Glasgow Rangers will need a new manager in the dugout at Ibrox when the 2025/26 campaign gets underway later this year, having relieved Philippe Clement of his duties in February.
Barry Ferguson came in to replace the Belgian head coach as an interim manager until the end of the season, and his side did beat Aberdeen 4-0 last time out in the league.
However, the former Rangers central midfielder has only won five of his 13 matches in charge of the club in all competitions, losing four of those games.
Ferguson’s most recent managerial experience before his current stint at Ibrox came at Alloa Athletic in the 2021/22 campaign, when he lost 17 of his 33 games at the helm.
These statistics do not suggest that the former Scotland international is the right man to lead the Light Blues back to glory in the Scottish Premiership moving forward, which is why he should not be a contender for the job.
It does appear as though Rangers are set to look externally for their new head coach this summer, as they have been linked with a move for Davide Ancelotti.
Why Davide Ancelotti could be exciting for Rangers
It was recently reported that the son of Carlo Ancelotti, who is currently part of his father’s coaching staff at Real Madrid, is closing in on the Rangers job.
The Light Blues were reported to be pushing to bring him to Ibrox to convince him to take his first role as a senior head coach, rather than going to join his dad when he becomes the Brazil manager later this year.
The Rangers-linked coach has worked with his father at Real Madrid, Everton, and Bayern Munich, and has been described as an influential figure behind the scenes.
Former Bayern midfielder Javi Martinez, as quoted by the BBC, hailed Davide’s influence on Carlo: “The evolution process never stops and it is more difficult to adapt for older coaches. Davide completes Carlo and helps him understand the evolution of football. Davide is incredible: prepared, serious, a great person, like his father.”
As you can see in the graphic above, he has learned from one of the best managers around, given the incredible number of trophies his father has won, and that illustrates why him being an influential figure on his coaching staff is a big positive ahead of a possible move to Rangers.
This is why, despite his lack of outright managerial experience, Ancelotti could be an exciting appointment for the Gers and a chance to get behind a new era at Ibrox, which could be kickstarted with an excellent signing.
Rangers make contact to sign English forward
According to The Herald, Rangers have made contact with Blackburn Rovers forward Tyrhys Dolan to remain informed on his situation ahead of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Gers want to keep tabs on the English attacker, who could become a free agent this summer if he does not extend his contract with the Championship side.
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It reveals that Blackburn would value Dolan between £5m and £10m but they could lose him for a nominal compensation fee if he runs down his contract to sign for the Light Blues.
The report, however, adds that Premiership rivals Celtic are also monitoring the winger ahead of a possible swoop for his services in the summer window, which shows that there will be competition for the 23-year-old dynamo’s services.
This means that Rangers may have to act fast once it becomes clear that Dolan will be available to sign when his contract at Ewood Park expires at the end of June, as they will have to beat other teams to his signature.
The board should push to get a deal over the line for the Blackburn star because he could be an excellent signing to kick the Ancelotti era off with a bang, should a move to appoint the Real Madrid coach go through.
Why Rangers should sign Tyrhys Dolan
The Light Blues could kickstart the Ancelotti era in exciting fashion by signing Dolan because he is a promising young talent with the potential to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch in Scottish football.
At the age of 23, the Blackburn star would arrive with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player, which means that he could be a long-term addition to the side as well as having the quality to make an instant impact.
As you can see in the clip above, Dolan is also a player who has showcased his quality in the final third in the Championship for the English side this season.
The incredibly versatile attacker, who can play on the left, on the right, as an attacking midfielder, or as a striker, has shown that he has the potential to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis if put in the right environment.
Dolan has only averaged 38.1 touches per game in a Blackburn team that ranked 16th in the league for xG, with 51.6 xG in 46 matches, which shows that he was not getting loads of touches in a well-coached attacking side.
Vaclav Cerny, meanwhile, has delivered 12 goals and three assists with 50.7 touches per game for Rangers on the right flank in the Premiership this season.
Appearances
31
44
Touches per game
50.7
38.1
Shots
90
51
Goals
12
7
Conversion rate
13%
14%
Big chances created
6
7
Assists
3
6
As you can see in the table above, Dolan enjoyed a better conversion rate of shots to goals than Cerny has managed so far this season in the Premiership, and created more ‘big chances’ for his side with roughly 12 fewer touches per game on average.
These statistics suggest that the English star’s output at the top end of the pitch could soar if he was put in a Rangers team that gives him plenty of touches in the final third, with more chances to take shots and create chances as an exciting wide player.
Dolan, once hailed as “outstanding” by former boss John Eustace, would also provide an exciting celebration for supporters when he scores, as shown in the clip above.
In all seriousness, though, he could be the perfect first signing of the Ancelotti era as a superb young talent who has the quality and the potential to be a star at Ibrox, with the chance to be more influential in the final third as part of a more dominant and attacking team than he has been at Blackburn.
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