Kris Boyd has made it clear that his stance on Philippe Clement’s future as Rangers manager will not change, regardless of how the team performs between now and the end of the season.
Clement’s position came under intense scrutiny following Rangers’ shock 1-0 defeat to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup on 9 February. Despite calls from some fans and pundits for the Belgian to be sacked, the decision-makers at Ibrox opted to retain him. Clement responded by guiding the Light Blues to a 3-1 victory over Hearts on 16 February, easing some of the pressure.
Kris Boyd makes Philippe Clement claim
While Clement’s job does not appear to be in immediate danger, Boyd believes the manager is merely clinging to his position.
The former Rangers striker also argued that the club’s supporters will not forget the humiliating Scottish Cup exit at the hands of a second-tier side, even though Rangers are not in a dire situation overall.
“You’re now in the middle of February, it’s not been good enough away from home, but at the same time, you look at Rangers now, went to Tannadice, went to Tynecastle, won the two games,” Boyd said on The Scottish Sun’s Go Ballistic show (18 February).
“Rangers are in a decent place in terms of the league domestically, they have been scoring goals, but it doesn’t matter.
“I think between now and the end of the season, if Rangers go and win every game, they ain’t going to win the league.
“I don’t think the Rangers fans are going to forget what happened last weekend because it wasn’t good enough.
“For me, Philippe Clement, he might win a game of football, but he’s clinging on to his job.”
Philippe Clement stays on at Rangers
This season has seen multiple instances where fans and pundits have called for Clement’s dismissal.
Earlier in the campaign, the absence of a CEO and permanent chairman seemed to be the only reason he retained his position. However, Rangers have since appointed Patrick Stewart as CEO and Fraser Thornton as chairman, yet Clement’s job remains unaffected.
There appears to be a reluctance to sack Clement, with some attributing this to the club’s financial constraints. However, as Boyd pointed out, Clement cannot assume he is untouchable. If results fail to improve and consistency remains an issue, Stewart may still decide to make a change.
As things stand, it would not be surprising if Rangers have a new manager in charge by the start of next season. Whether Clement can buy himself more time in Scotland remains to be seen.
