SIX Rangers managers have suffered the curse of Brendan Rodgers during the Irishman’s two stints as Celtic boss.
Philippe Clement became the latest to sample defeat against the Hoops gaffer when his unbeaten domestic run came to a halt at Parkhead on December 30 last year.
Strikes from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi fired the hosts to a 2-1 triumph as the Belgian endured the same fate as five of his predecessors.
Mark Warburton was first in line to be left dejected in Rodgers’ memorable derby debut on September 10 2016 when Moussa Dembele ran amok with a pulverising hat-trick as the home side romped to a home 5-1 success.
GOVAN GLEE…Brendan Rodgers is all smiles as he embraces Philippe Clement after Celtic’s 3-3 draw at Ibrox last month.
Graeme Murty replaced the bewildered Englishman by the time the Ibrox outfit earned a 1-1 draw with a last-gasp goal from Clint Hill at the same venue after Stuart Armstrong had given the hosts a first-half advantage in the March 12 clash the following year.
The former Scotland international defender had stepped up from the post as the club’s Under-20s coach in a caretaker capacity before making way for the ill-fated Pedro Caixinho.
The Portuguese chief’s spell in Govan was short-lived and he was humiliated in a 5-1 hammering at Ibrox from Rodgers’ unstoppable Hoops in April 2017 and, following a 2-0 loss at the same venue in September the same year, he was soon packing his bags and heading for Mexico.
Up stepped Murty again in an interim role, but he was given the boot after two wallopings in a fortnight against a rampant Celtic side.
BEGINNING OF THE END…Mark Warburton and Brendan Rodgers before Celtic’s 5-1 romp at Parkhead in September 2016.
Rodgers guided the Hoops to a 4-0 Scottish Cup semi-final victory on April 15 2018 and two weeks later it got even worse for his Govan adversary when the champions clinched another title with a 5-0 rout in the east end of the city.
Former players Jimmy Nicholl and Jonatan Johansen took over until the arrival of Rodgers’ one-time Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard at the start of the 2018/19 campaign.
It wasn’t long before the England international idol was on the receiving end of a derby loss when Olivier Ntcham claimed the only goal of the September 2 encounter.
Rodgers left Parkhead in February the following year, but was back in place to face Michael Beale in the first all-Glasgow confrontation on September 3 2023.
Once again, Irish eyes were smiling as Japanese talisman Kyogo smashed in the winner in a tense 1-0 success in Govan.
NEXT STOP MEXICO…Pedro Caixinho is about to suffer from the Brendan Rodgers curse.
Beale had been given the bullet by the time the second meeting rolled around on December 30 when Clement, who had taken charge in mid-October, led his team to Parkhead.
The Belgian’s team had been unbeaten in 10 successive games on the home front before they came off the rails in a 2-1 loss, but a stoppage-time strike salvaged a 3-3 draw at Ibrox in the follow-up meeting last month.
Now Clement is back in the firing line in tomorrow’s 12.30pm kick-off where a win for Rodgers’ men will surely end any lingering Rangers hopes of a title upset.
Let battle commence!
