Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked by Rangers just one year into the job. The former Rangers midfielder managed a mere 68 matches for the Glasgow giants before being sacked.
Van Bronckhorst’s dismissal came during the FIFA World Cup break, a time in which many fans and pundits expected teams to change managers. However, few Rangers supporters would have expected Van Bronckhorst to go after 15 Scottish Premiership matches this season.
Bookmakers have identified a shortlist of potential managers to take over at Ibrox. Rangers are currently out of the title picture in the Premiership, but they could still win a domestic trophy. The club is aiming to get a new manager in quickly to take charge of the first team before the Premiership resumes.
Some big names are on the bookmakers’ shortlist for the next Rangers manager. Will one of these managers take charge of the Ibrox club when the league season resumes?
Favourites To Take Charge Of Rangers
Sportsbooks have a shortlist of managerial candidates to take over at Ibrox. The list features one former Rangers player, an ex-Premier League manager, and a rising managerial star from South America.
Michael Beale – 1/4
A year ago, most football fans would have wondered who Michael Beale is. Now, football fans are getting familiar with the manager. Beale is the current boss of Queens Park Rangers and is one of the rising coaches in the English game.
Beale has Queens Park Rangers, a sleeping football giant in London, battling for a promotion playoff place in the Championship. Beale has connections to Rangers, which helps make him the favourite to succeed Van Bronckhorst.
Beale was Gerrard’s assistant at Rangers and, by all accounts, did a lot of the training sessions with the players. The current Queens Park Rangers manager followed Gerrard to Aston Villa, where he was a part of the former Liverpool player’s disastrous tenure.
Sean Dyche – 6/1
Sean Dyche has been out of work since leaving Burnley in April 2022, with the club on the brink of Premier League relegation. It didn’t help that Burnley’s defensive, dull football suddenly improved into a more attacking, enjoyable style following Dyche’s departure.
This season in the Championship, former Manchester City player Vincent Kompany has turned the Clarets into the table toppers at the World Cup break with attractive football. Burnley’s post-Dyche performances aren’t a good look for the manager, who fancies himself for a top managerial role.
Rangers would be a massive step up for Dyche, and bookmakers have him as the second-favourite to take over. Dyche managed 425 games for Burnley and tallied 1.34 points per match. Rangers fans are unlikely to welcome Dyche’s defensive, route one football.
Kevin Muscat – 12/1
Kevin Muscat is a manager likely off many Rangers fans’ radar. Muscat joined Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos in July 2021. The former Australian international led Yokohama to the 2022 J League title with 68 points from 34 games.
Muscat managed in Australia’s A-League before moving to Japan. He won two A-League championships with Melbourne Victory in 2015 and 2018. It feels like Muscat’s next managerial step is to a league like the Premiership. However, Rangers would be a big step up in quality. Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou experienced a similar rise through coaching.
The former defender played for Rangers from 2002 to 2003, making 22 appearances. Muscat received 46 caps with the Socceroos.
Kjetil Knutsen – 16/1
Kjetil Knutsen is another rising manager outside the top five European leagues. Knutsen is the boss of Norway’s Bodoe/Glim – a team that spent the last two European campaigns terrorising the bigger clubs in Europe.
The Norwegian took control of Bodoe/Glimt in 2018 and has managed 202 fixtures. He averages 1.95 points per match. He is a three-time Eliteserien coach of the season, thanks to leading the Lightning to two Eliteserien titles.
Knutsen is an outsider for the job of the next Rangers manager, but this isn’t the first time he has been linked with a big job abroad. Brighton considered him for their coaching role after Graham Potter left for Chelsea earlier this season.
Marcelo Gallardo – 16/1
Marcelo Gallardo left Argentina’s River Plate in November as the club’s most successful manager of all time. Gallardo was a River Plate man through and through. He graduated from the club’s youth academy before embarking on a career that took him around the globe. Gallardo returned to River Plate in 2014 as manager after a brief, successful stop-off at Uruguay’s Nacional.
The former midfielder oversaw 420 games for River Plate, averaging 1.88 points per match. Gallardo won 14 major trophies, including two Copa Libertadores, one Copa Sudamericana, and one Argentina Primera Division championship.
Gallardo wants to try himself in European football. However, his contract with River Plate won’t officially end until December 8. It could prevent Rangers from approaching him. Gallardo is another outside-the-box candidate for the vacant Rangers job.
Why was Giovanni van Bronckhorst sacked by Rangers?
Rangers dismissed Van Bronckhorst with the team nine points behind first-place Celtic. Van Bronckhorst took over Rangers on 18th November 2021, as Steven Gerrard departed Ibrox for Aston Villa.
Van Bronckhorst couldn’t lead Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title despite taking over with the team in first place. Rangers conceded the league lead to Celtic in February after a 3-0 Old Firm Derby loss at Celtic Park. The Hoops never relinquished the lead and went on to win the Premiership.
Although Rangers couldn’t win the league, Van Bronckhorst led them to the Europa League final, as they made a magical European run.
Rangers were just a penalty save away from winning the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt, which could have changed Van Bronckhorst’s history at Ibrox. However, the Dutchman did lead Rangers to lift the Scottish Cup.
Unfortunately, the club did not help Van Bronckhorst in the off-season. Calvin Bassey was sold for a record £19.6. million to Ajax, Joe Aribo was sold to Southampton, and Leon Balogun was allowed to leave for free. The three important players weren’t replaced adequately.
The players that arrived in the summer were a list of “who’s that” rather than a group of who’s who? The club didn’t back Van Bronckhorst, and the next manager could have the same issues.
Who’s On The List This Time
Rangers can’t seem to keep a hold of managers, certainly ones who can lead them to success. As they part with another manager, we look at the next Rangers manager’s odds.
