Ange Postecoglou finds himself at the centre of Rangers’ upcoming Europa League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
The ex-Celtic manager is in his second season at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and finds himself under immense pressure after a stuttering campaign.
Following a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea over the weekend, a return to Glasgow beckons for Ange Postecoglou who will meet a Rangers team resurgent under Philippe Clement.
Whilst the two managers never squared up on the Ibrox touchline in Glasgow, Postecoglou has been to Govan to face Rangers four times before.
Postecoglou might’ve wrestled Scottish football’s crown back from Rangers, but can Australian’s record at Ibrox provide ample Europa League encouragement to bluenoses everywhere?
Rangers 1 – 0 Celtic (29/08/21)
A Steven Gerrard led Rangers side, who were the champions of Scotland, welcomed Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic to Ibrox for the first time on a handful of games into the season.
With Celtic struggling under the Australian, Rangers ran out 1-0 winners courtesy of a powerful Filip Helander header from an Ibrox corner.
Remember the days when we were champions? Remember the days we used to score from corners?
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Rangers 1 – 2 Celtic (03/04/22)
With Giovanni van Bronckhorst now at the helm for Rangers, Ange Postecoglou recorded his first and only win at Ibrox in his career.
Rangers had to win to keep the club’s Scottish Premiership hopes alive and started on fire with Aaron Ramsay scoring within minutes of kick off.
Tom Rogic then equalised minutes later for Celtic before Cameron Carter Vickers stabbed home a winner from a corner.
Rangers should’ve got at least a draw from this game and Celtic escaped unscathed to take a massive step towards the title.
Rangers 2 – 2 Celtic (02/01/23)
Michael Beale this time for Ange Postecoglou, with the new Rangers manager having managed to stimulate some level of form from his ailing side.
Rangers again had to win to stand any chance in the Scottish Premiership title race and blew it when Kyogo Furuhashi scored a late equaliser.
Daizen Maeda had given Celtic an early lead in the game before Ryan Kent equalised for a resurgent Rangers just minutes after the restart.
A James Tavernier penalty looked to have secured all three points for the Gers but Michael Beale’s team just couldn’t hold on.
Rangers 3 – 0 Celtic (13/05/23)
The last time Ange Postecoglou came to Ibrox, he left with his cheeks red after a rampant Rangers ran over his Celtic team.
Rangers put in a showing that was too little, too late, to absolutely thump our rivals and give the club’s frustrated support something to cheer at the end of the season.
Todd Cantwell scored an early goal to get Rangers off to a perfect start before John Souttar and Fashion Sakala scored in the second half.
Rangers fans would certainly take more in the same in the Europa League as Ange Postecoglou takes his Spurs team to Glasgow!
Verdict
Whilst Ange Postecoglou never had it all his way on Ibrox, the Australian got big results at the stadium when it mattered.
Having been beaten twice, Rangers secured an important early victory over Celtic at the beginning of Postecoglou’s tenure.
However the former Parkhead boss made it back when he beat Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox later in the season, a result which ultimately proved pivotal in the title race.
The same can be said of the following season, when Postecoglou got the result that mattered in a 2-2 draw at Ibrox.
On both occasions, Rangers blew opportunities and their chance to stay in a title hunt, which Celtic took a big step to the trophy.
The final match, whilst a thumping 3-0 victory, shows Postecoglou’s gung-ho system to be flawed if approached correctly.
But given the Premiership title had been effectively decided, it’s about as close to a dead rubber as you’re going to get in the Old Firm derby.