This isn’t time for hesitation, Mr Chairman
APPLYING the Tynecastle rules of readiness to the situation, they’ve probably got until about two hours before kick-off to get their man.
If the new gaffer happens to arrive fashionably late, it’s unlikely that players crying out for leadership are going to complain too loudly. As for the prospect of Rangers
not having a new manager in place for Friday night’s trip to Dens Park, well, it’s tempting to call such a scenario unthinkable.
As if that’s even a recognisable concept in the whacked-out world of Scottish football.
In truth, the continued delay over finding a replacement for the hapless and hopeless Pedro Caixinha — axed almost four weeks ago now — can only mean one of two things.
Either the wise judges on the recruitment committee are unable to reach a decision that pleases all their paymasters.
Or they simply can’t afford the compensation needed to land Derek McInnes, and are desperately scrambling around for a vaguely acceptable alternative to the most obvious appointment this side of Michael O’Neill for Scotland.
It’s hard to say which would be a more worrying prospect for Rangers fans increasingly, and in greater numbers, turning their justifiable fury away from the first team — and towards the gentlemen uncomfortably ensconced in the directors’ box at Ibrox.
Gratitude for the current board, a regime afforded leeway simply for not being any combination of Craig Whyte, Charles Green and/ or the Easdale boys, was bound to dissipate at some stage.
And a home defeat to Hamilton, a first Accies league win at Ibrox since 1926, certainly has a way of sharpening anger and focusing ire. The only thing preventing more zeroed-in protests and criticism, in fact, is arguably the one weakness that is making Rangers seem so rudderless. Namely, a lack of one clear figurehead to make the big calls — and to be called out for corporate shortcomings.
Dave King? The chairman is effectively an absentee landlord. That’s not always a bad thing, of course. When things are going smoothly, who needs interference from on high?
But ask Celtic fans how it felt when Dermot Desmond was leaving Ronny Deila to muddle along. His decision to go and get Brendan Rodgers is, you’d have to agree, working out pretty well.
If not King, then maybe the Three Bears can wield some influence? Alas, never has the fairytale nickname applied to the trio of Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor seemed so laden with implicit mockery. The reason supporters are so concerned, of course, is that they know simply appointing a manager — even McInnes, who would definitely improve the team by 20 per cent without making a single signing — won’t get them where they want to be.
The damage done by Caixinha, who spent over £9million and left Rangers with not much more than a half-decent striker to show for it, can’t be undone with the stroke of a pen. It’s going to take two really successful transfer windows, at the very least, to repair the rot.
And that’s assuming they can afford to offload the deadwood for a hefty loss.
The board dragging their feet over appointing the right man, excusing procrastination as due diligence and hoping that Graeme Murty would keep the team bubbling along in the extended interim, does nothing to reassure fans with good reason to be worried.
They’re right to fear any suggestion that finances aren’t what they should be. Justifiably concerned by even a hint of internal bickering preventing business from being done.
In the circumstances, only one thing will soothe their fevered brows. Preferably before the teams emerge from the tunnel at Dens.