Barry Ferguson wasn’t wrong when he said that Rangers are now in a race against time to get a new manager appointed.
It has been a turbulent season from start to finish and the last thing that the club needs is the same level of disruption as last summer with Champions League football on the line.
At least this time the qualifiers will be played at Ibrox which will at least give the next Rangers manager a bit more of a chance of making it through to the promised land.
The timeline for the 49ers Enterprises takeover should see completion in the next couple of weeks, however, their technical director Gretar Steinsson is already playing a key role in the manager hunt.
Joined by new sporting director Kevin Thelwell, the shortlist now has a different look if the reports that Rangers are to look to the future, rather than the past, are true.
Rangers have new manager shortlist after no previous links claim
With a clean start and no candidates with previous links to Rangers being considered, the list of potential candidates could look something like this.
Marco Rose
Marco Rose has been mentioned with an impressive CV in terms of realistic options for Rangers.
A winner of the German cup, super cup and of multiple trophies in Austria with RB Salzburg, Rose has experience at a comparative level and of the top tier of European football.
What he also has, is a proven, high intensity, attacking style of play.
Currently without a club, Rose also ticks the right boxes in terms of budget.
What might have been missed by some is that Rose won the UEFA Youth League with RB Salzburg, being able to develop young players will be a key part of Rangers’ future.
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Another manager known for his front-foot style of play is Ralph Hasenhuttl who was considered as a possible replacement for Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Having just been sacked by Wolsfburg, the 57-year old is also available, however, his CV isn’t quite as impressive as that of Rose.
Like Rose though, he impressed at RB Leipzig in terms of how he set his team up and it is no coincdence that Rangers are looking to follow that sort of model.
If a manager leaves, another comes in with the same approach rather than ripping everything up and starting again.
He maybe doesn’t have the trophies, but his style of play could be a good fit for Rangers.
Kjetil Knutsen
Kjetil Knutsen is almost something of a unicorn in the world of football management.
He has consistently driven Bodo/Glimt to punch above their weight given that they are based in a town smaller than the catchment area of Govan.
Not only has he dominated the Norwegian league with an attractive playing style, but he has also made the latter stages of European competitions on various occasions.
A semi-final in this years Europa League proving once again that he knows how to set a team up at both home, and abroad.
Exactly what Rangers should be looking at given just how different playing in Scotland and on the continent can be.
The question has never been Knutsen’s ability, it’s whether anyone could ever tempt him away from Bodo/Glimt.
