Ange Postecoglou wanted Rangers before Celtic job, now he has joined Premier League side
Ange Postecoglou is a name familiar to every Rangers fan, as the Australian enjoyed a successful stint with bitter rivals Celtic.
Postecoglou spent two years at Celtic, winning two Scottish Premiership titles, a Scottish Cup, and two Scottish League Cups, in a period of domestic dominance over Rangers.
This was during a period where Rangers reached the Europa League final under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but Postecoglou pipped the Dutchman to the title in 2022 after an Old Firm victory swung a close title race.
The Australian since moved to Tottenham, where he won the Europa League but was sacked for finishing 17th, and he now has a new job.
Ange Postecoglou wanted Rangers job before Celtic
Postecoglou already has a new Premier League job after his dismissal from Spurs in July, as he has now been announced as the new manager of Nottingham Forest.
His record at Celtic, as well as his Europa League victory at Spurs, have elevated his reputation, but his career could have gone very differently.
In 2017, Rangers parted ways with Pedro Caixinha after a truly disastrous seven months in charge, making him the club’s shortest-serving permanent manager in history at the time.
| Matches | 113 |
| Wins | 83 |
| Draws | 12 |
| Losses | 18 |
| Trophies | 5 |
| Old Firm wins | 6 |
| Old Firm defeats | 3 |
ESPN reported at the time that Postecoglou, who was set to leave the Australia National Team, was keen on replacing Caixinha, but the deal never materialised.
Rangers have since faced instability over their managerial position, with Russell Martin under intense pressure, and many may wonder how things might have panned out with Postecoglou.
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Rangers chose Steven Gerrard over Ange Postecoglou
In 2017, Rangers chose to stick with interim boss Graeme Murty until the end of the season, before hiring Steven Gerrard as their next permanent manager.
Gerrard was popular at Rangers, and he won the club’s 55th league title as unbeaten champions in 2021, shortly before Postecoglou joined Celtic.
Now, Gerrard has been linked with a return to Ibrox, as he is out of work after failing at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia, while the jury is out on whether Postecoglou’s style can work in the Premier League.
It is tough to say whether Postecoglou would have been better than Gerrard, but with a flurry of managers coming and going since, he would have certainly been better than some of the others who have failed at Ibrox.
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