November 25 – Rangers have sacked Chief Executive Patrick Stewart and Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell as their season continues to implode in spectacular fashion.
The club said the pair “do not align with their vision for the next chapter,” which is a polite way of admitting their rebuild has been more of a demolition.
Stewart, who arrived from Manchester United less than a year ago, and Thelwell, fresh from Everton, never really settled, and by the time the new US-led ownership group, fronted by Andrew Cavenagh, completed its takeover, the club already felt adrift.
And Cavenagh hasn’t tried to sugarcoat it. Six months in, his group took stock and realised the leadership didn’t fit the direction they wanted. Fraser Thornton steps in as interim Chief Executive.
On the pitch, the story hasn’t been much prettier. The season opened with the disastrous reign of Russell Martin, who was shown the door after just 17 games and 123 days, the shortest managerial stint in the club’s history.
Rangers were eighth and 11 points off Hearts when Martin was dismissed. Danny Rohl has steadied things a little, helping the club climb to fourth, but Europe has been a disaster as four Europa League games have resulted in four losses. Transfer decisions from the summer have been hammered by supporters, and not without reason.
Cavenagh insists the changes are “measured and steady,” but Rangers feel like a club still trying to find the floor. The pieces haven’t clicked, the vision isn’t clear, and the stakes grow heavier with every misstep.