Stefan Borson: Rangers have ‘big’ opportunity under their new manager
Rangers are looking to turn their season around under a new manager following Russell Martin’s exit.
Martin was sacked by Rangers on 5 October after just 17 games in charge following a poor start to the season.
Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Falkirk was the final straw for the board, having won just one of their opening seven games in the Scottish Premiership.
Meanwhile, Rangers lost both of their opening two Europa League games, providing the next manager with an uphill battle to qualify for the knock-out rounds of the competition.
Rangers told to prioritise Europe after appointing new manager
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Rangers have a “big opportunity” to transform their financial situation if they can perform well in Europe.
Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is in the running to land the Rangers job after Steven Gerrard pulled out of the race.
Shanghai Port boss Kevin Muscat is also in contention, having played for the Scottish giants in 2002.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the priorities for the next Rangers manager, Borson said:“Look, it’s absolutely clear that the big difference that you can make in Scotland is what you do in Europe.
“You’re limited in terms of how much you generate domestically, and you can double your money by European revenue more or less.
“Now, I think the game is actually getting more competitive in Scotland because of some of the new entrants.
“If you look at Tony Bloom’s interest in Hearts and some of the knock-on effects that that’s going to have, and some of the money that Celtic have got from previous European seasons, they’re in a decent position there.”
Celtic are also competing in the Europa League this season, with Brendan Rodgers’s side picking up just one point from their opening two games.
Rangers face challenge after Ibrox struggles
Rangers banked around £17million from the Europa League last season after reaching the quarter-finals of the competition before being knocked out by Athletic Bilbao.
Borson believes progress in Europe is the key to the Ibrox club turning things around, but that could be a challenge after their disappointing start to the campaign.
“I think it’s going to get harder, not easier,” said Borson.
“But if you can do it, that’s where the big opportunity is because it’s just transformational to the P&L because the domestic league is only part of the story for Scottish clubs.”
Rangers currently sit eighth in the Scottish Premiership table, with their next game coming up against Dundee United on Saturday (18 October).
Meanwhile, their next Europa League fixture will see them take on Brann on 23 October.
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