Rangers will sack Philippe Clement if they are ousted from the Europa League, amid mounting pressure on his position.
That is according to former Manchester United and Blackburn senior scout Mick Brown, who remains highly well-connected inside the league and exclusively told Football Insider that the tournament is Clement’s “get out of jail free card” at the moment.
However, because they have fallen 13 points behind Celtic in the league and were knocked out of the Scottish Cup at home to Queens Park, his position is now “vulnerable”.
Brown went on to say that Rangers do not appear to be able to manage pressure, and he was not surprised to see them knocked from the Scottish Cup.
Clement has faced severe scrutiny throughout his time at Ibrox, with many fans dissatisfied with the trajectory of the club under his leadership.
Now, the manager’s status is becoming increasingly uncertain, and the trigger will be pulled if his team is eliminated from the Europa League.
This comes after Football Insider disclosed on January 3 that there are already four contenders in the race to replace the manager if he loses his position.
Philippe Clement will be fired after Rangers ‘horror’.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Football Insider on February 9 that Clement’s future will be determined by their ability to compete in Europe following their domestic troubles.
Brown, who has worked closely with a number of prominent managers, including Sir Alex Ferguson, Ron Atkinson, and David Moyes, reiterated those statements, insisting that their outside chance in Europe is keeping him in the position for the time being.
“His positions at Rangers always seem vulnerable to me,” he told Football Insider.
“You’re constantly at danger as a manager when things don’t go your way.
“They advanced to the next round of the Europa League, and it could be his get-out-of-jail free card, keeping him in the job for now.
“But if they lose their next game in Europe, I believe he will be fired.
“They’re 13 points behind Celtic, they’ve been knocked out of the Scottish Cup, and if they lose in Europe, things don’t look good.”
“That’s when these things usually happen.
“While they are still in Europe, there is some hope that they may be able to achieve something extraordinary.
“But they don’t strike me as a team that can handle pressure, and disaster results like the one against Queens Park don’t surprise me.
“It always feels like there’s a nightmare around the corner there.”
The Ibrox crowd is calling for a new manager amid board pressure.
Many Rangers supporters believe Clement’s dismissal is “inevitable” following the Queens Park defeat.
On February 10, Football Insider claimed that supporters were outraged, with many calling on the board to “show some leadership” and make the choice.
Given the ever-increasing competitive gap between Rangers and Celtic, large parts of the Ibrox audience have been screaming for the manager’s removal for quite some time.
Despite the pressure from the stands, the board has yet to make a decision, raising doubts about their role in the club’s collapse.
