There is rarely a quiet moment at Rangers. Just as it seemed the international break might afford the club a little time out of the headlines, Belgium go and lose to Israel to spark speculation about Domenico Tedesco’s position as manager and, more pointedly, Philippe Clement’s potential as a replacement.
From the reactions I’ve seen on social media, this is not a scenario that would cause many Rangers fans sleepless nights, though from my perspective it seems little better than the one where the club dispenses with a manager and begins yet another ‘project’. The only aspect that would render this more positive would be the financial gain, rather than a multi-million pound pay-off.
Some of Clement’s critics would argue the lack of progress on the park and a nine-point chasm at the top of the table are reason enough to make his departure a cause for celebration, but I would suggest patience and stability are more likely to bring about positive change, albeit in the slightly longer term.
For the moment, though, this talk is speculative. And with Rangers having announced Nils Koppen as the new technical director, you have to imagine that he and Clement have a united vision for how the club will look in the coming years, of how to better manage an organisation that allowed what should have been a turning point in 2021 to slip through its fingers.
While much of the work required will take place behind the scenes, the latest public steps in that process will be taken at Ibrox on Saturday against Dundee United and then in Nice on Thursday in the Europa League, where Rangers have produced most of their best performances this season.
As I have previously discussed here, failing to win any league game right now is simply not an option for Clement and Rangers. And the Ibrox crowd will also be looking for a more convincing performance than last time out against Hearts.
Nice will present an altogether different challenge, but another positive European result might have some of the doubters hoping Belgium look elsewhere if they do decide to sack Tedesco.