Rangers managers just keep on repeating the same mistakes | OneFootball

A major problem Rangers have faced since the halcyon days of Walter Smith is the steady flow of Rangers manager issues who insist on doing it their way. Of course, no Rangers manager will simply follow a predecessor’s blueprint. They always bring their own ideas and philosophies. The problem is clear. Since 2011, those philosophies have not worked in the Rangers context.

Walter Smith knew exactly what worked at Ibrox. He built from the back and created a strong defensive unit. By keeping a solid spine, he gave the team stability. Hard-working players filled the squad and ensured consistency. At most, he had one genuine superstar. His football was not pretty, yet it was effective. Above all, it was winning football.

Since then, with only one or two exceptions, Rangers have seen Warburton, Pedro, Murty and now Martin fail to grasp what managing this club means. It is not about copying Walter’s style. Rather, it is about finding a way that works in the Scottish Premiership. Martin is the latest to try an English Championship approach, and that simply does not work here.

Fans once praised his low-block busting for Southampton. However, that comparison was flawed. The Championship is not the SPL. In fact, the Scottish game is closer to League One or the lower Championship in England. Rangers and Celtic are different from anything in those divisions. They face constant pressure that only a few elite Premier League clubs understand.

Managers like Warburton and Martin think they can play a “Barcelona lite” 4-3-3 and win. Yet that does not work for Rangers. This club needs a solid defence, a strong midfield and a sharp attack. Moreover, it needs to counter with pace and precision. Walter knew it. Advocaat knew it. Alex McLeish understood it too.

McLeish did not inherit the best squad despite the DA era. Still, he shaped it into a title-winning side. He sold free agents for profit and bought better players. Consequently, he won Helicopter Sunday. Even with players out of position in a 4-3-3, it worked because he understood the SPL.

Today, Rangers still see managers arrive from the Championship with plans that do not fit this league. They believe their system will succeed. Inevitably, they stubbornly stick to it until it fails. Until Rangers hire a manager who truly understands how to win in Scotland, the cycle will continue.