Next Rangers manager: Five favourites to replace Russell Martin

Robin Bairner

• 6 Oct 2025 03:00 CDT
• 4 min read

News

Rangers finally lost patience with Russell Martin on Sunday, with the manager sacked following a 1-1 draw with Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

Martin departs the Gers with a miserable record: he won only five of his 17 matches in charge, leaving the Ibrox club while they are an embarrassing eighth in the standings.

Now the challenge for Rangers’ new American owners is to find a manager capable of lifting them back into the title race. Celtic are nine points clear of the Light Blues, with leaders Hearts another couple in advance.

Turning the season around promises to be a massive job, particularly with the squad looking threadbare in terms of quality, but it is not impossible.

Here are five contenders for the job.

Who will be Rangers next manager?

Kevin Muscat

Muscat had a brief spell as a player at Rangers, and the Australian has long been associated with a potential return to Ibrox in recent years.

His managerial style has caught the eye, with the 52-year-old coming from the Ange Postecoglou school of attacking football.

With a possession-based front-foot style, Muscat would seem well placed to inherit a squad of players that was meant to play in this fashion under Russell Martin.

He is known for demanding strong standards and being a disciplinarian.

Steven Gerrard

Could Stevie G return to Rangers after the title success of his first spell? Don’t rule it out, even if he struggled at Aston Villa and was inconsistent in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.

He managed 192 matches in his previous stint at Ibrox, during which he managed to attract some big names to the Glasgow giants.

Appointing Gerrard would signal a quick win with many Rangers fans and, given the 45-year-old is out of work, would be a relatively simple and cheap appointment.

Danny Rohl

A former Sheffield Wednesday manager, Rohl finds himself out of work following the chaos that engulfed the Owls in the summer.

The 36-year-old performed miracles in the Steel City, saving Wednesday from near-certain relegation in the 2023/24 campaign before leading them to mid-table stability last term.

This was achieved with a flashy brand of attacking football that saw them score 60 goals in their 46 matches – among the best figures in the whole of the league.

With 69 goals conceded, he might not be the best-placed man to shore up Rangers’ leaky backline, but his attacking brand of football that comes from the Hansi Flick playbook would be a welcome breath of fresh air at Ibrox.

Sean Dyche

A favoured appointment among some Rangers supporters due to his consistent ability to overachieve during his time in the Premier League.

Known for a gritty and down-to-earth style, his man-management style is something that many Gers fans would love after the softly spoken Martin.

Dyche is known for his direct and pragmatic football – completely the opposite qualities to the previous Rangers boss. Given Martin’s squad was built for possession and pressure, the current players may have a hard time adapting to his more combative style.

Derek McInnes

Another former Rangers player, and one who has persistently achieved excellent things in the Scottish Premiership with Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and now Hearts. Indeed, it is McInnes’ side who are top of the table.

The former Ibrox midfielder, though, is not known for playing the type of attacking football that the Glasgow club demands. His style is more pragmatic, focusing on being solid first and foremost.

If McInnes were to be appointed as Rangers manager, it would likely be seen as an uninspiring decision from the under-fire board.

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