Glasgow Rangers find themselves in a similar rut that occurred after a few weeks of the 2023/24 campaign.
Having enjoyed a new manager bounce under Michael Beale, poor recruitment in the summer of 2023 led to a disjointed start to the season, with the Light Blues failing to qualify for the Champions League, while slipping eight points behind Celtic.
Philippe Clement replaced the Englishman in October last year, winning the League Cup just two months into his Ibrox reign. However, it has been far from plain sailing since.
Having clawed back the deficit in the league last term, the Gers lost to Motherwell, Ross County and Celtic to finish second, while being defeated 1-0 in the Scottish Cup final by their Old Firm rivals.
Following a busy summer transfer window, hopes were high that Clement could lead the Light Blues to the title this term, but that already looks unlikely as they currently occupy third place in the table.
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Competition
Opponent
Score
Premiership
Kilmarnock
1-0 loss
Premiership
St Johnstone
2-0 win
Europa League
Lyon
4-1 loss
Premiership
Hibernian
1-0 win
Europa League
Malmö
2-0 win
League Cup
Dundee
3-0 win
Premiership
Dundee United
1-0 win
Premiership
Celtic
3-0 loss
Premiership
Ross County
6-0 win
League Cup
St Johnstone
2-0 win
Champions League qualification
Dynamo Kyiv
2-0 loss
Premiership
Motherwell
2-1 win
Champions League qualification
Dynamo Kyiv
1-1
Premiership
Hearts
0-0
It isn’t just the results which are poor, but the performances have been dismal at times. The Gers had sacked their manager before Christmas in the previous two seasons and Clement is a man under serious pressure, so will it happen again in 2024?
With the rumour mill circling regarding his future, we have taken a look at potential candidates who could take the reins at the Light Blues should Clement lose his job in the next few weeks.
1 Kevin Muscat Shanghai Port
Australian Kevin Muscat spent the 2002/03 season at the Gers during his playing career, helping the club win the domestic treble, and he has since forged an impressive managerial career.
He led Melbourne Victory to the A-League championship in 2014/15 and 2017/18 before going on to achieve success in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos, replacing Ange Postecoglou. In the land of the rising sun, Muscat led the club to the J1 League title in 2022, finishing runners-up twice, while claiming the Japanese Super Cup last year.
Before Clement was unveiled, Muscat revealed that he spoke to Rangers concerning the vacant role. Could it be different this time?
2 Derek McInnes Kilmarnock
Like Muscat, McInnes also played for the club during his career, spending five years at Ibrox between 1995 and 2000.
His longest managerial spell was with Aberdeen, taking charge of the club for eight years and leading them to the 2014 League Cup, their first trophy in 20 years.
His spell at Kilmarnock has been an overriding success, and he has won two matches against Rangers since the start of last term. The Gers made an approach for the Scot in December 2017, but McInnes turned them down.
3 Ole Gunnar Solskjær Free agent (last job: Manchester United)
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is currently without a club, and despite not leading the Old Trafford side to any silverware during his spell as boss, experience managing at that level could be an advantage for the Gers.
It ended poorly for the Norwegian, but he won 91 of his 168 games at United, finishing Premier League runners-up in the 2020/21 campaign and coming close to winning the Europa League in the same year before losing to Villarreal on penalties.
4 Graham Potter Free agent (last job: Chelsea)
Graham Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, but he has turned down a few jobs since, including the chance to manage French side Lyon.
It appears as though he is waiting for the right opportunity to get back into management. Would Rangers suit him? That he is more of a project manager rather than instant success indicates this may not be the case, but if given time, the Englishman would surely build a solid team at Ibrox.
Unfortunately, time is something the club simply does not have right now, especially with how far behind they are in the Scottish Premiership.
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ByCharlie Smith 5 Frank Lampard Free agent (last job: Everton)
When Beale was sacked last year, it emerged that Lampard was keen on taking over the reins at Rangers. A while later, news broke that Lampard wasn’t even in the running, and he will almost certainly be an outsider if Clement receives his marching orders.
Sacked from both Chelsea and Everton, his next appointment must be a success, but it would be a massive gamble for Rangers to appoint him. Of course, the same was said about Steven Gerrard, yet he ended up returning the club to the summit of Scottish football by winning the league title in 2021. Stranger things have happened.
6 Kjetil Knutsen Bodo/Glimt
Kjetil Knutsen’s spell in charge of Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt has been incredible. Since 2018, he has led the club to three league titles (in 2019, 2020 and 2023) with his style being easy on the eye.
He became the first coach to see his team score six goals against one managed by José Mourinho, displaying evidence of how his attack-minded philosophy can glide through even the toughest defences – and this is something which would be advantageous for Rangers.
His success in Norway may see bigger teams than the Ibrox side emerge as possible destinations, but if Clement does leave, Knutsen could be an inspired choice.
7 Oliver Glasner Crystal Palace
Current Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner registered an interest in the vacant role following Beale’s sacking last year, but nothing materialised.
Glasner was the man in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt when the German side won the Europa League final against Rangers in 2022. After a positive start to life as the Eagles manager, his side have struggled this term.
Indeed, they currently occupy 18th place in the Premier League table, failing to win a single league match all season. While his job may not be under fire just now, if things persist, could he find his position untenable?
Especially considering his success elsewhere, Glasner could also be another suitable candidate to take over at Ibrox, even if he is out of a job himself in the coming weeks.
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