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 two games for Rangers, 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: 7/4
As we approach almost two weeks of Rangers’ managerial search, the current favourite is Alex McLeish – the same man who led the way when Warburton left. The 58-year-old is out of work having left Egyptian side Zamalek at the end of last season, and his ties to Rangers make him a major candidate. Not only was McLeish born in Glasgow, but he also spent four-and-a-half years in charge of the club between 2001 and 2006 following a move from Hibernian. With two league titles to his name, McLeish enjoyed some success at Ibrox, and is the 7/4 favourite for the job this evening.
Graeme Murty: 2/1
A complete rookie with no managerial experience to his name, Murty has been installed as Rangers’ caretaker boss with Warburton gone, and he’s taken charge of the last two games. Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Dundee appeared to have damaged his chance of landing the job, but with Rangers in no rush to make a long-term decision, he could stay as interim boss until the end of the season. The 42-year-old former Scotland international remains the second favourite today, with odds of 2/1.
Malky Mackay: 7/2
Mackay has recently been appointed as the Performance Director for the Scottish Football Association, but a bizarre link emerged on Tuesday, making him one of the surprise frontrunners for the Rangers job. Today, his odds have been cut again, as he now sits at 7/2 to take the reins at Ibrox, in a move which way not appease fans. The former Celtic centre back has had his career marred by controversy and poor results over the last three years, meaning few supporters will want to see him named Gers boss.
Former Wigan Athletic manager Malky Mackay
Dougie Freedman: 7/1
Freedman wasn’t even in the conversation last week, but he’s emerged as a frontrunner in recent days. The boyhood Rangers fan has been out of management since losing his job as Nottingham Forest, but is now being touted for a return to work with Rangers. The 42-year-old showed some promise with Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers, as well as making a bright start at Forest, before petering out until his departure. A 7/1 shot, Freedman has drifted ever so slightly, but remains one of the favourites.
Steven Pressley: 25/1
A former Rangers defender, Pressley resigned from his job at Fleetwood Town last summer, and may be looking to get back into management. The 43-year-old made more than 30 appearances for Rangers in his playing days, and had a great spell as Falkirk manager before up-and-down spells with Coventry City and Fleetwood Town. He looks like an unlikely appointment for Rangers, but at 25/1, he’s a name in the frame this evening.
Who would you like to see Rangers appoint as their new manager?
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