Alan Irvine has been linked with a surprise move to become Rangers boss.
Former West Brom manager Alan Irvine
According to a report from The Express, Rangers are interested in making Alan Irvine their new manager following Mark Warburton’s departure.
Warburton resigned earlier this month, and with both assistant manager and head of recruitment Frank McParland also leaving, the Gers are bracing themselves for huge changes over the coming weeks and months.
A host of managers have already been linked with taking the job, with Graeme Murty currently in caretaker charge, but a new name was added to the mix on Monday evening.
The Express reported that Rangers are considering Alan Irvine for the job, along with names like Frank de Boer, Tommy Wright, Alex McLeish and even Alan Pardew.
Irvine is a real surprise name in the frame, as he hasn’t been in management for over two years having been sacked by West Bromwich Albion in December 2014.
The Scot, currently serving as Alex Neil’s assistant at Norwich City, has enjoyed a lengthy career in coaching with the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Everton, and once highlighted the importance of the Old Firm.
Speaking to the Daily Record back in 2009, Irvine reacted to suggestions that Celtic or Rangers could leave Scotland to join the English leagues by stating that he would worry about Scottish football, as the Old Firm is ‘really important’ to him.
“I’d worry for Scottish football. As a proud Scot I wouldn’t like to see the game going into decline, which it would if they left,” said Irvine. “The Old Firm being up there is really important to me and all Scots. The league has always been good and I wouldn’t like to see it weakened because the money generated by Celtic and Rangers wasn’t there any more,” he added.
That’s a good start, especially given that some criticised Warburton for not understanding the fabric of Rangers, but it doesn’t change the fact that Irvine isn’t the calibre of manager Rangers need right now.
General view outside Ibrox
The 58-year-old’s record in management is far from impressive; whilst he kept Preston in the Championship and then took them to the play-offs, his reign at Deepdale fell apart amid a fairly dour brand of football and a constantly rising wage bill, which ultimately culminated in his sacking in December 2009, starting North End’s slide into League One.
Irvine moved on to Sheffield Wednesday in January 2010, and suffered relegation to League One just months later, before being sacked for poor results in the third tier of English football in February 2011.
After more than three years out of management, Irvine returned with West Brom in 2014, but won just five of his 22 games in charge of the Baggies as he was found well out of his depth in the Premier League, and was again sacked in December 2014.
You have to back to the 2008-09 season for any success in Irvine’s managerial career, and that was getting Preston into the Championship play-offs only to lose to Sheffield United. Right now, Rangers not only need a manager with a decent track record, but also somebody who can galvanise a disillusioned Ibrox fan base – and Irvine doesn’t appear to be the right man to fill either criteria.
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