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Rangers could finally be closing in on a new manager and the 49ers have now reportedly set a new timeline in their pursuit of Shanghai Port boss Kevin Muscat.
Rohl drops out of the Rangers manager race
It’s been a chaotic international break for those at Ibrox. They’ve watched on as the likes of Kevin Thelwell and the rest of the board have attempted to replace Russell Martin, who they made the shortest-serving manager in the club’s history after sacking him in just 123 days.
It looked as though it could be Steven Gerrard – he was certainly their leading candidate – before the Liverpool legend handed them the most frustrating rejection. And he’s not been the only one to withdraw from contention. As reported by Ben Jacobs, former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has also dropped out of the race to become the next Rangers manager.
It’s the second time that the 36-year-old has been up for the Ibrox job and the second time that the 49ers will be looking elsewhere. Whether they’ll regret not pushing for his signature will be the big question in the coming weeks.
Rohl’s decision has very much left the door wide open for other candidates. The likes of Graham Potter and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been mentioned in the last week, for example, and may yet receive their chance.
That said, the current favorite to take the job remains Muscat and with the Gers set to return to action this weekend, the Gers have reportedly taken a key step towards his arrival.
Rangers set Muscat timeline
According to Football Insider, the 49ers now want to strike an agreement with Muscat in the next 48 hours. There is reportedly growing confidence at Rangers that the 52-year-old will be the next man to take the reins and talks are advancing, even though it will mean convincing him to take a pay cut.
However, it remains to be seen just when Muscat will take charge. As things stand, he’s still got four Chinese Super League games to play at Shanghai Port, who sit at the top of the tree and two points clear.
On course to win silverware and end an era in style, the Rangers manager candidate may not be keen to take the reins until the current Chinese season ends in mid-November.
If that proves to be the case, then Rangers will have to appoint an interim until Muscat is available next month, with Neil McCann thought to be the likely option. Given where they find themselves in the Scottish Premiership – 11 points behind shock leaders Hearts – more disruption is the last thing that the Gers need.
Nevertheless, Muscat remains the favorite and most likely to take the job now that Rohl has removed himself from contention. After failing to get the job ahead of Philippe Clement in 2023, the former Rangers player could now finally get his chance to step into the Ibrox dugout.
