The Rangers 'force' Marco Rose identified they'd HAVE to rediscover to make ambitious appointment a reality

Rose is one of the more ambitious candidates and they'd need to convince him of one thing to make it a reality

Marco Rose once admitted his admiration for the Ibrox 'force' – but Rangers would need to show him they're serious about rediscovering that to make an ambitious appointment a reality.

The under-fire RB Leipzig boss is skirting the edges of realism on the list of contenders to replace Barry Ferguson in the summer.

A few dominos would first need to fall but his current standing as a 33/1 outsider could plummet if he does find himself out of work come the summer, with his Leipzig side in danger of missing out on the Champions League amid a worrying run of form.

Multiple reports have put his name forward as one Ibrox chiefs are considering, and it's likely we'll get some hard news on that front either way once the American-led takeover is complete, which businessman Andrew Cavenagh hopes will be some time in April.

Once one of the most highly-rated managers in Germany, Rose is something of a coaching veteran even at 48, and he was the Borussia Dortmund manager when they clashed with Rangers in the Europa League in 2022.

Gio van Bronckhorst's team, famously, eliminated them over two legs on their route to the final in Seville. After a thrilling 2-2 draw at Ibrox, a heroic performance dumped them 4-2 in Germany – and it was one of the nails in the coffin of Rose, who was sacked after just one season that May.

Speaking before the first leg at Ibrox, where a James Tavernier double ensured Rangers went over to Germany level, Rose was full of praise for the 'force' they had created on home turf.

He said: "In general, they are a force at home, Ibrox is known for the atmosphere. We're at home first and we know it will be an intense game, so we want to make our mark in the first leg."

That generally impressive home form had been on show even through the era of struggling Philippe Clement. But defeats to Queen's Park, St Mirren, Motherwell and Fenerbahce mean they've now lost an incredible four in a row at Ibrox – a first in their history.

And if they're serious about an ambitious offer to a candidate like Rose, they'd need to convince him they're also serious about rectifying their new-founded struggles on home territory.

Since taking over at Leipzig after that defeat to Rangers ultimately contributed to his dismissal, Rose has led them to back-to-back Champions League qualifications, finishing third in 22/23 and fourth last season.

He also won the DFB-Pokal in his first season, but there's a feeling results have been on the slide for a while and he finds himself under serious pressure.

They did, however, sink his former team Dortmund in their last Bundesliga outing. And with a trip to Gladbach before a cup semi-final against Stuttgart coming right up, the next few weeks could define whether he is available come the summer to re-establish the 'force' he once admired.

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