Philippe Clement sack verdict shared after Rangers 'debacle'

Philippe Clement must now show he is the man capable of taking Rangers forward with the "time for soundbites over", according to Calum Crowe.

On page 74 of the Scottish Daily Mail's print edition [12 September], journalist Crowe said it is time to deliver for the Belgian, whose side find themselves five points adrift of the Scottish summit after just four league matches.

Crowe wrote the time has come for Clement to show "tangible, concrete evidence" of his ability to improve the club's fortunes following the "debacle" at Celtic on 1 September, admitting this week he "hates" how far his team are behind their rivals.

Philippe Clement continues climbing Rangers mountain

Clement is up against a barrage of forces making his job far more difficult, but knows the ire of the fans for on-pitch matters at Rangers lies largely on his shoulders.

A smattering of quality in among a sluggish inconsistency has defined the early weeks of the season, alongside the team halfway through September without having played at Ibrox this term, players remaining who the club have no intention of using, and a boardroom shy of a CEO.

The notion of "soundbites" is an easy one to level at experienced heads in the game like Clement who have had extensive - and much required - media training.

But Gers fans - particularly those whose patience is wearing thin with the Ibrox boss - want to hear the 'why' and the 'how', as opposed to just the 'what'.

Failure to take all three points from Dundee United on Sunday will add serious fuel to the fire, especially with Celtic - and Aberdeen for that matter - handed the chance to continue their 100% records beforehand.

In other Rangers news, one pundit demands one centre-half be dropped for Leon Balogun.

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