When a manager is nearing the end of his shelf-life – as Philippe Clement may be at Rangers – it’s always tempting to look back and see what became of the targets previously under consideration.
Who else did Rangers look at before Clement arrived to take Mick Beale’s place back in October 2023?
And how many of those are available a year-and-a-half later, Sunday’s stunning Scottish Cup defeat at home by second-tier Queen’s Park undoing all of the goodwill the Belgian had accumulated during an impressive start to 2025?
Frank Lampard appeared to be Clement’s closest rival at one point. Rangers legend Graeme Souness even endorsed Lampard’s suitability for the role. The former Chelsea and England midfielder has since returned to the dugout with Coventry City.
Former AZ Alkmaar tactician Pascal Jansen has taken over at New York City FC in preparation for the new Major League Soccer campaign. Graham Potter is looking to rebuild West Ham after the destructive Julen Lopetegui era.
As for John Eustace, well by the time the Rangers chief come to any decision – CEO Patrick Stewart insisted Philippe Clement had their backing as recently as January – the man currently in charge of Blackburn Rovers might already have committed his future to another club.
One Eustace holds very dear to his heart.
One-time Rangers target John Eustace to swap Blackburn for Derby
It is not every day an extremely highly-regarded head coach walks away from a promotion battle in favour of a relegation dogfight in the very same league.
Eustace, however, looks set to do just that.
A Blackburn outfit sitting sixth in the Championship table confirmed on Monday that Eustace had been given permission – ‘reluctantly’, mind you – to open talks over a move to a Derby County outfit hovering two places and two points off the bottom.
This, an irate Rovers faithful will argue, is a classic case of a man ignoring his head and instead bewitched by his heart.
Eustace spent the final six years of his playing career at Derby. And, with the Lancashire Telegraph reporting that he has now agreed to take over at Pride Park, the chance to return as a manager and rescue The Rams from an immediate return to League One appeals to such an extent that the 45-year-old Eustace is willing to turn his back on a potential play-off spot at Ewood Park to make that dream a reality.
Blackburn ‘extremely disappointed’ as Rangers face Philippe Clement decision
“Blackburn Rovers can confirm that head coach John Eustace has requested permission to speak with another Championship club, following the activation of a clause in his contract,” reads a statement provided by a club sitting 20 places and 17 points ahead of Derby in the standings.
“The club is extremely disappointed by John Eustace’s request to hold discussions with another club at such a crucial stage of the season, but this has now been reluctantly granted.”
One can only guess how Eustace might have reacted had Rangers made a move in the aftermath of the lowest period of the Philippe Clement era.
At this stage, by the time the former Monaco boss does say his goodbyes, Eustace is likely to have followed Lampard, Jansen and Potter in removing his name any potential shortlist.
The decision starting Patrick Stewart and co in the face, then, is this; Do Rangers act now, without an immediate replacement lined up? Or do they bide their time until the summer, in the hope that Clement can turn things around again and in order to secure more time to scour the market for successors?
