Clement under ‘Suffocating pressure’ as Rangers clash v Nice predicted
Philippe Clement will have to get a win in the game between Rangers and OGC Nice to relieve some of the “suffocating pressure” he’s in, Andy Newport says.
The Gers will travel to France on 28 November and take on the Ligue 1 outfit in the Europa League as both teams look to qualify for the knockout rounds.
In their previous fixture against Dundee United, the Bears drew 1-1 and are now 11 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table.
Newport believes Clement is “desperate” for a win, and writing in the Daily Record [27 November], the journalist doesn’t feel the Gers have what it takes to get the three points at the Allianz Riviera.
“Philippe Clement is desperate for a win to relieve the suffocating pressure he’s under,” he wrote. “But the Ligue 1 side are on a decent run, and given what fellow Frenchmen Lyon did to the Ibrox side, it might be another difficult evening for Gers’ Belgian boss.
“Nice 2 – Rangers 1.”
Philippe Clement needs win in Rangers v OGC Nice to survive
Clement has been under immense stress for some time now, with Rangers performing underwhelmingly this season.
While the Gers’ prospects in the Europa League have been relatively better, Olympique Lyon did batter them 4-1 on 3 October.
The Light Blues also failed to get the three points in Greece as they drew 1-1 against Olympiacos, making it even more pertinent for the Bears to beat Nice.
After their trip to France, Rangers will face Tottenham at Ibrox and Manchester United at Old Trafford in the European competition — making qualification out of the group stages challenging.
Clement is already on thin ice at Ibrox, and defeat at the Allianz Riviera will further liquidate any argument against his sacking.
Many of the Bears’ faithful have written off this season, but Clement can do the unthinkable and lift the Europa League trophy, surpassing what Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed to do in 2022 — unrealistic, but a dream nonetheless.
In other Rangers news, the timeline around the sacking of the Belgian head coach has been mooted.
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