NafisaFormer Rangers’ director of football Gordon Smith believes that the incoming manager will require the entire £20million injection from the new ownership for signings.
That’s if the club hopes to close the gap on Celtic. Rangers are poised to name former Southampton manager Russell Martin as Philippe Clement’s long-term replacement following the acquisition by American businessman Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises.
A £20million commitment has been pledged by the group, and Smith feels that sum must be utilised on new arrivals after a silverware-free season in which the Light Blues ended up 17 points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Smith has urged the new leadership to be ready to spend substantially if they’re serious about challenging Brendan Rodgers’ title-winners.
Speaking to the Sunday Post, he told the new figures at the top in Govan: “Picking the right candidate to be manager is going to be crucial.
“Every appointment is a challenge, in my opinion, because you are never completely sure how they are going to do.
“There have been examples of people with a great track record coming in and struggling, likewise of people who are new to it doing really well.
“They need to choose the right person and give them the backing they need to succeed. That is what the fans will be looking for.
“In Scotland it is a two-horse race for the title. They need money to be able to compete because, from the fans’ point of view, second is last.
“Twenty million is the figure that has been talked about and, while that is not a huge amount in today’s market, it is all about how you use it.
“For Rangers and Celtic there are two ways to make significant amounts of extra revenue.
“The first is by qualifying for the Champions League, the second is by developing players and transferring them on for higher fees.
“Pick the right ones and you have the potential to make that kind of money in one deal.
“Pick the right ones and you can get Rangers back to competing at the level they want to be at.
“Celtic will be looking at this thinking we are going to have more of a domestic challenge. But, as much as they have been doing very well, things can change quickly in football. We saw that in 2020-21.
“So, they might be looking at their structure too because they know, if Rangers begin to compete, things will get tougher for them because, as I say, second is last at the Old Firm.
“Extra competition between the two clubs would also benefit the Scottish game on the whole.”
Nafisa
