Clement axed after St.Mirren defeat

St Mirren’s Ibrox win seals fate of beleaguered boss, leaving Rangers 13 points adrift of Celtic and searching for their fifth manager in four years.

Ah, the winds of change are blowing through Ibrox once again, and it’s hard not to chuckle at the latest chapter in Rangers’ managerial merry-go-round. Philippe Clement, the man tasked with bridging the chasm between Rangers and Celtic, has been shown the door following a stunning home defeat to St Mirren. Yes, St Mirren. The same St Mirren who hadn’t won at Ibrox since 1991—back when Terminator 2 Judgement Day was still in the cinemas.

In a statement dripping with the kind of sincerity only a PR team can muster, Rangers “put on record their sincere thanks” to Clement for his “hard work and dedication.” Translation: “Thanks for trying, but 13 points behind Celtic in the league, and a Scottish Cup exit to Queen’s Park? It’s not us, Philippe, it’s you.”

Let’s not forget, Clement did have his moments—like that League Cup win and briefly leading the Premiership. But alas, the Belgian’s reign will be remembered more for his inability to break Celtic’s stranglehold on Scottish Football. A poor record against the Hoops, a League Cup final loss on penalties (to us, naturally), and a Scottish Cup humiliation at the hands of a Championship side? It’s almost poetic.

Sure, he had that one league victory over Celtic in January, which temporarily silenced the grumbles and heralded the so-called revival of Rangers once again. But then came the dropped points at Hibs and Dundee, followed by the pièce de résistance: back-to-back home losses to Queen’s Park and St Mirren. It’s almost as if the football gods were conspiring to make his exit inevitable.

But let’s not overlook the financial carnage unfolding off the pitch. A £17.2 million loss? A slashed wage bill? Champions League qualifying failure? It’s almost enough to make you feel sorry for them. Almost. Let’s not forget the small matter of paying out yet another managerial compensation fee—Clement had only just signed a new deal until 2028. Who needs financial stability when you can have a revolving door of managers instead?

Now, as Rangers prepare to face Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the speculation begins anew. Will Derek McInnes step into the hot seat? Will it be someone else entirely? Whoever it is, they’ll be the fifth permanent manager in four years—a statistic that speaks volumes about the chaos at Ibrox. Since their promotion to the Scottish Premiership in 2016, Rangers have been a revolving door of managers, none of whom have come close to halting Celtic’s dominance.

So, as we bask in the glow of another season of supremacy for Celtic, let’s raise a glass to Philippe Clement. He tried, he really did. But in the end, the only thing consistent about Rangers these days is their ability to watch Celtic try to win another domestic treble. Here’s to the next chapter in their never-ending quest for stability. May it be as entertaining as the last.