The end is here for Giovanni Van Bronkhorst. The board tried to keep him on, most likely because they couldn’t afford to get rid of them. But a year of ups and downs for the former Dutch international has ended in him losing his Rangers job.
Taking over from Steven Gerrard with a six-point lead at the top last season, you’d be forgiven for thinking that a second straight title for Rangers was on the cards. In truth though, once we had bedded in a virtually new squad we were only going from strength to strength.
In many ways Van Bronkhorst was a victim of the myth that Rangers fans have that they deserve anymore than where they are right now. A club funded on huge loans by the directors, living season ticket renewal to season ticket renewal. The notion that the club cannot afford to spend what they don’t have is destroyed by their own fans time and time again. The departure of Gio is no different. The board seemed to admit that they couldn’t afford to get rid of him and his backroom staff, yet they are unable to hold their nerve in the face of their own supporters.
So, a second Rangers manager has departed in the Ange Postecoglou era. Regardless of who gets the gig they will be met with the same problems the previous manager had. An ageing squad, players running down their contracts, a team that just isn’t good enough and no money to improve it. But the biggest problem is that they must compete with a Celtic team that is just motoring, a Celtic team with a manager at the helm that controls the whole set up, who is planning not just the next transfer window but four or five in advance.
That is why Giovanni Van Bronkhorst will not be the last Rangers manager to lose their job with Ange Postecoglou still at Celtic.