RANGERS remain hopeful of having a new management team of Ross Wilson and Pedro Caixinha in place as early as next week, Herald Sport understands.
As of last night, the club's board had yet to reach final agreement in their bid to persuade Wilson, the director of scouting and recruitment at Southampton, to return to Scotland but they were hopeful that his appointment in a director of football role could be imminent.
While some slippage on their original timescale, which envisaged the unveiling of Wilson as early as today, is possible, his arrival would be followed closely by confirmation of their recruitment of Caixinha, the 46-year-old Portuguese coach who is currently employed by Al-Gharafa in Qatar.
Read more: Emerson Hyndman praises Rangers interim manager Graeme Murty for keeping hopes of second place alive
It emerged yesterday that a fee in the region of £600,000 is due to get Caixinha in ahead of the summer expiry of his current contract in Doha, but it is understood that compensation is not regarded as a big issue and only the fine details of the deal have to be confirmed.
Other candidates for the head coach's position include Alex Neil, Gary Rowett and Alex McLeish but Caixinha is thought to be the clear favourite, and the club would waste as little time as possible in bringing him in, even if he is unable to take charge of the team in the Old Firm match at Celtic Park on March 12. Should he be confirmed in the post, Wilson's main job will be to revolutionise the scouting and recruitment network at the club.
Meanwhile, interim manager Graeme Murty last night confirmed the club's intention to appeal the red card picked up by central defender Rob Kiernan during Wednesday night's 3-2 win against St Johnstone.
The 26-year-old was facing an automatic two-match ban for violent conduct but viewings of the incident have convinced Murty that the challenge from behind was no worse than some of the tackles which his players were on the end of. The appeal means Kiernan can play in Saturday's William Hill Scottish Cup quarter final against Hamilton Accies with his availability for the meeting with Celtic in the hands of the independent panel.
Read more: Emerson Hyndman praises Rangers interim manager Graeme Murty for keeping hopes of second place alive
“I have looked at it again and we will be appealing it," said Murty. "I think it’s a no-brainer actually that we go and do that. I looked at his foot position, I looked at his intent and I looked at what happened and the mechanism of it, and I don’t think it was worse than some of the challenges that were put in on Barrie McKay."
While Caixinha is sure to have his own assistants in mind, and Murty has a cast iron return to the club's Under-20 coaching role if he wants it, the interim manager said he had yet give any thought to the idea of moving up into a senior coaching role as part of the club's new structure and would only pass on his thoughts if asked. "If he [the new manager] would like to speak to me then fine, if not then I am sure he will have his own ideas," said Murty. "I am perfectly comfortable either way."
Thrust straight into a pressurised situation, the 42-year-old said he had been delighted to be able to share his first league win in midweek with his watching wife Karen and nine-year-old daughter Freya. “It’s hard to give my wife and daughter the time they need because this job’s all consuming," said Murty.
Read more: Emerson Hyndman praises Rangers interim manager Graeme Murty for keeping hopes of second place alive
"You are always thinking about it. You are walking around Loch Lomond and thinking instead about formations and shape and ‘oh my God, what if he’s injured?’ But there has to come a shut off and a chance to spend time at the places that keep you grounded. And I think, as I get further on in my coaching career, and wherever I go, I’ll have to become better at doing that and disassociating myself from the daily job. Making sure I’m there as Dad and as a husband, giving them what they need."
Rangers will go in as big favourites against Hamilton on Saturday - 30 years after the Accies famously shocked them at Ibrox in the third round - but it was an FA Cup run with lowly York City which first took Murty to nationwide prominence.
“We beat Man United away and then we beat Everton in the cup when I was at York City," he said. "I love cup competitions, I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to go and put yourself on a really big stage. So we have to make sure that when we go out there, we put ourselves forward in a good light. We understand what Hamilton will bring, but we need to be in right mind-frame to go and do what we are good at.”
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