Danny Rolle has officially arrived, with Rangers reportedly already in the race to secure his first contract in the form of the talented midfielder.
Charlie Austin: Rangers should be ‘excited’ about Roll
After Russell Martin’s disastrous 123 days in charge, Rangers fans are understandably nervous about welcoming a young manager with open arms. Rolle joined the company at just 36 years old and has only held one permanent management role. But former Premier League striker Charlie Austin says the Gers family should be thrilled about his appointment.
“Rangers fans, I can say, ‘Do you think he’s going to be Russell Martin 2.0?'” But the work he’s done, working for clubs like the German national team, Leipzig and Bayern Munich and then keeping them in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday, has been phenomenal.
“So now the biggest takeaway is going to Rangers. I realize how big the club is, but I’m excited for him to join.”
In terms of tactics the Rangers can expect, you can forget about the slow build-up Martin required of his team. Rohr places much more emphasis on counter-pressing, which has been synonymous with German football for many years.
The young manager has worked with some great attacking managers, including Barcelona’s Hansi Flick and Ralph Hasenhüttl, back when Southampton’s side were at their best.
Although he wasn’t their first choice, Rolle could be the Rangers’ best choice. He will first be tasked with getting the Gers back into winning shape on the European stage against Brann, before taking on Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.
Meanwhile, with another manager arriving, Kevin Thelwell and the 49ers are reportedly already in the race to hand him his first contract with the Rangers.
Rangers compete to sign David Watson
As reported by TeamTalk, the Rangers are currently in a contract battle with David Watson to hand Roll his first contract. The Kilmarnock midfielder is set to leave as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season, and has attracted interest from officials at Ibrox as a result.
But Ger isn’t the only one chasing them. In addition to them, Shock League leaders Hearts are also aiming to sign the young Scot at the end of the season. Winning the league title will certainly give them an advantage over the Rangers for the first time in a while.
No wonder top clubs are targeting Watson. The 20-year-old is one of Scotland’s best young players and has contributed four goals in eight league games so far this season.
Kilmarnock vice-captain Robbie Dias, who won a lot of praise during his run of form, told reporters: “Honestly, Davey is great. He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. He’s really good. You saw it today, he’s going to come in with the tackles later on.”
Signing a young midfielder to match a young manager with high ambitions would be the ideal way for Rangers to start the Roll era. However, in order to do so, it is necessary to fend off many concerns.