The 49ers Enterprises must make the next manager of Glasgow Rangers the correct appointment. That is certainly non-negotiable, especially if the Ibrox side are to challenge their Old Firm rivals next season.
Not since Steven Gerrard have Rangers reached the summit of Scottish football and that was way back in 2021.
The process has been drawn out as, despite sacking Philippe Clement in February, the the Light Blues still haven’t appointed a permanent successor.
A new man must be in charge sooner rather than later, especially with the transfer window opening soon.
The 49ers must avoid bringing in someone like a Clement or Giovanni van Bronckhorst type. Someone who excels in Europe but fails domestically.
What went wrong for Clement and van Bronckhorst at Ibrox
Clement led the club into the last 16 during both of his European campaigns in charge of the Light Blues but it was under his predecessor that success was seen on the continental stage
Indeed, Van Bronckhorst will be remembered as the man who led Rangers to the 2022 Europa League final, defeating Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Braga along the way.
While the final ended in defeat, the Dutchman still led the Gers to the Champions League group stages the following campaign, although that ended without a win in six matches.
At the time of his dismissal, Clement had won just 17 of his 27 league games throughout 2024/25.
Van Bronckhorst also had a shoddy league record before he was sacked in November 2022. He won ten of his first 15 games, but his team slipped behind Celtic in the title race.
Both of these managers won league titles prior to joining Rangers. Van Bronckhorst in the Netherlands and Clement in Belgium. This didn’t exactly lead to success in Glasgow, however.
Now, they must learn from that.
Rangers could be on for a repeat scenario
Brian Priske certainly falls into the same sort of category as the aforementioned managers. The Dane has won league titles in Denmark and the Czech Republic, while also winning domestic cups in both countries.
Well, according to reports, Priske has held discussions about becoming the new manager of Rangers, but would it be a smart move by the board?
Feyenoord
33
1.85
Sparta Prague
96
2.19
Royal Antwerp
49
1.53
FC Midtjylland
68
1.88
He took over at Feyenoord last summer, yet he departed in February, despite beating Bayern Munich 3-0 in the Champions League.
Like Clement and Van Bronckhorst before him, Priske failed to mount a title challenge with the Dutch side, winning only 11 of his opening 21 league games.
The Danish coach tends to use a 3-4-3 formation, which isn’t a style used by previous managers, including Clement, Van Bronckhorst and Gerrard.
He does, however, place a strong emphasis on pressing in the opposition half while expecting his team to be dynamic when they have the ball.
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Given how stale the football was under Clement, this could perhaps offer a refreshing change of mentality indeed.
The Ibrox faithful have been here before, though. A foreign coach with a decent CV on the continent, arriving with much fanfare in Glasgow.
While he might enjoy a decent start to life in Scotland, Priske may well go down the route travelled by several coaches before him.
Something that the supporters don’t want to see again.
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