The Scottish Sun newspaper wrote on Friday that 48-year-old Rydström is a hot candidate for the coaching job at Rangers. The Glasgow giants are already nine points behind Celtic and Aberdeen at the top of the Scottish league table, and manager Philippe Clement is risking his job, according to the paper.
Kilmarnock’s Derek McInnes is seen as favorite if Clement is sacked but the MFF coach gets the latest headlines. However, the Scottish Sun has no further information about the interest in Rydström, who is taking it all in stride.
– I was asked the question Football morning. It is not more than that. As I said there, hell, we were bad against Rangers (0-2 loss in the Europa League) so it shouldn’t be anything, says Rydström and laughs.
A former coaching rival otherwise steals many headlines in Scotland, where Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen have won 15 of 16 games so far this season. The only point loss came against league leaders Celtic, and the former Elfsborg coach is praised in unison.
Does Thelin’s sensational start to the season pave the way for more Allsvenskan coaches in the British Isles?
– It is incredible results that he has achieved, and gained a belief in that team. Now I haven’t looked at those matches. I’m a statistics guy so I check those numbers, they look a bit like Elfsborg under Thelin. Low ball possession in many games and a damn transition game. Created a lot of scoring chances, says Henrik Rydström and continues:
– Then they turned against Celtic and beat Rangers, that’s the most impressive thing. It’s funny. Even though we don’t play the same football anymore, he is one of my inspirations. It’s nice that things are going well for him.
A year ago, Marti Cifuentes also left Allsvenskan and Hammarby to take over Championship club Queens Park Rangers. Rydström sees Allsvenskan coaches getting a boost.
– A lot has happened in recent years. Since I became a coach ten years ago, it was not mentioned to Swedish coaches that they would go to other leagues above Allsvenskan, says the MFF coach and concludes:
– It is positive for the coaching staff in Sweden that others have done it just fine. Now I don’t know how it went for the Cifuentes here at the beginning, but fun for them and fun for the rest of us too. Because it upgrades the status of Swedish coaches.
