WE’RE IN A FIX! Rangers CEO told fans that club have more to sort out than manager’s future

Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart told supporters there was ‘so much else to fix’ in the football department at Ibrox rather than focusing on Philippe Clement’s job.

And, according to minutes of a meeting between the club and the Rangers Fan Advisory board, Stewart insisted the club are not bound by their financial situation when considering the Belgian’s future.

The meeting took place before Rangers lost 1-0 at home to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup fifth round last Sunday, placing Clement under even greater scrutiny.

Before publishing the minutes, the fan group said: ‘We have been in contact with the club since last weekend’s disastrous Scottish Cup performance to convey the strength of fan sentiment following that unacceptable result.’

According to the minutes, recently appointed CEO Stewart was told of supporters’ ‘dismay’ over domestic performances – and was asked why a change had not been made given the team were in a ‘worse position’ than when previous managers were removed.

The minutes stated: ‘(Patrick Stewart) reiterated that the decision to retain Philippe Clement as manager was not a financially driven decision, rather it was recognition there was so much else to fix in the football department.’

Manager Philippe Clement remains under pressure after Scottish Cup exit to Queen’s Park

The 1-0 loss at Ibrox was arguably Rangers’ worst ever defeat in the history of Scottish Cup

Stewart explained to supporters that the football review he had launched was being carried out with support from consultants Sportsology.

The minutes added: ‘In terms of the football review, it is all encompassing with the objective of ensuring that the department is befitting of an elite club.’

Fans were also told that improved player trading efficiency was a key priority, with technical director Nils Koppen stating that the club would move towards recruiting players that fit in with a club style rather than one that fits in with any specific manager.

Last month, Stewart had backed Clement and warned against changing manager even if it was the ‘popular’ decision

‘I need to make some tough decisions, it comes with the role, but I am committed to making the right ones for Rangers, not just the popular ones,’ insisted the former Manchester United interim CEO.

‘So cutting to the chase, we are backing Philippe at this time as a board.

‘It’s about taking a deeper look at the issues, addressing those problems, and staying focused on building a stronger future for the club.

‘Changing a manager isn’t a silver-bullet solution.

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‘You know where I’ve worked previously, and that isn’t something that has been effective there, it’s not effective at a lot of football clubs where there’s constant change of manager.

‘What I do need to do, and what the board are supporting me with, is uncovering the underlying issues and addressing those.

‘There’s been several years where we’ve been underperforming, and there’s something deeper rooted here, and I agree with that.

‘So I think that’s what we need to do, we need to look beneath the surface. Managers and coaching staff will continue to come and go in the future, that’s understood. Again, that is football. But what I’m looking to do, again, this is a team effort, is build a solid foundation and a real long-term football plan for the club.

‘If we rush and react every time there’s some poor results, we’re in danger of just being back in the same place in a year’s time or 18 months’ time or however long. But I want to be clear, look, I’m not saying everything is fine, and I think the fans are frustrated, I get that.

‘I’ve been a football fan my entire life, I’ve been in that position, we’re also all frustrated. And particularly if I look at the away results, you know, the record is there, it’s been discussed, it’s not good, and it’s not what’s expected for Rangers.

‘So we are working with Philippe to address consistency issues, and I’m also not going to speculate on what happens if results don’t improve.

‘If results don’t improve, obviously I can’t give Philippe any cast-iron guarantees. He and I have both been around football long enough to know that isn’t the case.

‘Equally, I’m not going to get into how many games does Philippe have to save his job, that’s not what we’re about. We’re about helping Philippe to identify why is there the inconsistency and let’s address that.

‘This isn’t a financially-driven decision.

‘To be clear, sticking with Philippe isn’t about trying to avoid a tough decision.

‘In fact, I think if anything, changing a manager would be the easy decision, because a lot of supporters are calling for that. I’m aware of that, I’ve seen the statements.

‘I’ve worked with several managers and Philippe is as hard-working and committed as any I’ve seen. First in the training ground, last out, he’s always on, always available, always thinking about it.

‘He is absolutely committed to bringing success to the club, and we’re committed to providing him with that support.’

Clement has now come under increasing pressure from fans following the Queen’s Park’s debacle.

The defeat leaves Rangers staring at a season without silverware as they are 13 points behind Celtic in the Premiership and lost the Premier Sports Cup final to their city rivals, albeit they are already in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Clement took charge of Rangers in October 2023 and soon won the League Cup, one of only three pieces of major silverware that have been added to the Ibrox trophy room since Ally McCoist took charge in 2011.

The Belgian’s immediate predecessors, Michael Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, lasted about 10 months and 12 months respectively before being sacked.

Clement insisted after Sunday’s defeat that he would not consider his position and did not expect talks with the board in the wake of the shock result.

Rangers next face Hearts at Tynecastle in the Premiership on Sunday.