Rangers stance on Philippe Clement sack revealed with struggling Belgian coach preparing for vital period

Rangers boss Philippe Clement’s position as manager is safe for now but the club’s stance could hinge on a crucial upcoming period for the struggling Scottish giants, TEAMtalk can reveal.

Reports emerged that the Rangers manager was on the verge of exiting the club by mutual consent following their 1-1 draw to Dundee United at the weekend, with Clement’s team booed off at the final whistle.

The result left them eight points behind second-placed Aberdeen and a whopping 11 adrift of bitter rivals Celtic, with just 12 games of the Scottish Premier League season played. However, TEAMtalk can reveal it would be highly unlikely that the 50-year-old would resign and give up his compensation package.

Our sources say Clement is a very stern, confident individual who is adamant he can bring the Gers success. Moreover, it is understood that their bad run of form has hugely dented some of the players’ confidence – negatively affecting their performances.

While the Belgian remains in charge for now, a heavy defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League on December 12 and a Scottish League Cup final loss to Celtic three days later is likely to spell the end for Clement’s time at Ibrox.

Desite that, Rangers are keen to see Clement turn the team’s fortunes around as they don’t want to pay out another big sum to bring in a replacement manager, who will want money to spend; but those funds are not readily available.

Finally, sources believe there is already an acceptance around the Light Blues that Celtic will win the league, finishing well clear of their Old Firm foes.

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‘The frustrating thing’

Clement cut a somewhat deflated but defiant figure after his side’s draw with Dundee United. He also seemed to acknowledge his time is running out at Rangers.

He told reporters: “It’s very frustrating to lose points and already we have lost too many points this season. So, we know we don’t have credit in the bank, we knew before we don’t have credit in the bank. In that way, about the performance, the second half I’ve seen what I want to see of my team.

“I want to see how we play football, I want to see how we press, how we create chances, how we don’t concede chances. So, everything was there, only not the second goal to make and that’s the frustrating thing after this evening.”

Incidentally, another figure who could be key in Clement’s future is incoming CEO Patrick Stewart. The former interim CEO at Manchester United, who spent 18 years at the Red Devils, will take up his post on December 16.

Stewart – who replaces James Bisgrove following his departure for Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia during the summer – will be monitoring the situation closely and one of his first tasks could be to potentially sack Clement.

Clement’s spell at Rangers

Clement was appointed Rangers boss on October 15, 2023, succeeding Michael Beale in the role. He signed a contract until 2027 and made a bright start to life at the Glasgow outfit.

They pushed Celtic close for the league title, he delivered them the Scottish League Cup, and won nearly 70 per cent of his games in charge in 2023/24.

The story is far more bleak this term, however. A win percentage of just over 57, losing five of his 21 games this season – when he oversaw just six defeats in 43 matches in the previous campaign – and losing ground to Celtic and even Aberdeen does not make for pleasant reading. A huge few weeks lie in wait for the ex-Monaco boss.