October 13 – Steven Gerrard has rejected an approach to return to Ibrox by citing that “the timing isn’t right” — a polite brush-off that, on closer inspection, points to deeper divisions within the club’s new hierarchy.
After several days of rumblings between the former Liverpool captain and Rangers executives, the 45-year-old walked away from negotiations over the weekend – despite being the bookies favourite to take over at Ibrox.
Reports suggested he was uncomfortable with the club’s current sporting structure and the influence of recently-appointed sporting director Kevin Thelwell.
For Rangers, who are now hunting their fourth manager of 2025, the setback comes at the worst possible moment. Sat eighth in the Scottish Premiership with a fractured squad, the international break was seen as a window to stabilise before domestic football resumes at the weekend. Instead, the search for a new coach has once again descended into an unwelcome uncertainty.
Gerrard, who previously guided Rangers to the 2021 league title before departing for Aston Villa, had been viewed by the board – and much of the fanbase – as the obvious solution to restore order.
With Gerrard now putting himself out of the picture, Danny Röhl, formerly of Sheffield Wednesday, is believed to be among the leading candidates. Röhl’s coaching résumé includes spells as assistant at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and with the German national team, but his relative lack of managerial experience represents another high-risk gamble – something the Ibrox board can’t really afford after the ill-fated tenure of Russell Martin.
The episode has also laid bare how different the club is today compared to the setup Gerrard left in 2021. One of the main changes has come through its new ownership consortium, led by American investors, which has installed a modern executive structure that limits the autonomy Gerrard once thrived in.
Financially Rangers are in a far less flexible position than during Gerrard’s first spell. The club’s net summer spend of £20 million has tightened margins, and with Thelwell overseeing recruitment, sweeping changes to the squad would not be straightforward.
Rangers’ search continues, but the optics are grim: rejected by their top target, weighed down by structural upheaval, and facing another restart, are all mixed in with their worst league start in years.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]