Rangers should move to hire a 4-2-3-1 manager

Glasgow Rangers coach Danny Rohl could be on his way out of Ibrox after finishing third in the Scottish Premiership in his first season at the club.

The German manager replaced Russell Martin and brought the Gers back into the title race in the final months of the season, before a disappointing five-game run.

Four losses in five games after the break meant the Ibrox giants finished third in the league and ten points behind the title winners, but Andrew Cavanagh decided to keep his faith in the manager.

Now, RB Salzburg are pursuing a deal to appoint the German head coach and are in talks with Rangers to secure a deal for his services this summer.

The Austrian Bundesliga side are now looking to pay the compensation package they will take for the Light Blues to part ways with the former Sheffield man on Wednesday.

Rangers are considering moving several title-winning managers

Rohl’s final game in charge of the Scottish giants could be a 5-2 win at Falkirk on the final day of the season, a game which did not affect their bottom of the league.

Now, the club have reportedly put together a shortlist of potential replacements for Rohl, should he complete his move to Salzburg in the coming days.

According to Andy Newport of the Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers have Kevin Muscat, Steven Gerrard, and Derek McInnes on their short list of targets.

Fabrizio Romano says it has been agreed with Hearts to bring McInnes to Ibrox, but Football Insider reports that Ipswich also want to hold talks with him, suggesting there may still be hurdles to jump.

Muscat is still at Shanghai Port after holding talks with the Scottish giants over a move to Ibrox last year when Martin was sacked, and could be another interesting option if McInnes decides to move to Ipswich instead.

Newport say the Gers want an experienced coach to lead them into the 2026/27 campaign, which is why they are looking at Gerrard, McInnes, and Muscat.

Why Rangers should appoint Kevin Muscat

It would be easy to look at recent form and say McInnes is the highlight, as he recently finished second in the Scottish Premiership with Hearts, while Muscat are 13th in the Chinese Super League after 15 games.

In fact, the Jam Tarts manager would be a smart hire on paper as he has taken the club from seventh in the league in the 2024/25 campaign to second this year.

Muscat, however, has an impressive coaching CV and suggests he could be a better choice than McInnes if the Gers are to consistently win titles and league honours.

The Rangers defender has won the league title in three of his last four full seasons as manager, and won five league titles in his entire career, winning two with Melbourne Victory between 2015 and 2018.

Muscat has lifted eight trophies in his career, including cup competitions, while McInnes has only won two second-tier titles and one league cup during his time in Scotland.

This suggests that the 4-2-3-1 manager will be better suited to what Rangers need because he has proven time and time again, in Australia, Japan and China, that he can coach teams to dominate and consistently win to lift league titles and domestic cups.

The Light Blues have not won a trophy since Philippe Clement lifted the League Cup in 2023, closing it three years ago, and they need to bring in a manager who can get them back on track.

McInnes did well to develop hearts and make them compete for the title, but they ended up falling short. His career so far does not suggest he will bring guaranteed success at Ibrox, given his lack of career trophies, although it could still be a good time to be appointed.

Muscat, however, has proven in many countries and leagues that he can win trophies and league titles, while playing the best football style in 4-2-3-1, which is why he would be the best hire.

That is why the club should pursue the SH Port specialist if Rohl moves to the Austrian Bundesliga and Salzburg before pre-season.