It was another weekend of intrigue in the cinch Premiership.

Saturday saw a thrilling Edinburgh derby with wins for Celtic and Livingston while Steven Davis got his first win as interim Rangers boss on Sunday, as St Johnstone and Aberdeen fought out a stalemate.

Here are five things we learned from the weekend’s action.

Rangers fans demonstrate their despair again

Rangers players have become used to the sound of boos from their own supporters this season and the embarrassing 2-1 Europa League defeat against Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night was a low point. Early in the cinch Premiership match at St Mirren on Sunday, some Gers fans unravelled banners which read ‘heartless, passionless, leaderless; not fit to wear our colours’ which left no one in doubt as to their frustration. Skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot in the 29th minute after Saints’ Ryan Strain was handed a red card by referee Nick Walsh for handball. Further goals from attacker Abdallah Sima and Tavernier gave Rangers a 3-0 win and took them into second place, seven points behind leaders Celtic going into the international break where a new boss is likely to be appointed.

St Johnstone scrap for point at Aberdeen

It has not been a good season so far for Steven MacLean and his St Johnstone side. Sitting bottom of the table, a trip to Aberdeen might have been a daunting prospect. However the Perth side fought hard to keep a clean sheet and were well worth a point. Despite remaining bottom and still waiting for their first league win, MacLean was happy with the point and will hope a radical change in fortune is on its way

Luis Palma is finding his groove

The Honduran winger arrived at Celtic Park from Greek side Aris just ahead of the deadline and has made major strides over the past two weeks. The 23-year-old whipped in a late goal against Motherwell, was denied another late effort by VAR against Lazio and on Saturday smashed home a brilliant strike in Celtic’s 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock.

Nick Montgomery’s Hibernian side have resilience

The head coach stretched his unbeaten start to five matches in unlikely fashion following a poor first-half display at Tynecastle. “Hibs, Hibs are falling apart, again,” sang the home fans after Christian Doidge’s own goal put their side two up but Elie Youan soon scored twice in 83 seconds to seal a 2-2 draw. The winger had been handed an ultimatum to improve or be taken off at half-time and Montgomery was still making demands of his side to get forward in stoppage-time rather than settle for a point.

Motherwell in hot water?

New Livingston owner John McIlvogue set up a deal for every fan to get a free hot drink for braving the wet weather and they would have needed it to keep them warm amid an uneventful first 45 minutes. The game changed in stoppage-time though when Lennon Miller was sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and Livingston capitalised on their man advantage as goals from Bruce Anderson and Sean Kelly earned a 2-0 win. Livingston have now lost just once in 12 home games while Motherwell have lost four games in succession, although there will be no panic at Fir Park considering the difficulty of the tasks and nature of defeats.

Steven Davis believes Rangers’ 3-0 win at St Mirren was a “step in the right direction” for the managerless Ibrox club.

The former Gers midfielder, whose contract had expired in the summer but was continuing his rehab from a knee injury at the club, took up the reins on an interim basis last weekend after Michael Beale departed following the 3-1 home defeat by Aberdeen.

Davis’ first game in charge was an embarrassing 2-1 Europa League defeat against Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night.

Some Rangers fans unravelled banners early in the game in Paisley which read ‘heartless passionless leaderless; not fit to wear our colours’ before skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot in the 29th minute after Saints’ Ryan Strain was shown a red card by referee Nick Walsh for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Attacker Abdallah Sima stroked in a second in the 70th minute and Tavernier hammered in a third in the 90th minute as Rangers leapfrogged Stephen Robinson’s side into second place, seven points behind leaders Celtic going into the international break where a new manager is likely to be appointed.

“Robbo has them really well organised so we are delighted to come here, keep a clean sheet and score three goals,” said Davis, who revealed 17-year-old debutant Zak Lovelace had to come off in the first half with a hamstring complaint.

“It is a step in the right direction, going into the international break.

“It was important to come here as a group, and the fans as well, and win.

“There is still a long way to go but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

“We have to take the positives out of today. But we will not get ahead of ourselves. It is only a small step to where we want to go but it is a positive step and I’m sure the players will take some belief from it.”

On the fan banner, Davis said: “People are entitled to their opinion. Players share the same frustration as the fans.

“Obviously we get the opportunity as staff and players to change things on the pitch.

“This is not where I wanted to be as I wanted two positive results from the two games.

“But I just thanked them for their effort and their desire. It is not easy with a quick turnaround after Thursday night.

“I couldn’t have asked any more from them in terms of what they have given me.”

On his own future, the Northern Irishman said: “I really don’t know. My remit was to come and take these two games, first and foremost.

“Now it gives the club and the board an opportunity to get someone in place.

“Up to this point I’ve continued my rehab and need to make a decision in terms of that on whether I play on or not.

“I have always thought that down the line I would go into management.

“This opportunity came out of the blue and it has been a steep learning curve.

“I think I have learned a lot over the two games. I have had a lot of support in terms of the staff behind me and in the building.

“That has been massive for me and for the players as well.”

St Mirren boss Robinson had no complaints about Strain’s red card for handling the ball near the line which proved so pivotal in what was his first league defeat of the season.

He said: “I thought we were excellent to start with. The red card changes the whole game.

“People have to make decisions in the game. It’s just a reaction from him. It’s a poor decision – we know that – and the referee gets it 100 per cent correct.

“I was miles away and thought at first it had hit a Rangers hand but obviously it didn’t. But it’s definitely a sending-off.

“If you go 1-0 down with 11 men we’re still right in the game. We’re playing really well. But the red card changes it completely.”

Rangers gave themselves some much-needed respite with a 3-0 cinch Premiership win over 10-man St Mirren in Paisley.

Former Gers midfielder Steven Davis began his spell as caretaker manager with an embarrassing 2-1 Europa League defeat against Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night and there was a sense of foreboding about the trip to the SMiSA stadium.

Some Rangers fans unravelled banners early in the game which read ‘heartless passionless leaderless; not fit to wear our colours’ before skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot in the 29th minute after Saints’ Ryan Strain was handed a red card by referee Nick Walsh for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Attacker Abdallah Sima added a second in the 70th minute for his seventh goal of the season before Tavernier smashed in a third in the 90th minute as the Light Blues leapfrogged Stephen Robinson’s side into second place, seven points behind leaders Celtic but the prospects of a genuine title race is another thing altogether.

Rangers will appoint a new boss during the international break and the Ibrox club clearly need fresh ideas, strategy and motivation going forward.

The only radical change Davis made to the team was to give a first senior start to 17-year-old attacker Zak Lovelace – he would go off injured in the first half – with John Souttar, Jose Cifuentes and Kemar Roofe also coming into a fragile Ibrox outfit.

Defender Richard Taylor and striker Toyosi Olusanya were reinstated into the Buddies side who clearly fancied their chances but there was little between the teams in the opening exchanges.

In the 21st minute St Mirren defender Scott Tanser, who signed a new deal until 2026 on Saturday, found himself alone at the back post from a Conor McMenamin free-kick but blasted his shot over the bar.

Rangers, however, would soon take the lead.

Lovelace found space on the right and blasted the ball across goal with Strain appearing to knock it away from in-rushing Sima with his hand.

After a long VAR check, referee Walsh checked his pitch-side monitor, sent off the St Mirren player and awarded a penalty to the visitors which Tavernier converted to the ire of the home supporters.

In the 34th minute Goldson met a Borna Barisic corner with his head but Buddies keeper Zach Hemming acrobatically tipped the effort over the bar and the home side ultimately escaped.

In the 41st minute Lovelace limped off the field and was eventually taken away from the sidelines on a stretcher, after being replaced by Ross McCausland.

In added time, the 20-year-old knocked a Barisic pass down to Nico Raskin inside the St Mirren box but the midfielder’s goal-bound drive was blocked by Hemming for a corner, which came to nothing.

There was no immediate improvement from Rangers in the second half and striker Cyriel Dessers replaced the anonymous Roofe on the hour-mark, while Saints soon brought on Mikael Mandron, Alex Greive and Caolan Boyd-Munce.

Rangers doubled their lead in the 70th minute with an unusually swift break, Tavernier sending Raskin scampering through the middle with a first time pass and he squared for Sima, on loan from Brighton, to beat Hemming from close range.

St Mirren were on their way to the first league defeat of the season.

Dessers ran clean through in the 86th minute only to have his unconvincing drive saved by Hemming but there was time for Tavernier to thrash in a second from the edge of the box, after his first effort was blocked, a fine goal out of keeping with the most of the game.

Scott Tanser revealed it took only hours to agree a two-year contract extension that keeps him at St Mirren until the summer of 2026.

The 28-year-old wing-back joined Saints in June 2021 and has made 85 appearances for Stephen Robinson’s outfit.

Tanser, whose original deal was due to expire at the end of the season, told stmirren.com of how the new contract was quickly concluded.

He said: “It was very easy. When I say it was done within hours I’m not exaggerating. I had a chat with the manager and Jim Gillespie (vice chairman) in the morning and the deal was done by the afternoon. I’m happy here.

“The team is good, the staff are good and the whole club is together as a whole. It’s been amazing and the club has been amazing for me as well so extending my deal is great for me and my family.

“I’m really enjoying it and playing well so hopefully that continues.”

Robinson described Tanser’s new contract as “very good business” for the Paisley club.

Ahead of the visit of Rangers on Sunday, he said: “I think Scott has arguably been the best left-back in the league this season.

“It’s important that we do our business early and we recognise when people are doing well. I’m delighted that Scott has committed himself to the club for another two seasons.

“The amount of confidence he’s playing with when fans have really got behind him is a lesson for all of us. Sometimes people need an arm round them.

“His ability is undeniable. He’s a brilliant athlete and he’s been terrific for us this season.

“The board appreciate that we are trying to keep building and we’re not making 10-plus signings each season. That’s the way we are trying to do our business.

“I believe it’s very good business and hopefully there’s more to come in the coming weeks.”

Connor Goldson says Rangers have to target nothing less than victory at St Mirren on Sunday.

The Ibrox club and their fans are still reeling from the 2-1 Europa League defeat to Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night.

An embarrassing loss to the Cypriot champions came days after boss Michael Beale departed following a dismal defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox which left the Light Blues trailing cinch Premiership leaders Celtic by seven points after only seven fixtures.

Former Gers midfielder Steven Davis took over the hot seat on an interim basis and will be in charge again for the trip to Paisley to play second-place Saints, who are unbeaten in the league this season.

Goldson acknowledged the significance of the game and knows three points is the only option for the Govan side, who have lost three of their seven league games and failed to qualify for the Champions League after losing in the play-offs to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.

The 30-year-old defender said: “Every game of football is important to us.

“We have to win. It is the demands of Rangers football club and we need to go there and win the game of football.

“We have to recover as quickly as possible and go to St Mirren and win the game.”

There was no improvement in Davis’ first game in charge of Rangers and Goldson looked back at Beale’s departure as he assessed the way forward for the Ibrox side.

He said: “It is one of those things (Beale leaving). It is our fault. We are not performing on the football pitch.

“The manager has obviously taken the blame for that and  lost his job.

“Davo (Davis) comes in, we all have so much respect for him but we haven’t done the job again.

“We as individuals, as a team, need to sit down and look at ourselves, first – are you doing everything you can to make this club better?

“You don’t pick up results at this football club, it is a tough place to play.

“If you do pick up results, then it is best place to play so we need to turn it around very quickly.

“We speak all the time. But there is enough speaking going on. We need to get on that pitch and start performing better as a team.”

Meanwhile, it has been widely reported that the Ibrox club will hold final interviews for the vacant managerial post next week but former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard will not be involved.

Former Rangers player and current Yokohama F Marinos boss Kevin Muscat, AZ Alkmaar manager Pascal Jansen, former Monaco boss Phillipe Clement and former Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner, are among others who have been linked with the job.

Interim boss Steven Davis insists he retains confidence in the Rangers squad as he called for unity following the 2-1 Europa League defeat by Aris Limassol in Cyprus.

The former Light Blues midfielder was asked to take over after Michael Beale was dismissed at the weekend following the 3-1 loss Aberdeen at Ibrox which left the Gers seven points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic.

Rangers had beaten Real Betis in their Group C opener at Ibrox but found the Cypriot side too much, losing the first goal after nine minutes to defender Alex Moucketou-Moussounda.

Striker Shavy Babicka added a second goal in the 59th minute before Light Blues attacker Abdallah Sima pulled a goal back for the Ibrox men but the visitors could not complete the comeback.

Ahead of the trip to St Mirren on Sunday, Davis said: “I still believe we have some real quality players. Obviously, confidence has been hit.

“You go through these periods in your career and it’s a really difficult moment.

“As I say by sticking together you make sure to do the basics right in terms of hard work and application which they have been doing.

“It’s important we continue that and things will turn because I believe in the qualities of the squad.

“We’ll get players back which will help. The most important thing is right now is us being a group together.

“It was a really difficult night because we felt a real opportunity to come here and build on the Betis game.

“I think we caused a lot of our own problems in the game. Obviously, with the two goals we give away we’re really disappointed with and when that happens you have a mountain to climb.

“Firstly I’ve got to take some responsibility. In the first half we kept trying to play in the middle of the pitch when it wasn’t really on, they were good at getting transitions from that with the pace they had up front which caused us problems all night.

“Whenever you go behind in a second half you must throw some caution to the wind at certain points.

“We tried to simplify the game really, trying to get the ball in behind, get it wide and cross the ball into the box and ultimately we didn’t do enough to take something from the game.

“In terms of the effort of the players, I thought they tried to keep going till the end and in terms of the energy they put in, I couldn’t ask for any more in that respect.

“There wasn’t a lack of effort, we’d never question that from the dressing room but it is a really difficult moment that everyone is in.

“When that happens you maybe start to make the wrong decision and things like that.

“Sunday’s coming up and it’s a really quick turnaround. We’re hurting from tonight but it’s important as a group we stick together.”

Managerless Rangers’ season went from bad to worse with a 2-1 Europa League defeat by Aris Limassol in Cyprus.

Former Gers midfielder Steven Davis was asked to take over as boss on an interim basis after Michael Beale was dismissed at the weekend following the dismal 3-1 defeat by Aberdeen at Ibrox which left them seven points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic.

However, whatever plan Davis put in place for Europe did not work in a dreadful first-half performance which saw defender Alex Moucketou-Moussounda head the home side in front after just nine minutes.

Striker Shavy Babicka added a simple second goal in the 59th minute before Light Blues attacker Abdallah Sima pulled a goal back for the Ibrox men 10 minutes later but despite heavy pressure in the final stages the visitors could not complete the comeback.

Rangers beat Real Betis in their Group C opener but once again the players came up short.

The Light Blues travel to St Mirren on Sunday before the international break but this was a real setback in Europe with a double-header against Sparta Prague looming.

There had been some encouraging team news for the visitors in the build-up to the game with striker Kemar Roofe and midfielder Nico Raskin declared fit.

However, only the latter, who had missed four games with a knock, started with left-back Borna Barisic and attacker Scott Wright, sent off against Aberdeen, also coming into the first Gers team picked by Davis.

The Cypriot side, who claimed their first league title last season, were playing their first home game in the Europa League in an 11,000-capacity stadium which looked less than half-full with a pitch far from perfect.

Rangers, playing in a new mainly-red kit, looked disjointed and ill at ease from the start and there was no real surprise when they fell behind.

Jack Butland blocked a shot from Mihlali Mayambela for a corner which was taken short and when Leo Bengtsson crossed into the box from the right, Moucketou-Moussounda got away from Ibrox defender Connor Goldson to flick a header past the Gers keeper.

Moments later, after Barisic sloppily conceded possession, a quick Aris counter ended with Bengtsson clearing the Rangers bar from close range when he at least should have hit the target.

The rattled visitors battled back and Aris’s Brazilian keeper Vana comfortably saved an angled-drive from Sam Lammers and then Gers striker Cyriel Dessers had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside by the linesman, confirmed by a lengthy VAR check.

Vana saved a Sima header from a Barisic corner then the keeper collided with Dessers inside the box and required some treatment before continuing.

The home side claimed for a penalty just on the stroke of half-time when the ball appeared to hit Sima’s hand inside the box but a VAR check ruled in favour of the lacklustre Light Blues.

Mayembela started the second half by driving over from the edge of the box with the Gers defence again looking fragile.

When Sima’s shot was parried into the air by Vana in the 54th minute Dessers could not finish it off although he was offside.

The Cypriot side always looked dangerous on the break and Rangers fell further behind when Bengtsson left midfielder John Lundstram in his slip-stream down the left and crossed for Babicka to escape the attention of Ibrox defender Ben Davies and beat Butland with a confident finish.

In the 67th minute Davis brought on Roofe and Jose Cifuentes for Lammers and Raskin and there was a quick return when Sima headed in a Lundstram cross, which brought another VAR check but this time the goal stood.

Rangers had hope.

Moments later, however, a mistake by Davies inside his own box almost proved costly but Butland saved the drive from Aris substitute Aleksandr Kokorin at the expense of a corner which came to nothing.

Rangers pushed hard in the final stages for the equaliser but it was mostly in desperation and not even six minutes of added time could help salvage a point.

Steven Davis is determined to  make the most of his chance in the Rangers hotseat as he admitted it came sooner than expected.

The 38-year-old Northern Ireland international, who had two successful spells as a player at Ibrox, was asked by the Gers board on Sunday evening to take the reins until they appoint a new permanent boss following the departure of Michael Beale.

The former Gers midfielder, who had been returning to fitness at the Ibrox club after a serious knee injury despite his contract expiring in the summer, will be assisted by fellow former Rangers players Alex Rae and Steven Smith, as well as coach Brian Gilmour and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart.

Speaking in Cyprus ahead of the Europa League clash with Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night, Davis spoke about a “whirlwind” few days while addressing his future.

“Obviously it came out of the blue,” said Davis, who revealed Nicolas Raskin and Kemar Roofe have returned from injury.

“Sunday evening, I was just at home. It wasn’t a call that I was expecting.

“Things moved very fast and I came in on Monday morning and I started to work.

“It was James Bisgrove (chief executive) and Craig Robertson (board member) that I received the phonecall from.

“Obviously it was a bit of a whirlwind after that. I went off the phone and I had a few conversations but my decision was made very quickly.

“I was honoured by the fact the board had that conversation and my name came up and they put their trust in me to try and do this job.

“I’m going to give it my all to try and be successful.

“Listen, there’s not been any conversation in terms of a time frame. I all happened very quickly.

“I was asked to come in and take the game tonight. How things play out after that I’m not too sure.

“Regarding my feelings around it, I’ve obviously got ambitions. I did not quite expect it to happen quite as soon.

“I’m just determined really to make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given and we will see what develops from there.

“I’ve got the experience of Alex Rae in beside me and Colin Stewart and Steven Smith and Brian.

“I’ve had a lot of messages from managers I’ve worked under. Unfortunately I’ve not had a chance to respond because it’s been quite intense preparing for this game.

“I appreciate the support I’ve been given but I haven’t had the chance to reach out to anyone or felt the need to just yet.”

Beale departed the club following the 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox which left the Light Blues seven points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic, albeit they beat Real Betis 1-0 in their first Europa League fixture.

Davis insists it is time for everyone at the club to “step up”.

He said: “‘Listen, there’s a lot of character within the dressing room. There’s a lot of leaders in there as well.

“Everyone knows it’s time to step up. The great thing about football is you get another opportunity to turn things around.

“It’s not a position we want to be in. Everybody is hurting from it.

“The main focus is first and foremost getting a result on Thursday and building on it from there.

“We won our opening group game. We are in a strong position and we want to build on that

“I think for us we just want to give the boys the freedom to go out and play to their strengths really.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has backed Michael Beale to learn from his Rangers experience and be a success in his next job.

Beale was sacked on Sunday after 307 days in the post with Rangers seven points adrift of Celtic in the cinch Premiership following their third league defeat of the season against Aberdeen 24 hours earlier.

Rodgers and Beale were both on the Chelsea coaching staff at the same time and the former Rangers boss was Liverpool Under-21s head coach when the Celtic manager was in charge at Anfield.

“I’m always saddened when any manager loses their job, no matter what club they work at,” said Rodgers when asked for his reaction ahead of Celtic’s Champions League clash with Lazio.

“When you manage Celtic or Rangers, they are big-pressure jobs. I am sure Michael will go away and reflect on his time here and no doubt he will he come back in again, he is an outstanding young coach and manager.

“He will go away and reflect on the pressure he was under and the expectation and the stress that this job can bring, and he will learn from it and go on and get another job and make a success of it, I am pretty sure.

“Whatever club, whoever it is, it’s not nice when someone loses their role and position.

“I hope for him the best for the future, of course.”

Kevin Muscat, Frank Lampard and Pascal Jansen are among the bookmakers’ favourites to succeed Beale.

Former Rangers player Muscat led Yokohama F Marinos to the J-League title last season, following in the footsteps of his coaching mentor Ange Postecoglou, who clinched the treble for Celtic last term with the help of two Hampden wins over Beale’s side.

Lampard is available following underwhelming spells in charge of both Everton and Chelsea last season while Jansen’s AZ Alkmaar side sit second in the Eredivisie after making the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League last season.

Rangers are searching for a new manager following the sacking of Michael Beale on Sunday.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at some of the candidates who may be given consideration by the Ibrox hierarchy.

Kevin Muscat

The 50-year-old former Australia defender – who played for Rangers in the 2002-03 season – is currently flourishing in charge of Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos after succeeding the Celtic-bound Ange Postecoglou in the role in the summer of 2021. Won the Japanese league title last year and his team are currently second, four points off the top with five games to play.

Jesse Marsch

As part of the Red Bull group, the 49-year-old American came to prominence when he led Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg – who had Erling Haaland in attack in his first season in charge – to two consecutive league and cup doubles. Renowned for his high-intensity approach, Marsch earned a crack at the Leeds job in February 2022 following the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa and ensured they stayed in the Premier League, but a poor start to his first full season at Elland Road led to him being sacked back in February. Was interviewed about vacancies at Southampton and Leicester earlier this year but remains out of work.

Kjetil Knutsen

The 54-year-old Norwegian has made a name for himself after establishing Bodo/Glimt as one of the top teams in Norway since taking charge in 2018. Led them to their first-ever title win in 2020 and followed up the feat a year later. Currently a point clear at the top of the Eliteserien after 23 games. Has also overseen some impressive European runs over the past three seasons, most notably in the 2021/22 campaign when Bodo/Glimt reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League after defeating Postecoglou’s Celtic 5-1 on aggregate.

Ralph Hasenhuttl

The Austrian, 56, is still out of work after losing his job at Southampton a year ago following a poor start to last season. Landing the highly-regarded former RB Leipzig manager would be viewed as something of a coup for Rangers.

Derek McInnes

The 52-year-old former Rangers midfielder turned down the Ibrox job in 2017 while he was on a long and fruitful stint in charge of Aberdeen. Following his departure from Pittodrie, McInnes has done an impressive job with Kilmarnock, leading them from the Championship and re-establishing them in the top flight. He has already overseen victories over both Glasgow sides this season. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers endorsed him as a potential Ibrox boss in August. “He was very close to getting the Rangers job a few years ago and why couldn’t he manage Rangers?” said Rodgers. “He’s a former player there, a very good player, who was part of a successful era for the club so there’s no doubt that could be one for him in the future because he’s an outstanding manager.”

Rangers are searching for a new manager following the sacking of Michael Beale on Sunday.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at some of the candidates who may be given consideration by the Ibrox hierarchy.

Kevin Muscat

The 50-year-old former Australia defender – who played for Rangers in the 2002-03 season – is currently flourishing in charge of Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos after succeeding the Celtic-bound Ange Postecoglou in the role in the summer of 2021. Won the Japanese league title last year and his team are currently second, four points off the top with five games to play.

Jesse Marsch

As part of the Red Bull group, the 49-year-old American came to prominence when he led Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg – who had Erling Haaland in attack in his first season in charge – to two consecutive league and cup doubles. Renowned for his high-intensity approach, Marsch earned a crack at the Leeds job in February 2022 following the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa and ensured they stayed in the Premier League, but a poor start to his first full season at Elland Road led to him being sacked back in February. Was interviewed about vacancies at Southampton and Leicester earlier this year but remains out of work.

Kjetil Knutsen

The 54-year-old Norwegian has made a name for himself after establishing Bodo/Glimt as one of the top teams in Norway since taking charge in 2018. Led them to their first-ever title win in 2020 and followed up the feat a year later. Currently a point clear at the top of the Eliteserien after 23 games. Has also overseen some impressive European runs over the past three seasons, most notably in the 2021/22 campaign when Bodo/Glimt reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League after defeating Postecoglou’s Celtic 5-1 on aggregate.

Ralph Hasenhuttl

The Austrian, 56, is still out of work after losing his job at Southampton a year ago following a poor start to last season. Landing the highly-regarded former RB Leipzig manager would be viewed as something of a coup for Rangers.

Derek McInnes

The 52-year-old former Rangers midfielder turned down the Ibrox job in 2017 while he was on a long and fruitful stint in charge of Aberdeen. Following his departure from Pittodrie, McInnes has done an impressive job with Kilmarnock, leading them from the Championship and re-establishing them in the top flight. He has already overseen victories over both Glasgow sides this season. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers endorsed him as a potential Ibrox boss in August. “He was very close to getting the Rangers job a few years ago and why couldn’t he manage Rangers?” said Rodgers. “He’s a former player there, a very good player, who was part of a successful era for the club so there’s no doubt that could be one for him in the future because he’s an outstanding manager.”

Michael Beale wished Rangers well for the future as he issued a social media post within hours of his sacking backing the Ibrox club to get back on track.

The 43-year-old was relieved of his duties as Rangers boss late on Sunday evening following a dismal start to the season.

Three defeats in seven cinch Premiership matches left them third in the league – behind St Mirren – and seven points adrift of city rivals Celtic before the axe fell on the Englishman.

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A post shared by Michael Beale (@michaelbeale4980)

A 7-3 aggregate defeat by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off round in August also helped heighten the pressure on Beale, whose summer rebuild has been widely criticised with a raft of new signings failing to have the desired impact.

Beale was swift to pay tribute to the club despite his sacking, as he took to Instagram in the early hours of Monday morning to wish new caretaker Steven Davis all the best.

“Thank you @RangersFC to everyone behind the scenes at the training ground and Ibrox, to the board, staff, fans and all the players,” he wrote. “I will always follow and support the club from afar and wish you every success.

“Now is the time for everyone to unite fully behind Steven Davis and the team in the coming games.

“There is still so much to play for this season and I have a strong belief in this group of players. Thank you and good luck.”

Beale’s backroom team of Neil Banfield, Damian Matthew, Harry Watling and Jack Ade have also left the club.

Davis, the long-serving former Rangers midfielder, has been placed in interim charge and will assisted be another couple of ex-Gers players in Alex Rae and Steven Smith, as well as coach Brian Gilmour and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart.

Their first task is to rouse the team following Saturday’s humiliating 3-1 defeat at home to Aberdeen as they prepare to head to Cyprus to face Aris Limassol in the Europa League on Thursday.

Rangers’ next league match is away to second-placed St Mirren on Sunday before the international break brings a fortnight in which they can try to regroup and bed in a new manager.

Kevin Muscat, the former Rangers defender who is currently in charge of Japanese side Yokohama F Marinos, is the early bookmakers’ favourite for the role.

Rangers have announced the almost inevitable departure of Michael Beale and have put club favourite Steven Davis in charge.

Calls for Beale’s departure increased following the 3-1 defeat by Aberdeen at Ibrox on Saturday, with the players again booed off the park.

A third loss in seven cinch Premiership fixtures left the Light Blues seven points behind leaders Celtic and with their title hopes already in jeopardy.

Ahead of the Europa League tie against Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night, the Ibrox club released a statement which outlined the changes.

It read: “Rangers can confirm it has parted company with men’s first-team manager Michael Beale.

“The Rangers board would like to put on record their thanks to Michael and his staff for their efforts since joining the club last November.

“Results this season have fallen short of what everyone connected to Rangers would expect.

“Therefore, the decision was reached today to terminate the contract of the manager, as well as the contracts of coaches Neil Banfield, Damian Matthew, Harry Watling and Jack Ade.

“The club is pleased to announce that Steven Davis will lead the interim management team.

“The team will consist of former Rangers player and hugely experienced coach Alex Rae, former player and current coach Steven Smith, coach Brian Gilmour and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart.”

Rangers chairman John Bennett said: “I’d like to thank Michael for his dedicated work since he rejoined the club as manager last November.

“It is clear that results have fallen well short of the board’s, Michael’s and our supporters’ expectations.

“The search process for the new manager is already under way. I wish Steven Davis and the interim management team every success – they will remain in charge for as long as it takes to make the right appointment.”

Former midfielder Davis’ contract expired at the end of last season but the club had been letting him use the facilities for his rehabilitation following a serious knee injury.

It is understood the new management team have all the required UEFA badges to lead Rangers into their European match on Thursday.

Beale never recovered from the 1-0 defeat by an under-strength Hoops side at Ibrox last month, with four subsequent wins in three different competitions doing little to appease disgruntled supporters.

Beale revamped his squad in the summer but new signings such as Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling and Jose Cifuentes have failed to impress.

In mitigation, injuries robbed him of Danilo, Todd Cantwell, Kieran Dowell, Nico Raskin, Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo and Kemar Roofe for various lengths of time with Ryan Jack and Ridvan Yilmaz picking up injuries against the Dons.

Beale, who was first-team coach at Rangers under Steven Gerrard, took over in the Ibrox hotseat in November 2022, following the departure of Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Jack MacKenzie put his clinching goal in Aberdeen’s stunning 3-1 win at Ibrox on Saturday down to payback for his European error in Germany.

The 23-year-old Dons defender made sure of the three cinch Premiership points against Rangers on Saturday with a drive in the 86th minute which sent the travelling Red Army into raptures.

The Pittodrie side led with goals from centre-back Stefan Gartenmann and midfielder Jamie McGrath before Abdallah Sima reduced the deficit after Gers half-time substitute Scott Wright was sent off for picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Gartenmann.

It was a first start for MacKenzie since conceding an early penalty in the 2-1 Europa Conference League defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany and he was delighted to make such a telling contribution in Govan.

He told RedTV: “Looking last week at Frankfurt, and I switched off for one second and you get punished. It’s a penalty and we are 1-0 down in eight minutes.

“So I felt I kind of let the boys and supporters down a wee bit.

“When I found that I was playing (against Rangers) I needed to owe them something.

“I didn’t think I was going to score in a 3-1 win, mind you, but I just felt I couldn’t let anything down my side and defend against a really good player in James Tavernier for the whole game.

“I need to be on it and thankfully I was but the whole back five was outstanding and they have been for the last couple of games.

“I’ve been at the club since I’m nine years old so I know that these victories just don’t come around often. So to get a convincing win is really pleasing for everyone.

“It was probably relief because when we went 2-0 up and they went down to 10 men, you felt as though the game was there for us and then to concede the goal, it was, ‘here we go’.

“So to get the third goal and get that two-goal lead restored was just a big relief, to be honest.”

After three wins in a row, Barry Robson’s side turn their attention back to Europe and the Europa Conference League game against HJK Helsinki at Pittodrie on Thursday night.

MacKenzie said: “Obviously we know the situation in the group so we know we need a positive result at home.

“The boys will be feeling confident but we won’t be complacent at all.”

It was a dramatic Saturday in the cinch Premiership.

The day started with one of the most thrilling finales to a game at Fir Park for years and there was soon a bigger story up the road in Glasgow.

Here are five things we learned from the weekend’s action.

Michael Beale is on the precipice

A four-match winning run failed to silence many of the doubters among the Rangers support after a heavy defeat by PSV Eindhoven and a home loss to Celtic led to calls for the manager to be sacked. Those demands were reignited after Aberdeen’s 3-1 win at Ibrox left Rangers seven points behind their city rivals after losing three of their first seven league games. The board may see a lengthy injury list as a mitigating factor and question whether changing manager for a second time inside 12 months is advisable. But Beale has little room for error if he is to remain in the job.

Alex Lowry is making his mark

The on-loan Rangers midfielder has been on the Hearts bench for the past four games but he will be difficult to leave out next weekend after following up his midweek Viaplay Cup winner at Kilmarnock with an assist for Alan Forrest’s headed winner against Ross County in Dingwall. Head coach Steven Naismith said of the 20-year-old: “I challenge him all the time to give us an end product, and I thought he was really good off the ball today. We can’t have a luxury player, he needs to be in certain positions and I thought he did that really well when he came on.”

Celtic still never stop

Ange Postecoglou’s mantra helped Celtic to some last-gasp wins in the past two seasons and they were at it again at Fir Park when Matt O’Riley netted seven minutes into stoppage time, moments after Blair Spittal had levelled for Motherwell. Luis Palma had only opened the scoring for Celtic in the 87th minute. The winner sparked wild celebrations and the Celtic fans’ feelgood factor was further fuelled by the news from Ibrox later in the day.

St Johnstone still looking for elusive win

Dara Costelloe gave the Perth side the lead at home to Livingston but captain Liam Gordon later conceded a penalty and received a red card in separate incidents as Sean Kelly earned Livi a 1-1 draw from the spot. Steven MacLean’s side are still playing catch-up after a slow start to the transfer window but they are four points adrift with a trip to in-form Aberdeen to follow and the wait for a first win could become a millstone.

Aberdeen find consistency

The Dons have hit their groove in emphatic fashion after a poor start to the season. Barry Robson’s side made it three wins in a week with their Ibrox heroics, following wins over Ross County in both the league and Viaplay Cup. Despite failing to win their first five matches, Aberdeen now find themselves just four points behind Rangers and with plenty to look forward to, starting with Thursday’s visit of HJK Helsinki in the Europa Conference League.