The first question the Rangers board had to ask themselves was the easiest one to answer. In time, the others will now fall into place.
The debate over whether Rangers require a Sporting Director or not is one that often splits supporters. There are those who will wish the vacant position to be filled as a matter of urgency, others who see it as a waste of a wage, and a section who are nonplussed about a role that they may not fully understand.
Ross Wilson’s departure to Nottingham Forest towards the end of the campaign saw Rangers arrive at a crossroads. The Ibrox board will soon choose their next path.
The process to source and hire Wilson’s successor is ongoing. The importance of the appointment cannot be understated and that is why time and care is being taken as Rangers attempt to mitigate the risks and define how they wish their football department to operate in all corners of their Auchenhowie base.
It is still early in the search and Rangers continue to assess their options as cards are kept close to chests. Carlos Bocanegra, the former Ibrox defender, is not in the running and Rangers have repeatedly downplayed any reported interest in Christian Nerlinger.
A previous affiliation with the club will no doubt hold an appeal to some punters. It is not a prerequisite for the board, though, and no candidate will be moved up the pecking order as a result of having pulled on their boots and the blue jersey in years gone by.
An insight into life in Glasgow and the demands of Rangers could be advantageous from a manager or player perspective but it means little the context of a sporting director. Rangers just need the best man for the job.
Chairman John Bennett and James Bisgrove, the new chief executive officer, are heavily involved and invested in the process. That has been the case for every aspect in recent weeks as the duo drive decisions and shape strategies to take Rangers into a new era.
The restructuring that has taken place at boardroom and executive levels has been matched by changes in the offices and locker rooms at Auchenhowie. Zeb Jacobs was confirmed as Craig Mulholland’s successor as head of academy on Thursday and Jo Potter has taken over from Malky Thomson in charge of the Women’s side.
Those that remain in their positions from the end of last term have earned the right to stay and both Bennett and Bisgrove are exponents of allowing individuals to rise through the ranks if they prove their talent and their mentality.
That depth of knowledge and experience will allow the loads, and the power, to be spread more evenly going forward and this is a key consideration when it comes to how the football department will function below the new sporting director.
Influence will be held across each station but the terms of engagement could be altered and the remit tweaked. The sporting director will naturally have a significant voice in any discussion, but Bennett and Bisgrove will also be more involved and accountable.
The Academy system and Women’s structure will be on the to-do list once again, while continuity in terms of medical, scouting and analysis staff is crucial after comings and goings as a result of managerial exits.
Wilson was on top of the succession planning when it came to appointments and always had names in the frame to take over from Steven Gerrard and then Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Now he is the one that must be replaced.
Initial fears that some supporters may have had over Wilson’s exit were quickly downplayed in public and private. The planning for the summer transfer window had already been completed by that point and the way in which business has been done so far is proof of that.
Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling and Jack Butland put pen-to-paper on Bosman deals before Sam Lammers completed a £3million move from Atalanta. Work is ongoing to secure striker Cyriel Dessers from Cremonese and discussions have been held with clubs and players in recent days as Rangers attempt to keep up the momentum in the transfer market.
The next week or so could see Michael Beale add to his ranks once again. A move for Jonathan Panzo, the Nottingham Forest defender, is not thought to be imminent, while midfielder Jose Cifuentes remains a target as Rangers count down to their return to action at the end of the month.
This window has been driven by Beale. He has identified the targets and built the relationships and the work that has been done and will be undertaken is on his word and his head.
Bennett, Bisgrove and Beale are aligned in terms of their vision for Rangers. The key dates leading into the start of the new campaign provide obvious marker posts that progress can be measured at but there is no time pressure in regard to the sporting director.
The ideal candidate must tick several key boxes at Ibrox. He will have to sell his experiences and his blueprint to Rangers in order to be appointed but the terms of his role and his remit must be clearly laid out on the table before pen is put to paper.
In the eight years since regime change, Rangers have had a head of recruitment, a director of football and a sporting director. The latter title is likely to be used once again but the job description could well be tweaked as Rangers analyse what has been done and what needs changed to alter their fortunes on the pitch and in the transfer market.
John Park heads up the scouting and recruitment team at present and Beale has previously spoken of his trust in a hugely respected figure, alongside the experienced Mervyn Day and Neil Banfield, his assistant manager.
Going forward, the 42-year-old will have the most significant say in the acquisition of players. That process will, though, not be run by a sole figure and the sporting director, whoever that may be, will not have overarching control as the successes and the failures are shared.
The assertion from the man himself that ‘Ross Wilson doesn’t sign football players’ was never going to cut it with the supporters when he spoke at the Annual General Meeting last winter and his defence of his record at Beale’s unveiling a few days earlier didn’t wash with many, either. As far as the fans were concerned, it was Wilson that was the wheeler and dealer heading into a car crash of a campaign.
That part of the job will always be the easiest for the public to debate and to judge. That will be the same for the next Ibrox incumbent but those that pay his wages are able to take a view that is both broader and more detailed.
It is a position that is essentially a safeguard for the club. It should be about planning and future-proofing, ensuring that all departments work independently and collectively for the betterment of the club, regardless of who sits in the dugout.
The days of the all-encompassing, all-seeing and all-doing manager are gone. Beale is a modern coach with an old school work ethic but the next sporting director should be there to provide a helping hand when required.
Rangers have already addressed the first issue that needed to be solved. It is a time to learn from past highs and lows as the vision for the future, in more ways than one, is laid out at Ibrox.
