Patrick Stewart told to prepare for bleak Rangers future ahead of Ibrox arrival
Patrick Stewart has been told to prepare for the worst as he looks set to become the new CEO of Rangers.
The Gers confirmed the former interim Manchester United chief executive’s appointment via their official website on 25 November, and he will start his duties on 16 December.
Philippe Clement has some tough fixtures to contend with until the arrival of Stewart, with Tottenham set to visit Ibrox as well as facing Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final.
Speaking on Hotline Live [27 November], prior to the 4-1 win over Nice, Andy Newport has raised concerns about the state the Light Blues will be in before the new CEO takes up his duties next month.
“We’ll have to see what happens with Patrick Stewart when he comes in on 16 December. There’s still a few big games in the meantime. What state the club is in by the time he comes over, that’s the real interesting thing,” he said.
“It’s bad right now, but if things go the way we suspect them to go…, then things could become real bleak. And then there’s a much harder job to get back from that position.”
Patrick Stewart has big task at Rangers
Stewart will have some critical decisions to make as soon as he arrives at Rangers, with uncertainty around Clement’s future at Ibrox looming large even accounting for the Nice win.
The Belgian manager is arguably lucky to still be in a job at this point, but the game against Celtic on 15 December in the cup final could be his last.
While the 50-year-old could pull off an unexpected win over the Hoops and stay in the Bears’ hot seat for longer, the former Monaco head coach’s dismissal seems inevitable at this point, with a large section of fans wanting to see him leave.
There’s also the issue of the £17.2million losses the Glaswegian club disclosed in their latest accounts, and Stewart will be one of the voices leading the way to restore parity at the Light Blues.
At this point, things look unpromising from the fans’ point of view domestically, with Rangers 11 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table.
The January transfer window will be a chance for the Ibrox faithful to determine whether the new members of the hierarchy have the nous to take the Glaswegian outfit out of the rut they’re in right now.
In other Rangers news, the Bears have been given an answer regarding Nathan Patterson’s return.
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