Ibrox side want ‘strong character’ at the helm
STEWART ROBERTSON, the Rangers managing director, believes the club need a ‘strong character’ in the dugout as the search continues for Mark Warburton’s successor.
Warburton left Ibrox on Friday night alongside assistant manager David Weir and Frank McParland, the head of recruitment. Graeme Murty stepped up from his role as Under-20s manager to lead Rangers to victory over Morton on Sunday and could take charge of the side against Dundee this weekend.
Rangers may look to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season before recruiting Warburton’s permanent replacement and Robertson knows which qualities the preferred candidate must possess.
“I think we need a strong character, with a strong mentality,” he said. “Someone who understands and gets what Rangers is all about.
“Whoever comes in is going to get the backing, there will be financial resources in terms of taking the club forward. But most of all we need someone who is a winner and someone who gets what this is all about and what Rangers is all about, which is winning. We are looking for the highest calibre possible, a club of this standing deserves the highest quality manager.
“We need someone with character and someone who can work under the pressures that they will face working at Rangers.
“There is a lot of expectation at this club and a lot is demanded of you as the manager of Rangers Football Club and it needs a special kind of individual to work under those conditions.
“He’ll get great support from the board and the supporters will get behind them. We are looking for a top guy to achieve our plan to take the club right back to the top.”
Pressure had grown on Warburton in recent weeks after his side slipped to third in the Premiership standings and fell 27 points adrift of Celtic. By the time they take to the field at Dens Park on Sunday, the Ibrox side could be six points behind Aberdeen.
Warburton lasted less than two years in the job but Robertson insists
the Ibrox board will continue to back their man in the dugout as Rangers continue the hunt for their 15th permanent manager.
“It depends on the individual and you just need to get that right fit,” he said. “There is no doubt that the world has changed from the way that it was 30 or 40 years ago when people tended to stay with one club for longer.
“You see it with players as well as managers, but there will be resources there to back the manager coming in in terms of strengthening the squad. Hopefully next year there will be European football and we will need to strengthen the squad for that.
“Hopefully we will have someone who is here for a few years, that would be the preference, but you never know what is round the corner in life as we’ve seen recently.”
As part of the process to recruit a new manager, Rangers are also considering appointing a director of football to oversee the rebuilding job at Ibrox and Auchenhowie. The Herald revealed on Saturday that John Park, Stuart Webber and Paul Mitchell are amongst the candidates under consideration for the key off-field position.
“As a club we want to be a modern football club, and we see that sometimes when managers leave a lot of the structure leaves with them,” Robertson told RangersTV. “The director of football gives you that continuity. They oversee the overall football department, all aspects of it, including the academy, performance, preparation and analysis.”