The main reasons which led to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s dismissal as Rangers manager

A new era will begin at Ibrox when Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s successor is identified.
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When Giovanni van Bronckhorst held up the red, white and blue scarf at Ibrox a year ago after his appointment as Rangers manager, he inherited a squad that had just been dismantled by Hibernian in a League Cup semi-final and were severely lacking in confidence.

Whoever the Dutchman’s successor may be, they will face a very similiar scenario - an ageing team in disarray and requiring several January reinforcements, a goalkeeping siuation that need rectified and more investment in youth.

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The Light Blues sat top of the Scottish Premiership by four points when Van Bronckhorst arrived in Glasgow, but his new side were struggling to rediscover the scintillating form of the previous unbeaten domestic campaign when Steven Gerrard lifted the club’s first top-flight title for a decade.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is unveiled as Rangers manager in November 2021 (Image - @RangersFC/Twitter)Giovanni van Bronckhorst is unveiled as Rangers manager in November 2021 (Image - @RangersFC/Twitter)
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is unveiled as Rangers manager in November 2021 (Image - @RangersFC/Twitter)

Over a short period of time, the Liverpool legend grew increasingly frustrated by a lack of investment in the playing squad - made worse following their Champions League qualifying defeat to Malmo. When he accepted the vacant Aston Villa job, Rangers’ Europa League group stage campaign had also began to falter.

As is often the case in football, a change in management brought about an inital bounce factor as Van Bronckhorst won his first seven league games since taking over in the dugout as the Ibrox side saw their lead at the summit grow to six points. His first transfer window saw academy graduate Nathan Patterson depart for Everton, while high-profile loan signing Aaron Ramsey arrived on Deadline Day from Juventus in a bid to seal back-to-back domestic triumphs.

However, a dramatic post-winter break collapse coupled with a strengthened Celtic embarking on an impressive unbeaten run saw the trophy slip through Rangers grasp. Two costly Old Firm derby defeats at Parkhead and Ibrox were particularly damaging blows, but it was in European football where Van Bronckhorst undoubtedly made the biggest strides.

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Under Gerrard’s leadership, the club has made steady progress year-on-year in the Europa League. Not only did Van Bronckhorst guide Rangers through a group campaign which began so poorly, he steered his free-scoring team all the way to the final during a sensational run.

Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig were all disposed of over two legs, with 16 goals scored in eight matches. Van Bronckhorst earned huge praise for his tactical approach to each game and harnessing a belief within the group that they could achieve something historic.

The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville formed the backdrop behind their downfall. An agonising penalty shootout defeat against mid-table Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt ensured they missed out on continental silverware by the smallest of margins.

Ironically, it was Ramsey - the man signed to deliver success during the second half of the season - who missed the decisive spot-kick after seeing his effort saved by the legs of Kevin Trapp. It was a sickening moment for everyone associated with the club as players slumped to their knees in tears.

 Giovanni van Bronckhorst reacts after the penalty shootout defeat in the UEFA Europa League final match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Giovanni van Bronckhorst reacts after the penalty shootout defeat in the UEFA Europa League final match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
Giovanni van Bronckhorst reacts after the penalty shootout defeat in the UEFA Europa League final match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
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Despite that setback and having conceded the title to their bitter rivals, the 47-year-old managed to rally his squad in heroic fashion to beat Hearts 2-0 in extra-time to lift the Scottish Cup at the end of a gruelling season.

A summer of club record player sales followed with star performers Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo leaving the club to join Eredivise champions Ajax and Premier League side Southampton respectively for big money. If their recruitment in January had been unconvincing, what was to follow in this summer left many fans livid.

Ridvan Yilmaz joined from Besiktas for £5million but has barely played, Welsh international Rabbi Matondo has been plagued by niggly problems in his limited minutes, John Souttar and Tom Lawrence have been ruled out for months through injury, and Ben Davies has also found it difficult to build any momentum.

Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos was left out of the two-legged Champions League qualifier against PSV Eindhoven by Van Bronckhorst amid fitness and attitude concerns, winger Ryan Kent has looked badly out of form, while long-term absentees Filip Helander, Kemar Roofe and Ianis Hagi added to the manager’s increasing injury troubles.

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Step up Antonio Colak, the Premiership’s current join-top scorer with 11 goals, and Rangers only major success story of the last two transfer windows. Sporting Director Ross Wilson has come in for a lot criticism as a result and it’s difficult to see where the club’s next valuable assets are coming from.

 Antonio Colak celebrates after scoring the second goal of his team in the second half during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers FC and Dundee United Antonio Colak celebrates after scoring the second goal of his team in the second half during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers FC and Dundee United
Antonio Colak celebrates after scoring the second goal of his team in the second half during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers FC and Dundee United

Despite question marks over the club’s transfer business, Van Bronckhorst masterminded a crucial victory over PSV in the play-offs to rubber-stamp Rangers return to Europe’s elite club competition after a 12-year absence. The group stage proved to be a step too far - the worst in the history of the competition. That knock-on effect has derailed the club’s entire season and the embarrassing heavy defeats during those six matches marked the beginning of the end for Van Bronckhorst.

He will argue that injuries picked up by key players such as Connor Goldson and Ryan Jack during their winless Champions League campaign didn’t aid his cause. However, the manager will always pay the price if his side is underperforming. Van Bronckhorst can take a lot of credit for Rangers progress in Europe over the last 12 months.

But results are the bottom line and what every manager is judged on. His side have lost their identity in recent months. Too often this season they have lacked creativity in the final third and have been devoid of any real quality. The football on display has not been easy on the eye at times for the Ibrox faithful.

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Van Bronckhorst’s team selection and his apparent lack of urgency on the touchline during challenging spells in games has also been a major talking point. So the big question is, are Rangers better off now than they were when Van Bronckhorst was first appointed as the club begin their search for his replacement? Domestically, the simple answer is no. Not even a Scottish Cup triumph at the tail end of last season is enough to bypass that conclusion. We now wait to find out who his successor will be.

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