Giovanni van Bronckhorst currently has a better win percentage as Rangers manager than Walter Smith had in both his spells, Steven Gerrard and Alex McLeish, only Dick Advocaat has a better record in modern-day times without having managed in the lower leagues.
Statistics eh?
There’s been a lot bandied about recently following the two, shambolic, 4-0 defeats to Celtic and Ajax, some fans and media outlets pointing to the games that he has drawn since arriving, ignoring the simple fact that every Rangers manager to precede him has done exactly the same.
What also has to be remembered is that nearly a third of his games as the manager has been against significantly tougher opposition with 16 games out of 53 being played against continental opposition in must-win Europa League group ties, the knockout stages and the Champions League.
Pointing to draws against Motherwell and Ross County where individual howlers cost us or Dundee United where we created chance after chance and should’ve had two penalties is merely looking at results as a collective and twisting them to fit a narrative.
There is a reason Rangers has only had 17 permanent managers in its long and illustrious history. We don’t panic at the first sign of trouble, we don’t turn on our players or manager when the going gets tough, we back them, we pull them through, and we inspire them.
It’s going to be an interesting season with a World Cup splitting it in two and it will give twitchy boards and chairmen the chance to reset with a mini pre-season before the transfer window re-opens if they want to go in a new direction, however, I just can’t see our board breaking the habit of a lifetime, especially in a year where we have made record-breaking revenue, won a trophy, played in a European final and qualified for the Champions League, regardless of our last two displays.