I'll be honest, the approach from Red Bull Salzburg for Danny Rohl has come like a bolt from the blue. Not much surprises me anymore when it comes to football but the news that the Rangers boss could be heading for the exit after only eight months in charge is a shock.
It's not because I don't understand the appeal the Austrian side would have for the German boss, especially with the opportunity to move closer to his family. Danny has two young sons but he has spent most of the three years he's been working in British football living apart from them. As a father myself, I realise how tough that would be for him.
Having started his career working for the Red Bull Group in Leipzig, the chance to work with some familiar faces in Salzburg will clearly be an attraction too. And I understand he must be feeling under pressure with the way last season ended here. There's no doubt a sizeable element of the supporter base have made their minds up on him as boss and turning those opinions around won't be easy.
Where I See Things Differently
But this is where I see things differently. I don't get why you would want to leave a club like Rangers. I don't understand why you'd walk from Ibrox when there's still a chance to achieve something special here. Now obviously I've got my blue-tinted specs on but I can't help but see the potential in this squad and this club.
Last season ended on a horrible note but that shouldn't mask some of the flashes of real quality the team produced as they fought their way back into the title race. Danny isn't from here so obviously he doesn't have the same emotional attachment I do but every time I look at that squad, I get excited about what it can achieve if only we can turn those flashes into consistent displays. The buzz around Ibrox would be unreal.
Recruitment is Key
To do that, Rangers have to get their recruitment right. That's easier said than done but Andrew Cavenagh was entirely right when he spoke last month. The chairman was adamant that there is talent in the playing staff and with the right signings, this team can challenge for honours next year. And I agree.
Clearly, the timing of this approach from the Austrians isn't great. Most of the players will be due back in Glasgow for pre-season training next week and there's only six weeks to go before the new season kicks-off. The guys planning this summer's transfer drive will have been working on fulfilling the requirements on Danny's wish list. But now they face having to pause those efforts until the new boss is appointed, so they can then work out what traits he is looking for in his signing targets.
And I imagine that will frustrate Cavenagh too. The chairman pushed the boat out for Rohl in January to sign the players the manager wanted. The likes of Ryan Naderi didn't come cheap. He stuck his neck out again when he defended the manager only last month in the face of some pretty hostile reactions from the fans. Given the amount of anger that was floating about after the collapse of the team's title challenge, it would have been easy for the chairman to dispense with Rohl then. But he stood by the boss and assured him there would be more money available this summer to reshape the squad.
It now looks like it will be someone else deciding how that cash is spent. But while every manager will look to put their own individual stamp on a team, I think it's crucial that Rangers stick to the principles that Cavenagh spoke about when he recently sat down with the media.
"We've looked at it and think the club culture needs to change," he said. "We think the leadership needs to change on the pitch and the squad needs to change. With those, the manager can succeed. But until you solve those, the manager isn't going to succeed. That's why it is our priority."
I totally agree. The signing of Lawrence Shankland is a terrific first step. He's a guy who was born and raised a Rangers fan and will understand what is required to win at this club. The leadership he showed while taking Hearts to within a whisker of a title last year is exactly what Gers require. The more of his sort Rangers can get their hands on this summer, the better.
Now I don't think you have to be born on the Copland Road to grasp what it takes to success at Ibrox. It matters more that you have steel in your stomach than Scottish blood flowing through your veins. I played with plenty of foreign lads during my times at the club. Some of them barely understood a word the local boys were saying to them but they all knew what it took to win games of football. If the new manager is delivered those types of character, maybe it will be Rangers springing a few surprises next season.
