After another calamitous week in charge of Rangers, Pedro Caixinha was finally sacked as boss of the Ibrox side on Thursday.
The last straw appeared to be a draw at home to Kilmarnock on Wednesday night but in truth it was a decision that has been coming for a while now, with the Portuguese stumbling from poor result to poor result, hitting the headlines for all sorts of negative reasons in between.
Light Blues fans can now look forward with a little bit of hope again, recognising that Caixinha was never going to be the man to help the club compete with Aberdeen and Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
That’ll be the aim for any new manager coming in, along with tackling a squad which is chock full of Caixinha picked talent. It’s a tough task no doubt and it’s hugely important that the powers at Ibrox make the right appointment.
Here are three men who have the potential to bring success back to hopeful supporters…
Derek McInnes
Outside of the unattainable Brendan Rodgers, Derek McInnes is undoubtedly the best manager within the Scottish game right now. Taking Aberdeen from bottom of the table strugglers to consistently the second best side in the country has been one of the stand-out stories in the Scottish Premiership over the last few years.
The Dons were a sleeping giant on the Scottish scene before he arrived and while there’s still plenty of ceiling room above them, he’s certainly reinvigorated a beleaguered support and brought back pride to Pittodrie. That’s exactly what Rangers need.
On a lower budget he has outfoxed both Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha during their time at Rangers and it’s now time for the decision makers to seriously consider him for the position. As a former Rangers player himself, it’s a move that makes perfect sense.
It would create controversy, there’s no love lost between Aberdeen and the Light Blues after all, but it’s undoubtedly a bright way forward for Rangers and their quest to catch up with Celtic.
Sam Allardyce
A manager of vast experience, Sam Allardyce may seem like an ambitious choice for Rangers but is a man they should surely consider if he’s available. Currently finding himself without employment, appointing him may not be as far-fetched as it appears to be.
He’s a boss who is well known for producing results on meagre resources which, after a big summer spend, is something that any manager coming into Ibrox will have to consider.
Rangers need strong organisation and a defiant spirit to maximise their talent in the Scottish Premiership. They’re again up against it if they’re to have ambitions of even finishing second this season and Allardyce’s teams of the past have almost always brought that fighting spirit.
With fantastic contacts in English football at all levels too, he is well placed to bring in talent from south of the border to give the current squad a fresh look.
Can he instil his brand of winning underdog football on a Scottish icon?
Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish’s managerial stock may have fallen dramatically in recent years but his record at Rangers is undeniable and harks back to a period of incredible success at Ibrox.
Leading the club to a treble win in 2002/03, he knows how to get the job done in Scotland, even if he did have a budget far beyond what the Light Blues are capable of now.
He may not many people’s picks as a long-term choice but even as a short-term appointment to the end of the season, he can come in and steady the ship and impose some sort of authority on the first team squad that has been lacking in recent weeks and months.
Rangers badly need someone who understands the club to come in and help out with the winning spirit that defined them for decades in danger of slowly drifting away. McLeish can bring that back.