Kris Commons predicts turmoil at Ibrox with four stars looking to quit

Kris Commons has spelled out the reality of a club losing their manager a third of the way through the season.

A failing boss can expect the sack with his successor equally expected to get a few quick results out of a squad that had started to get disillusioned.

The situation at Ibrox is very different. After last season’s freaky SPFL title win there are definite signs of a return to normality as baying fans scare the life out of James Tavernier and Co, sometimes opposing fans as well.

This week the Ibrox stars report back to Murray Park with Steven Gerrard and five key coaches no longer in place.

With their boss suddenyly quitting Commons isn’t convinced that Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Connor Goldson and Glen Kamara will be hanging around although Aston Villa is unlikely to be their next destination.

Jimmy Bell and Jermain Defoe will be arranging the bibs and cones after Graeme Murty pulled a sickie, things will be very different with every player wondering where their future lies except Kemar Roofe and John Lundstram who are raking it in on long term contracts.

Commons knows a bit about dressing room turmoil when a manager moves on, picking up on his column in the Daily Mail, the Daily Record reports the former Celtic midfielder saying:

The landscape has now changed dramatically. The roof hasn’t caved in at Ibrox, but it’s beginning to creak.

Gerrard and his entire coaching staff have upped sticks and left. Coming hot on the heels of the club posting an annual loss of £23.5million, suddenly things don’t look so rosy.

You can’t underestimate just what a loss the likes of Michael Beale will be. Gerrard spoke countless times in the past about how he regards him as an outstanding coach.

It was Beale who was the brains of the operation. He drilled the team into a certain shape and got them playing excellent football.

Will the new manager be able to achieve something similar? Whether it’s Giovanni van Bronckhorst or someone else, there’s no guarantee of immediate success.

Any new manager coming into a club usually takes some time to get their ideas across. In this instance, though, they have to come in and hit the ground running.

That’s a tough ask. It will also be a huge test of character for the players, because there’s no doubt Gerrard’s exit will have ripped the heart out of some of them.

As captain, James Tavernier spoke last week of his respect and admiration for Gerrard. I’ve no doubt that’s a feeling shared throughout the dressing room.

Gerrard will have been a massive draw for a lot of the Rangers players. For instance, look at the situation with Glen Kamara.

Kamara signed a new long-term deal earlier this season which ties him to the club until 2025. And fair play to him, because he’s been a revelation since joining. But would he have been so quick to sign a new deal had he known that Gerrard would be leaving a few months later? I doubt it.

The situations with Connor Goldson, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos will also be interesting. I don’t see Gerrard coming back for them, but I’m also not sure they will be keen to stick around at Ibrox either.

Despite the hype and hope there is no sign of Giovanni van Bronckhorst jetting in to take charge at Ibrox today.