KING HAS A MUNSTER JOB – THEO
BY CRAIG SWAN THEO SNELDERS says Dave King must step on to the frontline and turn into a Munster to get Rangers back to the top.
The former Ibrox keeper believes the club have a clear template for recovery in the shape of Twente Enschede. But to make it work he feels Rangers chairman King needs to lead from the front.
In 2002, Twente were in huge trouble. Toiling on the park and headed for administration. Top clubs such as Ajax and Feyenoord were, like Celtic are now in Scotland, light years ahead.
But it was then that new chairman Joop Munsterman began an astonishing rehabilitation and Twente’s recovery happened.
Eight years later Munsterman’s incredible work culminated in Twente outgunning Ajax and Feyenoord and winning the Eredivisie title.
Snelders looks at that scenario and sees a similarity with the problems Rangers are facing right now.
While talks are ongoing and the prospect of Steven Gerrard arriving he says it is the chairman who has to instigate the real change at Ibrox.
He said: “Twente have the same problem in Holland. It seemed to me they need to educate everyone and hope a personality comes in and tells people what to do.
“At Twente it was like a rollercoaster. In 2003 I had two years in the academy and joined the first team.
“The club was in administration but a chairman, Joop, came in with a three-year plan. We went up, up and up and had no debts.
“A really good coach came in and we went from selling players to Ajax and Feyenoord to then selling to Schalke and Inter Milan.
“Twente got the chairman in, he got the RANGERS will not be taking a gamble if they land Steven Gerrard as their new boss, says top agent Martin Reilly.
But, according to the man who represents Neil Lennon, Gerrard will be taking a risk if he doesn’t get assurances about transfer funds.
He said: “I’m not one for taking pops at rookie managers because I had one in Neil and he’s been sensational.”
Reilly added: “Rangers is one of the biggest jobs in European football. But only if things are right.
“If Rangers are trying to bring in someone who will attract big-name players then Gerrard definitely ticks those boxes. But that also takes money.
“If Steven Gerrard phones you up and asks, ‘Do you want to sign for Rangers?’, the majority of players will be halfway here.” coach in. The manager went to Schalke. Steve McClaren came in and gave it the final touch and we won the title.”
Unfortunately for Munsterman it ended badly after he got carried away with a taste of success.
Having conquered Holland the Twente chief lost sight of his original principles and began chucking the newlygenerated money around attempting to push the club into the continent’s elite.
It was a fanciful dream that backfired and Snelders said: “Twente went too far because the chairman wanted to be among the top 30 clubs in Europe.
“He was counting the money from the Champions League and we didn’t get there. When it didn’t happen the whole thing fell apart.
“Eight years ago we won the league, last weekend we were relegated.”