Clement surely laughing at Rangers as Van Bronckhorst update emerges
Rangers fans will have shed few tears about the decision to sack Giovanni van Bronckhorst when he was dismissed in November 2022.
But the difference between the feeling at that point and the general feeling of apathy towards Philippe Clement right now is chalk and cheese.
The decision to chop Van Bronckhorst had to be made but the Dutchman had at least overseen a memorable Europa League campaign where the Gers reached the final in 2021-22.
Moreover, he was a popular figure at Ibrox as a player, so while there was an inevitability about his departure there was some credit in the bank.
Since then, things haven’t much improved. Michael Beale, an important part of Steven Gerrard’s title-winning coaching team, tried and failed – miserably – to bring back those good times.
Clement was then brought in as his successor and initially made a great impact, bringing Rangers back into title contention and lifting the Scottish League Cup.
But that honeymoon period is well and truly over. The 4-1 battering of Nice was a hugely welcome performance in a season of lows but much more of those will be needed with the Gers 11 points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers boss Philippe Clement will be laughing at Giovanni van Bronckhorst news
The Ibrox faithful have wanted to see the back of the Belgian manager for some time now, but the 50-year-old has likely brought himself some time after that impressive Nice performance (28 November).
And you can’t help but feel there might be a slight sense of ‘I told you so’ from Clement amid reports Van Bronckhorst could be sacked by Besiktas after their 3-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the European competition [Daily Record, 28 November].
Football can be cruel sometimes, but things can change instantly, with the noise around Clement’s future at Ibrox being drowned -temporarily at least – by the triumph at the Allianz Riviera.
These things can change pretty quickly, as Van Bronckhorst knows himself, and Clement knows that with several changes at boardroom level incoming that the pressure won’t subside for long.
But for now, at least he has something to cling to while another boss who still has some fondness despite failing in the Ibrox dugout might have just run out of time.
In other Rangers news, Andy Newport revealed what he feels is the biggest problem at the Glaswegian club.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.