Rangers chiefs shamed by Brendan Rodgers bombshell at Celtic
Celtic are in turmoil after the explosive exit of Brendan Rodgers but the fallout across the city should embarrass those in power at Rangers.
The sudden announcement on Monday night of the Northern-Irishman’s latest departure from Parkhead was accompanied by an eviscerating public statement from Dermot Desmond, laying bare the dysfunction that has been allowed to develop at the defending league champions.
Gers fans might wish to revel in the fact that their heated rivals are currently falling apart, but the level to which Celtic have collapsed should shame the Light Blues as much as anything.
Rodgers‘ side had already left the door open for a meaningful challenge with their form on the pitch, and his exit makes clear quite how significant an opportunity there currently is to depose them as Scottish Premiership winners.
But where are Rangers? Nowhere to be seen in a practical sense, and it is Hearts who have marched through that open door to snatch up the chance Light Blues supporters have been waiting for.
Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell are facing heat from the fans, and what has happened across town will do nothing to shield them when it illuminates their own failings.
Russell Martin mess squandered golden Rangers opportunity
Steven Gerrard departed Rangers for Aston Villa in 2021 the following season after winning the title and it has been a cycle of chaos at Ibrox that has allowed the Hoops to take back control in Scotland without a huge fight.
Season after season, managers came and went in Govan after starting brightly then falling away amid an inability to consistently get Old Firm results.
Giovanni van Brockhorst, Michael Beale and Philippe Clement all proved not to be the answer with only a couple of cups and some European excitement to shout about. Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou and then Rodgers always ended up on top of the league come the summer.
Celtic had the money, the stability, and the straightforward route into the Champions League. Rangers were forever restarting a rebuild, having wasted their own tight budget on another sacking and replacing the previous man’s signings.
And yet the timing of the chaos erupting over at Parkhead this time could hardly have been better for Rangers boosted by the takeover by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises to herald a new era, followed by a hefty transfer spend in the summer.
But Rangers’ disastrous decision to bring in Russell Martin, sacked by Southampton last term, didn’t even have the bright start of his predecessors and the club contrived to have already had to make a managerial change, meaning they too are only now trying to find their feet rather than looking to pull away from their Glasgow rivals.
- Read More: James Tavernier to sit down with Youssef Chermiti after ‘strange’ Rangers moment vs Kilmarnock
Danny Rohl playing catch up at Ibrox despite chaos at Celtic
New man Danny Rohl oversaw only a second Rangers league victory with a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock at the weekend and yet the scale of the early-season failure means they still sit just fifth.
That they are five points adrift of a Celtic side in turmoil having dropped 10 points already – unprecedented in recent years – shows how badly the corresponding situation has been mismanaged at Ibrox.
That Hearts are streaking clear at the top – seven ahead of Celtic after beating them on Sunday, and 13 points ahead of Rangers – is an embarrassing reminder of where the Light Blues could have been if they got it right.
Perhaps the Jambos will prove to have been superior either way but it’s impossible to tell at this stage thanks to self-inflicted wounds contributing to a complete absence of real testing from the Old Firm.
| Season | Rangers managers | Champions |
| 2021/22 | Steven Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst | Celtic |
| 2022/23 | Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Micheal Beale | Celtic |
| 2023/24 | Michael Beale, Steven Davis, Philippe Clement | Celtic |
| 2024/25 | Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson | Celtic |
| 2025/26 | Russell Martin, Steven Smith, Danny Rohl | Hearts first after 9 games |
From here, maybe Rohl engineers a massive turnaround while Martin O’Neil falters back at Celtic, and gets belated value for money from the underwhelming summer recruits, but he’ll have to do it from a long way back.
Even if the club had managed the starts of Martin‘s predecessors in prior seasons Rangers would now be reasonably placed to take advantage of their rivals’ new issues and pour pressure on, regardless of the Hearts factor, yet they are still left looking up.
Season after season the Light Blues’ title challenge has wilted in the face of the Hoops’ domestic consistency. Now finally, Celtic are in a mess but Rangers are still wallowing in a bigger one of their own.
Who is to blame? There is plenty to go around. Coaches, executives, players old and new all deserve some.
Martin’s gone, plenty would like to see Thelwell and Stewart follow, but Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe have to take ultimate responsibility for who has been put in charge, and all should be looking in the mirror after the Rodgers news.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @ibroxnews247