Rangers Chairman Defends Coaching Appointment Process
Chairman Andrew Cavenagh has stated that Rangers did not "screw up" the process of appointing head coach Danny Rohl, although he acknowledges that the situation appeared "clunky" from an external perspective.
The Ibrox club was close to securing deals with both Steven Gerrard and Kevin Muscat before ultimately reaching an agreement with Rohl, who initially withdrew from the selection process but later accepted the position.
Both Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell and Chief Executive Patrick Stewart have faced criticism from Rangers supporters regarding their roles in the club's disappointing start to the season. However, Cavenagh defended their efforts in finding a successor to Russell Martin.
"I think it’s important to clarify the misconception that [Thelwell and Stewart] messed things up," Cavenagh explained. "I was involved in every telephone call and meeting with both [Gerrard and Muscat]. I don’t believe they chose not to come because of any personal issues with Patrick or the sporting director role. Ultimately, the timing was a significant factor on both sides, particularly in the case of Kevin."
He added, "During this time, we were also quietly re-engaging with Danny behind the scenes. While I’m happy to discuss this, our focus moving forward is not on who didn’t join us, but rather on who did, and we are thrilled to have Danny Rohl as the head coach of Rangers Football Club."
Cavenagh also mentioned that some media reports regarding the managerial search were not entirely accurate, which contributed to the perception of a disorganized process. "There’s asymmetric information—what’s reported in the press versus what’s actually happening," he stated. "From our perspective inside the club, it wasn’t at all clunky, even if it appeared that way from the outside."
Why Didn’t a Deal Happen for Gerrard or Muscat?
Cavenagh emphasized that Rangers did not have a leading candidate, refuting claims that Rohl was merely a third choice behind Gerrard and Muscat. He disclosed that discussions were held with several coaches in London beyond Rohl, Muscat, and Gerrard, and he expressed satisfaction with five candidates he would have been eager to move forward with.
"We interviewed several excellent candidates," he noted. "We spoke to a number of other candidates that you’ve never heard about. We left London 10 days ago after a series of meetings, and I told our group how pleased I was that we had five candidates—not just the three that have been mentioned—who I felt would make great coaches for Rangers."
When asked why Rangers could not finalize a deal with either Gerrard or Muscat, Cavenagh described the situations as "complicated." He clarified, "We didn’t rank candidates one, two, and three. We had a maximum of 10 days to appoint a coach, so we pursued all five candidates simultaneously. Was anyone officially offered the job? It doesn’t work that way; there’s no grand ceremony or letter with a bow on it."
The chairman implied that neither Gerrard nor Muscat had received formal offers, as the club was engaged in discussions with multiple candidates at the same time. "You’re working on various details simultaneously," he said. "The two individuals you mentioned are in complicated situations. They’re halfway around the world, have families to consider, and would need to relocate mid-season. Therefore, with every candidate, we continuously aimed to advance discussions and determine if we could make it happen, all while managing five different candidates at once."