AS Rangers limped to their ninth defeat of the season at McDiarmid Park on Sunday there was a resignation in the stands and those watching on television from afar that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s time as manager is nearing an end.
Faith that the Dutchman can turn around a seven-point deficit in the league is fading at a rapid rate with many supporters calling for managerial change before Hearts come to Ibrox on Wednesday.
Whether that occurs remains to be seen but what unfolded in Perth bore a striking resemblance to a Rangers defeat a little over 22 years ago at the very same venue.
Similarly to Sunday, the Ibrox club had a Dutchman in the dugout in the form of van Bronckhorst’s former mentor Dick Advocaat.
Rangers would succumb to a 2-1 loss, to fall 12 points behind then-leaders Celtic.
It was at that point you knew the man known as the Little General was losing control over a dressing room packed with international stars.
Ironically, the Rangers team that pitched up in Perth that day was also ravaged by injuries with van Bronckhorst, Stefan Klos, Jorg Albertz, Andrei Kanchelskis, Claudio Reyna and Tony Vidmar all absent.
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Despite two years of success where a treble and a double were acquired, the cracks started to appear in Advocaat’s third season in charge and they were laid bare on that sorry afternoon when Keigan Parker and Mo Sylla put Rangers to the sword.
The 2000/01 season saw a Rangers side implode which coincided with a resurgent Celtic led by Martin O’Neill. Advocaat’s men were on the receiving end of a humiliating 6-2 defeat at Parkhead early in the campaign and never truly recovered.
The Light Blues would end the season 15 points behind O’Neill’s treble-winners and the slump under Advocaat would continue into the following campaign before the decision was made to replace the Dutchman with Alex McLeish.
Much like that afternoon in Perth back in October 2000, this is a Rangers team that looks bereft of belief and confidence in the current manager. There is a discernible lack of cutting-edge and apparent playing style.
The warning signs have been ringing as early as the opening day encounter with Livingston when van Bronckhorst avoided dropped points thanks to stunning strikes from James Tavernier and Scott Arfield.
If truth be told, the 4-1 win over Aberdeen aside, there has been very little to cheer about up to this point and it’s difficult to garner belief it will somehow turn around any time soon.
There were calls for Advocaat to be replaced following that 2-1 reverse to St Johnstone and, in hindsight, he should’ve been relieved of his duties 14 months prior to his removal.
Should Rangers continue with the status quo they risk a similar outcome. Even the most optimistic supporter would find it difficult to believe this current crop of players can overhaul a seven-point deficit.
There is a genuine feeling of history repeating itself with van Bronckhorst. Unless there is a remarkable turnaround in fortunes it may be best to thank him for delivering a long overdue Scottish Cup as well as guiding the club to Seville in what was a monumental European run. But agree to a parting of ways in the best interests of Rangers Football Club.
This piece is an extract from today’s Rangers Insider newsletter, which is emailed out at 5pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Rangers Review team.
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