Philippe Clement job on the line as huge verdict emerges from Hampden for Rangers v Motherwell
Philippe Clement’s job is on the line as Rangers take on Motherwell in the Premier Sports Cup semi final, says David Friel.
The Scottish Sun journalist delivered the verdict via X from Hampden Park ahead of kick off, indicating his belief that the struggling Gers are one poor domestic result away from a managerial change.
Clement is under huge pressure with supporters after losing a third league game of the season 2-1 at Aberdeen on 30 October to fall nine points off the pace after 10 games.
Speaking to Robert Grieve ahead of kick off Friel said: “It’s make or break, Robert, to be honest with you. If Motherwell go through to the final I don’t see how he can possibly survive.
“The fans have pretty much lost patience with the team in terms of the recent results. I’m keen of a sense that it’s one bad domestic result away from things being irretrievable.
“So, huge day. I think his job is on the line today.”
Rangers in disarray after Aberdeen defeat
Enough fans have already made their minds up on Clement that he would probably be out by now if this were either of the past two campaigns.
The fact that he remains in place appears to be almost entirely because the club are desperate to avoid continuing that highly-unsuccessful cycle of hiring and firing.
It is indicative of the low ebb Rangers have currently reached that if the Light Blues aren’t minded to make a change in the dug-out that failure to reach the final might be the easy way out, rather than risk a similar sort of hammering that Aberdeen suffered at the hands of Celtic as the Hoops booked their place with a 6-0 win.
Clement has failed to win an Old Firm derby in five attempts and despite talking up the January meeting at Ibrox as the true measure of his side’s progress he appears to be going backwards again now so that clash hardly looks like being an enjoyable one for the Belgian if he does make it that far.
His relentlessly positive assessments are a big part of what is infuriating supporters so much, when performances and results are nothing of the sort.
So unless he has seen something transformational just around the corner it is hard to envisage an improvement any time soon, when we are now three months into this campaign and there has been little obvious sign of sustained progress.
If the board are willing to stick it out and take the fury of the fans through this season and next, as a senior figure indicated after the 3-0 embarrassment at Parkhead earlier in the campaign [Tom English, 1 November] then everyone involved is going to need to grow an extremely thick skin for the foreseeable future.
In other Rangers news, the situation at Ibrox looks set to get very ugly after an incredible Clement exit update was shared by Tom English.
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