As Rangers scour the market for a manager to replace Philippe Clement long-term, those out of favour at Ibrox might be sniffing the opportunity for a fresh start.
Take Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell, for instance.
Both Matondo and Dowell were frozen out by Philippe Clement around the start of 2025. They ended the winter window farmed unceremoneously out on loan, meanwhile, joining Hannover and Birmingham City respectively.
But is there a world in which a new manager at Ibrox equals a new beginning for two players who looked certain to have kicked a ball in Rangers colours for the final time?
Well, reports indicating that David Wagner is on Rangers’ managerial shortlist certainly raises a few intriguing questions.
The former Huddersfield Town, Schalke and Norwich City boss is without a club after Blackburn Rovers opted to hire Valerien Ismael instead in the aftermath of the once-Rangers linked John Eustace defecting to Derby County.
Wagner, meanwhile, worked with Dowell at Norwich and Matondo at Schalke. Not only that, he worked with the duo pretty successfully too.
David Wagner is a big fan of Rangers misfit Kieran Dowell
Now, the German might have eventually supported Norwich’s decision to let Dowell leave for Rangers upon the expiry of his contract in the summer of 2023.
But, while contributing five goals and three assists from the centre of midfield as The Canaries reached the Championship play-offs, Wagner could not speak highly enough of the Everton academy graduate and the way he adapted to the coach’s demands for a fierce work ethic out of possession and intelligent, composed but creative distribution.
Qualities Dowell is again showing following a fine start to life at Birmingham.
“I think he has done great since I came in,” Wagner said of Dowell two years ago this month, via Evening News 24. “Even if he had some games where he wasn’t on his best level, overall, I think he performed very well.
“He scored goals, gave assists, he was a threat offensively and adapted very well to our idea of football.”
As for Matondo, it was under Wagner where the Welsh winger made his breakthrough into senior football during the COVID-hit 2019/20 season. The youngster played 21 games in his first campaign as a regular amongst the Schalke first-team.
“[Wagner’s approach] is helping me,” Matondo would explain at the tine,. “When I do get the opportunities to play for Schalke, I enjoy playing because I know that the way we play benefits me as well.
“He has a special relationship, I’d say, with the whole team. He knows how to deal with players. Of course, he’s managed in England and he’s got a big reputation and you can see why because of the way he coaches, the way he says things in detail and explains himself.
“You just understand him and he grips your attention with his passionate way of talking as well.”
Wagner’s charisma would be in stark contrast to Philippe Clement
One of the most commonly-repeated criticisms aimed towards Philippe Clement – as the fanbase grew tired of his excuses – was that the Belgian was hardly the most stirring of orators.
The same cannot be said of Wagner; dragging an unfancied Huddersfield Town side into the Premier League almost through pure charisma, as you might expect from a man who enjoys such a close friendship with Jurgen Klopp.
It is not exactly uncommon, meanwhile, for managers new to a club to rest on those they have worked with before and those already au fait with their way of doing things.
Both Dowell and Matondo would obviously have a lot to prove if offered a route back into Rangers. Particularly the former.
But if a chance for redemption is to present itself, it will probably come via David Wagner.
