Glasgow Rangers decided to part ways with former Ibrox boss Michael Beale back in October 2023 and replaced him with Belgian boss Philippe Clement.
The English tactician failed to win a single trophy during his time as manager of the Light Blues, after helping to win the Scottish Premiership title as Steven Gerrard's assistant previously, and made a number of questionable signings.
He overhauled the playing squad during the 2023 summer transfer window, as several players moved on from Ibrox to make way for new signings.
Cyriel Dessers, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, Abdallah Sima, Sam Lammers, Danilo, Leon Balogun, and Jose Cifuentes all came through the door, after the likes of Ryan Kent, Glen Kamara, Antonio Colak, and Alfredo Morelos departed.
Several of those new additions have struggled in Glasgow this season, including Cifuentes and Lammers as they both left on loan in January, and Dowell, in particular, has been an underwhelming signing so far.
Beale had a nightmare with the signing of the Rangers flop, who currently earns more than first-team starter John Souttar, as his injury issues have hampered his time in Scotland.
Kieran Dowell's time with Norwich
The English boss swooped to sign the former Everton youth prospect from Norwich City last summer, upon the expiry of his contract at Carrow Road.
Dowell produced 12 goals and six assists in 75 appearances for the Canaries in all competitions across his three-year spell in Norfolk, having joined from the Toffees in the summer of 2020.
His first season with Norwich was disrupted by an ankle injury that kept him out for 14 Championship matches from September to December 2020.
He was then an unused substitute in eight of the next 18 league games, as the talented gem continued to recover from his injury, before an impressive end to the campaign with five goals and one assist in 12 matches as Norwich won promotion to the Premier League.
Dowell followed that up with one goal and one assist in just 19 Premier League outings throughout the 2021/22 campaign, as the Yellows were relegated back down to the second tier in England.
Appearances
23
Starts
14
Goals
5
Assists
3
Big chances created
6
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed whiz provided quality as a scorer and a creator in his limited starts for Norwich in the Championship.
Those limited starts, however, came as a result of him being absent from a whopping 19 matchday squads throughout the campaign as he struggled to remain fit for a consistent period of time.
Overall, Dowell started just 37 league matches across the Premier League and Championship combined in his three seasons with the Canaries, which should have served as a warning to Beale and Rangers.
Kieran Dowell's Rangers season in numbers
The 26-year-old whiz has only made 12 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues since his move to Ibrox on a free transfer last summer.
Dowell has missed out on the matchday squad, through either selection or injury, on a staggering 35 occasions domestically and in Europe this season.
He is currently out with an injury that was sustained during the winter break in January as the midfielder got his studs stuck in the pitch, and Clement claimed that the Beale signing would be out for around two months. However, it remains to be seen exactly when he will make his return to first-team action.
Arguably, the most frustrating part about his situation is that the ex-Norwich star has shown glimpses of quality when he has been available for selection.
Minutes played
90
86
Sofascore rating
8.0
7.7
Goals
0
1
Key passes
3
0
Dribble success rate
100% (2/2)
100% (2/2)
Tackles + interceptions
4
5
As you can see in the table above, Dowell caught the eye in his two league starts in December with his quality in and out of possession in the middle of the park.
Unfortunately, his consistent injury issues have made him an unreliable option for Clement, as his ability on the pitch is irrelevant when he cannot be on the field, which is why Beale had a nightmare with the signing as those issues plagued his career at Norwich as well.
The warning signs were there for the Gers but they did not heed them, and they now have a rarely-available midfielder who earns more than one of the manager's key performers – Souttar.
Dowell is currently – per Salary Sport – on a wage of £16k-per-week, and that is more than Abdallah Sima (£8.5k-per-week), Ryan Jack (£8k-per-week), and the central defender Souttar, who is on £8.1k-per-week.
John Souttar's season in numbers
The Scotland international, who recorded a dismal 5.9 Sofascore rating for his country against the Netherlands in a 4-0 loss on Friday, has been a reliable performer for the Gers this season.
Souttar, who had his own injury problems last term with 46 games out due to an ankle issue, has made 33 appearances in all competitions for the club – almost three times as many as Dowell despite earning almost half as much in wages.
Appearances
21
Clean sheets
9
Pass accuracy
88%
Ground duel success rate
71%
Aerial duel success rate
76%
As you can see in the table above, the Rangers colossus has been a man mountain at the back for both Beale and Clement this season with his dominant defensive work.
Opposition players have rarely been able to get the better of him in physical contests, on the floor or in the air, which has contributed to the club having the best defensive record in the division – with at least seven fewer goals conceded than any other team.
He has formed a strong partnership with Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence for Clement and there is little to suggest that his position in the XI is in any danger any time soon.
This illustrates how much of a nightmare Rangers have had with Dowell as they are spending more money on his services, to rarely be available to play, than they are on an integral member of their starting XI in Souttar.
Hopefully, the attacking midfielder can overcome his injury problems and eventually emerge as a key player for the club. At this time, however, it looks to have been a howler of a signing by Beale.
