Russell Martin to Rangers path is clear as Davide Ancelotti talks 'break down'

Daily Record

2 days ago

The former Southampton boss looks increasingly likely to be the man the new owners will name as Philippe Clement's successor
Frontrunner Russell Martin appears to have his path cleared to become Rangers manager after talks with Davide Ancelotti have "broken down."
Former Southampton boss Martin looks set to be given the chance to spearhead the American revolution at Ibrox following the takeover by US tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises.
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Ancelotti and Martin had been left as the main two contenders to become Philippe Clement's permanent successor after sporting director Kevin Thelwell revealed a decision was days away.
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But MARCA claim that the former Real Madrid assistant has met with directors at the Scottish Premiership giants but "everything has changed."
Ancelotti ally and Spanish football expert Guillem Balague claimed that if Rangers chiefs did not reach a decision by the end of last week or by the first week of June at the latest the club "risk missing out on Ancelotti" with other clubs showing interest.
That appears to have come to fruition as "negotiations with Rangers have broken down" and the Italian now considering his options with Deportivo "interested" and Como considering Ancelotti as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas if he joins Inter.
Fabregas' decision to move to the San Siro could also impact on Francesco Farioli - who was reportedly under consideration for the Light Blues' job after leaving Ajax.
Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Farioli has been "offered" to the Champions League finalists following the departure of Simone Inzaghi following the heavy 5-0 defeat to PSG in Munich.
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Farioli is being "evaluated" as an option with Fabregas the frontrunner at this stage - while La Provincia report that a meeting with Como higher-ups has been arranged with Rangers' hopes of snagging the boss fading.
It all leaves Martin as the leading contender to step into the vacancy - with former Norwich City teammate Steven Naismith claiming the Scotland cap is the best man for the job.
He told Sky Sports: "From every name linked with the job, I think he probably ticks the most boxes for what's required at the moment.
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"The most common thing I would imagine everybody has heard is the leadership aspect. That was very clear from the first time I played with him.
"He's a leader. I know he's spoken about his people skills and things like that. He knows how to get the best out of players and staff. Behind the scenes at Norwich, he was a big part of what their success was as a club.
"On top of that, his knowledge and intelligence of the game is very good. He's had real belief. He's a brilliant communicator. I think that's been the clearest thing at each club very quickly - that style, you can identify it, you can see it.
"I think a few of the fans at Rangers will remember him as a player, and that's probably not the best image of him. Because, as a coach, he's the opposite of what he was as a player.
"As a coach, he's a forward-thinking coach, and that for me is the biggest benefit."
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