Advocaat admits days are numbered

General manager
BBC Radio Scotland reported on Sunday that Rangers chairman David Murray had confirmed he had a list of four candidates to take over as coach - including Vogts, Ipswich Town FC manager George Burley and Hibernian FC manager Alex McLeish. Advocaat could move upstairs into a general manager's role at the Scottish Premier League club.

'There will be a new manager'
"The only thing I can say is that I will remain until the end of the season," Advocaat said after watching his side beat Heart of Midlothian FC 3-1 at Ibrox stadium on Sunday. " There will be a new manager but I don't know when. It may be announced this week or it may be later. We will see when we can do it. I cannot say any more than that but you will get the answer as soon as possible."

Offer received
Vogts, currently in charge of the Kuwaiti national team, has already been offered the job according to a report in the Sunday Mail newspaper. The paper claimed that an announcement would be made by the Rangers chairman before the club's annual general meeting on 18 December.

Kuwaiti coach
Vogts's contract with Kuwait ends in June 2002, the paper said. The report added that the fourth man on the shortlist was former Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC manager George Graham, a boyhood supporter of Rangers.

Second best
Advocaat, a former Dutch national coach, took over from Walter Smith at Ibrox stadium in July 1998 and his side completed the Scottish treble in his first season, followed by the double in 2000. The club continued to disappoint in Europe, however, and have fallen behind arch-rivals Celtic FC, who are heading for a second consecutive league title with a 12-point lead at the top.

UEFA Cup hope
Rangers are still in this season’s UEFA Cup, having beaten Paris Saint-Germain FC 4-3 on penalties on Thursday in the fourth round of the competition.