Rangers takeover: 49ers won't be 'hoodwinked' into major Barry Ferguson call as Leeds clue given on permanent boss

A consortium led up by the 49ers and including Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe are in discussions with the current Rangers shareholders over a takeover, and while the Ibrox club has not been directly namechecked by the group, Marathe said this week: "What we are looking for is clubs with the right bones, clubs with the right history of success. Clubs with the right potential for growth."

Talks are ongoing between all relevant parties, but on the pitch, there has been major activity at Rangers this week after club legend Barry Ferguson was made interim manager until the end of the season following the departure of previous boss Philippe Clement.

Ferguson’s tenure started on Wednesday with a 4-2 win away at Kilmarnock and he will make his bow in front of the Ibrox fans on Saturday when Motherwell visit Govan in the Premiership.

Robinson believes that the appointment of Ferguson has the potential to reunite a fractured fanbase, but said the 49ers are “very clever in what they do” and that they will take their time in choosing a permanent manager should they win control at Ibrox.

“I think the biggest thing for Rangers is the takeover,” said Robinson. “The club needs a reset button pressing and I think there’s been a huge disjoint between the club, the board and the supporters. I think the appointment of Barry Ferguson is to address that disjoint. To get somebody in with the status that Barry Ferguson has at Rangers, it’ll reunite the fanbase.

“The 49ers group, you look at the impact they’ve had on the club close to me, Leeds United, and the business structure they’ve brought in, they’re very clever with what they do. They don’t rush when it comes to appointing a manager and I do believe there’s a slight element of thought that they could get hoodwinked into an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation if Ferguson comes in and has a great run in the Europa League and wins a lot of games in the SPL [sic].

“Will they be forced to give him the job? If you look at what they did when appointing Daniel Farke at Leeds, it took them two or three months to appoint him because they have a stringent, rigorous way of finding a manager. By having Barry Ferguson there, they have somebody that can fill a short-term gap, but I think with the way the owners are and the way that they’re structured, they’ll look towards the longer-term towards the end of the season.”

In an interview with Betfred TV, Robinson continued: “For Rangers now, it’s all about beating them over the road and it always has been. That’s the remit up there. The business model that Celtic have got, what they’ve got and what they’ve achieved in recent years is where Rangers want to get to, but with this takeover potentially happening and the 49ers coming in, you look at the business nous, experience they bring and at Leeds United, they’ve invested in the right areas. There’s not been huge investment, but Leeds have had their stadium rebuilt and a club the size of Rangers has got the foundations to do that.

“Rangers can’t go the other way, so there’s only one thing ahead for Rangers fans and that’s a brighter future. It’s a solid investor that’s going to put money in. Short-term, the managerial appointment is right and this group has a good track record of appointing the right manager down the line.”