Rangers have shown signs of recovery on the pitch, however, there are still enough problems for John Gilligan to solve off it to keep the chairman awake at night.
After the resignation of John Bennett, the only high-ranking football department posts that are currently filled by permanent staff are those of Nils Koppen as recruitment director and Philippe Clement as manager.
Creag Robertson is the latest to jump ship from Ibrox after a summer that has seen the CEO, academy director, chairman and now director of football operations all leave their jobs at Rangers.
- READ MORE: Rangers Net Transfer Spend Summer 2024
Rangers have easy sporting director decision to make
Normally, the CEO would be key to making any appointments, but the situation is now that dire Gilligan has to make a decision.
There are currently three ex-Rangers players, all with proven experience of being technical or sporting directors, who could fill the post left by Robertson, and aren’t attached to any clubs.
Craig Moore
Craig Moore came through Rangers academy having moved from Australia as a teenager into Walter Smith’s nine-in-a-row squad.
That he wore number seven on the day that the achievement was sealed shows how versatile the former skipper and long-term partner of Lorenzo Amoruso really was.
After his playing days, Moore has ticked almost every box.
As an agent and scout he knows and understands what clubs and players are looking for and how the negotiation processes work, but he also has full understanding of what a club needs too.
At Brisbane Roar, Moore held the post of technical director and was responsible for helping to improve the whole structure of the club.
He has also openly admitted that he would do the job when the question was posed:
“You laugh a bit, but that was a job I did for three years but people go ‘it was only Australia’ but we look at what Ange has done. Jon Brady, an Australian coach, has just got promotion at Northampton.”
Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Bocanegra has even more experience than Moore.
Not necessarily as a scout or agent, which would be hugely beneficial for a technical or sporting director, but as someone who has worked with a football department and in the boardroom.
Bocanegra played a key role in building Atlanta United into being contenders for silverware and only left this summer.
He was also considered last summer to replace Ross Wilson.
The homework has already been done, all Gilligan would have to do is pick up the phone.
Christian Nerlinger
The third candidate, who isn’t attached to a club, is Christian Nerlinger.
Another who was approached previously, the former Gers midfielder was offered the role when Dave King was trying to rebuild the club.
A position he considered, but turned down:
“It would have been exceptional as, despite all the injuries I had, it was fantastic to experience Ibrox, the supporters and the city. It was a huge honour to be asked.
“I took a long time to discuss it with my family and close friends but decided out of private reasons not to do it.”
Ask him again, his feelings might have changed.
Nerlinger hasn’t worked with another club in an official capacity since leaving Bayern Munich as a sporting director, instead, he has set up his own agency, similar to the path Moore chose.
All three of these candidates have outstanding CVs and are available.
Two of them have spoken to the club before about the role and one of them has put his hat in the ring for it already.
Give one of them the job and listen to them.
If not, break the bank and beg David Weir to leave his technical director post at Brighton and tell him he can do whatever he wants to get Rangers back on track.
