Next Rangers Manager: Sensational market twist as Gerrard becomes favourite once again | OneFootball

Wednesday 15 October

Gerrard returns to top of market

Just days after rejecting the job, Steven Gerrard is sensationally back as the favourite in the Next Permanent Rangers Manager market, just hours after the Betfair Sportsbook had made Kevin Muscat the new 4/7 favourite.

But in an incredible twist, Muscat is now out to 9/4 while Gerrard can be backed at 1/1.

As we reported on Monday - read below for the full update - Gerrard pulled out of talks to return to Ibrox but no clear reason was given for his decision. And just yesterday, Rangers legend Ally McCoist seemed to suggest that the club should re-open talks with Gerrard and sell the job to him.

Gerrard immediately became favourite for the job after Rangers sacked Russell Martin last week, but at the weekend, after holding talks to return to Ibrox to return as manager, the 45-year-old rejected the club's approach.

The return to the head of the market for Gerrard is even more surprising given that it seemed likely that Danny Rohl was the leading candidate for the job - he's now out to 10/1 - before former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat was backed into odds-on on the Betfair Sportsbook earlier today.

It appears a messy situation at the moment, and who knows which way the market will go in the next 24 hours or so, but we'll keep you updated as the odds change right here.

Monday 13 October

Rohl favourite with no Ibrox return for Gerrard

Danny Rohl is the new favourite to become the next Rangers manager after fans' hopes of a Steven Gerrard return to Ibrox were dashed.

Gerrard was heavy odds-on before the market was suspended last week but Betfair reopened the betting on Monday morning following news of his withdrawal over the weekend.

The former-Liverpool captain, who steered Rangers to their last Scottish League title in 2021, had been in talks with the club and was said to be the preferred choice of fans.

Could Rangers appoint Rohl before Dundee United match?

Rangers have been without a manager since they sacked Russell Martin a week ago and want a replacement in time for Saturday's match against Dundee United.

Ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Rohl is 10/11 to take over at the Glasgow giants. He impressed in his 21-month spell with the Yorkshire club, although it was overshadowed by the Owls' financial problems and he left in the summer.

At just 36, the German would be forward-thinking appointment for Rangers. He is already in talks with the Ibrox hierarchy.

Who else is contender to be next Rangers manager?

Gerrard's withdrawl from consideration for the Rangers job shows that surprises can happen in the manager markets.

Rohl looks the most likely candidate to succeed Martin but, if the German's appointment doesn't happen, who else could be in the frame?

Slaven Bilic was linked with a return to West Ham before they appointed Nuno Espirito Santo. Could the Croatian be a good fit for Rangers? He is the second favourite at 11/2.

Two men with links to Rangers - Kevin Muscat 7/1 and Barry Ferguson 9/1 - are possibilities but, sandwiched between them, is Gary O'Neil 7/2.

O'Neil has been out of work since leaving Wolves at the beginning of this year but remains a promising young manager based on his work at Molineux and, before that, AFC Bournemouth.

Rangers are eighth in the Scottish Premier League table, 11 points behind leaders Heats and 10 adrift of second-placed Celtic after seven matches.

Whoever get the Ibrox job will have to revive their fortunes quickly and get them challenge back near the top of the table.

Wednesday 8 October

Gerrard odds-on to return to Rangers

Steven Gerrard is odds-on at 4/7 to become the next Permanent Rangers Manager after he admitted in a recent interview that he has unfinished business as a head boss.

However, the 45-year-old stopped short of publicly saying that he is interested in the Rangers job right now.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents Podcast Gerrard spoke of his desire to return to management but he wants it to be "at a team that's going to compete to win" as that suits him best.

Gerrard, who led Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 before leaving for a doomed stint at Aston Villa, is the overwhelming favourite to replace Russell Martin at Ibrox with the Glasgow club awaiting confirmation over whether he is open to a return.

It is believed that Gerrard was under consideration to become the new Rangers manager in the summer but he withdrew from the running due to personal matters before the club appointed Martin.

But speaking to Ferdinand earlier this week Gerrard said, "if the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I will have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me."

"I know where I'm strong and I know there's areas where I need good support and I need special skill sets to make me better and stronger in terms of my staff and my group," he added.

Muscat also backed for Ibrox return

Another former Ibrox man, Kevin Muscat, is the 11/2 second favourite for the job after some significant market support in the last 24 hours.

Muscat, currently the manager of Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port, was a fan favourite during his one season at Rangers in which he helped them win a domestic treble in the 2002-03 season.

Former Everton and Burnley manager Sean Dyche is the 9/1 third favourite in the market, however Sky Sports have reported as recently as just this morning that he wouldn't be interested in taking the job.

Beyond the top three in the market former West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is 10/1 for the Rangers job, while former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl can be backed at 12/1.

However, as the market suggests, it's likely that the next permanent Rangers manager will be Steven Gerrard, but only if he wants the job!