The Rangers cycle of doom Philippe Clement looks set to break and the 4 reasons he's outlasted Beale and Gio

It's an unfamiliar feeling for Rangers. For the first time since stadia were reopened to punters, it appears as if they're going into Christmas with the manager that started the season at the helm.

Steven Gerrard went out with his stock sky-high for Aston Villa in November 2021. Gio van Bronckhorst, who masterminded a run to the Europa League Final, fell victim to the Ange Postecoglou machine before the winter World Cup rolled around in 2022. And Michael Beale, the less said the better, unceremoniously punted long before the clocks even went back last season.

It may not be a universally popular choice among punters, but for better or worse, Philippe Clement is the man that's set to break the cycle of doom. You don't need to look far for the arguments in favour of change - they're two points further from top spot than they were when Beale was shown the door, and have averaged two points per game from their 11 so far - fewer than Van Bronckhorst (2.2) had managed in the 2022/23 season by the time he was shuffled out the door.

There are mitigating factors; a drastically reduced budget and a squad overhaul that neither man who came before him had to contend with. But square it all up, and the big picture is that Clement has not fared measurably better than either of his two immediate predecessors in his first full season in charge.

So why is he the man they've decided to stick with beyond this junction in the season? There are a couple of obvious answers, and some which may have gone under the radar.

Let's not dodge around the elephant in the room. Rangers just handed Clement a new four-year deal, before reporting a loss of £17m for the last year. Clement's payoff would be the most costly yet, and it's unclear where the