Since Glasgow Rangers were founded in 1872, only 15 men have been appointed the permanent managerial role at Ibrox.
Mark Warburton lasted 1 year and 240 days at Rangers
It’s been almost exactly a month since Mark Warburton’s acrimonious departure from Rangers, and some have cited Ibrox chiefs inability to quickly identify and appoint a replacement as further evidence of the club’s current ineptitude. But perhaps Rangers are right to be cautious when it comes to this appointment, especially when one considers the Gers outstanding 145 year managerial record.
Founded in 1872, Rangers have been competing in Scotland for almost a century and a half, yet in all that time, the club has only had 15 permanent managers (16 managerial changes in total). From the first, William Wilton, to the most recent, Mark Warburton, that record means the average reign of a Rangers boss is over 9 years.
In the last few years we have seen Manchester United abandon their record of giving managers time and support, going through three managers in fairly rapid succession since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Rangers risk going down a similar route, with Mark Warburton having lasted less than 2 years, making his tenure the second shortest in the club’s managerial history.
Rangers longest serving manager, Bill Struth, spent over 34 years at Ibrox, winning 30 trophies and cementing himself as a Rangers legend. Ultimately, the longevity of Struth and others has been down to the sustained success Rangers have enjoyed as a club over the vast majority of their history.
Paul Le Guen had the briefest reign of any Rangers manager, lasting less than a year – just 240 days in fact. Le Guen was only the club’s second non-British manager, following Dick Advocaat, and arrived following enormous success in France with Lyon, where he won the league and cup double every season in his three seasons with the club.
Since Walter Smith’s first dismissal in 1998, Rangers have gone through 6 managers in 19 years, an average reign of just over 3 years, and a worrying trend for Europe’s most successful football club. It now looks as though Pedro Caixinha is poised to take the reigns, and it is imperative that the Gers are certain they’ve got the right man and give him the time to rebuild at Ibrox.
Walter Smith was the last manager to spend more than 5 years at Ibrox
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