Perhaps it’s a surprise that Rangers haven’t been more linked to Gennaro Gattuso since they parted company with Mark Warburton. The Ibrox fan favourite has never hidden his love for Rangers, and the feeling goes both ways.
Gattuso’s wife is Scottish, and the Italian has spoken fondly about one day returning to Glasgow and Rangers in some capacity. The Scottish Premiership can’t always attract big names, but Gattuso was someone who really ‘got’ Rangers and the dynamic of Scottish football.
Yet, despite all of that the Italian is seen as a distant outsider for the job. He’s too erratic, too emotional, not the safe pair of hands needed… there’s many lazy ways to write off what Gattuso has achieved and rule him out for Rangers, but it’s also probably unfair.
Gattuso has been in charge of Pisa since August 2015, a lifetime in Italian football management. It’s true that last summer, having fought to get Pisa promoted to Serie B, the Rangers cult hero quit, but the reasons for doing so were reasonable. Being relegated immediately was of no interest to Gattuso and he wanted some guarantees, he got them through force and Pisa are currently 14th out of 22 in Serie B.
Respect for Gattuso spreads outside of Italy, and Friday’s copy of Italian newspaper Tuttosport says the manager could be set to take the reigns at SC Braga in Portugal. Braga are currently fifth in the Portuguese league and regularly participate in European competition.
If Rangers have any interest they need to move quickly. The interest of Braga should show that Gattuso isn’t the joke he’s often unfairly characterised as. He takes management very seriously, and the passion he has for Rangers would help galvanise the club and create a fight and determination which the Italian is known for.
One black mark against Gattuso would be Pisa’s scoring record this season, they’ve got the worst in Serie B, but they’ve also got the best defence in the whole league. Gattuso knows his team need protecting and that would explain the goal statistics, but Rangers needs some inspiration upfront, with Kenny Miller, Martyn Waghorn and Joe Garner the club’s top scorers on 15 combined.
There’s no standout candidate for Rangers, that’s been pretty clear since Warburton’s departure. Gattuso would be a gamble, but then any appointment is, especially when some of those linked will have quite literally no idea about Scottish football.
The man dubbed Ringhio would be a boost, and could also help Rangers with their recruitment. Gattuso’s own career was launched in Glasgow and it’s a period he feels has served him well, the prospect of talented young European footballers being tempted by a similar career plan isn’t a bad thing.
