Glasgow Rangers are back in action in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on Saturday after the end of the international break, but it remains to be seen who will be in the dugout.

The Light Blues parted ways with their last head coach after their last league match before the break, and Rangers have yet to agree a deal with a replacement.

As shown in the graphic above, the Gers endured a dismal start to the 2025/26 campaign, winning just five of their 17 matches, and they have to find a manager who can turn their fortunes around.

Rangers have held talks with English tactician

Steven Gerrard has withdrawn from contention to be the next Gers manager, after talks with the club, which means that they now have to look elsewhere for a Russell Martin replacement.

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According to TEAMtalk, Rangers have held talks with former Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick as part of their process to find their next boss.

The English tactician, who left Boro at the end of last season, has had discussions with the Ibrox giants over a potential move to Scotland, and would not cost a penny in compensation.

TEAMtalk adds, though, that Danny Rohl, Kieran McKenna, and Rafael Wicky are also contenders for the role, as the Light Blues look for an alternative to Gerrard.

Why Rangers should appoint Michael Carrick

Carrick would be an intriguing option for the Scottish giants to go for because he has the potential to get Ibrox rocking again with his style of play and history in the game.

Rangers supporters could get behind the English tactician because he had an illustrious playing career, unlike Martin, winning five Premier League titles with Manchester United, making 464 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

This means that he can bring a winning mentality to the club even if his coaching career has not started in a similar vein, as he impressed with Middlesbrough on a “limited budget”, as Mark Schwarzer put it.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, the results that Carrick’s team picked up did not quite get the rewards that his coaching deserved, which suggests that he did not have the quality of player that he needed to achieve real success down south.

If Rangers are happy with their recruitment work in the summer, the Light Blues may feel that they have the players to make the most of the former Manchester United star’s impressive and attack-minded coaching.

Carrick, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has also shown that he can develop and get the best out of young players, like Morgan Rogers.

The England international explains in the clip above that the head coach helped him to take the next step in his development as a young player.

Rogers was valued at £1.5m by Transfermarkt at the time of his move to Boro from Manchester City. At the time of writing (14/10/2025), the 23-year-old star is valued at a whopping £48m by Transfermarkt.

This shows that Carrick can help to develop big-money talent, which aligns with the club’s strategy to bring in and improve young players, which is why another reason why he could be a fantastic appointment.

Overall, the 44-year-old head coach could get Ibrox rocking because his success and reputation in the game would command respect, and he is a manager who has shown that he can coach attacking football at Middlesbrough on a ‘limited budget’.

It will now be interesting to see if the Light Blues decide to seriously pursue an agreement with Carrick or if they go elsewhere, with Rohl, McKenna, or Wicky.