Rangers manager candidate 'impressed' in 'private' Ibrox chat with Thelwell
da luck： Rangers have tasked new sporting director Kevin Thelwell with finding a new permanent manager this summer, and one of the candidates has confirmed a positive conversation with the incoming Ibrox chief.
49ers expect Thelwell to begin work 'as soon as possible'
da cassino： Rarely will we see an Old Firm fixture with so little on the line, as the Gers welcome Celtic to Ibrox on Sunday with nothing to play for but professional pride and local bragging rights. Their arch-rivals will put their title celebrations aside to try and redeem the consecutive defeats suffered in the previous two derbies, but for Rangers nothing is more important right now than their search for a new permanent manager.
Barry Ferguson’s intermin bounce was short-lived, and 49ers Enterprises have tasked incoming sporting director Thelwell with finding the next permanent man in charge. According to a report by The Daily Mail, the American investors expect a significant summer rebuild at Ibrox and want the former Everton chief to get a new man in the dugout as soon as possible.
Related Dream XI Mourinho could build at Rangers: No Tavernier & £8.5m star signs
Mourinho could build a solid starting XI should he take the Rangers job
1
The rumour mill is of course already churning, with perhaps the most exciting link so far the enigmatic and decorated Jose Mourinho. The infamous Portuguese tactician has admitted he would be open to managing one of the two great Scottish clubs, but would demand serious backing from the Ibrox boardroom.
Steven Gerrard still feels like the most likely arrival, given the Liverpool legend’s previous success in the role and current availability, with the club thought to be considering moves for both Gerrard and former RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose.
The dark horse in the race is Ferguson, who despite winning just three of his seven Premiership matches so far would do his chances no harm with another victory over Celtic this weekend, and has confirmed in the build-up to Sunday’s action that he has already held conversations about the role with Thelwell.
Ferguson holds 'private' talks with new Rangers chief
Speaking to the press on Friday, via The Daily Record, the 47 year-old revealed what sounds like positive discussions with Thelwell: “I had a long meeting with Kev. It was good. it’s the first time I’ve sat down with him, I was impressed by him. Obviously, what was said will remain private, you know I’m going to say that.
“It was great to bang heads together. He got my feelings, he totally understood them. Very impressive and it’s something that I think will work really well for the club. Are plans starting to take shape? They need to,” said the interim boss.
In truth, the former Gers captain probably needed to make a serious charge at the Europa League to properly get his hat in the ring, with 49ers Enterprises likely wanting Thelwell to make a splash with a big name like Gerrard or Mourinho.
That said, the stand-in boss has done okay with a team he didn’t build, and with several incomings and outgoings expected this summer, perhaps someone who knows the club inside out could be exactly what’s needed to steady the ship and get things moving in the right direction.