Two Fallen Giants: Rangers and Manchester United’s Parallel Decline

Two Fallen Giants: Rangers and Manchester United’s Parallel Decline

From the grandeur of European nights to the gloom of managerial merry-go-rounds, Rangers and Manchester United—once towering institutions of football—now find themselves trudging through mediocrity. For Rangers fans, the comparison isn’t just striking; it’s haunting.

Managerial Chaos: Revolving Doors at Ibrox and Old Trafford

Since Sir Walter Smith’s final departure, Rangers have cycled through managers like a club unsure of its own identity. From Ally McCoist to Russell Martin, each appointment promised revival but delivered inconsistency. The same story plays out at Old Trafford. Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United have burned through six permanent managers, each failing to restore the glory days.

Rangers: McCoist, Warburton, Caixinha, Gerrard, van Bronckhorst, Beale, Clement, Martin…

Man Utd: Moyes, van Gaal, Mourinho, Solskjær, Ten Hag, Amorim…

Both clubs have lacked a clear footballing philosophy, instead reacting to short-term failures with knee-jerk changes.

Lack of Silverware: A Distant Memory

Rangers’ domestic dominance evaporated after 2011, with only the Covid-era “55” title offering brief respite. United haven’t lifted the Premier League since Ferguson left. While both have picked up minor trophies—FA Cups, League Cups, Europa League—they’ve failed to consistently challenge for top honors.

For Rangers fans, watching Celtic rack up titles while Ibrox stagnates is painful. United fans feel the same watching Manchester City’s rise. The parallels are uncanny.

Ownership Woes: Profit Over Passion

The clubs’ soul feels diluted, its decisions driven by spreadsheets rather than sporting ambition. United’s Glazer-era was similarly toxic, with INEOS now attempting a reset—but fans remain skeptical.

Both clubs have suffered from absentee ownership, where footballing decisions are made by executives detached from the terraces.

Leadership Vacuum: Legends Lost, Identity Forgotten

Sir Walter and Sir Alex weren’t just managers—they were institutions. Their exits created a vacuum neither club has filled. Rangers lost their tactical anchor and emotional compass. United lost their strategic mastermind. What followed was chaos.

Russell Martin’s haunted touchline presence mirrors the confusion seen in United’s dugout. Neither club has found a leader who commands respect and delivers results.

Fan Fury: Russell Martin’s Honeymoon Ends in Record Time

If there was ever a grace period for Russell Martin at Ibrox, it evaporated faster than a Scottish summer. Just eight weeks into the job, the mood among Rangers fans has turned from cautious optimism to outright hostility.

The tipping point? A catastrophic 9–1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League qualifiers, including a humiliating 6–0 loss in Belgium. It wasn’t just a bad night—it was one of the worst in Rangers’ European history.

Fans didn’t just boo; they walked out. Banners were hung on the gates of Ibrox reading “Get him out now before the seats are empty.”

Even before the Brugge debacle, Martin’s start was rocky:

- Three wins in his first ten matches, including draws against Motherwell and Dundee that felt more like losses

- ⁠A League Cup struggle against third-tier Alloa, where Rangers barely scraped through.

- ⁠Tactical rigidity and questionable squad selections that left fans baffled and frustrated

Martin’s post-match comments haven’t helped either. While he’s been honest—admitting players need to “drop their ego” and that the club has “bounced around with different ideas”—his insistence that he’s “enjoying” the job and wants to be judged in May feels tone-deaf to fans demanding immediate accountability.

The Rangers Supporters Association, one of the club’s oldest and most influential fan groups, has formally called for Martin’s dismissal. Their statement was blunt: “It is our considered view that the current Head Coach should be relieved of his duties with immediate effect.”

What’s most alarming isn’t just the results—it’s the disconnect. Martin remains backed by the board, but fans feel ignored. As one outlet put it, “Being untouchable in the office is meaningless if every seat in Ibrox is filled with discontent.”

For Rangers fans, as bad as it’s been under Martin, this isn’t just about one manager. It’s about years of false dawns, broken promises, and watching Celtic pull further ahead. Martin was supposed to be different. Instead, he’s become another chapter in a book supporters are tired of reading.

Identical Timelines, Identical Pain

Rangers’ nightmare began in 2012 with financial collapse. United’s decline started a year later. Since then, both have lurched from crisis to crisis, clinging to past glories while the present crumbles.

Rangers: Financial ruin, lower-league rebuild, sporadic success

United: Post-Ferguson drift, bloated squads, managerial churn

Both clubs now sit mid-table, a far cry from their historic dominance.

Final Whistle: A Shared Struggle

From a Rangers perspective, watching Manchester United stumble feels like déjà vu. The same mistakes, the same heartbreak, the same longing for a return to greatness. Two clubs, two fanbases, one shared story of decline.

But maybe, just maybe, that shared pain can fuel a shared rebirth. The start of that for Rangers must surely be a new manager and, this time, the right appointment!