Rangers can forget Gerrard by hiring “unique” manager who’s shades of GVB

If Glasgow Rangers are going to topple their arch-nemsis next term, the new owners are going to have a job on their hands to appoint the right successor to Barry Ferguson at Ibrox.

Given their cross city rivals’ recent success, the Light Blues need to find somebody who can come in and install a playing style that will see Rangers win trophies and progress in Europe. That simply hasn’t happened in the last few years.

Steven Gerrard managed to do all those things and more during his three-and-a-half-year reign between 2018 and 2021. Could he be an option this summer for a second stint in Glasgow?

The latest on Steven Gerrard’s future

According to the Daily Record over the weekend, Gretar Steinsson from the 49ers and sporting director Kevin Thelwell have reportedly narrowed down the list to the final couple of targets.

A new manager could be announced by the end of next week if all goes to plan and Gerrard could certainly be on this list.

The Englishman led the club to their first Premiership title since 2011 during the 2020/21 campaign, going through the league season undefeated.

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine under Gerrard. The first two seasons saw plenty of tough defeats and post-Christmas collapses, but he would be a solid option to restore the sinking ship.

However, the 49ers must take a strategic gamble on the next manager. It looked as though Davide Ancelotti was going to get the role, but ultimately, nothing came to pass with the coach set to follow his father, Carlo, to Brazil.

The ideal alternative to Gerrard and Ancelotti

So, who could they go after instead? Well, Italian manager Francesco Farioli announced his decision to leave Ajax after just a single season in the Netherlands.

It would certainly be a major statement of intent if the 49ers could entice him to Ibrox this summer, that’s for sure.

Farioli left after failing to win the Eredivisie for Ajax, despite leading by nine points with seven games left.

It was a dismal collapse, no doubt about that, but any hopes of the club looking to go close again next season with Farioli at the helm have been dashed as the manager announced he was leaving Amsterdam.

“Francesco also played a key role in enhancing the high-performance culture at Ajax, for which we are extremely grateful,” said director Alex Kroes. He was also dubbed “unique” by journalist Lars Jesse following the news.

The 36-year-old tends to utilise an attacking 4-3-3 system, which could be a good fit for several players at Rangers.

Across his 54 matches in charge of the Dutch side, Farioli’s side scored 115 goals – 2.1 per game – while he accumulated 2.09 points per game.

One of the most overlooked aspects was just how well the Italian improved their defence. In the 2023/24 campaign, Ajax conceded a staggering 61 goals.

This season, they conceded only 32, having the best defensive record in the top flight. It wasn’t enough to seal the title, however.

For someone aged just 36, the boss has managed 167 games across his four club sides. It would be a risk, but the way he approaches the game with an impressive attacking philosophy, plus a resolute defence, could transform the fortunes of Rangers.

While the last player to come from Dutch football in Gio van Bronckhorst ultimately ended up being given the boot, his immediate success, winning the Europa League, proves that the adaptation period from the Netherlands might not be too challenging.