FOREIGN managers at the Old Firm clubs (or, if you spend your days posting “Rangers died!” under anonymous pseudonyms on Twitter and object to that phrase, the two largest clubs in Glasgow) have enjoyed wildly contrasting fortunes over the last 20 years or so.
Who will Pedro Caixinha emulate if, as is widely expected, he is confirmed as the new manager of Rangers in the coming days? Will he savour the same sort of success which Wim Jansen, the first overseas manager, and Dick Advocaat, initially at least, did during their stints at Celtic and Rangers respectively?
Or will he end up like Jo Venglos, Paul Le Guen and even Ronny Deila and depart almost as quickly as he arrived having failed to deliver the levels of on-field excellence expected and be remembered with little more than bemusement?
It could go either way. Little is known about the 46-year-old from Beja in Portugal other than the clubs he has worked at as assistant (Sporting Lisbon, Panathinaikos and Rapid Bucharest) and as a manager in his own right (Uniao Leiria, Nacional, Santos Luguna and Al-Gharafa). His sudden emergence as a serious contender to take over from Mark Warburton has come right out of left field and no mistake.
The former goalkeeper could very well prove himself to be a tactical genius and motivational mastermind who inspires journeymen professionals to perform superhuman acts, unearths a few foreign gems in the transfer market and helps Rangers to end Celtic’s total dominance of Scottish football.
Or Caixinha could, alternatively, be utterly overwhelmed by the demands to succeed at Ibrox, struggle to cope with the personal scrutiny from supporters and the media, fail to raise performance levels, be unable to challenge the club on the other half of the city, detest the rotten weather and scarper.
His potential arrival has certainly piqued the interest of Rangers supporters. If he comes it will no doubt result in a healthy uptake of season ticket books once again. Renewal forms will be getting posted out to followers of the Ibrox club imminently. Certainly, he is a far sexier replacement for Warburton than, say, Alex McLeish.
However, it is unquestionably a huge risk for a club in such a parlous state. There will have to be extensive surgery to the Rangers playing squad in the close season. Individuals who have failed to deliver or even feature in the first team, and there are a fair few of them, will need to be moved on if possible and replaced with those who are capable of contributing.
Dave King, the Rangers chairman and major shareholder, has assured fans the new man will have money to work with. His budget will be larger than that at any club in the Scottish top flight other than Celtic. If he recruits well his side should, at the very least, finish up as the best of the rest.
But will Caixinha sign sensibly or will he saddle his new employers with more expensive bench warmers? For a club which continues to operate at a loss and relies on the continued benevolence of wealthy supporters like King, George Letham, Douglas Park and George Taylor, putting their faith in a relatively unknown entity is a gamble.
It was little surprise when Walter Smith, working as a pundit for Sky Sports at the Rangers game on Saturday, stated that his preferred option would be Derek McInnes, his former player. Surely, the Aberdeen manager would, even though it would require hefty compensation to secure his services, be a far safer option? The Scot knows the market well and has a successful track record in it.
If Pedro Caixinha does rock up in Govan in the coming days he will be a bold and ambitious choice by Rangers. If he does well they will be lauded for their foresight. If he bombs it could be very costly.
AND ANOTHER THING
Graeme Murty confessed that he was unsure where his future lay as a coach lay after being unexpectedly promoted from the under-20 team to the senior side at Rangers following the sudden departure of Mark Warburton last month.
Would he remain involved in the youth ranks? Or would be seek to move into management at some stage? The former Reading and Scotland defender admitted that he was uncertain.
The 42-year-old’s brief spell as caretaker manager at Ibrox has suggested the latter is worth pursuing. He has done well in difficult circumstances and conducted himself with the utmost professionalism since making the step up.
Yes, the win over Greenock Morton was unconvincing, the defeat to Dundee dire and the loss to Inverness Caledonian Thistle painful. But the wins over St. Johnstone in the Ladbrokes Premiership and Hamilton in the William Hill Scottish Cup last week were vital for his club.
Murty has altered the team formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 and changed tactics with noticeable results. What is more, he has quickly earned the respect of his players. His talents will be wasted if he carried on coaching kids.
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