Rangers: Philippe Clement exit danger mooted after ‘dismal episode’ – Hugh Keevins
Philippe Clement could decide to leave Rangers for England due to a “dislike” for certain issues within Scottish football, claims Hugh Keevins.
The Daily Record journalist wrote in his column for the paper’s website on 25 March that despite the Belgian quickly developing a love for his job at Ibrox there would be a “danger” of him following the Ange Postecolgou route to England thanks to various other “eccentricities” in the game north of the border.
Pointing to Clement’s displeasure with the “dismal episode” which saw the trip to Dens Park to face Dundee called off at the last minute on 17 March Keevins also suggested that the Gers boss could be even quicker to head south than the former Celtic manager because he already has managed extensively in Europe.
Keevins wrote: “Clement looks like he has quickly arrived at two conclusions relative to his short stay in Scotland. One is the love of the club where he has gone to work. The other is a dislike for a lot of what he sees around him in our game.”
Citing Clement’s issues with VAR handballs, overly aggressive tackles and now pitch standards he continued: “The manager doesn’t take prisoners when it comes to calling out standards beneath the level expected.
“The danger will come when he decides all of this means Scottish football is insufficient to hold his attention on an extended basis.
“Ange Postecoglou came here and had a telling impact on our game at Celtic in a short space of time. But Ange had never done Europe before, having been in Australia and Asia forging a reputation.
“The Belgian has worked at building his name in his own country and in France. That could accelerate a move to England if Scotland’s eccentricities lose their charm for him.”
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None of the things that Clement has been unhappy about are a great look to show to anyone outside Scotland and the Dundee debacle was particularly disappointing, but all leagues will have their unique issues.
The Premier League itself is far from immune to VAR controversies, coaches are endlessly outraged at fixture congestion, and a new wave of profit and sustainability punishments is increasingly leaving the league table more of a suggestion than official standings.
So if Clement is to leave Glasgow it is unlikely to be due to the idiosyncrasies of football in Scotland but because he has impressed enough to be offered a job with more money behind it on a bigger stage.
Rangers will simply have to hope it isn’t for a while yet because his performance in charge at Ibrox, turning around a rapidly deteriorating picture under Michael Beale to win a trophy and generate a real title race, is certainly good enough to attract attention.
If Beale himself can walk in at Sunderland, a big club albeit in the second tier, after being sacked by the Light Blues then Clement would likely be worthy of opportunities a number of rungs higher up the ladder.
But just as with the excellent signing of Jack Butland there is more than a suspicion that they have found a club that suits them perfectly.
The keeper and the manager have both been vital imports who throw up the risk of attracting outside interest thanks to their impressive performances, but in both cases the attachment might not necessarily be so easily broken if they feel at home where they are.
In other Rangers news, the Light Blues could get a “huge psychological boost” with a long-lost star tipped to face Celtic.
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