Rangers legend among shock frontrunners to be next manager at Ibrox

Rangers have been without a manager since the 26th of October and have for the time-being placed Graeme Murty in caretaker charge, but the market has taken a big shift in the last 24 hours and a new manager could soon be in-place at Ibrox. What Are The Odds looks at the potential candidates via Paddy Power bookmaker to fill the managerial hot-seat on the blue half of Glasgow.

There are currently three standout candidates, all very different, on a potential shortlist for the Gers job and it appears the bookmakers are all validating as such. The current favourite is the Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes at 3/10 (1.30) - such short odds indicate it’s moving forward and far and above the strongest option for McInnes to succeed Pedro Caixinha. The big question though, is now the time for the Dons boss to be jumping ship with his club soaring in second place and just three points off Celtic?

The odds on Aberdeen upheaving Celtic don’t look good, but with Brendan Rodgers side targeting Europa League football in the new year, McInnes might see an opportunity to stretch the Champions and take the title fight much closer than the days when Rangers were the other super power in Scotland.

Multiple reports, including in the Express, are waxing lyrical about what they perceive to be the ‘right man for the job’; Giovanni van Bronckhorst.  The current Feyenoord manager led the team to the Dutch league title last season, breaking through the Ajax winning streak and picking up a Dutch Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield to add to his impressive silverware collection as a young manager. The key here is that it would be a big name appointment, with very recent success and better yet, van Bronckhorst is a former Rangers star - playing for the club between 1998 and 2001. The 42-year old Dutchman’s odds have been tumbling and are now down to 5/1 (6.00).

There’s no doubting the qualities on show from van Bronckhorst the manager, but would returning to Rangers be the correct next step from Feyenoord and does he even feel like the project is complete in the Netherlands yet? His mind could be made up easier with his club trailing league leaders PSV by 12 points in the Eredivisie.

The Rangers board may however turn their attentions to Michael O'Neill, the man who masterminded Northern Ireland to the knockouts of Euro 2016 and right to the very last kick of the ball in the playoffs for the World Cup in Russia. The 48-year old is currently priced at 8/1 (9.00), and has probably only just become potentially available since Northern Ireland’s World Cup bid ended, but there’s already competition for his signature from the Scottish national side and of course he could just sign an extension to his current deal. But if O’Neill can translate the drive and passion that Rangers fans are craving for then he could just be the man to take the Glasgow side back to the summit of Scottish football.

This market is changing by the hour and it could be just a short matter of time before Rangers make their selection, with the club facing a couple of crucial league defining couple of months.

Probability of next Rangers manager