Rangers legend and record goal scorer Ally McCoist has urged the club’s new owners to move quickly in appointing a new head coach, with ex-Southampton boss Russell Martin now emerging as the frontrunner to take over at Ibrox.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist shared his thoughts on the club's ongoing search, which has stretched on amid recent ownership developments. With fans growing increasingly anxious about the lack of movement, McCoist made it clear that decisive action is now needed.
When host Alan Brazil raised concerns that Martin might be seen as an “underwhelming” appointment by the Rangers support, McCoist admitted he had heard similar opinions but was quick to stress that any new boss must be given a fair chance to prove themselves.
He said: “He came up for a while, but that is the term that was used – underwhelming.
“But you’ve got to give him a chance. It’s imperative it gets done as soon as possible.”
McCoist also acknowledged that the delay in naming a new gaffer had been inevitable given the recent change in ownership at Ibrox.
“It was never, ever going to get done before the sale of the club and the new owners came in.
“Now that’s sorted, it’s time to push forward.”
Martin guided the Saints to the Championship play-off promotion the season before last. Despite falling short of automatic promotion, his attractive style of football has reportedly impressed decision-makers at Ibrox.
Despite his dismissal from the Saints mid-way through their nearly record-breaking awful season back in the top flight he is still highly regarded as a coach within Ibrox.
Davide Ancelotti, who was the assistant to his father Carlo at Real Madrid, also remains in contention, but Martin is understood to be the current frontrunner.
With pre-season on the horizon and a critical summer transfer window looming, pressure is now mounting on Rangers' new leadership to make a timely and strategic appointment.