Philippe Clement sack: Rangers exit was ‘probability’ after wretched scenes
Rangers sacking Philippe Clement seemed a “probability” as they struggled to a draw against Motherwell on Sunday, John McGarry has said.
Writing in the Scottish Daily Mail‘s print edition (30 December, page 58), he argued that the Gers’ display at Fir Park on 29 December was bad enough to warrant the sack for Clement, despite rescuing a 2-2 draw.
Following a bizarre team selection by the Belgian, the Light Blues fell two goals behind in an atrocious first half before Hamza Igamane came off the bench to score a brace.
McGarry said: “So wretched were the visitors, that the prospect of Clement being relieved of his duties before Celtic come to Ibrox on Thursday seemed not so much a possibility, as a probability.”
Celtic shaping up to be Philippe Clement’s curtain call at Rangers
Coming off the back of two dismal results between Christmas and the New Year, the opponent no manager would want to face is an in-form Celtic side now 14 points clear at the top of the Premiership.
That applies most of all to Clement, who is yet to win an Old Firm match in six attempts since taking the reins at Ibrox, and lost his most recent just 15 days ago on penalties in the Scottish League Cup Final.
While the Bears put in arguably their best display of the whole campaign at Hampden Park, that performance now seems light years away after claiming just one point from six in their last two games.
St. Mirren finding a last-gasp winner and Motherwell being on the brink of one themselves represents a huge drop-off for Clement‘s side, given those results came within weeks of their strongest displays.
With Celtic in Govan with a chance to open up a 17-point gap at the summit, anything other than a first Old Firm win for Clement – heightened by the last two results – will surely see him shown the door.
In other Rangers news, one out-of-contract Ibrox youngster could be a target for several Premiership clubs next summer.
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