Rangers are in desperate need of change. The Russell Martin experiment is long past its sell-by date. Zero wins from the opening five league games, tenth in the table, and a very real chance the Ibrox club could be bottom by the time of their next league outing.
Despite Saturday’s 2–0 home loss to joint-top Hearts, a match in which Martin’s men went down without so much as a whimper, he looks set to carry on, at least until this weekend’s Premier Sports Cup tie at home to Hibernian.
Fans are already voting with their feet and wallets. A protest is scheduled by the Union Bears, while reports suggest ticket sales for the cup tie are alarmingly low just days out from the fixture. Win or not, the chances of Martin turning things around are less than zero. His mentality and man-management skills simply do not meet the standards expected at Rangers Football Club.
The question is not if he will be dismissed, only when. With the clock ticking down on his time in the hot seat, we look at eight names who could replace him, and who possess the skill set required to get the most out of what is, on paper, a strong squad.
Derek McInnes
We start with the man who outthought and outmanoeuvred the current Rangers head coach at Ibrox just this past weekend.
A former Rangers midfielder, McInnes famously turned down the job in 2017 after the sacking of Pedro Caixinha, a decision that remains the main reason many supporters are reluctant to see him return. He had his chance, and he walked away.
That said, the Rangers of 2017 were a far greater mess than the Rangers of today, at least on paper. This time, McInnes would inherit a squad capable of challenging. He knows the Scottish game inside out, has a proven track record of winning matches at this level, something Martin seems incapable of doing, and would bring a no-nonsense stability that the club badly needs.
The complication is his current role. Having only joined Hearts this summer, the payoff and disruption required to prise him away may prove too much, too soon.
Marco Rose
A proven winner with a strong pedigree, Rose lifted league titles with RB Salzburg and guided Borussia Mönchengladbach into the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds.
His subsequent spells at Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig were less convincing despite cup wins with the latter, and his stock has slipped, but has it fallen to the point where he’d consider a move to Scotland?
For Rose, the Scottish Premiership could offer the chance to be a big fish in a small pond. He would find new owners willing to back their manager, as demonstrated by the summer spending under Martin, and a squad that, on paper, could fit his aggressive, high-pressing style. A style that has a proven track record of working in Scotland under Steven Gerrard at Rangers and Ange Postecoglou at Celtic.
Wages may be the biggest stumbling block. But if Rangers are serious about turning this around, they need a proven winner who can inspire a demoralised dressing room and restore belief.
Kevin Muscat
A familiar name to the Ibrox faithful, Muscat was part of Alex McLeish’s treble winning Rangers side in 2002/03.
Since moving into management, he has carved out a strong reputation in Australia and Japan, most notably succeeding Ange Postecoglou at Yokohama F. Marinos and continuing their attacking, high-tempo brand of football, again a style that has had great success in Scotland.
Still winning with Chinese side Shanghai Port, Muscat brings a modern coaching outlook, with a philosophy rooted in front-foot football and player development. His success in Asia has earned him admirers in Europe, and his connection to Rangers would instantly endear him to sections of the support.
The question is whether the club would take the risk of another relatively untested manager in European terms. Unlike Rose or McInnes, Muscat does not come with extensive experience in Europe’s top leagues.
What he does offer is a clear identity, a no-nonsense aggressive mentality that would not allow the losing mentality that has hurt Rangers in recent years to take hold, a winning track record abroad, and a genuine affinity with Rangers.
Steven Gerrard
For many Rangers supporters, the story of Steven Gerrard at Ibrox feels unfinished. The man who stopped Celtic’s bid for ten in a row didn’t just deliver a title, he restored pride, identity, and belief to a club still finding its way back from the wilderness.
His unbeaten league campaign of 2020/21 stands as one of the great modern triumphs in Rangers history, and he built the squad that Giovanni Van Bronckhorst would lead to the UEFA Europa League final in Seville months after his departure.
Yes, his time in England and Saudi Arabia has been mixed, but in Govan, Gerrard’s name still carries an aura. A legend in Liverpool, a god in Glasgow as the advertising boards once hailed.
He knows what it means to lead Rangers, to shoulder the pressure of expectation, and to demand the highest standards from everyone around him, and turn inexperienced losers into unbeatable, relentless winners.
A return would not simply be about tactics or systems, it would be about rekindling the connection between team, manager, and supporters.
Bringing Gerrard back would be a gamble, but it would also be a statement: that Rangers believe the man who once lifted the club can do so again, with unfinished business still to be written.
Issues remain regarding the manner of his departure, if his relentless motivation to win remains and whether Michael Beale would be welcomed back as part of the coaching team. But on paper, a return could be the best thing for rebuilding not just his own managerial reputation, but the club he built back up from the doldrums the first time round.
Stephen Robinson
Sometimes, what a club needs most is not glamour or star power, but a steady hand on the tiller. Stephen Robinson has shown at St Mirren that he can build disciplined, resilient sides that consistently punch above their weight.
His teams are well-drilled, organised, and hard to beat, qualities that Rangers are crying out for right now.
Robinson understands the Scottish game inside out and commands respect in the dressing room. He maximises what he has, instils belief in his players, and ensures standards never drop.
Those traits would translate well to Ibrox, where the current squad has looked disjointed and demoralised.
Reportedly from a Rangers supporting family, he may not carry the profile of a Rose or the emotional pull of a Gerrard, but Robinson represents something different: security. A manager who knows what works in Scotland, who would steady the ship, and who could rebuild the foundations for longer-term success akin to McLeish in 2001.
Sean Dyche
If Rangers want experience, authority, and no-nonsense leadership, Sean Dyche ticks every box. The Englishman built his reputation at Burnley, where he kept the club in the Premier League for years on a fraction of the budgets available to his rivals.
Organised, uncompromising, and a master of squeezing every drop out of his players, Dyche is the definition of a pragmatist.
His most recent spell at Everton has shown both his strengths and his limitations, but there is no questioning his ability to instil discipline, structure, and resilience, three things glaringly absent from the current Rangers side. Dyche would bring instant respect in the dressing room, and his presence alone would demand higher standards.
The obvious stumbling block is finance. Dyche is used to Premier League wages and prising him north of the border would take serious investment. He also does not fit the style the new ownership group clearly want at Ibrox. But winning is the most important aspect of being the Ibrox gaffer, how you get there is not important to the majority of the support.
If Rangers truly want a proven operator, a manager who knows how to battle adversity and win ugly when required, Dyche could be the strongest short-term fix of them all.
Roger Schmidt
For those craving something different, Roger Schmidt would represent a bold and ambitious appointment.
Most recently in charge of Benfica, Schmidt has built a career on high intensity, attacking football, previously earning plaudits with Red Bull Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen, and PSV Eindhoven, with a win percentage close to 60.
His teams are aggressive, energetic, and always on the front foot, a style that would sit well with Rangers fans demanding more urgency and passion from their side.
Schmidt’s pedigree is unquestionable. He has won league titles in both Austria and Portugal and is highly regarded across Europe for his tactical acumen and commitment to youth development.
Landing him would not just be about improving Rangers on the pitch; it would be a statement of intent that the club is ready to step up a level.
The hurdles are obvious. Schmidt is used to being well-paid at Benfica and co, and persuading him to make the switch to Scotland would require significant financial backing.
Still, if Rangers truly want to reassert themselves on the European stage and move away from short-term fixes, Schmidt is the kind of visionary manager who could change the club’s trajectory.
Jose Mourinho
The idea of José Mourinho at Ibrox is headline-grabbing, almost cinematic. The Portuguese coach recently left Fenerbahçe, a side Rangers famously eliminated from last season’s Europa League, and his comments on the Old Firm suggest that the prospect of managing one of Scotland’s giants holds undeniable appeal.
Pressed on the idea ahead of his visit to Glasgow last season, the Special One said: “Why not in the future?
“People can say that the Scottish league is a league of two teams, but it’s a league of passion. For me, passion in football is everything.
“Celtic and Rangers, they are big clubs with big fan bases, with big emotions, big responsibilities, big expectations. Why not?”
Mourinho would bring instant authority, European experience, and a winning mentality that is second to none. His presence alone would lift the club’s profile and demand respect across the dressing room.
The caveat, of course, is whether Rangers could lure a manager of his stature north of the border, given financial demands and the fact he thrives on big challenges in the top leagues.
Yet, if anyone could revitalise Rangers while commanding global attention, it is Mourinho, a figure capable of blending pragmatism, psychology, and sheer star power into a winning formula. However, his style, like Dyche does not suit the wants of the new Ibrox chiefs. But surely, his star power and track record alone would be enough to sway them, if a move was at all feasible.
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What is clear is that Rangers cannot afford to gamble on the status quo. The squad on paper is capable of success, but only a manager with authority, vision, and the ability to inspire belief can turn potential into results.
Whoever steps into the Ibrox hot seat will not merely be managing a team, they will be restoring pride, setting a standard, and reigniting the passion of a fanbase that will tolerate nothing less.
The question for the board is no longer if change is needed, but who has the courage, experience, and conviction to lead Rangers back to where they belong. The clock is ticking, and the next appointment will define the club’s direction for years to come.