As Celtic has demonstrated, remaining in Glasgow long enough to leave a lasting legacy is not the modern way of doing things.
According to Philippe Clement’s former chairman at Genk, Rangers’ trophy total will only rise if he stays on the team for the long run.
Peter Croonen laments losing his position as Ibrox manager, having helped the Belgian team win the Pro League title before Club Brugge stole him and won three straight titles. He said to Record Sport that the Gers had a proven winner on their hands and that it would be a grave mistake to let him go. Naturally, despite recent performances, Clement hasn’t yet brought the Premiership title to Govan, and Celtic won’t give up their crown without a fight.
Considering that Clement has transformed a seven-point deficit into a two-point lead in less than four months, it might be difficult to halt his current momentum. This is a Rangers manager who has successfully completed the run-in several times in his native country. Although many will argue that Glasgow is a different story, success is success, and the coaches who have tasted it time and time again know what components are necessary regardless of various international flavors.
But bigger fish will notice when you’re creating positive waves. In a perfect Ibrox world, Clement leads the Rangers to the championship this year, the next, and the next, and the next, until he even considers moving on. But when the next rung on the ladder is so visible from across the border, we know that modern football operates differently.
Perhaps the height of success for Scottish bosses in the past was the legacy buildings on either side of Glasgow. However, they are nearly impossible to hold on to because of the wealth, notoriety, and glamour that lie ahead—an ever-present lure for those who seem like they might be onto something worthwhile in the long run. We’ve already seen this film.
Graeme Souness
The introduction of the Liverpool icon to Ibrox changed everything. Two years after Souness took over as player manager and David Holmes as chairman, Lawrence Marlborough was the first finance man until David Murray’s takeover. However, his predecessor had already put in place a more daring plan to put Rangers back on top. Rangers won three league championships and four league cups under Souness’s direction.
