Keith Wyness drops explosive verdict on Rangers replacing Danny Rohl
Danny Rohl has barely had time to get his feet under the table at Ibrox but Rangers have been told they need to start looking for his replacement now.
Rohl was announced as Russell Martin’s successor on Tuesday (21 October), ending a long-winded managerial search.
The German’s first game in charge will be against SK Brann in the Europa League in Norway.
Rangers then host Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend, as they look to close the 13-point gap to table-topping Hearts.
Rangers must compile managerial shortlist now
Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Rangers should already be looking for their next manager, despite only just appointing Rohl.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that they should be continuously updating their shortlist, even if Rohl is successful, to avoid another chaotic managerial search.
Rangers were rejected by the likes of Steven Gerrard and Kevin Muscat, taking over two weeks to appoint Martin’s replacement.
Wyness added that the Gers have got to be putting out feelers all the time, in order to avoid another embarrassing situation when Rohl departs.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, one thing they should be doing right now is looking for the next manager. And they should have a process in place so that they are aware of who is available, and it’s continually updated and monitored on a weekly or monthly basis.
“You’ve got to be prepared for these things. Rangers certainly should have a clear shortlist that’s continually evolving and revolving, and then you’re not left in this situation again.
“You put out the feelers and you speak to agents. It’s a bit like three-dimensional chess, but there’s a way you’ve got to do it because the manager is so important. That’s the biggest thing I would say is that you’ve got to put your next managerial replacement front and centre and be working on it all the time.
“Even if Danny Rohl is very successful, that’s exactly the time you should be doing more, because he may get poached. As the owners start to to know more about the club and understand the club more, hopefully those sort of things will be put in place.”
Rangers chief under big scrutiny
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 13 October that Kevin Thelwell’s position at Rangers is under scrutiny in the wake of Martin’s dismissal.
The director of football joined from Everton at the start of the summer but his reign has been marked by underwhelming signings and the calamitous appointment of the former Southampton boss.
Thelwell then received the majority of the blame for the failures during the managerial search, which took over two weeks to complete.
After a number of rejections, Ibrox chiefs reportedly gave Thelwell a less central role in the search for a new boss.
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