Danny Rohl is in Glasgow to finalise his deal to become Rangers’ new head coach after he re-entered the race to take charge at Ibrox.
Sky Sports News understands talks are ongoing with the former Sheffield Wednesday boss, who had initially withdrawn from the race.
The 36-year-old was keen on landing the job and taking training last week but stepped away after becoming aware that others were ahead of him in the pecking order.
However, after talks with Kevin Muscat collapsed on Sunday night, Rohl is expected to be appointed as Russell Martin’s permanent successor.
Ibrox sources insisted the club were still speaking to various candidates, despite being in advanced talks with Muscat.
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Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Dundee United
It is thought an appointment could be made within the coming days, with Rangers in action on Thursday against Brann in the Europa League – a competition in which they are winless this season.
Rohl had also been sounded out over the job in the summer and did impress in recent talks with the Ibrox hierarchy.
He led Sheffield Wednesday to a 12th-placed finish in the Sky Bet Championship in his only full season as a manager before leaving the troubled Yorkshire club in July.
Previously an assistant manager at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and with the Germany national team, he had steered Wednesday out of relegation trouble the previous campaign.
‘Rohl has the potential to go to the very top’
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Simeon Gholam:
“It would be fair to say that Danny Rohl performed miracles at Sheffield Wednesday – particularly when you consider the context of what has happened at the club since his departure.
“He joined the club as a 34-year-old in October 2023. They were without a win in 11 games and seven points adrift of safety.
Rohl spent just under two years at Sheffield Wednesday
“It took him a while to get up and running. Only one win came in his first six games in charge – and that was at home against a Rotherham side that finished bottom of the league.
“But after about six weeks of his high-pressing style being imposed, things really started to click, and he somehow managed to keep them up. Wednesday were in the bottom three that season from the second week of August until their 44th game of 46. Four wins and two draws from their final six kept them afloat.
“And last season, even as the turmoil that has spilled over this season brewed off the pitch, he led them to a 12th-placed finish. With greater resources at his disposal, a play-off push wouldn’t have been out of the equation.
“Rohl is an incredibly amiable, warm character and he is very easy to like, as shown by a couple of excellent turns as a pundit during last year’s ITV Euros coverage.
“He was schooled at RB Leipzig before coaching spells at Southampton, Bayern Munich and the German national team. He has worked with some of the best, and has all the potential to go to the very top.”
Rohl will ‘have you off your seat’
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Danny Rohl is expected to be appointed as new Rangers head coach – Charlie Austin telling the club’s fans they should be excited about his former Southampton coach moving to Ibrox.
Charlie Austin was a Southampton player when Rohl was there as assistant coach to Ralph Hasenhuttl:
“Ultimately, he was the man that brought all the tactics in.
“At the time his English wasn’t so great and Ralph Hasenhuttl used to stand next to him on the side and then he would come in and basically just relay what Danny had told him in German really and that was it. He was a phenomenal coach, he really was.
“The Rangers fans, yes you can say, ‘do you think he’s going to be Russell Martin 2.0?’ and all that, but you don’t go and work for clubs like he has done, German national team, Leipzig, Bayern Munich and then to go on to the job he did at Sheffield Wednesday, keeping them in the championship, was phenomenal.
“So now the biggest bit is going to Rangers, realising how big the club is, but I’d be excited about him coming in.
“Yes, you haven’t got someone like Gerrard or Kevin Muscat that’s affiliated to the club already, but you’ve got someone that’s coming in, a young, hungry manager that will have you off your seat, just be ready for your players to get really fit and counter-pressing at its finest.”
Muscat deal collapses
Kevin Muscat is no longer in the running to become Rangers’ new head coach after talks collapsed
Talks had reached an advanced stage with Muscat, who is currently in charge at Shanghai Port, and it was expected that he would succeed Russell Martin following the Chinese Super League campaign.
However, it is thought that the timeframe around a deal proved problematic. While Shanghai Port’s last league game is on November 22, Sky Sports News have been told that a start date could have been delayed until December.
Shanghai Port currently sit two points clear at the top of the Chinese Super League, two points clear of their nearest challengers.
Last weekend, former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard withdrew from the process, with timing understood to be an issue.
In the days that followed, ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Rohl then stepped away from the process as talks with Muscat progressed.
Thelwell & Stewart talks did not lead to Muscat deal collapsing
Muscat has guided teams to the league title in Australia, Japan and China
Ibrox chairman Andrew Cavenagh – who led the US takeover of the club in the summer – and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe had been leading the search and speaking to various candidates.
They were joined by 49ers Enterprises technical director Gretar Steinsson, Gers CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell in London for negotiations.
Reports suggested the move had broken down following talks between Muscat, Stewart and Thelwell. However, those claims have been dismissed by Ibrox sources.
What’s next for Rangers?
Steven Smith has been taking training since Russell Martin was sacked
Martin was sacked on October 5 after a 123-day tenure at Ibrox.
U19 coach Steven Smith – who had two spells at Ibrox as a player – was in interim charge for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Dundee Utd.
Prior to the game, Smith said he was “determined” to make fans happy amid a period of unrest.
Rangers return to action on Thursday away to Brann in the Europa League – a competition they are winless in this season.
Rangers’ upcoming fixtures:
Brann (A) – Europa League – ThursdayKilmarnock (H) – Scottish Premiership – SundayHibernian (A) – Scottish Premiership – October 29 – live on Sky SportsCeltic (N) – League Cup semi-final – November 2Roma (H) – Europa League – November 6Dundee (A) – Scottish Premiership – November 9 – live on Sky Sports
