De Boer clearly isn’t afraid of publically slamming his charges – but what effect would this have had at Rangers?
The cynics will point to the fact that Cammy Bell didn’t start a single league game under Mark Warburton when attempting to understand why Rangers’ former understudy goalkeeper has aired the recently departed boss’ dirty laundry to the Scottish Sun.
However, as the events of recent months seem to show, the current Dundee United goalkeeper may have a point about the 54-year-old struggling to deal with the magnitude of the challenge at Ibrox.
And Bell, who spent three years in the lower leagues with Rangers prior to their top flight return this season, believes one of Warburton’s shortcomings was down to avoiding confrontation with the playing squad at all times – although a certain Mr Barton may disagree.
“He didn’t like confrontation. A lot of demands were placed on the players to demand things from each other — which players should do,” the 30-year-old told the Scottish Sun. “But there should also be a demand from a manager as well.
“I felt there were times when boys needed a rocket and it didn’t happen.”
However, Rangers’ underperforming playing staff would surely not get off so lightly if Frank de Boer was to make a hotly anticipated return to Glasgow.
The Scottish Sun claim that the former Ajax and Inter coach is unlikely to take the reins but if the club want a manager who will only accept the best, then the Dutchman is the way to go.
Not that this worked out too well for him during a horrific 84 day spell at the San Siro. De Boer excluded midfielder Marcelo Brozovic from his squad for posting photos on social media a few hours after a disappointing defeat, Straits Times reports, while Geoffrey Kondogbia was publically slammed for lacking professionalism after giving away a goal against Bologna.
The Frenchman looked increasingly weary under De Boer’s management.
Compared to Warburton, the 46-year-old would represent a shift from one extreme to the other.
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