Ongoing new manager discussion and speculation

[der Berliner 3,747]

I've pushed much of the "next manager" stuff to the back of my mind. Still a bit strange to read people handing the Board the "incompetence FLAK" when one should realize that it simply ain't that easy to go out and find a manager able enough to step into the Ibrox hot seat. Not least when those we consider able may not be interested at all to come to Scotland, a 2-hore-race championship and a by comparison budget of peanuts. And let's be honest, with the candidates flung about above, you can ask 5 Bears and they'll have 5 different opinions.

 

Murty has got the job for at least another 9 days and for that period, I'll cease to get up in arms about any other name.

Edited December 22, 2017 by der Berliner

[JohnMc 2,754]

Fascinating how we perceive things. McClaren -- who is by all accounts a 'better' coach than McInnes and most certainly Wright -- is perhaps a gamble. However, I don't understand how he can be spoken less of than Wright. He's just better: better coach, worked at a higher level, has experience of working with winners etc. The only down side is the dry spell, which does appear to be a long one. Is he the answer? I don't know. But if it's a choice between McClaren or Wright, that's no choice at all.

 

Edit: Actually, after checking, that dry spell appears to be 3 years, only 2 of which he was actually managing (he's currently in a consultancy role). It's still a significant dry spell, but you could argue it's not as bad as it is perceived to be.

 

I'm not sure where you get 3 years from? He's been in almost constant employment since leaving Twente in 2010 after winning the league, a tremendous achievement and one he deserves a lot of credit for. But he then managed Wolfsburg, Forest, Twente again, Derby, Newcastle and Derby again without any significant success. His first spell at Derby went okay, they lost in the play-offs, but the following season didn't go as well. All the other spells ended in failure too.

 

This isn't so much what I think as how I'd think if I was a director of the club and putting my own personal money up to pay for the new manager. Wright (and McInnes) would cost less, know the league well, have had some success in it and are almost guaranteed to improve the side based on what they've done on less resources elsewhere. Neither is going to turn us into a European power, but then we're miles from that point anyway. McClaren would command a big salary and his recent record provides little evidence he could do any better than Wright or McInnes.

[Rousseau 10,640]

I'm not sure where you get 3 years from? He's been in almost constant employment since leaving Twente in 2010 after winning the league, a tremendous achievement and one he deserves a lot of credit for. But he then managed Wolfsburg, Forest, Twente again, Derby, Newcastle and Derby again without any significant success. His first spell at Derby went okay, they lost in the play-offs, but the following season didn't go as well. All the other spells ended in failure too.

 

This isn't so much what I think as how I'd think if I was a director of the club and putting my own personal money up to pay for the new manager. Wright (and McInnes) would cost less, know the league well, have had some success in it and are almost guaranteed to improve the side based on what they've done on less resources elsewhere. Neither is going to turn us into a European power, but then we're miles from that point anyway. McClaren would command a big salary and his recent record provides little evidence he could do any better than Wright or McInnes.

 

You said he's had a "seven year losing streak", but it's not as bad as that. After Twente (1st spell) he had 1 year, albeit at Wolfsburg and Forest, where he failed completely. He returned to Twente and did 'OK', signing good players, consolidating their position etc., but was sacked -- so, failed! -- after a run of 7 games without a win. His Derby career was terrific. Play-off final, only losing out in the last second of the game, then second season he had them top for most of the season until injuries (his excuse) and Newcastle speculation (press), spoiled their run-in. He completely failed at Newcastle. And failed at Derby (2nd spell). For me, that's only 3 years of failures, possibly 4. It's not as bad as it's perceived to be -- some of it's even understandable (Forest and Newcastle!).

 

He would certainly cost more, but I think he'd guarantee us 2nd. I also think he's a much better coach, so there's value there in the sense he'd be able to develop our players and team. Moreover, he can build and develop our squad towards European objectives. It may be too much money, but there's so much more value there than a McInnes or, heaven forbid, a Wright appointment. I can see why Allen would recommend him.

[calscot 0]

We made no loss on Amato and you seem to be omitting some of his signings like Numan, Van Bronkhorst, Mols, Reyna, De Boer etc. It didn't help Advocaat that he inherited a squad that needed to be rebuilt from scratch, and at a club with archaic infrastructure.

 

And if he was given the money he was obviously going to spend it. Murray's legacy is where we are now.

 

I'm not omitting his good signings as the point is that the good signings were very expensive, but so were the many bad ones, which ended up taking the club over the brink - and I was focusing on the complete waste of money for some of them.

 

I'm pretty sure we made a loss on Amato - even if we got the same money for him, there are signing on fees, agent fees etc. But he's only one of many and the it seem profligate to sign an expensive player, hardly play him (and when he did he looked good) and then quickly move him on.

 

If Advocaat had stopped at the ones you mention and then used the money more judiciously then we wouldn't have burned through about 75M that we didn't have.

 

He would have been much better off keeping the likes of Gattuso and playing Arveladze more in his natural position instead of wasting his talents and letting him leave on a free.

 

Murray was wrong to give him the money, but you don't always have to act like a kid in a sweetie shop because you can.

[calscot 0]

After wiki-ing McLaren, I'm warming to him. Most managers have ups and downs , and if they don't have downs they will take a job in a bigger league. I'm still not sure what to make of Walter's time at Everton - especially as he got the short straw on the financials.

 

McLaren seems to have enough ups to perhaps do be able to do something for us - after all, we keep saying the Rangers job is not the hardest in a coaching sense, and while the pressure is immense, the England job is probably one that trumps it - not that he handled it well, but maybe he learned from it. But getting the gig in the first place has to say something about him.

 

He certainly has more of an interesting CV than any SPL manager - including Rogers.

[forlanssister 3,114]

It's Murty till end of season

 

[tweet]944178692409962502[/tweet]

[Rousseau 10,640]

I'm curious to know what the "additional support" is. Walter... ?

[JohnMc 2,754]

Murty it is then. Good luck to him, hopefully he can find some consistency and the odd exceptional performance. I guess we can forget about any meaningful signings in January, maybe a loan deal at best, and depending on how his tenure is going players downing tools in the later stages as they realise he isn't who needs impressed for a new contract. Still, at least it's been decided and I quite like Murty, maybe he's going to get lucky. Here's hoping.

[Barrheadboy 16]

If he has the gig till the end of the season can I respectfully ask you Graeme,ditch the tracksuit and get the blazer and tie on ,it is what Rangers Managers do, it goes back to Struth days when all players had to wear bowler hats.

If players are expected to arrive for games in the club blazer and shirt and tie the manager needs to do likewise.

[pete 2,499]

Ajax looking to appoint Ten Hag as new head-coach

Posted by admin on December 22nd, 2017 06:08 PM | Eredivisie, News

 

Ajax are hoping to appoint FC Utrecht boss Erik Ten Hag as their new head coach.

 

By Michael Bell

Follow Michael on Twitter

 

Marcel Keizer was sacked on Thursday after the defeat to FC Twente in the KNVB Cup and according to several reports, Erik Ten Hag is the man Ajax want to appoint as his successor.

 

No formal contact has yet been made with Utrecht for the 47-year-old but talks are expected over the weekend which should result in Ajax presenting their new head coach next week.

 

Ten Hag, who had previously coached Go Ahead Eagles and Bayern Munich II, took over at Utrecht two-and-a-half years ago and has gained plaudits for guiding the club to fifth and a KNVB cup final in his first campaign and then fourth last season.

 

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag gave nothing away and stated his full focus was on Utrecht’s match with NAC, “Everyone knows how well I like it at this club. We are working on something beautiful, and want to position ourselves towards the second half of the season, that is the most important thing at the moment. “

That counts that one out as he was a favourite with some supporters.