Glasgow Rangers hit an all-time low on Thursday evening, losing 2-1 to Aris Limassol, a side who are currently ranked 195th in the continent, behind clubs such as Wigan Athletic and Arminia Bielefeld, putting it into perspective in regard to just how woeful a result it was.
Michael Beale was relieved of his duties last Sunday after succumbing to a 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen in the Premiership and the Gers' chances at securing a first league crown since 2021 appear to be all but over, and it is only October.
Heading into the 2023/24 season, Beale had embarked on a major overhaul during the summer transfer window which saw nine new arrivals join the club, while crowd favourites such as Scott Arfield, Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent all left at the end of their contracts.
These new signings were supposed to herald in a new era for the club, one which was to be filled with success and a return to the summit of Scottish football, unfortunately, it hasn’t quite worked out that way.
Why was Michael Beale sacked by Rangers?
To put it simply, his lack of identity or any sort of playing style meant the Light Blues showed no progression on the field of play, leading to poor results.
Indeed, the club have won only eight games from 16 during the current season, a terrible record and perhaps one which could’ve been avoided had Beale given some of his new signings more chances, with Danilo being a great example.
The 5 foot 8 Brazilian striker joined from Feyenoord for a fee in the region of £6m following a season where he netted 14 goals across all competitions, winning the Eredivisie title in the process.
He was even lauded as an “amazing instinctive finisher” by Dutch football expert Melvin Dupper, further indicating how impressive a player he was.
It certainly looked like a shrewd move bringing him to Ibrox, yet he has started just four games so far during his Gers career, playing ten times in total. The striker has been let down by Beale and if the former QPR boss had more confidence in his biggest summer signing, perhaps the Gers wouldn’t be in this mess.
The club now need a manager who can not only get a tune out of the club stalwarts such as James Tavernier and Connor Goldson but also get Danilo fit and firing as he has the quality which could prove to be a danger in the final third.
Who has been linked with the Rangers job?
Former Light Blues defender Kevin Muscat – who played for the club during their treble winning 2002/03 campaign – has shown interest in the vacant role at the club and reportedly interviewed for the position just a few days ago. The Australian is currently managing Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos and has won league titles in both Japan and Australia during his managerial career.
Pascal Jansen, the AZ Alkmaar boss, is also reportedly eager to be the next boss of the club having enjoyed a decent spell at the Eredivisie side since taking over AZ in December 2020, frequently mixing with the big three of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.
Philippe Clement, a three time title winner in Belgium, could potentially be a left field appointment as he is now a free agent following his sacking from AS Monaco just a few months ago yet one name hasn’t really come to the fore yet must be included in potential options – Kjetil Knutsen.
Who is Kjetil Knutsen?
New York Times journalist Rory Smith was speaking on the BBC Radio 5 Live Monday Night Club just a day after Beale was sacked and named the Bodo/Glimt head coach as one of the potential names who is under “consideration” for the post.
The 55-year-old has impressed during his spell with the Norwegian outfit, holding a two points per game average while winning 144 of the 244 matches he has coached at the club.
He has led them to two top flight titles and they are currently closing in on a third title in four years and this winning mentality would be a huge advantage should he take over at the club in the coming weeks.
Although a slightly left field choice, Knutsen has already secured two victories over Celtic, winning both legs of their Europa League intermediate stage clash during the 2021/22 season and this will endear him to the Gers support. He even defeated Jose Mourinho’s Roma side in the group stages during the same competition.
Could Kjetil Knutsen bring out the best of Danilo at Rangers?
Famed for his attacking approach, Knutsen could bring the Gers back having some sort of identity and his tactical style has been praised by many, including his own captain Ulrik Saltnes, who said his style of play was “kamikaze” and this could bode well for Danilo.
He usually deploys an attacking 4-3-3 setup, which could work out well for the Brazilian, who would be able to operate in the middle of a front three, flanked by two pacy wingers or creative talents.
This system enabled Bodo/Glimt to score a staggering 103 goals in their title win back in 2020 as the coach clearly gave his players plenty of attacking freedom and there are quite a few talented attackers in the Rangers team who require this licence to showcase their abilities.
Knutsen would certainly bring out the Danilo who scored ten goals in the Dutch top flight last season and maybe even spur him on to bigger numbers for the rest of the current season.
James Bisgrove has a massive decision to make soon, and it could potentially change the fortunes of the Ibrox side for the foreseeable future.
There appears to be no shortage of candidates who have put themselves forward in the running, but the quiet Norwegian may just be one of the better options out there at the moment.
He may not be a big name, but this doesn’t really matter if he can prove it on the field. Ange Postecoglou was hardly well known to European audiences, yet his impact at Celtic ensured they won five out of six domestic trophies.
It would be a gamble, but nothing good ever comes from remaining in the comfort zone and Bisgrove must take note of this when casting his eye over potential successors to Beale.
