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 last Friday 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: 6/4
Whilst his odds have been drifting ever so slightly in recent days, McLeish is still the favourite to become Rangers manager for a second time. The 58-year-old is currently out of work having lost his job with Egyptian side Zamalek last summer, and has been heavily touted to return as Rangers boss on a temporary basis until the end of the season. Born in Glasgow, McLeish managed Rangers for four-and-a-half years following a 2001 move from Hibernian, and he’s around 6/4 to make a return to Ibrox as Warburton’s successor.
Graeme Murty: 3/1
Former Scotland international Murty has been coaching Rangers’ youngsters this season, but has been thrown into the role of caretaker manager following Warburton’s exit. Whilst he oversaw the 2-1 Scottish Cup win over Morton last week, he saw his side lose 2-1 at Dundee this afternoon in a disappointing defeat. Murty’s odds have unsurprisingly drifted since that result, as he’s now moving back out to around 3/1 this evening – which is no huge surprise given his lack of managerial experience.
Alan Pardew 9/2
Pardew was surprisingly slashed to 5/1 on Saturday, and he’s been slightly cut again into 9/2. Sacked by Crystal Palace in December, Pardew may be seeking a return to management, and Rangers is the most appealing vacancy right now. Whether he would be attracted by Rangers’ budget right now remains to be seen, but Pardew could be an interesting target for the Gers, with his odds being cut by the day.
Graeme Murty
Markus Babbel 18/1
Best known for his four-year spell as a player with Liverpool, Babbel won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup during his time with the Reds. Since turning to management, the 44-year-old has managed Stuttgart, Hertha Berlin – where he won promotion in 2011 – Hoffenheim and now Swiss side Luzern, who currently sit fourth in the Swiss Super League table. A left-field suggestion, Babbel has intriguingly been cut to 18/1 for the job this evening, so whilst he’s still a dark horse, he’s a new name in the frame in what is a shock link.
Pako Ayestaran 20/1
Spanish coach Ayestaran is another man best known for a spell at Liverpool, as he spent three years as Rafael Benitez’s assistant between 2004 and 2007. As a manager, Ayestaran has taken charge of Tecos, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Santos Laguna and most recently Valencia, with the 58-year-old now looking to get back into management. A move to Rangers has been touted in recent days, but he’s still as far as 20/1 for the job this evening, meaning he remains an outsider.
Who would you like to see Rangers appoint as their new manager?
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