When it comes to a professional football club appointing a new manager, the process shouldn’t be something entirely dissimilar to the closing stages of BBC One’s ‘The Apprentice’, if one was to go down the route of comparing the act to a TV programme.
For our deluded chums across the city, though, the whole charade ended up resembling something out of Takeshi’s Castle.
As funny as their hunt to replace Chesney was the stark reality is that we are going to find ourselves in the same position sooner rather than later and whilst we have every right to demand that the task of making the next managerial appointment in our club’s history is handled in a more discreet and efficient manner, we most certainly shouldn’t be under any illusions as to the market we will find the club shopping in.
That doesn’t mean we can’t and won’t find someone to take Rangers Football Club forward in a more encouraging fashion. Despite all of our financial woes, we will rightfully demand better than that.
What it does mean, however, is that we will be making our most risky appointment in modern times. Our next selection will make Sir David Murray’s choice of Alex McLeish in 2001 look like something of a mere formality. We don’t necessarily have to be worried about this being the case, but if, hypothetically speaking, all applicants for the position of manager of Rangers were required to fill out some sort of questionnaire, it’s highly likely that even the best of candidates that emerge to replace Walter Smith will tick fewer boxes than many of our post-war bosses.
The most encouraging factor about all of this is that our financial situation – and the failure of someone with similar wealth to Sir David Murray to emerge – has forced our hand, and may lead to an appointment that is forward-thinking, allied to an infrastructure and scouting network at the club that is geared to at least make an effort to overcome the widening financial gap between Rangers and the clubs down south and most importantly a club that lives comfortably within its means; possibly part-owned by the people who ARE the club: the fans. The dream of attracting a top European coach - or even an unknown quantity from the continent - will not be realised with our next managerial announcement. The fact that we're highly unlikely to offer significant funds to spend either pre or post takeover to a new boss, and the tendency for a footballing nepotism to rear its ugly head in these situations, kills both of those possibilities stone-dead.
Darren Ferguson, Alan Irvine and Billy Davies may not be names that will excite the Rangers support but believe this – at least one of them will find themselves rather high-up on the shortlist when the time comes to replace Walter Smith. If it isn’t one or all of those names, the names that DO feature on that shortlist will be birds of a remarkably similar feather.
The almost snobbish attitude that is revealed by many of our fans when names like those of the above are bandied about is almost insulting: just who else is there that we could realistically attract? Other than, of course, a certain former striker who currently occupies the position of assistant manager but, again, Alistair tends to attract a similar reaction when put forward as a viable option.
The lack of stimulation provided by the potential heirs to Walter’s throne may represent 'The Worst of Times' in the eyes of some, while to others, the potential for a change of approach could very well lead to it becoming 'The Best of Times.' Regardless, and with thanks to Dickens, it has to be, for all our sakes, the season of light, the spring of hope, and a time where we have everything before us.