Pedro Caixinha’s reign at the Ibrox Stadium didn’t last too long as the Portuguese manager was sacked by the Glasgow-based club last month, thus bringing an end to his spell of merely seven months as their manager. Caixinha, while he was at the helm, failed to win the trust of the players or the fans and to worsen his case, the results that dished out while he was in charge of Rangers were horribly against what he would have liked.
Having taken over the responsibility last season after the mysterious exit of Mark Warburton, Caixinha’s appointment was always a subject of criticism as he lacked the experience of Scottish football. Earlier this season, the Gers had to succumb to Luxembourg minnows, Progres Niederkorn, in the Europa League, which eventually paved their exit route from the European competition.
His tactical nous appeared to be questionable, more often than not, and it was evident that he failed to inject the requisite ‘winning attitude’ into his arsenal.
Besides, he failed to close the gap between Rangers and their arch-rivals, Celtic and lost all of the three Old Firm derbies against the Celts. Following Rangers’ exit from the League Cup after their defeat against Motherwell in the semi-final, the 1-1 draw against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership outing eventually proved to be his final game as the manager of the Light Blues. As of now, Graeme Murty is discharging the responsibilities as the interim manager, with the board vouching for its options for the appointment of a permanent gaffer.
A lot of names have emerged for the role and lately, Steve McLaren has surfaced as the frontrunner to bag the managerial hot-seat at the Ibrox Stadium. As per one of the latest reports, McLaren has sent his CV to the board and it is perceived that the former Newcastle United manager is desirous of managing the timorous ship of Rangers.
Currently engaged with Maccabi Tel Aviv as a coaching consultant, the 56-year-old holds the view that this endeavour would be perfect for him.
McLaren is someone who has volumes of managerial experience under his belt, having managed clubs like Derby County, the Magpies, Twente and VfLWolfsburg. His reputation, however, has been declining after he was sacked by the Rams and it goes without saying that he must be looking forward to bettering his credentials. The caveat is that he lacks the experience of Scottish football and that might force the Teddy Bears to think twice before appointing him.
