Brendan Rodgers has seen off another Rangers manager.
Russell Martin lasted just 123 days in Glasgow, as fan relations quickly turned sour as patience with Celtic’s dominance runs out.
But forget Celtic, Rangers sit in eighth place in the league after just one win in seven matches. With Hearts’ season off to a flier and their ambitions to challenge for the title, a battle for second is on.
Much of the talk has now moved onto where Rangers go next. Mark van Bommell, Sean Dyche and Steven Gerrard are among the names in the conversation.
The latter, who won one trophy in 41 months in his previous spell at Ibrox, is the current favourite – but one former Celtic hero has his doubts.
Chris Sutton on Steven Gerrard Rangers return links
Gerrard left Rangers in 2021 to join Aston Villa. Since then, four permanent managers have been sacked amid unsuccessful attempts to topple the dominant Hoops.
One of those dismissed in that time was Michael Beale, who worked as an assistant throughout Gerrard’s initial spell.
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Speaking on the BBC’s Monday Night Club, Chris Sutton made clear his opinion that he doesn’t expect Gerrard to be the appointment made. He also offered his alternative pick.
Sutton said: “I don’t think Gerrard will take the job. Seven games into the season, Rangers are in eighth place. He will go in and assess the squad, and he will think ‘blimey, the expectation.’
“Rangers aren’t a project. Rangers fans won’t accept the team just middling through this season and finishing third or fourth, and the squad just isn’t good enough to compete.
“So I think it’s more likely to be a Sean Dyche type – someone who has a track record of doing well with not the most talented squad. Somebody who can go in and be really effective.
“Whereas I think Gerrard, he was backed last time he was there. And any manager going into that job will do what the other managers have done when there’s a change – ‘the squad’s not good enough, they’re not fit enough, and you need to give us £25 million to try to turn things around.'”
To go from Martin to Sean Dyche would certainly be an interesting transition.
Will Celtic be challenged by Rangers at all this season?
The point gap between the Hoops and their rivals tends to be the focus of where the two sides are at in the league. There are nine points between them currently.
But if the Ibrox side continue to struggle for wins, they will not be Celtic’s closest competitors. As well as Hearts, Motherwell showed on Sunday that they are no pushovers.
One competition where the Hoops will have to focus on Rangers is the Premier Sports Cup, where a Glasgow Derby semi-final is in the offing next month.
Whoever is in charge in the opposing dugout will face an uphill task to be the first manager to beat Rodgers in a Hampden semi-final.
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