A difficult start to the season has left Philipe Clement’s position at Ibrox shrouded in doubt.

Despite recently signing a new contract, the show of confidence from the board has not had the desired impact. Should the Belgian be shown the door, we examine a list potential replacements that have been associated with the role in recent weeks.

Steven Gerrard
A hero to many, given he not only won Rangers their first title in a decade, but in doing so stopped Celtic winning the coveted ten in a row.

Things did end on a slightly sour note as he upped sticks and moved to Aston Villa in November. A poor spell in the Premier League, made worse by the success of his replacement Unai Emery was incredibly damaging to his reputation and has almost certainly put paid to his ambition of managing Liverpool.

A move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq has not helped either, with critics pointing to the standard of the league and Gerrard’s reported salary as an indication of a manager not challenging himself. The move has not proven to be as simple as expected either, speculation continues to build around Gerrard’s tenuous position at the club.

Unfortunately for Gerrard, Rangers fans might not be willing to welcome him back as Celtic did Brendan Rodgers.

Derek McInnes
The bookies favourite for the position, McInnes has built Kilmarnock into one of the league’s biggest overachievers since achieving promotion two years ago. There was disappointment following their European exit and the impact it had on the team’s form but things are slowly turning around and they look like the strongest of the sides outside the top three.

If the last meeting between the two sides can be considered anything like an audition then McInnes did not hurt his chances, earning an impressive 1-0 win at Rugby Park.

Far from being a despised figure among the Rangers fans, McInnes has history on his side, having played and won the Premiership and Scottish Cup for the side in the late nineties.

His teams have never won plaudits for their style, but their grit and ability to grind out results is everything Rangers are currently missing.

Kevin Muscat
Another former Rangers player who has experienced success as a manager, this is not the first time Muscat has been linked with the position.

Prior to Clement’s hiring, the Australian had announced his interest and was reportedly interviewed but passed over for the role.

His managerial career bears some resemblance to that of Ange Postecoglou, having both managed Melbourne Victory before Muscat replaced the now Tottenham boss at Yokohama F.Marinos.

With an A-League, J-League and now a second consecutive Chinese Super League title under his belt, Muscat is not short of accolades on his CV.

The biggest doubts however, will be whether the Rangers board believe he will be able to replicate the impact Postecoglou had in the East End despite a lack of experience in Europe.

Frank Lampard
Gerrard’s former midfield partner has by far the most impressive clubs on his CV but has arguably had the least success. Following a strong first season in the dugout guiding Derby County to a Championship play-off final, Lampard was handed the reins at former club Chelsea.

Giving academy players opportunities and being hampered by a transfer ban all whilst finishing a respectable fourth seemed to indicate the appointment had not come too soon in his career. His stock would only decline from there however, as the side went backwards despite a flurry of big signings and he was sacked in January.

Keeping Everton up on the final day would be a blip before being sacked the following season after one win in eleven games before achieving the very same record in his return as Chelsea caretaker. Lampard’s name has been attached to almost every vacancy since but he remains an outside bet.

Henrik Rydstrom

Perhaps the least well known of all the list, Rydstrom has yet to take his footballing career beyond Sweden. The manager has won the league in both seasons since taking over at Malmo in 2022, including pipping Jimmy Thelin’s IF Elfsborg to the title by just two goals.

Rydstrom has been earning plaudits for success on the pitch but also for the style that got them there. Playing what writer and coach Jamie Hamilton coined ‘Relationism’, the manager looks to allow players to be as expressive on the ball as possible.

Perhaps the biggest blotch on his record however, is his performance against Rangers in the Europa League this season. Malmo were not only defeated 2-0 at home but looked far off the pace. However, if Rydstrom is allowed to work with a higher calibre of player, Rangers could have a manger with both the style and the substance to turn things around.