Why Leicester City and Southampton will be looking at Rangers with real envy | OneFootball

Leicester City and Southampton missed out on Danny Rohl in the summer, with the German having enjoyed a positive start in charge of Rangers.

It’s fair to say that Leicester City and Southampton will be disappointed at how the current season has played out so far.

Both relegated clubs were expected to be in the mix for promotion this season, but Saints sit 18th, having already sacked Will Still after he failed to make a positive impact following his appointment.

The Foxes also brought in a new boss, as Marti Cifuentes took over, and even though they’re 12th in the table, Leicester fans are underwhelmed at his start, with some already questioning the Spaniard.

Danny Rohl had been on the radar of Leicester City and Southampton

With both clubs on the lookout for a new boss in the summer, it’s no surprise that many of the same names were linked with both roles, as the similarities between the clubs are clear to see.

One man who was thought to be in the running to take over at the King Power Stadium and St. Mary’s Stadium was Danny Rohl.

The German had built a reputation as a fine Championship head coach after his work under very difficult circumstances at Sheffield Wednesday, which included keeping them in the league against all odds in his first season.

However, with Rohl in dispute with the Owls during the summer, prising him from Hillsborough was always going to be tough, and that ultimately proved to be the case, as Leicester and Southampton both went down a different route.

Danny Rohl enjoys a positive start to life at Rangers

Whilst it’s early days, it’s fair to say that both clubs could regret missing out on Rohl as he starts to make his mark with the Scottish club.

On the face of it, the German has had a mixed start to life at Ibrox, having won three and lost three of his opening six games, which includes two Europa League defeats and a high-profile exit from the League Cup at the hands of Celtic.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as Rohl was inheriting a club in a mess. The fans were, and remain, livid at the hierarchy, as they try to force out key figures at the club.

Furthermore, Rangers were in crisis on the pitch, as they had incredibly only won once in the league under Russell Martin.

So, for Rohl to record three league wins on the bounce is an achievement, and that has quickly ensured he has received buy-in from the players and supporters.

Crucially, even though he is only a matter of weeks into his job, Rohl has already improved several Rangers players, with Mikey Moore the latest individual to flourish under his guidance, having previously looked out of his depth.

The 36-year-old has already shown he is willing to be adaptable tactically, and he is always making tweaks as he likes to find the right formula to allow his attacking players to impress.

That’s why the Rangers fans have already taken to their new manager, and the hope is that he will continue to develop the team as he gets to bring in better players.

Danny Rohl could be the one that got away for Leicester City and Southampton

It’s that tactical know-how and ability to improve players that made him so popular at Sheffield Wednesday, and if Rohl repeats that with Rangers, he will put himself forward as one of the top young managers around.

The spotlight that comes with the Glasgow side means that he is operating on a bigger scale, and Rangers are likely to offer him the chance to compete in Europe year after year.

Obviously, the short-term aim is to end Celtic’s dominance domestically, but Rohl will have big plans for Rangers, and the club will be quietly confident that they have the right man to do just that.

As Leicester and Southampton underachieve, they may regret the fact that timing prevented them pursuing Rohl, with Rangers looking to have benefited from that.