The VIP Rangers managers who sinking Philippe Clement can’t help but cling on to
Despite overseeing Rangers' first EVER Scottish Cup home defeat to lower league opposition and blowing their chances of lifting a trophy this season, Philippe Clement doesn't believe he'll be sacked.
Queen's Park turned Ibrox even more toxic by pulling off a Scottish Cup shock, leaving the Belgian staring down the barrel of a season without silverware. Yes Gers are going good guns in the Europa League, but that will be a tall order given the quality of the teams they can still face and banking on lifting that to save him would be optimistic in the extreme.
However, when asked after the Spiders debacle whether he felt he was for the chop given he won't win anything domestically this term, Clement pointed out that it has happened before. He might be under pressure but the man's not wrong. He's far from the first Ibrox boss to be left empty handed but still hangs on to his job. Record Sport looks at who has survived...
READ MORE: Philippe Clement on Rangers brink LIVE as board have extra time to decide fate of a boss on the edge
Scot Symon 1966/67
Given what Celtic achieved that year, it was perhaps understandable that Symon kept his job despite the team across the city claiming a domestic Treble and becoming the first British club to lift the European Cup. He had managed to guide Rangers to the Cup Winners Cup Final, but they couldn't make it a Scottish double on the continent.
A shock Scottish Cup defeat to Berwick Rangers that January was a blot on Symon;s copybook however, and he left Ibrox on 1 November 1967.
David White - 1967/68
White was appointed Symon's assistant that summer, but found himself thrust into the top job in November 1967. It was not to be a successful reign, with White becoming the first ever Rangers manager not to win a trophy during his time in charge.
Celtic secured a league and league cup double, with Dunfermline lifting the Scottish Cup. That piled the pressure on White after the lack of silverware under Symon the previous season. And a poor start in 1969/70 saw him sacked.
Willie Waddell - 1969/70 and 1971-72
Former Ibrox outside right Willie Waddell was White's replacement. However, the lack of trophies continued. Waddell couldn't prevent Celtic finishing top of the pile again while also winning the League Cup. It was Aberdeen's turn to win the Scottish Cup.
Waddell did survive that season however, and claimed the League Cup in 1971. However, Celtic were champions once again and League Cup winners again. In 1971/72, it was a similar story, except Celtic surrendered the League Cup to Partick Thistle whilst reclaiming the Scottish Cup and the title. Waddell was "moved up stairs' to general manager at the end of the season, avoiding the sack after a second trophyless season in three, with Jock Wallace taking over.
Jock Wallace - 1973/74, 1976/77 and 1982/83
Wallace finished trophyless in three seasons across two spells in charge of Ibrox. But it wasn't just Celtic dominating, as the emergence of Aberdeen and Dundee Utd made for some lean times in Govan.
However, it was the other Dundee club that won the League Cup in Wallace's first trophyless season in 73/74, Celtic securing a league and Scottish Cup double. A similar outcome in 76/77, except with Aberdeen winning the League Cup, meant another summer of watching Celtic celebrate. In 82/83, the New Firm were well established as Dundee Utd claimed their only league title, Aberdeen the Scottish Cup and Celtic having to settle for the League Cup.
A final trophyless season in 185/86 was one too many for Wallace, who was sacked before the end of the campaign. Graeme Souness arrived that summer and changed the game.
John Greig - 1979-80
Greig took over from Wallace on the back of a glittering career as Rangers captain. However, that didn't transfer to the dugout. Rangers finished as low as 6th in the Premier Division in 1979/80, eight points behind Celtic, with the Hoops lifting the Scottish Cup, Aberdeen the league championship and the League Cup going to Dundee United. Greig did guide Ranges to the Scottish Cup in 1981, but didn't win enough over his five full seasons in charge, with no league titles. He eventually resigned in 1983, replaced by the returning Wallace.
Walter Smith - 1997/98
Smith had overseen league title after league title during a golden period at Ibrox. But a record breaking tenth title in a row was not to be. Celtic eventually broke their rivals' stranglehold on the Championship that year, whilst also winning the League Cup.
Smith had already announced he was leaving at the end of the season, but his future didn't hinge on the outcome of the Scottish Cup Final. They lost, losing 2-1 to Hearts, bringing Smith's reign to an end without a trophy at Ibrox for the first time since 1985/86
Alex McLeish 2003-2004
Having won both cups after landing the Rangers job in December 2001, McLeish went one better in his second season, scooping a domestic Treble. He therefore had plenty of credit in the bank heading into 2003/04.
That summer had seen a number of big names depart as the club's financial state started to hit home. Celtic won the league at a canter, and made it a double by beating Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup final, with Livingston lifting the League Cup. Circumstances and his track record meant McLeish's job was safe over the summer, and he repaid that faith by clinching a dramatic title win on the final day the following season.
Pedro Caixinha - 2016/17
The Portuguese was only appointed in March 2017 and while the Premiership title was long gone by then, there was a Scottish Cup still to win. Celtic proved too strong in the semi-final however, winning 2-0 before beating Aberdeen in the final.
Caixinha was always going to get to go again the following season. But the writing was on the wall when he ended up arguing in the bushes with fans after losing to Progres Niederkorn in Europe. A League Cup semi-final loss to Motherwell meant he was on borrowed time, and the axe fell after a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock in October 2017, ironically winning Caixinha the title of shortest serving permanent manager in the club's history at 229 days.
Steven Gerrard - 2018-19 and 2019-20
Gerrard was seen as a long term project when appointed in May 2018. Just as well, as his first two seasons ended without any trophies, although 2019/20 was cut short due to Covid. Near misses at Hampden showed they were getting closer though ;patience paid off big time in 2020/21.
With no fans allowed into games, Rangers went the league season unbeaten as Celtic imploded, seeing the dream of winning 10-In-A-Row die under Neil Lennon. St Johnstone scooped both domestic trophies, but a first Premiership title in a decade was all Rangers and their fans cared about that season.
Michael Beale - 2022/23
The Londoner arrived in November 2022, and three months later had a shot at lifting his first trophy, but went down 2-1 to Celtic in the League Cup Final. Reeling them in to claim the Premiership title was also going to be a long shot, but the Scottish Cup was seen as a chance to put things right.
Again however, Celtic proved too strong at Hampden, dumping the Gers out in the semi-final. Given he'd yet to have a full season in the dugout, Beale was never likely to get the bullet then, but an expensive summer rebuild that produced three defeats in his first seven league games the following season saw Beale sacked on 1 October 2023.
