Potter could be man to work his magic at Gers

SOME Rangers fans probably feel their club need the magical powers of Harry Potter to close the gap on rivals Celtic next season.

But they could do a lot worse than the wizard’s namesake Graham who has performed a real-life footballing miracle over in Sweden.

Plenty of fans scoffed at the idea of appointing the 42-year-old after he emerged as the bookies’ favourite to take over at Ibrox earlier this week.

The fact the left-field appointment of Pedro Caixinha went so badly wrong has probably scared them off from taking a gamble.

However, Rangers have no option but to think outside the box with a limited budget for their new manager.

Potter isn’t a big name likely to excite the fans in the way Frank de Boer and Gio van Bronckhorst, who played at the very highest level and have been touted, will.

But there has to be a touch of realism. Unless Rangers are willing to pay top dollar – and that looks unlikely – then attracting a big name with a proven track record isn’t going to happen.

It all comes down to affordability and with the kind of money likely to be offered there is always going to be a bit of a gamble.

Englishman Potter’s CV as a player certainly doesn’t compare to that of De Boer or van Bronckhorst. It doesn’t even come close with just 10 top-flight games at Southampton and spells with Birmingham, Stoke, West Brom, York and Boston before he finished at Macclesfield.

He was a steady but unremarkable full-back but it’s those with limited ability who often make the best managers as they’re forced to think more about the game rather than it coming naturally.

Potter has gone on to carve a name for himself as a boss at unfashionable Ostersunds after moving to a remote part of northern Sweden when he found it tough to get a break in England.

The club, only formed in 1996, had just been relegated to the fourth tier but he has enjoyed remarkable success with three promotions in five seasons and a cup.

Yet it’s his exploits in this season’s Europa League where he has really caught the eye and that saw him linked with the Stoke job before Paul Lambert was appointed.

He led Ostersunds to wins over Galatasaray and PAOK Salonika to reach the group stage.

A victory over Hertha Berlin and a draw with Athletic Bilbao saw them reach the knockout stage where they enjoyed a famous second-leg win at Arsenal despite going out on aggregate.

Throw in the fact former Hamilton boss Billy Reid is helping Potter perform miracles and they could be a promising package.

Of course it would be a huge step up and there is an argument the time to get him was in 2012. That would have allowed a few years to implement his philosophy but it doesn’t mean Rangers should write him off completely.

Rangers could do a lot worse than the wizard’s namesake Graham