This is a Rangers movie that’s been playing on repeat for years
A new cast of stars are signed in the summer, they fluff their lines before the clocks go back, and the director, or boss in this case, is fired when it becomes apparent the Ibrox board have another big budget flop on their hands. The credits aren’t quite rolling for Philippe Clement yet, but this could well be his final act if he finds himself even further upstaged by Jimmy Thelin, let alone the Premiership‘s usual leading man, Brendan Rodgers. Autumnal agony at the box office has become a commonplace at Ibrox.
Gers produced a turkey of a performance against Kilmarnock following the Dons’ box office draw at Parkhead the day before, actually managing to lose ground as both above them dropped points. Assuming the gap remains the same after this weekend, then Rangers head for Pittodrie next Wednesday facing the real prospect of falling nine points behind the Reds in second. They could even be leapfrogged by Dundee United and fall to fourth.
That would move the current campaign into the disaster genre, and punters don’t want to see that again having sat through at least a trilogy of the same thing before. Record Sport looks at how Clement’s predecessors’ arc’s played out.
Michael Beale
How it ended
Ominously, with defeat to Aberdeen. Beale famously waited in the wings, taking his seat while Giovanni van Bronckhorst tried to keep the show going, also against the Dons. It had been coming for Beale, who had blown his summer budget and it wasn’t exactly a major plot twist when he paid the price with his job.
Result that cost him
A 3-1 home defeat to Aberdeen was the finale, but repeated failures to get the best of Celtic when it mattered played a huge part as well. Having been backstage for a first title win in a decade, the Londoner’s own attempt at scooping awards fell well short.
Last 6 results
- Rangers 1-3 Aberdeen
- Rangers 4-0 Livingston
- Rangers 1-0 Motherwell
- Rangers 1-0 Real Betis
- St Johnstone 0-2 Rangers
- Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Points behind Celtic when appointed
Nine. Seven when sacked.
What the fans said
Beale’s disastrous attempts to rebuild the squad was the main bugbear for fans.
“Michael Beale was never the right choice for the Rangers job and the board should have spent more time in the recruitment process looking for a replacement for Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The hard work now looking for a replacement, my opinion would be Rino Gattuso who would jump at the job and would not take any of the rubbish that is being delivered at the moment.”
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
How it ended
The writing was perhaps on the wall when Beale very publicly took his place in the stand for a home game with Aberdeen despite van Bronckhorst being under pressure and Beale having been tentatively linked to the job. The Dutchman had a Scottish Cup in the cabinet and a run to the Europa League Final in the bank. But a statistically worst ever Champions League group stage campaign and poor league form was too much to ride out in the end.
Result that cost him
A 1-1 draw away to St Mirren was GvB’s last game in charge, meaning he spent a year in charge at Ibrox. The 7-1 home defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League was a major black mark against him, while a 4-0 drubbing away to Celtic early in the season set the tone.
Last 6 results
- St Mirren 1-1 Rangers
- Rangers 1-0 Hearts
- St Johnstone 2-1 Rangers
- Rangers 1-3 Ajax
- Rangers 4-1 Aberdeen
- Napoli 3-0 Rangers
Points behind Celtic when appointed
Actually four points ahead. Nine when sacked.
What the fans said
There was sympathy for van Bronckhorst given the injury situation and his Rangers past, while some felt the decision to pull the trigger was wrong.
“I thought he was safe given how long after the break he has remained manager. Given the number of injuries, I believe this is another mistake by the board. The league is lost but they are pandering to the noisy supporters who think a new manager and a few January signings can change the outcome.”
Steven Gerrard
How it ended
The outlier is that he was poached by a bigger fish. The taking over at Liverpool was Gerrard’s destiny was done to death and with Jurgen Klopp still at the height of his powers, that was never going to happen so soon. But Gerrard’s status down south meant a big club was always going to give him and Aston Villa did in November 2021.
Result that cost him
There wasn’t really one given the circumstances of his departure. A 1-0 defeat at Dundee Utd in the second game of the season was Gerrard’s only domestic defeat until he left, but the Champions League playoff defeat to Malmo over two legs was a damaging one in terms of finances. Two defeats to kick off the Europa League group stage against Lyon and Sparta Prague were unlike Gerrard in Europe.
Last 6 results
- Rangers 4-2 Ross County
- Brondby 1-1 Rangers
- Motherwell 1-6 Rangers
- Rangers 2-2 Aberdeen
- St Mirren 1-2 Rangers
- Rangers 2-0 Brondby
Points behind Celtic when appointed
Zero, was a summer appointment. Were 13 points behind when the previous season was cut short due to Covid. Four points clear when he left.
What the fans said
Most were eternally thankful for finally delivering another league title. But not all.
“Will be sad to see him go, but if he does I wish him well. He did what every one of us wanted him to and delivered 55, stopping the 10. Legend in Liverpool, God in Glasgow.”
“Any respect for the man is gone. From the end of last season, his mantra was ‘I’m here for more’. And he leaves at the first chance he gets without, seemingly, a second thought.”
Pedro Caixinha
How it ended
Essentially, in a bush in Luxembourg. Having lost to minnows Progres Niederkorn, there was never any way the Portuguese was going to recover from not only the result, but then remonstrating with angry fans while standing amongst the shrubbery in the stadium car park. When the board eventually pulled the trigger a few months later, Rangers were fourth in the table.
Result that cost him
The Niederkorn debacle meant he was on borrowed time. But in the end it was a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock that was to prove Caixinha’s last match in charge. A home defeat to Hibs in the second game of the season, draws with Partick Thistle and Hearts combined with a 2-0 Celtic win at Ibrox in the September were indicators of what was coming even before a League Cup semi-final loss to Motherwell at Hampden.
Last 6 results
- Rangers 1-1 Kilmarnock
- Rangers 0-2 Motherwell
- St Johnstone 0-3 Rangers
- Hamilton 1-4 Rangers
- Rangers 0-2 Celtic
- Partick Thistle 1-3 Rangers AET
Points behind Celtic when appointed
A whopping 33. Six behind Aberdeen in third. Eight when sacked.
What the fans said
One punter who was gutted, got the boss’ name tattooed on his arm, before admitting it had gone “t**s up.”
The shouts towards Caixinha as he went bush after the Europa League humiliation included “you don’t care!” and by the time he was axed, there were next to no dissenting voices.
Mark Warburton
How it ended
Miles off Celtic. 33 points and fourth in the league will spell the end for just about any Celtic manager. In Warburton’s defence, he may as well have been starting on a different planet with Rangers in the Championship when he was given the task of completing “the journey” back to the top flight. They’d failed the previous season as Hearts ran away with the title, and even finished third behind Hibs before losing in the Playoff Final to Motherwell. Warburton did manage to claim the title the following season, but a complete failure to handle the step up to the top flight was never going to fly. Then there was the whole has he/hasn’t he resigned fiasco after Warburton saw that he’d lost his job on Sky Sports News that brought everything to a sorry end.
Result that cost him
A 1-1 draw with Ross County was the final one, but in truth Warburton really messed up by losing the 2016 Scottish Cup Final to Hibs, as Gers let a 2-1 lead slip late on. His first Old Firm derby the following season ended in a 5-1 hammering, while a heavy defeat to Ian Cathro’s Hearts at Tynecastle came hot on the heels of a come-from-behind Celtic victory at Ibrox before it all became too much.
Last 6 results
- Rangers 1-1 Ross County
- Hearts 4-1 Rangers
- Motherwell 0-2 Rangers
- Rangers 2-1 Motherwell
- Rangers 1-2 Celtic
- St Johnstone 1-1 Rangers
Points behind Celtic when appointed
They were a whole division behind their rivals when Warburton got the gig in summer 2015. 33 behind when sacked.
What the fans said
Despite results, Warburton was popular among the fans as a man. But nice guys and the Rangers job don’t seem to be a good fit and the consensus was that he was at a club that was perhaps just too big for his abilities and personality.
“The Rangers job is simply too big for Warburton. Nice enough guy but nope, not gonna cut it I’m afraid. I don’t see this Rangers team improving under Warburton. great guy but the job is too big for him. The party is over.