One of the issues that arose when Michael Beale was sacked as Rangers manager was that there were doubts about James Bisgrove’s experience in recruiting a suitable replacement without a director of football.
When Ross Wilson left to join Nottingham Forest in April, few would have expected the club to not have replaced him by the time a new manager was needed just five months laters.
Speaking at Philippe Clement’s first press conference as Rangers manager, James Bisgrove revealed that it is a process that is near to completion and that director of football could be in place soon, via Rangers TV.
Rangers need James Bisgrove to get it right with key role
The board didn’t quite go it alone in the search for a new manager, the much-publicised enlistment of Graeme Souness’ help saw a football-minded individual take part in the interview process.
This, ideally, would have been the role of Rangers director of football but James Bisgrove was quick to explain during the press conference that the board are confident in getting the right person for the job:
“We feel we have got a really strong group of leaders that will implement the strategy and take key decisions, whether that’s player contracts or player acquisitions.
“But all of that said, we do believe a director of football, a technical director is something that would add additional value and it’s a live conversation that we are having at the moment.”
When asked for a timeline, he said:
“Certainly in the next few weeks, if not months. We are having live conversations at the moment.
“There are variables in that, depending on the individuals that the board believes, football board and Philippe feels has the best fit.
“But, I believe it will be imminent.”
It might have been the “wrong” way around in terms of recruiting a manager first but they couldn’t wait for a director of football to come in before sacking a Rangers manager who was going nowhere, at least James Bisgrove got that right.
What he has to do now is follow up the universally praised appointment of Philippe Clement with someone of a similar stature.
A task that is proving to be more difficult than anyone of us imagined it would be.
