Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WRECK IT RALPH
Ex-saints boss out of frame to replace Gio but former No.2 Beale IS in running
RALPH HASENHUTTL is not in the running to become the next Rangers manager as Michael Beale’s path to the job he craves became that bit clearer.
But Ibrox chiefs still have half-adozen candidates on their list as they ramp up their attempts to quickly secure Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s successor.
Austrian Hasenhuttl has decided he wants to take a break after being sacked by Southampton earlier this month.
The 55-year-old will take some time out and recharge his batteries before he decides on his next challenge.
Hasenhuttl has been linked with the vacant Rangers job because Ibrox sporting director Ross Wilson had previously hired him at St Mary’s.
But he will not be heading north and neither is Kevin Muscat likely to return to his former club.
Queens Park Rangers boss Beale is still very much in the frame and his club said yesterday they wouldn’t stand in his way if he wanted to return to Ibrox.
Beale has previously been a first-team coach at Rangers under Steven Gerrard.
There was a lot of speculation Rangers had agreed to meet Beale’s release clause last night but that was played down by sources on both sides.
The 42-year-old has recently snubbed a move to Premier League Wolves because he had said he had unfinished business at Loftus Road.
Rangers began the search for a new manager after they parted company with van Bronckhorst earlier this week.
Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson and sporting director Wilson are both in London just now, looking to narrow down their short list.
It is understood Rangers have six or seven candidates in mind and they plan to whittle that down over the coming days before putting things to their board.
Another name to have been floated is Sean Dyche, who worked with Wilson at Watford.
The ex-burnley boss has been heavily backed in the betting market, although doubts remain whether he would prefer to hold out for another English Premier League job.
J-league-winning Yokohama F Marinos boss Muscat and ex-middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder have both been linked but are unlikely to make the final cut.
Bodo Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen has also distanced himself from the post, while Peter Bosz, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Francesco Fariolo are all keen to hold talks with Rangers.
Maccabi Haifa’s Barak Bajhar has also been muted but was never a serious candidate for the job.
Van Bronckhorst has left but his backroom staff, including Dave Vos and Roy Maakay, still remain in place, although the Rangers first team is currently on holiday.