Glasgow Rangers return from the international break with a key run of fixtures between now and the start of January.
They face two European ties, several Premiership matches, with an Old Firm League Cup final sandwich in between everything. There is no doubt the next few weeks could make or break the Light Blues campaign.
Will Philippe Clement be in charge for much longer, however? As rumours about his future have been ongoing for the previous few weeks.
Philippe Clement’s Rangers future
The Belgian looked like his time in Glasgow was up just a few weeks ago, as the Gers suffered domestic defeats to Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, slipping nine points behind the former in the table.
With the chase for a 56th league title seemingly over after just a few months, Clement was a man under pressure. He did sign a contract extension in August, however, which would cost the club a fortune to pay off early.
In the latest turn of events, the 50-year-old has been linked with the Belgium job due to his former CEO at Club Brugge, Vincent Mannaert, securing a top role within the Belgian FA.
If they did turn to Clement, a compensation fee would need to be paid to the Gers, saving the club from shelling out millions in the process.
While unlikely, in football, anything can happen. Who could the Glasgow side approach as their new manager should Clement depart in the coming weeks?
One name stands out more than the others and he is currently a free agent…
Why Rangers should turn to Ruud Van Nistelrooy
Ruud Van Nistelrooy finds himself back in the job market after leaving Manchester United upon Ruben Amorim’s appointment a few weeks ago.
The 48-year-old joined United in the summer as an assistant to Erik ten Hag, but after a caretaker spell which saw him win three of his four matches in charge, he wasn’t retained.
Hailed as “very ambitious and very driven” by Ten Hag, the former United striker has prior experience of managing a big European team.
During the 2022/23 campaign, Van Nistelrooy was in charge of PSV Eindhoven, operating with a 4-3-3 system which could work well with the current Rangers squad.
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PSV’s Eredivisie stats under RvN – 2022/23 season |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Ranking |
|
Goals per 90 |
First – 2.6 |
|
Big chances |
First – 128 |
|
Expected Goals |
First – 82.9 |
|
Accurate crosses per 90 |
First – 6.4 |
|
Shots on target per 90 |
Second – 7.3 |
While he may have suffered a two-legged defeat to the Ibrox side in the Champions League qualifiers, PSV did win the Dutch Cup that term, while scoring 127 goals across 50 competitive matches, losing just eight games all season.
It was certainly a positive season which built the foundations for the club to win the Eredivisie title last term and the Dutchman would be seen as a progressive appointment by the Ibrox faithful.
He won’t be available for long, as his short caretaker spell at Old Trafford has boosted his profile considerably, therefore the club must act swiftly.
Much will depend on Clement’s situation, but Van Nistelrooy would make a wonderful replacement, no doubt about that.
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