As Graham Potter’s name is roundly discussed by Rangers fans, Michael Beale is set to find out the hard way that once you lose Ibrox, it’s nigh-on impossible to win it back.
Rangers faith in the stumbling Ibrox manager has came and went after a stuttering summer rebuild – and £13m worth of hapless hitmen – fell to a 1-0 home defeat to a patchwork Celtic side.
In what was one of the lowest quality Old Firm derbies of recent seasons, Michael Beale’s confidence-sapped outfit failed to overcome the dodgiest VAR derby decision yet and the groans of an increasingly furious Ibrox Stadium.
That woeful result and performance put the ribbon on what’s been a disastrous start to the season, the defeat to Kilmarnock and Champions League humiliation at the hands of PSV exemplifying a club and squad that’s been underprepared and overwhelmed for the campaign ahead.
Some have even started writing it off completely.
Having failed to win in the eight biggest matches of his Ibrox reign to date, the swell of Rangers fans have given up on the likeable former Chelsea youth coach who has so far talked far too much and delivered far too little as the Ibrox manager.
And it’s a former Chelsea manager who has been at the forefront of Rangers fan conversation in the days proceeding the club’s latest nonsense against Celtic in Englishman Graham Potter.
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Ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter on lips of Rangers fans
Navigating his way to Stamford Bridge by haymakering several weight classes higher with Swedish side Östersund and by emboldening the foundations of Premier League dark horses Brighton, Graham Potter has a strong CV as far as recent Rangers managers go.
But there are natural doubts that the Ibrox side could convince the bright English coach to make the switch up north after Premier League disaster with Chelsea.
Reportedly paid off to the tune of £13m following a short-lived stint at Stamford Bridge alongside their overpriced investments from the AMEX, Graham Potter’s next move is a key one.
Having been mooted for moves to Premier League Bournemouth and Ligue 1 Nice so far the 41-year-old is yet to get back into management since leaving West London.
Whilst a pay cut would be needed to join Rangers, the job remains one of the biggest in the global game but with limited resources it can, and has, proven a poisoned chalice.
That should, however, be no problem to the man who built Brighton and Hove Albion up into the one of the most productive selling clubs in the world game.
Perhaps it’s not a question of if Graham Potter would be willing to take the substantial pay-cut to join Rangers but rather if the manager would be willing to stake his reputation on such a difficult job.
Celtic, several levels above off the park and now apparently on it too, are a formidable opponent against whom Michael Beale’s shortcomings have cost him the confidence of Ibrox.
Whether Graham Potter is a realistic choice to replace him at Rangers or not, the current clamour around Beale will do little to convince the coach he’ll get the necessary virtue of patience in Glasgow.
In the wake of the defeat to Celtic, one Rangers-minded pundit also tipped the club towards Graham Potter on social media.