Glasgow Rangers are set to be in the market for a new manager in the summer after Barry Ferguson’s interim term in charge comes to an end.
The former Scotland international came in to replace Philippe Clement on a short-term basis earlier this year and, at this point, has not done enough to secure the job on a full-time basis.
Ferguson did lead his team to a win over Fenerbahce on penalties in the Europa League, but the side’s form in the Scottish Premiership has not been good enough.
The Scottish boss has managed six games in the Premiership and collected three wins, two defeats, and one draw, whilst his team have conceded a staggering 14 goals in the process.
That is not good enough for a team that wants to compete for the title, with more than two goals conceded per game on average, and that is why the Gers should look elsewhere for a long-term replacement for Clement.
Ferguson was a sensible short-term appointment to see out the campaign as a former Rangers player who knows the club and the fans, but there is another former Rangers star, turned manager, who they would love to have in the dugout instead – Mikel Arteta.
Why Rangers would love to have Mikel Arteta
The Spaniard joined the Light Blues from Barcelona in the summer of 2002 to bolster the club’s options in the middle of the park and enjoyed two years at Ibrox as a player.
Arteta racked up 14 goals and three assists in 64 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants in that two-year spell, winning the domestic treble – the Scottish Premiership, the League Cup, and the SFA Cup – in his first year in Glasgow.
He then went on to play for Everton and Arsenal in the Premier League before starting his coaching career at Manchester City, assisting Pep Guardiola, and then went on to land the Arsenal job in 2019.
Arteta has managed 280 matches for the Gunners to date and is set for his third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League, whilst his team also have one foot in the semi-finals of the Champions League after a 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
The Spanish head coach has turned Arsenal into perennial title challengers in the Premier League, as well as making them competitive in Europe, and has established himself as one of the top coaches around as a result of those achievements.
Arteta, however, is now beyond Rangers’ grasp in regards to their current pursuit of a new long-term manager, given his status at one of Europe’s top clubs, but they are now reportedly eyeing another former player who could be their answer to the Gunners tactician.
Rangers eyeing former player as their next manager
According to Football Insider, Ferguson is ‘almost certain’ to move on from Ibrox at the end of his interim spell this summer, which means that they are looking at options to take over in the long term,
The report claims that out-of-contract head coach Russell Martin is in the running to land the top job, having been let go by Southampton earlier this season.
It states that a manager with an attractive style of play is appealing to the 49ers and that is why the English-born coach is likely to feature high up on their list of targets this summer.
The outlet adds that Martin would also be open to returning up to Scotland to manage the Gers, having spent a short spell on loan from Norwich City in 2018 during his playing career.
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With this in mind, Rangers must attempt to get a deal for the former Scotland international over the line because he could be their own Arteta at Ibrox moving forward.
Why Russell Martin could be Rangers' own Mikel Arteta
Like the Arsenal head coach, Martin deploys a possession-based 4-3-3 system that is built on keeping teams out by dominating the ball and consistently creating high-quality chances.
As you can see in the graphic above, the former Canaries man has had experiences with several clubs in England to build his style of play and philosophy, which means that Rangers would be appointing a manager with experience, rather than taking a big game on a coach fresh out of academy football.
Martin was, of course, sacked by Southampton earlier this season with a measly 0.31 points per game in the Premier League, but the Saints recently let go of his replacement – Ivan Juric – after a return of 0.29 points per game, suggesting that the issues at St. Mary’s run deeper than the man in charge.
Despite his team’s struggles in the top-flight, the Scottish manager’s style of play was described as “successful” and a “joy to watch” by Arteta, who suggested that their team deserved more points than they had at that point.
This shows that his possession-based, front-footed, approach to matches was enough to impress the Gunners chief, who implements a similar style at The Emirates.
Pass accuracy
87.7%
1st
Passes into the penalty area
594
1st
Progressive passes
2556
1st
Shot-creating actions
1255
1st
xG
79.8
2nd
Points per game
1.89
4th
As you can see in the table above, Southampton’s performances in the Championship last season were a better reflection of Martin’s style of play and what he wants from his teams.
The Saints were dominant in possession, but not boring. They created the second-most high-quality xG chances in the league, created the most shots, and made the most passes into the penalty area, which shows that there was constant action in the opposition’s box for the supporters to enjoy.
At Rangers, Martin would be coming into an environment where success is expected and dominant performances are expected, which appears to suit his style of play more than battling relegation in the Premier League with Southampton did.
This is why the former Gers centre-back could be an excellent appointment by the 49ers this summer because he could deliver a successful and enjoyable brand of football to get the excitement back at Ibrox next season and beyond, making him their own version of Arteta.
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