Rangers parted ways with manager Mark Warburton earlier this month.
General view outside Ibrox
Rangers are looking for a new manager after confirming on their official website earlier this month that manager Mark Warburton has resigned from his position at Ibrox.
Warburton guided the Gers to promotion from the Scottish Premiership last season, but lukewarm performances and disappointing results – such as the 4-1 defeat at Hearts earlier this month – had piled the pressure on Warburton.
Whilst Warburton was under real pressure, many expected him to be sacked if he was to leave the club, but his resignation was accepted after a bizarre sequence of events regarding a failed move to Nottingham Forest, as reported by the Daily Record.
Graeme Murty has taken charge of the last three games for Rangers, including successive 2-1 away defeats at Dundee and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and the search for a new manager is well and truly on – whether it’s on a long-term basis or just until the end of the season.
Bookmakers have been pricing up odds for who could replace Warburton, and here are five of the biggest movers in the market today, as compiled by Oddschecker.
Alex McLeish: 10/11
Over two weeks into the managerial search, and the same man remains the favourite for the job, as McLeish leads the way. The 58-year-old ticks a number of boxes for Rangers; he understands the club having been born in Glasgow and then managed the club for four-and-a-half years following a 2001 move from Hibernian, he knows Scottish football having managed domestically and for the national team, and he’s currently available having left Egyptian side Zamalek at the end of last season. McLeish remains the hot favourite for the Rangers job this evening, though some may believe that he would already have been appointed if Rangers were truly interested.
Barry Ferguson: 2/1
Ferguson, who racked up almost 450 appearances and 60 goals over two spells with Rangers, has been heavily backed for the Rangers job over the last 24 hours. His odds tumbled earlier today, and Clyde – where Ferguson has been managing since the summer of 2014 – announced on their official website that Ferguson has resigned from his post as manager. Now at 2/1, Ferguson is second favourite for the job, but it would be a shock to see him appointed as manager. Working as an assistant alongside a veteran manager like McLeish, who managed him for Rangers, Birmingham and Scotland, could make more sense for the Gers.
Martin Jol: 6/1
Dutchman Jol, 61, has been priced up in recent days, becoming one of the shock favourites for the Rangers job. Formerly in charge of the likes of Tottenham, Ajax, Hamburg and Fulham, Jol has bags of managerial experience, and would be a surprise choice for Rangers. His odds range from 6/1 to 20/1 at the moment, but The Scottish Sun report that he is unlikely to be a name in the frame for the Gers.
Barry Ferguson
Tommy Wright: 12/1
St Johnstone boss Wright has always been a dark horse for the job given his frugal work in Perth, though he may not be the sexy choice for fans. The 53-year-old boasts a 44% win rate over his time with St Johnstone, and almost threw his hat into the ring this weekend, telling BBC Sport that he would be interested in speaking to the Gers should they approach him. Now, Wright is as short as 12/1 for the job, meaning he is one to keep an eye on over the coming days.
Graeme Murty: 22/1
The current interim boss at Ibrox, Murty has overseen two successive defeats and simply doesn’t look ready for the full-time job. Previously coaching Rangers’ youngsters, the former Scotland international has been thrown in at the deep end, and has struggled to reverse the club’s fortunes. A top choice with bookmakers last week, Murty is now out to 22/1 for the job tonight after two successive losses, and looks unlikely to win the job permanently.
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