Former Rangers player and Ibrox director of football Gordon Smith wants answers regarding the saga surrounding Derek McInnes.
Smith during his Brighton days, vying for the ball with Manchester United’s Gordon McQueen.
Former Rangers director of football and player Gordon Smith has told Sky Sports that he is “astonished” at the Ibrox club’s failure to appoint Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes to the vacant managerial role.
Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne told the Dons’ official website on Thursday evening that McInnes had informed him that he wanted to remain at Pittodrie, despite Rangers making a formal move to approach him on Tuesday.
McInnes, 46, had been reportedly Rangers’ number one target since Pedro Caixinha was sacked in October, but now the Gers are back to square one and could even end up appointing interim manager Graeme Murty.
Smith, who played for Rangers for three years between 1980 and 1983 as well as being director of football in 2011 and 2012, stated that it is an “embarrassment” for the Gers and slammed the Rangers board for taking too long.
“I find the whole thing astonishing,” Smith said. “I don’t think we’re finding out what the true situation was. It seems strange that it has taken so long to make the appointment, then it seems as if Derek McInnes is the man for the job.
“It takes time for that to happen, and then when he turns it down they say its right for him to stay at Pittodrie. The fact that he has stayed at Pittodrie means he is not the right person for the job. It’s as if they’re saying he didn’t have the bottle for such a big role.
“It’s an embarrassment for the Rangers board. I don’t understand how he cannot be the number one target, we need to find out these facts because there is no logic to the situation that has occurred.”
It leaves Rangers without a permanent manager as caretaker boss Murty prepares his side to face Ross County at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon in the Scottish Premiership.
He will be desperate to make it three wins in a row and strengthen his chances of gaining the job on a full-time basis, after beating McInnes’ Aberdeen twice last week.
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