Philippe Clement must pack his bags ‘immediately’ after what happened at Rangers
Rangers must sack Philippe Clement immediately after Rangers were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park.
The Belgian named a heavily rotated side at Ibrox (9 February) in what, on paper, promised to be a straightforward afternoon for the Gers in the cup.
However, Clement, who has been touted to be in the running for the vacant Belgium national job [The Rangers Review], has just been dealt a blow which could be the final nail in his coffin at Ibrox.
Rangers have no excuses left after another setback
Clement has often created a divide between Rangers and their supporters, yet he has been allowed to continue what has proven to be a disastrous campaign.
The fans piled unbearable pressure on the boss with a series of staged protests at Ibrox, which have since subsided since the side secured qualification to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Indeed, a top-eight finish in the Europa League is a “huge” achievement for the Gers, given the circumstances, but enough is enough.
Even with a starting eleven missing several regular starters, the hosts should have had no problem overcoming a Scottish Championship side at Ibrox – but Seb Drozd had other ideas.
The 21-year-old managed only one league goal for Queen’s Park heading into the clash but managed to find a way past the Light Blues defence after 69 minutes to dump Clement’s men out of the Scottish Cup.
Not one Gers player showed any determination to take the game by the scruff of the neck and overturn the deficit – instead, they opted to whimper out of the competition.
With an insurmountable 13-point gap to Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, followed by a League Cup final loss against their rivals and now a premature exit from the Scottish Cup – there is no chance of domestic success for Rangers this term, and someone must be held accountable.
What next for Philippe Clement?
Although Ibrox News learned on 18 January that the Belgium FA have yet to approach Clement for the vacant position, he may be best served jumping before he is pushed at Ibrox.
The Belgian is eager to see out the remainder of the campaign with Rangers, but there is no reasonable excuse for continuing in the role after this defeat.
Therefore, he should take the honourable route and leave Ibrox of his own accord to avoid the Light Blues paying a hefty compensation package.
He has also been suggested as a favourite to take over at Belgium by ex-Gers man Billy Dodds. With the loss to Queens Park potentially jeopardising his chances, he should not risk the chance to land on his feet when the dust settles in Glasgow.
Nevertheless, Clement has habitually escaped the final blow at the Gers and is likely to do so again.
But still, there will be a slim ray of hope among the supporters who will be praying to see Rangers make the right decision this time around.