Rangers should have two candidates in mind if Steven Gerrard departs Ibrox over the coming days and heads for pastures new.
What’s the word?
That is the claim of The Sun journalist, Bruce Archer, who took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon amidst rife speculation regarding Gerrard’s future.
The Liverpudlian has been widely tipped to leave Glasgow behind this week after he was linked with the Aston Villa job.
They sacked Dean Smith last weekend and are now on the hunt for a replacement with the Gers boss believed to be close to joining them.
Who they look to replace their title-winning manager will be interesting to see, but the following nine-word claim from Archer is an exciting one.
He said: “Think I’d go for Gio or Paulo Fonseca #RangersFC.”
Excitement brewing
The departure of Gerrard in the coming days could be a sore one for Rangers supporters.
After all, the 41-year-old was the coach who finally put an end to Celtic’s nine-year dominance of Scottish football.
The Gers had been in the doldrums for nearly a decade when their current manager took on the reigns and guided them to a famous Premiership triumph earlier this year.
He made them a resolute outfit as they didn’t lose a single game all season, going invincible in the SPFL.
Yet, there should also be a reason for optimism and excitement, particularly if Rangers opt for the optimistic route.
Looking at a manager like Fonseca would be a huge statement but considering their standings this term, it would surely be an attractive proposition for a manager of his talents.
Rangers sit at the top of the league and they also stand a solid chance of moving into the knock-out stages of the Europa League. Failing that, a place in the UEFA Conference League would await the Glaswegian giants.
Although Fonseca has little experience of the British game, he has excelled in Europe. He guided Roma to the semi-finals of the Europa League last term and has won three league titles with Shakhtar Donetsk.
As for van Bronckhorst, the 46-year-old has already proven himself an adept manager when it comes to winning trophies.
With Feyenoord, he guided them to an unlikely Eredivisie crown in 2016/17 while winning two Dutch Cups in the process.
Both coaches have phenomenal CVs despite their relatively young ages in terms of management, something that will undoubtedly leave the club’s fanbase excited about what’s to come.
Of course, it remains to be seen who Rangers do pursue if Gerrard heads for the exit door, but the options available to them are certainly attractive.
AND in other news, Rangers must swoop for “outstanding” 6ft3 colossus, he won’t cost a penny…
