1 week Ago By [email protected] (Robbie Copeland)
It's an unfamiliar feeling for Rangers . For the first time since stadia were reopened to punters, it appears as if they're going into Christmas with the manager that started the season at the helm. Steven Gerrard went out with his stock sky-high for Aston Villa in November 2021.
Gio van Bronckhorst, who masterminded a run to the Europa League Final, fell victim to the Ange Postecoglou machine before the winter World Cup rolled around in 2022. And Michael Beale, the less said the better, unceremoniously punted long before the clocks even went back last season. It may not be a universally popular choice among punters, but for better or worse, Philippe Clement is the man that's set to break the cycle of doom.
You don't need to look far for the arguments in favour of change - they're two points further from top spot than they were when Beale was shown the door, and have averaged two points per game from their 11 so far - fewer than Van Bronckhorst (2.2) had managed in the 2022/23 season by the time he was shuffled out the door. There are mitigating factors; a drastically reduced budget and a squad overhaul that neither man who came before him had to contend with.
But square it all up, and the big picture is that Clement has not fared measurably better than either of his two immediate predecessors in his first full season in charge. So why is he the man they've decided to stick with beyond this junction in the season? There are a couple of obvious answers, and some which may have gone under the radar. Let's not dodge around the elephant in the room.
Rangers just handed Clement a new four-year deal, before reporting a loss of £17m for the last year. Clement's payoff would be the most costly yet, and it's unclear where the cash for it would come from. It also has to be noted the club are still paying van Bronckhorst and Beale.
The less glaring reason? They had to cut their wage bill by around £5.5m per year going into this season. And while punters may baulk at the suggestion of reduced expectations when they themselves won't settle for anything less than a win, when the budget comes down by more than 20 per cent, it is the reality.
It's a big part of why the board have given him more time to get things right than they did with either manager before him, who inherited bigger budgets and squads more suited to winning in the short-term. There aren't many leaders at Rangers at the moment and they can't afford to lose another one in the immediate future. There's no CEO, nor is there a permanent chairman after James Bisgrove and John Bennett left their roles this year.
That's left temporary chief John Gilligan with a full plate long before he considers getting rid of the man in charge of the football operation. There's also the consideration that Gilligan, only in the job for the short-term, is likely reluctant to make a decision that will send shockwaves through the club for the rest of the football season and beyond. Similarly, at a time when he's likely never been busier in his life, does he want to be lumbered with recruiting the next manager, with no CEO to fall back on for a second opinion? TL:DR? The timing just isn't right to replace their manager, or find a new one, unless they absolutely have to.
The boos which rung out around Ibrox even while leading against Hearts at the weekend said a lot about the fan feeling towards Clement, his decision-making, and his style of football. Subbing off Connor Barron was particularly unpopular, and that led Clement to the assessment that fans don't 'know all the facts’. So what are the facts he'd point to that work in his favour? The line so far has been that it's a new Rangers team that would improve as the season goes on.
And while fans haven't exactly seen that in the performances, the last week before the break saw them reach a League Cup final, pick up a valuable European point on the road, and cap it off with three points in the league. It was a gutsy reaction to their painful defeat to Aberdeen, and a sign they have a fight in them when the football isn't fluid. He'd also argue that, as much as Celtic and Aberdeen have been near flawless and blown everyone else away, he has previous for reining leads back in.
Celtic were seven clear when he took over and he managed to make a fight of it with an incredible run from November to February. He he may not be bold enough to say it in public right now, but the message within the dressing room will be that they can do it again. Whether the players fully believe and buy into that could be determine whether Clement lasts the season, or if he's just biding time.
Sack the manager Appoint the replacement Initial upturn towards the end of the season Summer transfer window optimism Fall apart Sack the manager Rinse and repeat. It's the vicious cycle Rangers have fallen into, it's cost them tens of millions, and it's a factor in allowing Celtic to race away into the distance in every measurable way. So what do you do? Do you sack the manager again and hope that this time it's different? Or do you break from routine for a change, ride it out, and see if he can build something that lasts? With so much upheaval behind the scenes, cash reserves depleted, and some signs of life evident on the pitch, the club clearly feel that now is the time to stare down the crisis and give the current manager all the backing they can.
Will that pay off? The rest of the season will tell..
