The new Rangers manager must take us forward

Sunday the 5th of October went like every other matchday this season. Kick off was met with zero expectations and yet still, somehow, Rangers managed to disappoint. The 1-1 draw versus Falkirk was not down to Rangers’ failure to find the cutting edge in a dominating performance. That’s a story fans are all too familiar with in recent years, and whilst it’s an incredibly frustrating story, at least it’s a readable one. No, the draw against Falkirk was one in which Rangers held on. One in which they were lucky to get a point. Just like they were against Motherwell, Dundee and St Mirren. Under Russel Martin, the story this season should have ended after chapter one. It has been a tragicomedy where if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. But once the laughter wears off, the sadness kicks in. Swiftly followed by the anger.

That night, however, gave fans something to genuinely cheer for the first time this season. Martin was sacked. It was long overdue but at last, he was gone. The discontent and apathy around the fanbase could make way for relief, liberation and even joy. But at Rangers, joy doesn’t stay for very long. In the cold light of day, the biopsy results were far from giving the all clear. Rangers’ vitals have been severely damaged by a disease called failure, brought to the club by past managers and board members. If the next appointment doesn’t rid this veritable disease and bring success to the club, the condition may become chronic.

It is highly likely that Rangers have already fallen too far behind in the league this season. Following the woeful start to the season, the club trail leaders Hearts by 11 points and Celtic by 9. Fans are used to waiting until the new year before the league is lost. This time, it is effectively over by October. But that is not even the main concern. Yes, it is gutting to accept that another league title will probably be heading to the green side of Glasgow yet again (sorry Hearts, but you’ll come to terms with this inevitability too). And yes, perhaps that’s a little defeatist. Maybe the new gaffer will transform the team instantly and mount a title charge, but I won’t be holding my breath. What is even more concerning than losing out on another title though, is the question that Rangers find themselves in: Where does the club go from here?

I’m hesitant to say that it can only go up. Every time it feels like the club has hit rock bottom, a trap door opens below. To pull ourselves out of this hole will hinge almost entirely on the new manager. It will be almost impossible for the new manager to not do at least slightly better, but at Rangers, slightly better is not enough. We need to leap forward, not shuffle. Even if it is too late for the league, the indignity of the current 8th place in the table must be converted to at least a respectable 2nd by the end of the season. A cup win or two and an adequate showing in Europe would go some way to saving a season that is currently hurtling towards catastrophe.

Will the board make the correct decision in their new appointment this time though? If we look back at recent history, it is hard to have faith. Michael Beale and Philippe Clement, on the whole, were failures. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst did actually do well after taking over Gerrard, taking us on that Europa League run and winning our first Scottish cup since 2009. His reward? Sacked during his first full season. Of course, there are new owners and a new board now but their first major decision of appointing Martin, followed by a seemingly intransigent refusal to sack him when it was clear his time was up, are not exactly confidence filling.

However, they made the correct decision in the end and fired him. Now they have to make sure they get the next one right. The suits at Rangers need to focus on what makes a successful manager at the club and whilst brown brogues aren’t a necessity, the new manager must understand the nature of the beast that is Rangers. If you lose the fans, as Martin did, you are doomed to disaster. Similarly, understanding the Scottish game is salient. It is a unique league and should be treated as such. Bringing in foreign philosophies and trying to force them to fit rarely goes well. Finally, they must have a successful track record. Now is not the time to take a risk on someone unproven. Manager’s like these do not grow on trees. But they are out there, and the board must bring one to Ibrox.

If they don’t, we are in serious danger of being left behind. And that is not hyperbole. The world of football is changing. Tactics on the pitch are evolving, data-led recruitment is coming to the fore, money within the game is increasing exponentially. In this transitional period of football, if Rangers don’t move with the times, they will be left behind them. For an example of a modern club, look no further than Hearts. Their recent investment by Tony Bloom, owner of Brighton and minority owner of Union Saint-Gilloise, could have seismic effects in Scottish football. With his data-led approach through Jamestown Analytics, he plans to turn Hearts from the best of the rest to the best of the best. And looking at his success in England and Belgium, you wouldn’t bet against him (he is a professional bettor after all). Celtic, of course, remain an evergreen threat. With Scotland’s biggest stadium, cash in the bank, and a manager who has delivered them trophy after trophy, the only thing stopping them putting the after burners on is a fallow board who are increasingly under pressure from their fans for not capitalising whilst on top. Rangers cannot rely on that continuing.

A parable can be drawn by looking down south to ex-Ger Mikel Arteta’s side, Arsenal. Like Rangers, their last league title was an historic undefeated one. Like Rangers, they have won some domestic trophies and reached European finals since, but fans have largely been disappointed at their lack of consistent success, particularly in the league. Unlike Rangers, that looks like it might be changing for them. Why? Because the owners appointed someone who knew the club. Who knew how to connect with the fans. Who knew how to transform a struggling team. Rangers need to follow suit.

The 49ers brought with them a renewed sense of hope and optimism to a devitalised fanbase that had been so desperately deprived of any. Already, that bubble has been popped. Russel Martin talked of trying to ‘turn the tanker’ but in attempting to do so, sent us on a collision course with a rocky headland. The new manager, whoever he may be, simply must turn us around. If not, we risk crashing and sinking.