Glasgow Rangers will be in the market for a new head coach this summer as they prepare to bounce back from a disappointing 2024/25 campaign.
Barry Ferguson is currently in interim charge but has presided over a dismal run in the Scottish Premiership and has been knocked out of the Europa League – failing to score a single goal in three of his four matches in Europe.
The Scottish boss has won three, lost two, and drawn one of his six league games at Ibrox, which does not suggest that he is the right man to lead the team forward into next season to challenge Celtic for the title.
Rangers, who needed a last-gasp stunner from Ianis Hagi to salvage a draw against Aberdeen last time out in the league, may look for an experienced coach who has a track record of winning trophies.
One man who would fit that profile is experienced Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho, who has been linked with a move to Ibrox this summer.
The latest on Jose Mourinho to Rangers
TEAMtalk reported on Sunday that the Fenerbahce manager is a possible candidate for the job ahead of next season, as the Rangers board are looking for a big-name appointment to lead the new era in Glasgow.
The outlet claimed that the 49ers, who are said to be close to sealing a takeover of the club, want to make a strong managerial move, with Steven Gerrard and Mourinho named as two contenders for the role.
It revealed that the Fenerbahce boss would be open to completing a move to Ibrox this summer, but only if the new ownership group are willing to back him in the transfer market.
TEAMtalk claimed that the club are yet to approach Mourinho to discuss the job, though, and this suggests that they are still in the early stage of their recruitment process.
As you can see in the clip above, the 62-year-old tactician refused to rule out the possibility of managing in Scottish football in the future when asked about it back in March.
The TEAMtalk report mentioned that Mourinho would want to be backed by the owners, though, and that would include them having to possibly move on from players who would not be up to the standard that the manager wants.
Mourinho, who has won eight league titles in his career, may want to move on from Jack Butland at Ibrox, as the English goalkeeper has endured a frustrating season in Glasgow.
Why Jack Butland could be sold by Jose Mourinho
The Portuguese boss has managed some iconic goalkeepers during his career, including the likes of Petr Cech, Iker Casillas, Hugo Lloris, and Thibaut Courtois, and the former England international may not join that illustrious list.
Butland is currently sat on the bench watching on as Liam Kelly plays in his place after Ferguson decided to take him out of the team, due to his poor performances on the pitch.
The experienced shot-stopper has not performed well enough in the Premiership this season, making too many errors with the ball at his feet and with his lack of shot-stopping, and the club should look to move him on this summer.
Appearances
26
Save success rate
67%
Goals prevented
-1.45
Goals conceded from outside the box
6
Error led to shot
2
Error led to goal
2
Penalties committed
1
As you can see in the table above, Butland has conceded more than the average goalkeeper would be expected to based on the xG of the shots on his goal, which shows that he has been poor from a shot-stopping perspective.
The former England international has also made a whopping five errors that have led to shots, goals, or penalties for the opposition. To put it simply, he became a liability to the team between the sticks, and it was the right call by Ferguson to remove him from the starting line-up.
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Butland, however, is not the only player who should be moved on from Ibrox if Mourinho is appointed this summer, as Ridvan Yilmaz could also be on the chopping block.
Why Ridvan Yilmaz may not have a future under Jose Mourinho
The Portuguese manager builds his teams around a defensive structure and ensures that there is a solid platform for the rest of the side to build from, with his belief that the team that makes the fewest mistakes tends to win.
Yilmaz’s performances for Rangers this season suggest that he is not the kind of defender that Mourinho would want to build his team around, because the full-back is not a solid defensive operator who can be relied upon week-in-week-out.
Standing at 5 foot 9, the 23-year-old dud is not the tallest of defenders and that is reflected in his lack of success in the air. In 17 appearances in the Premiership this season, he has lost 100% of his aerial duels. Mourinho may not have much faith in a full-back who has not won a single aerial duel in 17 league games to defend the back post for him in matches next season.
Yilmaz, who Tam McManus claimed had an “absolute shocker” in the league back in March, has also made two errors that have led to shots for the opposition in the Premiership, which further suggests that he would not suit the Portuguese manager because of his desire to build a team that does not make many mistakes defensively.
Appearances
7
Pass accuracy
66%
Tackles
6
Dribbled past
8x
Big chances created
0
Aerial duels won
1
As you can see in the table above, the Turkish full-back also struggled in the Europa League, staggeringly being dribbled past more times than he completed tackles, whilst only winning one aerial duel.
These statistics from his performances in the Premiership and the Europa League combine to suggest that he would not suit Mourinho’s footballing philosophy, which is why he should be out of the door if the manager is appointed this summer.
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Yilmaz reportedly had interest from his former club Besiktas during the January transfer window, which suggests that there could be interest in his services ahead of next season that would allow Rangers and Mourinho to cash in on him.