Philippe Clement’s continued presence as Rangers manager in the wake of their Scottish Cup humiliation against Queen’s Park is nothing short of astonishing. Given the scale of the disaster, few would have expected him to survive. This was not just another bad result—it was a historic low point for Rangers. Never before had the club been eliminated from the Scottish Cup at Ibrox by lower-league opposition. That alone should have been enough to force action from the Rangers board, yet Clement remains in charge, backed by CEO Patrick Stewart despite widespread fury from the fanbase.
Rangers supporters have been growing increasingly disillusioned with Clement for months. While he initially arrived with a strong reputation and hopes of turning the club around, his tenure has been defined by inconsistency, poor performances in key domestic games, and now, outright embarrassment. The loss to Queen’s Park wasn’t just a bad night—it was a defining moment in the club’s history, a failure that will be spoken about for years to come. Rangers’ domestic form has already been patchy, and with Celtic holding the upper hand in the title race, the Scottish Cup was one of the few opportunities left to salvage the season. To go out in such humiliating fashion was, in the eyes of many, an unforgivable failure.
The anger from the Rangers support was immediate and overwhelming. Calls for Clement’s dismissal flooded social media, forums, and radio shows. Supporters wanted decisive action, yet the club hierarchy remained silent for days, fueling speculation and frustration. It wasn’t until CEO Patrick Stewart finally addressed the situation that the club’s position became clear—Clement was staying, at least for now.
Stewart’s Justification for Keeping Clement
In his interview with Rangers TV, Stewart did not try to sugarcoat the magnitude of the Queen’s Park defeat. He acknowledged that it was a “disastrous” result, one that carried historic significance and was a “source of shame” for the club. He also admitted that the financial impact of the elimination was a significant blow, but more than that, it was a wasted opportunity to win silverware.
Yet, despite these admissions, Stewart made it clear that Clement’s job was safe. His reasoning centered around two key arguments. First, he pointed out that Rangers’ struggles have been ongoing for several years and cannot be blamed solely on the manager. He argued that simply changing the coach has not worked in the past, and that the club needs to address deeper structural problems rather than making another reactionary decision.
“We’ve changed the manager and it has not made a difference,” Stewart said. “But what I’m doing now is looking at the root causes of that. And until we fix the root causes, it’s akin to fixing a broken house and starting with the roof instead of starting with the foundation.”
His second justification was based on Rangers’ performance in Europe. Stewart gave Clement credit for Rangers’ run in the Europa League, where they reached the quarter-finals despite a tough draw. He argued that dismissing the manager now could jeopardize the club’s European progress, something he believes should not be risked.
“For all the Queen’s Park result was disastrous, I think we need to give credit to Philippe and the team for the Europa League run,” he said. “We had a really tough draw, four of the top eight we played, and we finished in the top eight. So they deserve real credit for that.”
Finally, Stewart emphasized that he does not want to make decisions simply to appease fans in the short term. He stated that he is committed to a long-term plan and does not want to repeat mistakes of the past by making hasty changes. However, he did acknowledge that ultimately, results will determine everyone’s fate.
“I’m not here to make popular decisions and get quick wins,” he said. “I’ve got to make sure I’ve got discipline and focus on making sure we keep making the right decisions in the right order for the long-term benefit of the club, and not knee-jerk reaction from what was a disastrous result.”
The Fans’ Perspective: Why Stewart’s Explanation Falls Short
While Stewart’s logic might seem sound on paper, it is unlikely to satisfy the Rangers support. Domestic success is the primary expectation for Rangers fans, and while European runs are a nice bonus, they do not make up for failure at home. The loss to Queen’s Park is not something that can be explained away by structural issues or long-term planning—it was an outright humiliation, one that many feel should have cost Clement his job.
Furthermore, the argument that “changing managers hasn’t worked before” does not justify keeping one who is underperforming. Just because previous hires have failed does not mean that continuing with the current one is the right move. If Clement is not the right man to take the club forward, delaying the decision only prolongs the inevitable.
There is also the reality that Rangers are in real danger of finishing the season empty-handed. They are trailing Celtic in the league, and with the Scottish Cup now out of reach, their only remaining hope for a trophy is the league title. Given the inconsistency they have shown, few would be confident in them overtaking Celtic before the season ends. If they fail to win the league, there will be no way to justify keeping Clement beyond the summer.
What Next for Clement and Rangers?
Clement now finds himself in an almost impossible position. The majority of the fanbase has lost faith in him, and unless he can mastermind an incredible turnaround in the league, his long-term future looks bleak. Every game from this point forward will be played under a cloud of pressure, with fans ready to turn on him at the first sign of trouble.
For Stewart and the Rangers board, the decision to stick with Clement may prove costly. If Rangers fail to catch Celtic and end the season without a major trophy, there will be even greater scrutiny on the club’s leadership. Stewart’s insistence on “sticking to the plan” will mean nothing if the plan leads to another season of failure.
At this stage, it seems more a question of when rather than if Clement will leave. If Rangers collapse further in the league, the board may be forced to act before the end of the season. If they continue to drift behind Celtic, a summer change will feel inevitable. Either way, the Queen’s Park humiliation will not be forgotten anytime soon, and Clement will forever be associated with one of the darkest nights in Rangers’ history.
For now, the Belgian remains in charge. But with a furious fanbase, a shaky league campaign, and no margin for error left, the writing may already be on the wall.