Rangers

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Philippe Clement's time at Rangers often saw him give illuminating answers in his post-match interviews, revealing rebuttals at press conferences, with fans often bristling at his choice of words.

Here are a few of the key quotes from the Belgian time in charge at Ibrox.

After winning the League Cup against Aberdeen in December 2023 he declared more was to come from his side in terms of winning silverware.

"That's why I do this job, to share it with players, staff and fans. I get my energy from that. It's an incredible evening.

"It's great to get our hands on silverware after just nine weeks together. There's not one fan or board member who is more demanding to win than me. That's my character. I know with the mentality that is growing that we can do really good things this season."

After drawing 3-3 with Celtic in April 2024 Clement set alarm bells ringing, claiming his side were "moral" winner despite an Old Firm draw.

"I think at the end we are moral winners of this afternoon because a few months ago, for sure, this team could not have reacted after 2-0 in an Old Firm.

"For me, it is important, we showed what we are about in the second half, so that's why we are the moral winners in that way, to come back after 0-2, I don't think it happened too much in Old Firm games."

Rangers followed up that Old Firm draw with defeat against Ross County, and then a drab goalless draw with Dundee, however the then-manager insisted his players did show him a reaction.

"Yes, they gave a reaction," he said.

"We didn't get the result we wanted. We were the only team to deserve this result this evening in the possession, in the chances also. The clear chances. But you need to put the ball against the net. And you also need some luck sometimes.

Rangers fell behind early in the current season, sitting fourth after four games, and five points of leaders Celtic. Clement remained "totally convinced" they could still win the title, though.

He said: "There are 34 games to go, so I'm totally convinced of that."

Come October of this season, he was already having to fight fires and constantly faced questions about his future and if he could turn it around at Ibrox. As ever, though, he remained determined that he was still the right man for the job.

He said: "The fans will see in the next months that this team will improve and we know we will have the backing. We understand the fans need to see things on the pitch, we were not happy about Sunday.

"We will keep on working hard to improve things as fast as possible."

With a double-header looming against Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic, Clement suggested his side weren't in the same league financially with the two sides.

"Of course, they are totally different kind of games," he told Sky Sports.

"Maybe, we need to say financially out of our league, the two games.

"But we are going to compete. It's a really nice challenge for our squad to show themselves in these games and what we can do against those teams."

Clement claimed the board were "200%" behind him despite the club languishing 15 points adrift of Premiership leaders Celtic in mid-January after a 1-1 draw with Dundee, Rangers' fourth away game in a row without victory.

Asked if he was confident that the board, which has a new chief executive in Patrick Stewart, are still behind him 100%, Clement said: "Yes, 200%.

"We have talks every day about everything, about January, about next season, about everything. Yes, of course the fans are unhappy. We are also unhappy, all of us are unhappy, to lose these three points.

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

They couldn't let this carry on.

It seems the board's patience ran out last night after Rangers meekly fell to their second home defeat in a row against St Mirren.

I've always felt Clement was dealt a bad hand in the summer by this board and I stand by that, but this was never working.

When we went nine points behind Aberdeen, they should have acted, then the Queen's Park debacle afterwards. But this has been a collective failure.

It's easy to constantly go after the manager, and he's been rightly sacked, but this board, or should I say whoever made these mistakes, are equally to blame.

Let's be honest, we are limping along until the end of the season, and frankly, I don't think it matters who the current board puts in charge as we have little to play for.

And as we know now, whatever this board do, in terms of the football team, will be wrong, it will end up being a mess, and hopefully Clement will be their final permanent managerial appointment.

Talk of a US takeover is rife and the quicker they get this deal over the line and get the current board far and away from the blue room the better.

It may sound extremely harsh and people will rightly point out the good they have done, but they have wasted millions trying to fix their own mistakes.

Rangers men, absolutely. Businessmen, yes. Running a football club, absolutely not.

I've said a million times in these columns, the summer can't come quick enough.

We need something new, we need something to get behind and most of all we need change.

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Just six months on from penning a contract extension at Ibrox, Philippe Clement has been sacked by Rangers.

"What is the reason not to go for a longer story together?" asked Clement after committing to the Rangers job until 2028 this summer.

And things started well. Despite their opening day draw with Hearts, Clement's side went into the first Old Firm of the campaign just two points behind their Glasgow rivals.

A 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brendan Rodgers showed the first cracks appearing. But things picked up again and until the end of October Rangers were within touching distance of their Glasgow rivals.

Fast forward and a defeat to high-flying Aberdeen coupled with a 1-1 draw against Dundee United meant Rangers were eight points behind Celtic with a massive League Cup final on the horizon.

Rangers put a shift in and looked like the hungrier side, coming from behind twice in normal time, to force Celtic into extra time and then penalties. Ridvan Yilmaz's missed spot-kick handed their rivals the trophy but it seemed there was progress being made in Govan.

Draws with St Mirren and Motherwell sandwiched a 3-0 Old Firm victory at Ibrox which was clouded by the 10-point gap that still existed to the league leaders.

In the background, the Glasgow club were ticking along nicely in Europe. A draw with Tottenham and a narrow defeat to Man United didn't stop them from securing an automatic spot in the last 16.

Domestically though it's been far from impressive. Rangers sit 13 points behind Celtic at the top of the table, their last hope of any success in Scotland, the Scottish Cup, was ended in historic fashion by Queen's Park at Ibrox.

Saturday's defeat to St Mirren was the final nail in Clement's coffin.

Rangers had the chance to make a dent in the 13-point gap to Celtic after their defeat to Hibs at Easter Road.

Despite 65% possession, 17 shots on goal and 26 touches in the opposition box, two of St Mirren's six shots on target hit the back of the net and ultimately sent Clement packing.

And that pretty much summed up the latter stages of his time in charge - lots of possession but struggling to do anything concrete with it as well as an inability to be clinical in front of goal and even a complacency with being second best on the pitch.

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Former captain Barry Ferguson will be offered the chance to lead Rangers as manager for the rest of the season. (Record), external

Ferguson will meet with Rangers on Monday. (Talksport), external

Fellow ex-Ibrox players Neil McCann and Billy Dodds are linked with joining Ferguson at Rangers. (Sky Sports), external

Russell Martin, briefly a defender at Rangers, is a serious contender to replace Philippe Clement as manager. (Sun), external

Rangers have decided against approaching Martin. (GIVEMESPORT), external

Steven Gerrard was the early favourite to be appointed Rangers manager, with the former Ibrox boss a free agent after leaving Al-Ettifaq. (Sun), external

Norwich City first-team coach Jack Wilshere is in the running for the Ibrox vacancy. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Alex Rae, Kevin Thomson and current Rangers assistant Issame Charai are also linked with the Rangers dugout. (Sun), external

Mikael Mandron felt St Mirren were "definitely" going to get the opportunity to down Rangers before he scored the opener in the Paisley side's 2-0 Ibrox win on Saturday. (Record), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

Well Rangers fans, what do you think of the news that Philippe Clement has been sacked following the 2-0 loss to St Mirren?

Tell us your emotions, and who you think should replace the Belgian at the helm of the Ibrox club.

Let us know your thoughts here, external.

Watch the Sportscene panel discuss Philippe Clement following Rangers' 2-0 Scottish Premiership defeat by St Mirren.

Watch the Sportscene panel analyse Rangers' poor performance.

Watch highlights as Rangers lose 2-0 against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

Philippe Clement is close to being sacked by Rangers following Saturday's 2-0 defeat at home to St Mirren. (Scottish Sun), external

The details over the Belgian's exit are being finalised. (Daily Record), external

Rangers are expected to announce the departure of Clement, 50. (Peter A Smith on X), external

A board meeting was held on Sunday to decide their manager's future. (STV), external

Rangers' players have been informed of Clement's exit. (Chris Jack on X), external

John Bennett is set to follow Dave King's lead and sell his Ibrox stake as part of the proposed Rangers takeover deal by 49ers Enterprises. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

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We asked for your views on Rangers' 2-0 defeat at home to St Mirren.

Here's a selection of replies:

David: I am never one to shout for the manager to be sacked. However, this is really the final straw. No heart. No fight. No structure. This is not Rangers. Takeover or not, a new interim manager is required before the Fenerbahce game.

Graham: I am disappointed that Philippe Clement hasn't resigned. He has lost the dressing room and the fans no longer trust him. He has had too many opportunities to change the team's boring style of football and lack of motivation. Time for some new ideas and structure.

Richard: Well, as most Rangers fans, I was absolutely disgusted by the performance of our players. Totally devoid of heart and desire. St Mirren totally deserved their victory. Where do Rangers go from here, no one knows.

Gordon: Another dismal display! However, I'll be amazed if there are major changes before the 49ers deal goes through, if it does. So that just leaves a team going through the motions until the end of the season as there's no chance of European glory. A pitiful state of affairs for a club of this stature.

Steve: The only thing that can save Clement is the takeover. They will want to bring in their own manager so firing the current one now wouldn't make sense.

Eamon: It's time for the so-called manager to go. Enough is enough. We can't put up with this any longer. One unmitigated disaster after another and Clement wants to talk about finding solutions. How long does he need?

Finlay: Just sack him. There has been no worse Rangers side than the one playing for us. Bring Steven Gerrard back on reduced terms. The decision is so simple, but Patrick Stewart makes it look so complicated. Clement needs to go.

Peter: The players have given up. The manager can't set them up or motivate them properly. This is Rangers. No more. The end. Get an ex-player caretaker in and plan for the next season now.

William: This has been a long and slow decline both on and off the pitch. Inept and mismanagement by a weak board, a bunch of overpaid and underachieving players, a coaching staff who cannot see what is going wrong, a youth set-up that has been ripped apart due to the financial mismanagement of the club. PC should drop every player due to leave in the summer.

Graeme: Predictable football. No players brave enough to run at their defence. Aimless hit and hope long balls over top of their defence. Our defence was shocking, can't deal with long balls. Rangers were bullied yesterday and this has never been acceptable at Ibrox. And stop playing Butland, the guy is a disaster!

Gary: This is the worst Rangers team for a long, long time. Players need to give themselves a good look in the mirror and ask themselves am I giving all I can for the club and the fans? Sadly, the answer right now is not by a long shot.

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• Rangers have a record of W1, D3, L4 when conceding the opening goal in the Premiership this season.

• Rangers attempted 32 crosses in this match, higher than their season average of 23.7 in the Premiership.

• Rangers have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 17 of their 27 games, only Celtic (22) have done this more often in the Premiership this season.

• Toyosi Olusanya has scored eight goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other St Mirren player.

• Mikael Mandron attempted five shots in this game, the joint-highest total for a St Mirren player in the Premiership this season.

• St. Mirren have avoided defeat in their last six matches when scoring first in the Premiership, since a 1-2 loss to Motherwell on 28 September 2024.

Rangers turbulent campaign took another lurch downwards as St Mirren won in Glasgow to record back-to-back victories over the Ibrox club for the first time since the 1979-80 season.

The defeat - coming two weeks after the Scottish Cup humbling by Queen's Park - is Rangers' first in 10 league matches and keeps them 13 points behind Celtic after their defeat earlier in the day.

Just this week, chief executive Patrick Stewart said Rangers had opted to keep manager Philippe Clement despite the "disastrous" Scottish Cup loss because of "the long-term interests of the club, not to save money".

But, if the manner in which Rangers fans streamed out of Ibrox long before the end and the noise that greeted the performance are anything to go by, the pressure on the Belgian will only intensify this week.

Rangers fans, what are your immediate thoughts following today's defeat?

Have your say here., external

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement: "We were very nervous from the start of the game on the ball, which created chances for the opponent. We had spells where we were better. But, by far, not good enough for the standards of Rangers.

"It is difficult to explain. Was it that they wanted to do too good, react and give the fans much more? We need to look at the root of the problem. At the end, it is my responsibility to get them with the right mindset on the pitch.

"There was fight. We were not collective enough with our strengths. Everyone wanted to force it too much on their own.

"I can only say sorry and apologise [to the Rangers fans] from me and the team. This is not what Rangers teams need to show on the pitch. We all know this was by far below the standards we all expect."

When asked if he would understand if the Rangers board had a decision to make over his future, Clement replied: "I'm not busy with those questions or those things. I am busy finding solutions to get Rangers back to where they should be."

Cam Wanstall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Despite the defeat being their first league loss of 2025, an all-round poor performance from every Rangers starter warranted the vocal response

Hamza Igamane brought unpredictability - but little accuracy - to the Rangers trio in behind Cyriel Dessers, as Ianis Hagi and Vaclav Cerny brought technical ability but zero spark on the flanks.

While Dessers was consistently making sharp movements in behind, he failed to get on the end of the majority of deliveries and his threat was quelled by Alex Gogic.

It wasn't any better for Rangers at the back. With four centre-back options injured, Clinton Nsiala started but the young Frenchman was at fault for both goals.

Credit can only be given to Nicolas Raskin, who battled well at the base of the midfield against brawny Mikael Mandron, consistently getting the better of St Mirren's number nine when the two clashed.

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Rangers defender John Souttar is out after picking up an injury against Hearts but Danilo is available again. Oscar Cortes is back in training but has still a way to go after being out for a lengthy period. Leon Balogun, Connor Barron, Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo are all still out.

St Mirren attacker Evan Mooney is out with an ankle injury. Alex Iacovitti is back in training after illness and Scott Tanser is available. Conor McMenamin (calf) remains out.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement says he respects Jose Mourinho's ability to win the biggest trophies in football, but his "personal preference" is for managers who prioritise attack more than the Portuguese boss.

Mourinho's Fenerbahce will face Rangers in the Europa League last 16 in March.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement will not have any input to the club's recruitment of a sporting director.

Chief executive Patrick Stewart this week revealed Rangers were seeking a sporting director.

Belgian Clement, 50, would not be drawn on speculation around a potential club takeover by 49ers Enterprises - "nothing to talk about until something happens" - and says he has appreciated not being the only spokesman at Rangers since Stewart's appointment in December.

"I think that's the other way around, normally it's sporting directors who get managers, so no," Clement responded when asked if he would be involved in the sporting director appointment

"I worked in the past with a lot of sporting directors. There are also different kinds of sporting directors. Those are interesting things to talk about along the way but no, I will not be involved in the recruitment."

Stewart admitted this month's Scottish Cup loss at home to Queen's Park was "disastrous" but insisted changing manager risked damaging Rangers' Europa League campaign.

And Clement, whose side trail Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic by 13 points, added: "There are still a lot of things to be done to get the club where we all want it to be and that's at the first position in the league. There are lot of things to be done by all of us. So, I'm focused on what can I do in that part of the story.

"I've been eight months the face of that, also for all the other things that I didn't have an influence on. Now with Patrick, I feel things start to move and we can get the ship in the right direction.

"I don't think it was a normal situation, the first part of the season to be the only spokesman of the club about a lot of things that are not sporting. I'm happy that now somebody inside the club can speak outside and address what is living in the club."

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Philippe Clement addressed the media before Rangers host St Mirren on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Here are the key things he said:

• Rangers Europa League draw with Fenerbahce is "exciting" and one to look forward to.

• Clement says he admires Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho's success, and joked the media will "love it" having him here.

• Describing Mourinho, the manager said he is someone who is "more defensive" and he prefers an "attacking style" from managers, but he respects the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan boss.

• Clement wouldn't discuss speculation on a potential takeover involving 49ers Enterprises, as he is fully focused on the football side of things.

• The manager won't have any input on the appointment of a new sporting director.

• He's pleased that since the appointment of CEO Patrick Stewart he is no longer the only public spokesman for the club.

• On the squad, John Souttar is out off Saturday after picking up a "not long-term" injury against Hearts, though Danilo is back training and available.