steps up. The Light Blues face St Mirren on Sunday in Paisley and then it's the international break which will give the club time to make an appointment, just as they did with Beale who was announced during last season's winter break.
Fans are hoping they will cast their net wide but reports and bookies odds suggest there are four serious contenders to succeed Beale. They all offer something different and provide different obstacles if the Rangers board want to hire them. Record Sport takes a look at the quartet to find the latest with each of them.
Philippe Clement
The Belgian is a curious one and has the most impressive CV of the four leading candidates But - and it’s a fairly big but - the 49-year-old has opened talks with Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab. Rangers wouldn’t be able to compete financially so it come down to what he prefers at this stage in his managerial career. He has won three Belgian league titles with two different clubs and started well at Monaco after earning a move to the Ligue 1 side before it petered out. Looks a good option but Rangers would have to act fast if he’s tempted by the Middle East millions on offer.
Pascal Jansen
“It’s completely out of the question,” said the London-born AZ Alkmaar boss when the question was put to him as he prepared his side for a European tie against Legia Warsaw. “I don’t know if there has been contact with AZ, but there has been no contact with me. I also received it and received some messages from England, but I don’t know where it came from.” The 50-year-old son of a Dutch musician dad and pop singer mum has been at AZ for three years and still has two years of his contract to run after penning an extension this year. It’s not unusual for managers in employment to distance themselves from speculation but he was fairly emphatic in his response. However, reports earlier this week suggested he was open to talks and that he had support from Dutch Rangers icons Arthur Numan and Ronald de Boer.
Kevin Muscat
The former Light Blues full back appears to be the most serious candidate under consideration and has been solid in the betting market since Beale’s departure. That’s probably not surprising given reports emerged from Australia claiming the Ibrox club had already sounded him out before the position was vacant. That was denied by club insiders but has certainly done nothing to dampen talk that he is the No. 1 target.
The 50-year-old does tick a lot of boxes and Record Sport revealed he has stalled talks on a new contract with Yokohama F Marinos, where he followed former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou, in the hope of landing the job. Muscat continued to enhance his reputation with a 1-0 win over Chinese outfit Shandong Taishan in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday and has a J League Cup semi final first leg against Urawa Reds next Wednesday. So what’s he being doing with that time in-between those two games? There has been a suggestion a Zoom interview with Gers chiefs has been pencilled in. Muscat has never hidden his desire to manage in Scotland. Record Sport spoke to the former Gers full back just over two years ago, shortly after his short-lived spell in Belgium, He told us: “Scotland would appeal because I enjoyed my time there. I reflect on my time at Rangers with great fondness. When you get to this stage in your life you start to appreciate different things and looking back I really appreciate the people of Glasgow and Rangers. I still keep in touch with quite a few boys, Craig Moore obviously, and I got back for the Betfred Cup Final when Rangers were exceptional but unfortunately the result didn’t reflect that. I’ve been working in Europe for the last year and if an opportunity ever came up in Scotland of course I’d explore it.”
Frank Lampard
A similar status as a player to title-winning former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard but of many that’s where the similarities end between the ex England team-mates. He has had spells as a manager already at Derby County where he did well enough to earn the Chelsea role, where he enjoyed legendary status as a player. But it didn’t work out and it was the same at Everton before a caretaker stint back at Stamford Bridge. Fans don’t appear to be impressed by the idea of the Londoner taking over at Rangers, a club for which he’s never hidden his affection.
