Steven Gerrard’s potential return to Rangers draws nearer as the pressure mounts on current manager Philippe Clement, who is at risk of being fired.
Rangers were eliminated from the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park on Sunday, with Clement’s position increasingly uncertain due to the team’s poor performance. With a 13-point gap between them and Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic, the Europa League is their only remaining hope for silverware this season.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Clement remained defiant, asserting that he does not expect to be dismissed and suggesting that firing him would be a hasty decision. He remarked, “I don’t expect this [being fired] because you can bring in another manager—would it really change things?”
This follows speculation that Gerrard, who led Rangers to their first league title in a decade in 2021, might be set for a return to the club after recently leaving his role at Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League. Rangers legend Ally McCoist believes a comeback could be just what Gerrard needs following disappointing spells at Aston Villa and in Saudi Arabia. McCoist noted that the next step in Gerrard’s career is crucial, similar to Frank Lampard’s move to Coventry, which was also a pivotal moment in his career.
Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon echoed McCoist’s thoughts, suggesting that a return to Rangers is possible, though acknowledging that Clement is still working to improve the team’s performance for the remainder of the season and beyond.
Rangers’ recent strong form was halted by the shock defeat, which saw the Ibrox crowd express their displeasure loudly, with boos echoing after James Tavernier’s missed penalty sealed the team’s historic loss to a lower-league side. Clement did not hide his frustration, calling the result “unacceptable” and criticizing his players for losing the trust they had recently regained from the fans.
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