Scottish Premier League:Rangers want Walter Smith and Ally McCoist to return as their management team after yesterday's surprise resignation of Paul le Guen. Smith, the Scotland coach, managed at Ibrox between 1991 and 1998 while McCoist, one of Smith's assistants with the national team, is the club's record goalscorer.
The Rangers chairman David Murray, who has remained close to Smith, is believed to have already initiated discussions with the former manager, McCoist and the Scottish Football Association.
If appointed, with an announcement due as early as next week, Smith would take a senior position, possibly general manager or director of football, with McCoist as the head coach and another former Rangers player, Ian Durrant, promoted from reserve manager to first-team coach. Stuart McCall, now coaching at Sheffield United, may also feature.
"I am disappointed to leave the club but I think it is the best solution for all concerned," said Le Guen after his assistant, Yves Colleu, fitness coach Stephane Wiertelak and physiotherapist Joel le Hir left the Murray Park training complex with him for the final time at 2.30pm.
Le Guen pointed to the "precarious" nature of his position after Tuesday's 1-0 win at Motherwell and his disillusionment at being unable to oversee an upturn in the club's fortunes became increasingly apparent.
The manager had the full support of Murray throughout his troubled spell but ultimately decided to preserve his reputation by leaving after seven months of a three-year contract, the shortest managerial reign in the club's history.
Le Guen, in demand across Europe before his arrival in June, is unlikely to be out of football for long with reports in France claiming he is strong favourite to replace Guy Lacombe at Paris St-Germain.
Smith's and McCoist's return to Ibrox would leave the Scottish Football Association in a state of flux given the national team's successful opening to the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Tommy Burns, Smith's assistant, would probably remain in the national set-up with Alex McLeish a strong contender for the manager's job.
Smith, who had an unsuccessful reign at Everton from 1998 to 2002, is under contract with the SFA to 2009 but has not been willing to discuss an extension and has hinted at a return to club football.
McCoist has not had a coaching job other than his part-time position with the national team but has aspirations to be a manager. He turned down the position at Inverness Caledonian Thistle a year ago as he wanted a job nearer his Glasgow home.
Le Guen's spell in Scotland was plagued by his team's poor form and off-field controversy. Rangers are 17 points behind Celtic and were eliminated from the League Cup by St Johnstone of the first division.
The manager also clashed at the training ground with Phil Bardsley, a loanee from Manchester United, jettisoned Fernando Ricksen to Zenit St-Petersburg after an incident on the way to a South Africa pre-season tour and on Monday stripped Barry Ferguson of the club captaincy, causing uproar among the majority of supporters.
The Ferguson affair appears to have pushed Le Guen too far, although those close to Rangers are adamant player power has not proved decisive and that Ferguson will not get the captaincy back.
Durrant will take charge for Sunday's Scottish Cup tie at Dunfermline, with Derby County's Billy Davies an outsider in the unlikely event that Smith and McCoist turn down the chance of working at Ibrox.
Guardian Service
