One would imagine that Barry Ferguson won't be the Rangers manager beyond this season, barring a miracle. He had no experience managing at the top level before this, having had stints at lower division clubs like Kelty Hearts, Clyde and Alloa Athletic. The Ibrox club will have to do a lot better if they are to have any hope of catching up with Celtic.
Also, the Rangers are believed to be on the verge of a takeover. If that goes through, which seems likely, the new owners might want to make a statement appointment.
Steven Gerrard is widely believed to be the favourite for the job, thanks to his winning the league as Rangers manager in the past. But what if one of his former managers ends up getting the job ahead of him?
Could it be a former Champions League and La Liga winner? As reported by the Daily Record, Rafa Benitez is a Rangers target for the 49ers consortium.
Celtic fans react to Rafa Benitez to Rangers news
Celtic fans have not been particularly impressed with that news though. And it does not look like many of them would be concerned, even if the Rangers did end up appointing Benitez as their next permanent manager.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 The Sanfransevco 49ers are coming now
— Joe Lisbon 67 (@joe21163) March 4, 2025
Season Ticket renewal time! 🤣🤣
— The BhoyW (@BigTfromHalfway) March 4, 2025
Benitez might be a big-name manager, but his recent history has not been particularly impressive. He has failed at clubs like Real Madrid, Celta Vigo, Dalian and Everton. And his spell at Newcastle United was not a grand success either.
it is not like Benitez is performing miracles at small clubs. So, if the Rangers do end up appointing him, it might not be the game-changer that many of their fans would be hoping for. At the end of the day, one has to question whether the Spaniard has adapted to the modern game or not.
Yes, he won La Liga titles with Valencia and the Champions League with Liverpool, both great achievements. But they were more than two decades ago. His last big success was probably winning the Europa League with Chelsea. Back then, they had players like Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Fernando Torres, Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Juan Mata and more. The game has changed a lot since then.