Philippe Clement ‘bomb-proof’ at Rangers as Keith Jackson slams Patrick Stewart
Philippe Clement is seeming “bomb-proof” at Rangers as Keith Jackson slams Patrick Stewart for not sacking the Belgian.
Rangers are staring at the possibility of ending the season without a trophy, having crashed out of the Scottish Cup on Sunday, 9 February.
A 1-0 defeat against Queen’s Park at Ibrox meant that the Light Blues have missed out on both domestic cup competitions, while the Premiership already appears out of their hands with Celtic boasting a 13-point lead.
The UEFA Europa League may be Clement’s only chance of winning silverware this term, but that too is a herculean task.
Therefore, many fans and pundits are left to wonder why the Belgian tactician is still at the helm at Ibrox.
Keith Jackson hits out at Patrick Stewart
Jackson believes Clement has become “bomb-proof” at Rangers and turned his attention to Stewart as the manager continues to avoid the sack.
The Daily Record journalist is of the view that the CEO’s credibility could be damaged if he continues to take no action against the former Monaco boss.
“He’s totally bomb-proof, isn’t he? That’s how it feels”, Jackson said on Daily Record’s Hotline Live (10 February).
“But, the biggest question drops onto Patrick Stewart’s desk, doesn’t it, because people are looking at him saying, ‘You’re the CEO, you’re meant to be the guy driving us, the decision-maker. Where are you? What are you doing? What is your purpose here?’
“I think his credibility could be damaged – collateral damage sort of thing – by doing nothing.”
Jackson suggested that the board may be against sacking Clement as they might feel it will not help them in the short term, but insisted that would still be a “curious” way of dealing with the situation.
“They’ve got it in their head – what difference does it make? There are so many other things that need to be confronted across the football club, what difference does it make who’s the manager for the time being?
“Now, that is a very curious way of running your football club because the first thing that matters to the supporters out there, the people who pay for everything, finance everything is results and performances on the pitch.
“So, that’s why it matters, but there seems to be a real reluctance or a resistance to face this one down.”
Rangers woes continue
Rangers fans have been frustrated with how the club have been run for years and it appears those problems still persist.
This is despite the Light Blues undergoing major changes behind the scenes, with Stewart and Fraser Thornton taking charge as their CEO and chairman respectively in December.
It is worth noting that Clement is contracted to the Glasgow giants until 2028 after signing a new contract at the start of the season.
That means the Ibrox outfit would have to pay the 50-year-old a significant sum in compensation if they sack him now.
That is perhaps why Stewart is so reluctant to axe Clement.
More than 24 hours have passed since Queen’s Park walked out of Ibrox as winners and there is still no word about the manager being sacked.
Therefore, he is likely to be in the dugout when the Premiership heavyweights face Hearts on Sunday, 16 February.