It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day for Rangers fans as the eagerly anticipated takeover by the San Francisco 49ers nears completion.
The timeline for the 49ers deal to be completed is May and the Ibrox could well have new custodians before the season ends.
Paraag Marathe and the 49ers heavy hitters were seen getting a tour by Patrick Stewart, joined by Andrew Cavenagh, the US health tycoon who could become a central figure at the club.
With the appointment of Kevin Thelwell as sporting director things are finally moving in the right direction, however, one problem remains.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, former Rangers defender Richard Foster believes that there is one problem heading into a summer of change.
- READ MORE: Rangers, Leeds United and the ‘feeder club situation’ that San Francisco 49ers takeover creates
Why Rangers need to make manager appointment quickly
As yet, there are no signs of a permanent Rangers manager being appointed.
Gretar Steinsson is lending a helping hand as part of his role as the technical director for the 49ers group with Thelwell also an experienced operator.
Both Everton and Wolves have benefitted from his choices of manager in the past.
Foster reckons that Rangers need a new boss so that they can move on as quickly as possible:
“No, I think just for the uncertainty that’s surrounding the club, and whether who’s going to be the new manager, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be Barry Ferguson, which is disappointing for him. But these guys coming in, they need to find the new manager.
“The new manager will undoubtedly want to sign players,” Foster said when asked if the takeover was an issue.
“You’ll have a system of player that he wants to play, and players that fit into that, and players that don’t. So there’s going to be a huge turnaround over the summer at Rangers, and you want all that done really by the time the players come back for pre-season. You don’t, we spoke about it on the show in terms of Idah missing pre-season and how much he’s basically chased it the whole season.
“So, Rangers will want to do a lot of their business and get all the players in before the players come back, or certainly early in that run, so everybody can do the pre-season together. But that all starts with who’s going to be the manager, and then, but that doesn’t happen until the takeover happens.”
Does transfer plan rely on Rangers having a manager?
Foster is right, to an extent, but there has been a change at Rangers.
Patrick Stewart spoke about no longer signing players for the manager.
Whoever is in charge must develop those that are at the club and work with the squad that has been assembled for a common plan.
Thelwell has experience of this at Everton and also knows what Rangers need to improve to progress.
The gap between the quality of chances that are created and conceded isn’t big enough to win a title, in short, there is work to do at both ends of the park.
Work that won’t wait for a manager to be appointed.
