The new manager must rule out a Rangers duo in the ‘Tom Lawrence class’ at Ibrox

Glasgow Rangers They are in a difficult situation after an incredibly disappointing start to the 2025/26 league season Scottish Premier League And in Europe.

The Light Blues failed to qualify for the Champions League, losing 9–1 on aggregate in their play-off match, and losing their first two matches in the league stage of the Europa League.

As you can see in the graph above, Rangers have won just five of their 17 matches in all competitions this season, conceding 24 goals.

This led to the club sacking their coach ahead of the October international break, as they sit eighth in the Premier League with one win in seven league matches.

The club’s incredibly poor start to the season on paper makes it difficult to argue for a sacking Russell Martin It was unjustified, because he did not get enough results to buy patience from the supporters or the board.

However, it is now up to Ibrox bosses to find a new manager or head coach who can step in and do a better job than the former Scotland international did in Glasgow.

Latest searches for Rangers manager at Ibrox

Steven Gerrard is “in the box” to be Rangers’ next manager during the international break, former professional scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider.

Brown told Football Insider: “Right now, it might seem like it’s really Gerard’s job loss. He was the breakout candidate.

“We’ll see how things develop over the next few days, but Gerrard is in the box seat now. If those talks work out, it could mean something happens very quickly with Gerrard back at Ibrox.”

Meanwhile, The Daily Record claims that The English coach is set to hold talks with the club in London this week to discuss a potential return to Ibrox.

This report adds, however, that Gerrard’s camp has made it clear that these are exploratory talks, and that no progress or agreement has been made at this time.

As you can see in the table above, the manager’s last 50 league games with the club during his first spell were virtually clean, with 40 wins and just one loss.

His return to Ibrox is sure to be met with excitement, given he won the title in the 2020/21 season, and it could rock the pitch again if they can agree a deal with the former Aston Villa boss.

However, Gerrard is not in a favorable environment, as evidenced by one win in seven league games, and could have some big decisions to make in his first few weeks at the club, and then in the January transfer window.

Rangers made a range of changes to their squad during the summer transfer window, as shown in the graphic below, but not many of their new signings panned out.

In fact, two of the first casualties of the managerial change at Ibrox could become Joe Rothwell and Max Aarons, who could find themselves expendable come January.

Why should Rangers ditch this Ibrox duo?

Former Rangers striker Chris Boyd criticized both Rothwell and Aarons, as well as recruitment in general, in August because they both came from English clubs.

Boyd said: “He (Martin) has brought in a few players, but I think he needs to be very, very careful. He keeps coming back to the English market as well, overrated, overrated for me, especially when you go down the leagues.”

“There’s a long list of Rangers players coming from the Championship or below who have failed here. And I’m afraid to say, at this moment in time, Max Aarons and Joe Rothwell seem to fall more into the category of Kieran Doyle, Ben Davies, Todd Cantwell and Tom Lawrence than they do the likes of Connor Goldson and James Tavernier.”

As Boyd explained in his comments, Rangers have had plenty of misses arriving at Ibrox from the English market, including Tom Lawrence, who signed for Perth Glory this week after moving from Glasgow on a free transfer in the summer.

As you can see in the table above, the Wales international has not provided consistent quality at the top of the pitch as an attacking midfielder in his last two seasons at Ibrox.

Aarons and Rothwell, as Boyd explains, are on course to follow in Lawrence’s footsteps as they endured a disappointing start to their careers at Ibrox.

The on-loan Bournemouth player, who was sent off against Club Brugge in the Champions League, scored the winner against Livingston last month in the Premier League.

However, he has also been an unused substitute in four of the last six matches and Gerrard’s appointment is unlikely to change his fortunes, given that James Tavernier, the captain, played 168 games for the manager in his first spell at Ibrox, according to Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, Rothwell could suffer the same fate as Aarons, despite signing on a permanent deal from Bournemouth in the summer, as he has failed to impress so far.

Gerrard would have loved to have mobility in his midfield with the likes of Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo in the title-winning 2020/21 campaign, and Rothwell does not fit that midfield mold, winning just 1.4 ground duels per game, according to Sofascore, showing he rarely comes across the pitch to contest duels.

This means the central midfielder could find himself bottom of the pecking order and pondering his future at the club when the January transfer window opens, while Aarons may have to consider whether or not a loan is worth completing if he is behind Tavernier.

Therefore, Aarons and Rothwell could be the first Ibrox victims of a managerial change if Gerrard walks through the door, as they have started poorly at Rangers and both may not be forward-line options in the English tactician’s 4-3-3, due to his preferences in his first spell.