THE decision by Derek McInnes to turn down the job of Rangers manager has left the under-pressure Ibrox board back at square one in their pursuit of Pedro Caixinha’s replacement.
Six week have now passed since the Portuguese’s exit, and supporters are now demanding a permanent man to be put in place as soon as possible.
The names of former players Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Frank de Boer have popped up again.
But a man who knows the pair well fears that will prove to be little more than wishful thinking.
Arthur Numan feels there would have been an excellent chance of a candidate of their calibre taking over at the club – if we were talking 15 or 20 years ago.
But after the chaos that has enveloped Rangers since Sir David Murray gave up ownership in 2011, it is a forlorn hope as the club tries to find its feet again and get back to the top of Scottish football.
Numan told The Sunday Post: “I believe some Rangers supporters would want to see Gio van Bronckhorst or Frank de Boer taking over.
“But I just can’t see that happening just now.
“I haven’t spoken to them about it. But, with all respect, I can’t see them returning to Ibrox at this stage.
“If this was happening 15 or 20 years ago, then I could see Gio or Frank in charge.
“But Gio is adored at Feyenoord, where he has brought great success to the club, and got them into this season’s Champions League.
“Frank, meanwhile, will probably look towards Spain or Italy for his next job in management.”
De Boer is currently out of work, having been sacked just 10 weeks into the job at Crystal Palace.
His previous post was equally short-lived, and he lasted just 85 days at Inter Milan.
Both failures were in sharp contrast to his six season with Ajax, where he enjoyed great success and four league titles.
While Numan believes both his fellow countrymen are out of the running for Ibrox, he has no doubt who should still be in the field.
“My own choice would be Alex McLeish,” he said, “and there are many reasons why, and he does tick many boxes.
“He knows what it takes to bring success to the club.
“He has been there and done it, and has the hunger and desire to succeed. He has both the mentality and the knowledge.
“He knows the Scottish media and how it operates, and that is also vital.
“He knows the demands of the Rangers supporters and exactly what is required.
“And he has a fine eye for a player, and operates well in the transfer market.
“Apart from all of that, he is available. So, there would be no need to go through a process of trying to sort out compensation with another club.
“Listen, I haven’t spoken to him recently about this, so I can’t say for definite he would accept any offer.
“But I think he would.
“However, why not ask the question? The people at Rangers should make a call to him.”
McLeish hit the headlines a fortnight ago, when he shot to the top of the bookmakers’ odds for the Rangers position.
The man himself quickly distanced himself from the speculation, and insisted he had received no contact from anyone connected with the club.
But taking everything into account at this delicate but vital stage of the club’s history, Numan is clear.
Following the dramatic collapse of moves to install Derek McInnes, he feels that his former Ibrox gaffer should be offered the job again, and the chance to take charge for the second time in his managerial career.
McLeish’s previous spell in the office at the top of the marble staircase at Ibrox came between 2001 and 2006.
It saw him secure two League titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups.
Numan played under McLeish when they won the Treble back in 2003, and was also his European scout when Big Eck was in charge of Aston Villa.
He knows him well and knows he has the calibre and experience to improve Gers.
The Dutchman continued: “It’s been a disappointing few days for Rangers with them not getting Derek McInnes.
“But it’s important for the people in charge to stay focused, get back to the drawing board and get the right man at the helm.”
Should that man not be McLeish, Numan thinks it would still be best to appoint someone from the UK.
After what happened with Pedro Caixinha – a disastrous appointment that brought some of the lowest points in the club’s history – he thinks it’s best to avoid the next manager being from abroad, with no knowledge of Rangers or Scottish football.
Numan stressed: “The episode with Pedro Caixinha was a real low point for the club.
“It’s best now being forgotten and for Rangers to quickly move on from it.
“However, lessons should be learned and not repeated.
“From the outside looking in, it struck me Caixinha just didn’t grasp how big the job was, and what the true feelings of the Rangers supporters were.
“In contrast, I remember when Dick Advocaat agreed to become the Rangers manager back in 1998, he did his homework on the club and really got properly prepared.
“He watched around 70 or 80 games on DVD – including reserve games.
“That’s where he spotted the talent of Barry Ferguson and decided he was going to play a big part in his plans.
“He also made the wise decision to have John Greig beside him. John has been voted The Greatest-Ever Ranger, and he was a great help to Dick.
“His place in the backroom set-up, and the way John dealt with the players, was invaluable to the whole process.
“So that sort of takes me back to my point that Alex could just could go right in and take over.
“He’d be ready. There wouldn’t be any need for anyone to hold his hand. And there is little time for that.”
Numan, who turns 48 on Thursday, appreciates it is now a matter of urgency to get the right man in.
But he also respects that Graeme Murty is in interim charge and is very capable of seeing the club through the next few games.
He said: “There is no need for panic.
“But there is a need to have a clear picture of what you want to achieve in the next three years, and how you are going to achieve it.
“I hear many people talk about the need to stop Celtic from doing 10-in-a-row, and I understand where that comes from.
“However, it can’t be the sole focus at the moment. You will not stop this overnight.
“There is no magic wand.
“So you have to make a three-year plan, with the priority of getting it right in year one.
“If you don’t get it right in year one, then years two and three will just disappear and also fail.
“Small steps towards progress must be taken, and the Rangers Board must put them in place and believe in them going forward.
“To be honest, we have been talking about Rangers making progress for the past four or five years.
“There was the plan of putting the small pieces in place so that the big jigsaw can be completed.
“But I think they are probably not on schedule for where they would have wanted to be at this stage.
“It can be fixed, but it takes careful planning.
“I hope it falls into place because the club is still in my heart.
“And I hope that success comes sooner rather than later because the fans deserve it.
“They have been hurting for far too long.”
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