Glasgow Rangers suffered yet another blow in what is turning out to be a dismal season as they were defeated 2-1 by Aris Limassol in their Europa League clash on Thursday evening.
This was the hosts' first ever home win in the group stages of a European competition, and they currently share their stadium with two other clubs, putting last night's result into perspective on yet another woeful Rangers display.
The Glasgow club is in crisis, no doubt about it and whatever reaction interim manager Steven Davis expected last night, he didn’t get it.
Question marks now surround everyone minus goalkeeper Jack Butland, who has been the standout summer signing by far – as pundit Kris Boyd has noted – and the entire mentality needs to be changed.
Michael Beale was sacked on the weekend and if James Bisgrove didn’t think things could get much worse, he was sorely mistaken, especially after that abject performance in Cyprus.
The chase is now on for just the 19th permanent manager in the history of the Ibrox side and the next appointment must be spot on, as another barren season simply is not an option.
Several names have been touted as potential options for the role, with AZ Alkmaar coach Pascal Jansen seemingly keen, along with former Gers defender Kevin Muscat, yet there is another name who has apparently entered into the mix surrounding the role, and it is one which should be avoided – Steve Bruce.
Why was Michael Beale sacked?
There are several reasons why the 43-year-old was relieved of his duties but the crux of it was the results so far this season.
Having signed nine new players in the summer transfer window while crowd favourites such as Scott Arfield and Alfredo Morelos left upon the expiration of their contracts, there was a massive upheaval at Ibrox.
In truth, this rebuild should have been conducted a year or two ago, but with the backing of Bisgrove and the board, it appeared as though Beale would be given time to build a stronger squad in the hope they could topple Celtic for domestic supremacy.
A 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock in the Premiership opener set the tone for what was an underwhelming period until the international break and this included defeats to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League playoff round and to Celtic in the league.
29
2.45
14
1.86
This meant Beale won just four of his first nine games in charge during the embryonic stages of the 2023/24 campaign.
A brief respite was offered upon resumption of club football as the Light Blues reeled off four successive wins, keeping clean sheets across all these matches, and it looked as though there was a small chink of light which kept the Ibrox faithful believing things would come good.
Last weekend's defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox, however, was the final straw, and it was no surprise to see the former QPR boss depart before the weekend was over.
Is Steve Bruce a candidate to be the Rangers manager?
According to Football Scotland, Bruce has been put forward as a potential candidate to take over the reins from Beale, yet this is a move which must be avoided at all costs.
The former Manchester United defender has been out of work since being sacked by West Bromwich Albion in October 2022 amid a series of poor results and with the club rooted in the bottom three of the Championship.
The 62-year-old does have plenty of experience managing in England, especially in the Premier League and the Championship, yet managing Rangers is a whole different ball game and the pressures faced by both Old Firm managers will be something he has never experienced during his lengthy managerial career.
Is Steve Bruce a successful manager?
During his playing career, he was arguably one of the finest defenders in the English top flight for Man United, winning three league titles and three FA Cups before ending his career in 1999.
He embarked on a managerial career which initially spanned four clubs in just two years before settling down with Birmingham City and enjoying relative success, leading them to the top flight.
His nomadic career continued with spells at Wigan Athletic, Sunderland and Hull City – with whom he reached an FA Cup final in 2014 – before joining Aston Villa in 2016. He failed to get them promoted and spells at Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday and West Brom hardly worked wonders for his reputation.
Indeed, he was criticised during his spell at the Magpies by journalist Sean McCormick, who said: “That was dreadful. Another season consigned to mediocrity for #NUFC. Managed to lose to a team who had no intention of winning and it felt so depressingly predictable. Another abject display on Saturday and Steve Bruce will realise the extent of resurfacing fan anger.”
Throughout the course of his career, Bruce has managed 1019 matches while he has won just 1.38 points per game, winning just 385 of those, clearly indicating that he isn’t the right person for the job.
The lbrox side need to make their next appointment an inventive one and not take the safe option which they have done in the past.
Bruce would certainly fall under the latter category and his lack of success elsewhere would also count against him, despite managing at the top level since 1999.
Beale was bad, yet when he arrived, the 43-year-old had previous knowledge of the club having worked under Steven Gerrard, winning the 2020/21 Premiership title.
Bruce has yet to win a major trophy during his managerial career while the veteran coach has managed a grand total of four matches in European competition, and these were nearly a decade ago when in charge of Hull.
Although it is unlikely he will get the role, even on a short-term basis, Bisgrove must sound out the supporters for their view on what is occurring at the club right now and ensure the next manager has a clear identity and playing style.
Instant success won't be expected, but having a team full of players who know their roles and responsibilities along with giving everything on the pitch will be the key facets towards long-term glory.
