So a lot of the Scottish media outlets are looking back at Paul Le Guen’s ill fated time at Rangers, which ended ten years ago this week.

The Frenchman’s spell in charge at Ibrox will go down in history as one of the most anti-climatic and disappointing periods ever.

After the huge fanfare that was met at his appointment, Le Guen (PLG) would last just six months and delivered very little in the way of positives during his Scottish stint.

Many have speculated why it went so terribly wrong for the Breton in Britain but for me he just lacked the skill-set to manage the club, he came from a coaching background and that was very different from managing all the dealings at a British club.

His signings were poor and he totally underestimated the task in hand. Success at Ibrox is demanded for yesterday, the Gers supporters won’t be fobbed off with such nonsense as long-term planning.

But what happened to those players signed by Paul Le Guen in the summer of 2006?

SASA PAPAC

The Bosnian is pretty much Le Guen’s only real success story in the transfer market for Rangers.

He was brought in as a centre-half from Austrian side Austria Vienna (a team that will pop up again). Bought primarily as a centre-half, his initial outings did little to convince the Gers faithful he was dependable enough to hold their defence together.

When Walter Smith arrived back at Ibrox as Rangers manager in early 2007, it looked as if Papac’s time in Glasgow was going to come to an end as he was often overlooked.

But then he got a chance playing at left-back towards the end of the 2006-07 season and he looked a much better player in that position.

In the summer of 2007, he was constantly linked with moves away from the club but he decided to stay on in Govan and fight for his place.

That proved to be an inspired decision as he played throughout the next campaign and helped Rangers reach the UEFA Cup final.

At left-back he’d be encouraged to go forward but he was always disciplined enough to get back and make tackles.

Papac would become a fan favourite with the support.

He’d retire in 2012, after six years with the club, making 227 appearances and scoring seven goals. He’d also leave with three league winners medals, a Scottish Cup triumph and three League Cup titles.

Sasa would play thirty-nine times for Bosnia and Herzegovina and he was appointed as a scout for the national team in 2015.

FILIP SEBO

Much was expected Sebo when he joined for £1.8m from Austria Vienna.

He’d score a goal in his full debut for the club against Hibs in September and then he’d grab a dramatic winner against Aberdeen at Ibrox in early October.

But unfortunately for Filip he wouldn’t grab another competitive strike for the Glasgow giants, although he did grab a stunning goal against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side in a preseason friendly.

Sebo would become a bit of a cult hero for Rangers supporters with his endless running and the desire to prove himself. But alas he didn’t manage to do that at Ibrox and was sold to French side Valenciennes for £1m after an initial loan spell.

His time in France wasn’t any better than his time in Glasgow, but his performances picked up again back in his homeland of Slovakia. Filip would score twenty-nine times in fifty-three league appearances for Slovan Bratislava, that form would win him a recall for his national side.

But then he fell off the radar again.

According to his Twitter feed, he has quit football to concentrate on Iron Man and Triathlon competitions. He’ll also often tweet about his continued love for Rangers.

LIBOR SIONKO

Yet another purchase from Austria Vienna (although his deal was on a Bosman), you’d think that Le Guen had just watched their games during his sabbatical (in between leaving Lyon and taking charge at Rangers).

Libor had good credentials as a Czech international winger who had an eye for goal. I seem to remember the term ‘freekick specialist’ being used when the press described his signing for the Gers.

Injuries and a distinct lack of pace hampered his time at Ibrox. He’d score on his debut against Motherwell and would grab a total of three in eighteen league appearances for the ‘Light Blues’ but it was quite clear that Walter Smith didn’t fancy him.

After a year in Scotland he’d move on to FC Copenhagen and win the Danish title there before moving back to Sparta Prague in 2010.

Sionko played and scored for the Czech Republic in Euro 2008, in total he’d amass forty-one caps and score eight times for his country.

Sionko retired 2012. The last thing I can find on Libor was that his son David was a Sparta Prague mascot in 2014.

JEREMY CLEMENT

Clement was a young, talented French holding midfielder when he arrived in 2006 for a £1.1m fee.

A composed performer, he certainly had something about him. Was slightly hampered by having a similar type player in Barry Ferguson playing beside him in the middle of the park. Barry would often demand that the ball went through him at all times and that clearly didn’t suit Clement who’d want to dictate play himself.

But the Gers fans appreciated his style and at the time he was seen as Le Guen’s best signing that summer.

But Clement didn’t fancy staying in the SPL without his former Lyon mentor Le Guen and he’d follow his coach to PSG in the winter of 2007. Rangers would make a £700k profit on a player that clearly no longer wanted to be in the Ibrox dressing room.

Since then, Jeremy has been a Ligue 1 stalwart for PSG and then for AS Saint-Étienne. He has made 149 leagues appearances so far for Les Verts.

In 2011 Valentin Eysseric would launched recklessly into a challenge on Clement and break the former Rangers man’s leg in the process. The midfielder managed to return to full fitness and regain his place in the team, he was even linked with a move to Tottenham back in August 2015.

At thirty-two, Clement has been used sparingly by Saint-Étienne’s Christophe Galtier this term and it remains to be seen if he still has a future at the club.

MAKHTAR N’DIAYE

No one in Scotland really knew who Makhtar N’Diaye was when PLG brought him in on a free.

In truthfulness N’Diaye had shown a lot of promise in his early days at Rennes. He was seen as a new Jean Tigana and he was selected by Senegal to go to the World Cup in 2002.

But Makhtar didn’t manage to fulfil his promise.

He managed to appear fifty-eight times for Rennes before competing in Switzerland for a season in 2005-06 with Yverdon Sport. Le Guen remembered him from his time in Brittany and offered the international a trial at Rangers. He must have impressed because he was then offered a years contract.

He made less than a handful of appearances for Rangers but from what I can remember he wasn’t actually that bad. He’d work hard, looked decent enough on the ball but must have been missing something on the training field as he was constantly overlooked.

A player that Smith never selected, after he returned as Gers boss.

N’Diaye would get a trial in 2007 with Dundee and would face Wolves before breaking his arm against Bradford City in a preseason friendly.

Then after a few years in the wilderness he’d turn up at lowly French amateur side La Vitréenne FC in 2011 and spend time there. A very bizarre case of the missing footballer.

LIONEL LETIZI

The French international goalkeeper was brought in as Paul Le Guen’s new number one.

He arrived with four caps to his name (missing out on France’s 1998 World Cup squad with former Gers man Lionel Charbonnier selected instead) and having won two French Cups whilst plying his trade with PSG.

But the experienced goalie’s time in Ecosse was blighted by blunders and injuries. His mistakes would often lead to conceding goals and the defence playing in front of him looked close to a nervous breakdown when a shot was directed at Letizi’s goal.

His injury gave constant understudy Allan McGregor his chance to shine in between the sticks. Thankfully Walter Smith kept faith in McGregor and dumped Lionel. The Frenchman played eight times for the Gers, keeping just one clean-sheet!

Letizi would rejoin former side Nice in January 2007 and made a further thirty Ligue 1 appearances for Les Aiglons. He retired from playing duties in 2011 but remains on the French Riviera as Nice’s goalkeeping coach.

KARL SVENSSON

I always feel a bit sorry when I think of Svensson. I believe the young Swedish international (selected for the 2006 World Cup) defender joined Rangers on the belief he’d observe from the bench for a year before becoming a first-team regular.

But instead of that, Svensson was thrown straight into the first team and he clearly wasn’t ready for the rigours of the Scottish game.

Smith came in and decided to build from the back, bringing in experienced centre-backs Davie Weir and Ugo Ehiogu and Karl’s chances became very limited.

Svensson summed it up perfectly:

“It was tough for me at Rangers because my dream was to stay there for a long time.”

Simply put, he wasn’t ready for the move.

He then joined Caen in 2007 and struggled to find game time in France. He’d then rejoin IFK Goteborg and again struggled to overcome his mental issues. He was often too honest about his own ability.

He seemed to disappear after a stint in Sweden’s second tier with Jönköpings Södra IF in 2014.

DEAN FURMAN

Arrived at Rangers hailed as the next Frank Lampard.

Played plenty of games for the Blues youth and reserve sides but ultimately he only managed one league appearance in his three years at the club.

He joined Oldham Athletic on a free in 2009, and he would end up captaining the Latics and making over 100 league appearances for the side. He would then help Doncaster Rovers reach the Championship before leaving Donny in 2015.

Furman would return to his homeland of South Africa and is now starring for SuperSport United.

He has since made thirty-four appearances for the Bafana Bafana national side, and in 2015 he was made South Africa’s new captain.

WILLIAM STANGER

A young French player that came in as a prospect and not seen as a first team starter.

The midfielder only managed an eleven minute cameo in the UEFA Cup, replacing Thomas Buffel in Gers 1-0 win over Partizan Belgrade.

He would leave Rangers in early 2007 and joined PSG to play for their reserve side. Would get more game time in the French lower leagues playing for AFC Compiègne, ESOF Vendee La Roche sur Yon and Football Club Challans.

The thirty-one year old has returned to first club Rennes, where he’s currently coaching the under 14/15s.

ANTOINE PONROY

Like Stanger, Ponroy would join Rangers from the Rennes youth side and failed to break into the Gers first team set-up.

Ponroy would make the bench a few times but he never managed to enter the field. He would outlast Stanger and at least stay in Glasgow for a full season before he was released.

He has actually gone on and forged a decent career for himself in Ligue 2 playing for sides such as Cannes, Laval and Orleans. He’s now a centre-back for Bourg en Bresse 01, where he has played 14 times so far this term and scored one goal.

Antoine Ponroy Goal – Boug en Bresse 1- Red… by FootballLiveGoals

Oh and Paul Le Guen, where is the man behind the plan or lack thereof?

Well he struggled at PSG, failed with Cameroon and was last seen getting his jotters as Oman’s national team boss. So is currently unemployed and looking for that next big job offer!

 

Posted on January 5th, 2017 by scott
Filed under: Article