Rangers supporters will not tolerate Patrick Stewart’s “condescending” statements on Philippe Clement’s future, Keith Jackson has warned.
Jackson wrote in the Daily Record (13 January) about the new CEO’s media conference on Saturday, claiming that he would not make judgments that were “popular” with supporters.
With this being an evident suggestion that the board would stick with Clement, Jackson requested that the Ibrox hierarchy read the room, as Stewart may already be concerned.
Jackson said: “By taking a stance that veered dangerously near to condescending, Stewart managed to appease no one.
“If a 15-point margin at the top of the table is no longer grounds for dismissal, what does it indicate about how low standards have been allowed to fall under this regime?
“Similarly, if the CEO supports Clement one week and then has to fire him the next, then the Rangers supporters will quite understandably have concerns and reservations about his own suitability for the job.”
Rangers’ results put Patrick Stewart and co under strain.
For all as Clement has faced outrage and frustration from the likes of Jackson and others, fans at Ibrox have directed much of their rage at the Bears’ decision-makers.
Banners from the Union Bears and other groups of supporters have been seen at both home and away games in recent months, with the great majority aimed at the hierarchy’s deteriorating standards.
Clement has even been labeled as a “scapegoat” for the board’s inadequacies by certain supporters; the public face of a club that has fallen from grace both on and off the pitch.
While the Belgian’s tactical flaws are valid criticism – and have been exposed by multiple teams on the road in recent weeks – it’s evident he’s doing everything he can to keep a disjointed squad together.
However, if the 50-year-old is let go, pressure from the stands at Ibrox will only grow, with few believing the current board can put together an effective succession plan.
