Although Rangers supporters have been hollering for change at the top of the club pretty much all season, the move on Monday will have come as a shock.
It was only late last month when Cavenagh voiced his backing for Stewart and Thelwell.
“They do retain my full support,” he said at the time. Cavenagh accepted that mistakes had been made at the club, but there was no hint of the drama to come. “It’s Patrick, it’s Kevin, it’s myself, it’s Paraag,” he said, Paraag Marathe being the Rangers vice-chairman.
Stewart and Thelwell were deeply unpopular among the Rangers support, both of them being confronted by angry supporters on recent away trips in Europe while also being the subject of mass and noisy protest at games.
Thelwell, as sporting director, has spent a relative fortune on players since the owners took over, north of £30m according to club sources. Many of those players – most especially the £8m striker, Youssaf Chermiti – have not performed as yet.
The recruitment has been lavish and unsuccessful and the blame for that is at Thelwell’s door.
Spending £8m on an unproven Chermiti from Everton is still a source of mystification. The reported £4m forked out for Oliver Antman and the £3.5m spent on Thelo Aasgaard does not look like smart business so far either.
Rangers’ domestic results are improving under new head coach Rohl, but the quality of the football is still turgid.
Cavenagh has said he is hopeful that these players will come good but did not elaborate on what has changed since he gave his backing to Stewart and Thelwell last month. Nor has he explained why he now thinks that they are not aligned with the vision of the club.
This, it is clear, is a double dismissal, not a resignation by mutual consent. It is understood that, while Cavenagh is fully aware of the views of the supporters – how could he not be? – the decision to remove Stewart and Thelwell is not based on what he saw and heard from fans.
There is no explanation on precisely why this decision has been reached, beyond vague references to alignment and Cavenagh made a point of saying that he would not throw dirt in the direction of the now ex-Rangers men.
As it stands, there will be no further exits from Ibrox, so Thelwell’s son, Robbie, remains as head of recruitment. Dan Purdy stays on as technical director and Nathan Fisher is being kept on as chief scout.
The process of appointing a new chief executive and a new sporting director will be led by Cavenagh and Marathe.
At Rangers, it’s a relentless churn. Another new chief executive and another sporting director/director of football are being sought.
Stability off the field is proving just as elusive as success on the field.
