John Hartson shares Philippe Clement sack verdict live on air after Rangers Old Firm loss v Celtic
Rangers manager Philippe Clement will not save his job at Ibrox with a win over Celtic in the Scottish Cup final, according to John Hartson.
The Light Blues’ title hopes all but came to an end with a 2-1 defeat to the Hoops on Saturday (11 May) at Parkhead, with a disastrous display from John Lundstram ensuring Clement is still yet to beat his Old Firm rivals.
While the Belgian can still win a domestic double if his side beats Celtic at Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup final, Go Radio pundit Hartson still thinks he will be under pressure from supporters having missed out on the title.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show (12 May, 11:50) he said: “You’re up here as a manager, you came here to win the league and you had an opportunity this year to win the league.
“They went on a really good run, but the players have come up second best again. They won a trophy earlier on this season but I think it’s going to go down to the cup final. I think if Rangers can win that and win a double that doesn’t save his job but that would be a very good season for them.
“Again though, they’ve lost their 12th title in 13 years and I believe that it’s going to come down to that cup final how Philippe Clement is perceived by those Rangers fans.”
Will Rangers sack Philippe Clement at Ibrox after Celtic defeat at Parkhead?
Pressure is always high at Ibrox for both players and managers alike, but it only gets more intense when Old Firm derbies come around and Clement will be feeling the heat following Saturday’s defeat.
The Gers boss did come under some criticism for his team selection at Parkhead and while it could be argued he got a couple of big decisions wrong, his side’s hopes were completely undone by Lundstram’s red card.
This group of players have got two managers sacked in the space of a year before, but there is little to suggest the Gers board will be keen to make another change in the dugout ahead of next season.
If Rangers win the Scottish Cup, Clement will at least have a bit of breathing room, especially as most fans had written them out of the title race when he arrived. But he will be under pressure to lift the most important title next term.
In other Rangers news, a pundit has shared a new transfer admission about Jack Butland ahead of the summer transfer window
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