Odds slashed: 42-year-old installed new joint favourite to be Rangers manager

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Published on:

20 Feb 2017, 1:52 pm

By Alex Stevens

Graeme Murty has been installed as joint favourite to be appointed the new Rangers manager following a dramatic change in the bookmakers' odds.

Alex McLeish was the odds-on favourite to succeed Mark Warburton in the dugout a week ago after replacing early frontrunner Derek McInnes as the bookies' top choice.

Murty, who is the Rangers Under-20s coach and has been appointed caretaker boss while the club intensify their manager search, was distant in the betting at that point.

But the odds on Murty, 42, becoming the Ibrox manager have shortened significantly in the last 48 hours, with Sky Bet pricing him at 6/4 to take the reins.

This is the same price as ex-Rangers boss McLeish, 58, and well ahead of third favourite Alan Pardew, who is 11/2, and McInnes, who is 15/2.

The shift in odds come even though Murty oversaw a 2-1 Scottish Premiership defeat to Dundee on Sunday, which was Rangers' first league loss at Dens Park since 1992.

The other result under Murty's caretaker watch was a 2-1 Scottish Cup triumph over second-tier outfit Greenock Morton.

The former Reading defender is expected to remain in charge on Friday when Rangers are next in action, as they make the journey north for a Scottish Premiership clash against Inverness.

Rangers chiefs are expected to close in on the new manager after the Inverness match.

In other Rangers news, this is the huge sum lost by Mark Warburton after his behind-the-scenes manoeuvrings horribly backfired.

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