Rangers decision-makers Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell found themselves in the firing line once again as irate fans vented their frustrations at Bergen Airport. It came just hours after the Glasgow giants suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Brann, leaving them languishing at the bottom of the Europa League table – a far cry from their final appearance three years ago.
Stewart and Thelwell were subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse from disgruntled supporters, reminiscent of an incident a few weeks prior in a Graz hotel lobby. Despite attempting to placate the frustrated fanbase during Danny Rohl’s introduction, their pleas fell on deaf ears, with heightened security measures in place at Bergen Airport. However, this did not deter two particularly incensed fans from publicly berating the beleaguered duo with some colourful language, as reported by the Daily Record.
Both Stewart and Thelwell have indicated they have no intention of stepping down, despite ongoing protests and banners demanding their departure.
Thelwell is notably linked to the potential £10m signing of Youssef Chermiti, who has been struggling for form and confidence, particularly evident in his lacklustre performance against the Norwegians.
The pressure continues to mount on everyone at Rangers, with new manager Danny Rohl forced into the role of mediator on his first day, attempting to soothe the angry fans after the final whistle.
The boss was quick to apologise in his post-match press conference, saying: “I think we should have high standards at Rangers.
“This is very important to understand. It was clear that everything couldn’t be right but we are very disappointed at a 3-0 defeat.
“(At the end) I first apologised (to the fans) for this defeat and the performance. They’ve travelled a lot for the team and they’re always there.
“This club has a lot of passionate fans and they deserve this. It was very important for me to show that I understand them. I said as well to them I’m working very hard to improve this group of players and get results.
“It was a great welcome before the game. Then you hope you can give them straight away the three points and a good feeling, so this makes me sad that I couldn’t.
“That was the reason why I walked to them to give them the big respect that they deserve. This is my job.
“We have to understand our fans are very patient and you cannot expect that they are always happy with us when we have such a performance.
“That’s why I made the step to be brave and go to them. Hopefully they understand why I did this.”