Celtic boss Big Ange sees off the Wee Man as £4m pay-off looms

News broke today that theRangers have decided to part company with their underperforming manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst. A small matter of a recent run of results across the city had their fanbase seething with their Board of Directors along with the head coach, his backroom staff and misfiring squad.

The little Dutchman was brought into the club just over a year ago, when his predecessor jumped ship to the riches of the English Premier League and Aston Villa. Steven Gerrard’s tenure there was short-lived as the American owners sacked the ex-Liverpool midfielder, who won one from nine trophies he contested in Scotland, after a really underwhelming few months.

Poor wee Van Bronckhorst managed to steady their ship and even got them to a Europa League Final. However, like Gerrard, he saw the writing on the wall as he was up against it with Celtic’s new manager across the way. Big Ange swept aside poor wee Gio just like he was in the process of doing with Covid empty-stadium-league-winner’s Gerrard and Beale.

So that’s Big Ange seen off two Ibrox bosses. Could he make it a hat-trick? Does it depend on who they hire next? Keep in mind, they have very little room for manoeuvre now cash-wise with the suits at UEFA placing them under the sustainability spotlight. Plus, that severance package for wee Gio and his cohorts wont be cheap. A conservative estimate has it around £4 million – and that’s maybe at the lower end of the scale.

READ THIS…Rangers sack van Bronckhorst, Kevin Muscat or Steven Gerrard could get the job

At the moment Celtic have a nine point advantage at the top of the league looking down on theRangers and the two sides meet again on 2 January 2023 at Ibrox. Ahead of that fixture Celtic have two tough away fixtures against  Aberdeen and Hibs with home matches against Livingston and St Johnstone in between the trips to Pittodrie and Easter Road.  Celtic have already won 14 from 15 league matches this season, so the only hope that theRangers have is some kind of form slump.

Meanwhile the currently manager-less Ibrox outfit have ahead of the game against Celtic, home fixtures against Hibs and Motherwell with away trips to play Aberdeen and Ross County in between those two games at Ibrox.

They will need to be perfect in those game, hope that Celtic slip up once or twice and then look to beat Ange Postecoglou’s side in the league for the first time since August 2021.  That was a 1-0 win at Ibrox when the Australian manager had only just started assembling his Celtic side. Oh and they need to appoint a new manager too. And pay off the wee Man and his crew.

Paul Gillespie