I was sceptical when people started suggesting Sam Allardyce for the Rangers job yesterday.

When he left Crystal Palace in May, Allardyce seemed convinced that he wanted to leave football management and concentrate on his family life:

“While I’ve got the energy, I want to travel and also spend more time with my family and grandchildren without the huge pressure that comes with being a football manager. I owe that to my wife and family.

“This is the right time for me, I know that in my heart. I have no ambitions to take another job, I simply want to be able to enjoy all the things you cannot really enjoy with the 24/7 demands of managing any football club, let alone one in the Premier League.”

Has anything really changed since then? 

Well maybe his family have seen enough of Sam and wouldn’t mind him going back to work. The former England national team manager has since stated he’d possibly reconsider his decision if an appealing international job became available.

Reports suggest he’d like a chance at managing the US national team.

A few managerial roles in the English Premier League have since become available but Allardyce has distanced himself from a return to Palace and from the chance to take the reigns up at Leicester City.

Yet saying all that the sixty-three year old seems to have become a favourite with some of the Rangers support for the hot-seat at Ibrox after Pedro Caixinha was relieved of his duties yesterday.

Former Gers star Derek Johnstone backed the Englishman for the Gers job:

“They have got to look nearer to home. I’m not saying that is a Scotsman, but they need a British manager.”

“Someone like Sam Allardyce would be a great choice for Rangers and he is someone that gets the best out of players.”

The bookies have been a bit more sceptical about his chances of replacing Pedro in Govan. The shortest odds you can get is 8/1, while other bookmakers have him as high as 25/1.

Why do Gers fans want Allardyce?

He’s a big name and that matters to the Ibrox faithful.

Plus he has a great reputation for turning around a club’s fortunes. The former Bolton and West Ham man makes his sides hard to beat and builds on good defensive foundations, Rangers could certainly benefit from that at the moment. The boss also seems to get the best from his players and has a great contact book to get the right recruits in during a transfer window.

A lot of supporters at certain teams will moan about Sam’s pragmatic football style but Rangers are a club that demand wins rather than pretty football. As long as the team’s winning and challenging for trophies they’ll forgive a few long balls and defensive displays. Let’s not forget that Lionel Messi slated Rangers for playing anti-football in the Champions League, the Gers support didn’t give two hoots and celebrated the 0-0 draw.

Would the Gers job interest Big Sam?

That’s the big question.

Obviously he has stated in the past that he has no desire to return to club management but was he talking specifically about the English Premier League?

Rangers would represent a different challenge for the former Sunderland gaffer. Instead of getting a club out of relegation trouble, Sam would be tasked with revitalising the Glasgow giants and have them challenging for trophies again.

In Rangers, Allardyce would have a chance of playing in Europe and winning medals. He has always been keen to prove himself at a bigger club and on the European stage, so that might tempt him up north.

Some big questions still need to be answered if Rangers are going to be able to appoint a boss like Sam Allardyce. Will they have the wage structure and transfer budget to make a move to Glasgow appealing? Would they want to work with a gaffer who has had an iffy history?

Surely it’s worth the Gers board picking up the phone and making a call to Big Sam’s representatives. Who knows he might be ready for a new challenge in a new league? Then again he might end up in the jungle starring in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

It is that random at Ibrox at the moment!

Posted on October 27th, 2017 by scott
Filed under: Article