Glasgow Rangers find themselves in a position that, only a few short months ago, would have been scarcely believable.
Michael Beale lost three of his opening seven Premiership matches in charge during the early part of the season and the 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen was the last straw, as the board sacked him the very next day.
Philippe Clement has not only led the club to its first piece of silverware since 2022, but has also secured a Europa League clash against Benfica in the last 16 along with sitting at the summit of the league table.
He has had to do all this with a squad largely inherited by Beale, featuring a few summer signings which haven’t quite lived up to their early impressions.
The likes of Sam Lammers, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers were meant to usher in a new era at Rangers, yet they have all struggled in various ways.
Unfortunately, these three have not been the first players to be heavily hyped prior to moving to the Gers, and they certainly won’t be the last.
One of the most notable examples in recent years of a player generating massive hype and hysteria upon his arrival was that of Aaron Ramsey, yet he turned out to be a big disappointment.
Aaron Ramsey’s career statistics
The Welshman began his career at Cardiff City before becoming a household name at Arsenal under Arsène Wenger.
The midfielder made nearly 400 appearances for the Gunners during his 11-season stint in North London, winning three FA Cup trophies, while scoring 64 goals for the club.
There was no doubt that at his peak, Ramsey was one of the finest players in the Premier League, yet injury problems meant he missed a grand total of 152 matches, meaning he could have had well over 500 appearances for the club if he had managed to remain fit and healthy during this period.
Season
Games
Goals
2018/19
40
6
2017/18
32
11
2016/17
32
4
2015/16
40
6
2014/15
41
10
2013/14
34
16
2012/13
47
2
2011/12
44
3
2010/11
8
1
2009/10
29
4
2008/09
22
1
It was announced towards the end of the 2018/19 season that Juventus had signed the player on a pre-contract agreement, and he would join ahead of the following season.
His first two seasons in Italy saw Ramsey play 63 times for the Old Lady, registering 12 goal contributions in the process, but he struggled to replicate the displays that saw him shine while at Arsenal.
Rumours began to build on the January 2022 winter transfer window deadline day that Ramsey was closing in on a loan move to Rangers, and when the deal was signed that evening, the Ibrox faithful were clearly buzzing about securing a move for a world-class player.
Club icon Barry Ferguson lauded him just before he signed, saying: “He’s a player I’ve admired for a long time. He’s still got a lot of football in his legs and for me, Rangers have to get this deal done.
“If you look at the midfield area for Rangers, I think that’s their strongest point because you've got Kamara, Steven Davis who is out, Joe Aribo who for me has been Rangers’ best player this season and Scott Arfield.
“So there’s a lot of quality in there, but for me you can’t have too much quality and if Ramsey comes in, he’ll certainly help Rangers push for the title.”
Unfortunately, his short spell at Ibrox was littered with small injuries, and he turned out to be even worse than fellow signing that winter, Amad Diallo.
Amad Diallo's record at Rangers
The Manchester United winger also joined the club in January 2022 as Giovanni van Bronckhorst sought to add something different to his attacking options.
The youngster got off to a wonderful start, scoring after just three minutes on his debut against Ross County, but it was all downhill from there.
The winger started just another five games, featuring only 13 times in total, and scoring three goals, which, on the surface, represents a solid enough loan spell.
Much more was expected of the teenager, however, especially considering how highly regarded he was rated at Man United, but his spell north of the border could definitely have delivered a lot more.
While there was not as much hype regarding the signing of Diallo compared to that of Ramsey, the Ivory Coast international gem proved to be a slightly better signing.
Aaron Ramsey’s statistics at Rangers
The midfielder has played only five times for Juventus during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign, missing 22 matches through a succession of injury issues and while luring him to Ibrox was a major coup, it was also a massive gamble.
He made his first start for the club against Annan Athletic in the Scottish Cup midway through February, yet he would start only another eight times between then and the end of the campaign, as various niggles meant he was often only fit to come off the bench during the latter stages of games.
Ramsey did score twice for the Gers – including the opener at Ibrox against Celtic in the third Old Firm clash of the season – along with grabbing two assists, but his impact could have been much better.
He will be most remembered for his penalty miss during the shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final, which ended up proving costly as the German side claimed victory.
Following the match, former Rangers' defender Richard Foster criticised Ramsey, going on to say:
"I said on paper he's the best player in Scotland if he performs but he's been so far away from that, he's not even the best player at Rangers. Not by a long shot this season."
What started off as a signing which could have perhaps been a catalyst for the club to go on and win the league title ended up in major disappointment, as Ramsey didn’t even get off the subs bench in the 2-0 Scottish Cup final win over Hearts just three days after the Europa League final.
Ramsey could have been a fantastic addition to the squad had he remained fit during his five months in Glasgow, but he failed to showcase his true talents in Glasgow.