Just when you think Rangers are out of a crisis, they pull you back in.
Defeat to St Mirren put a bullet in the head of the slim title hopes that had sprouted from their recent recovery. And my goodness, the Hotline isn’t taking it well. Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach, said: “Clement should have been sacked straight after that shocker, but he wasn’t because you’re dealing with a boardroom full of weak men. Bad? It was worse than bad. St Mirren got what they deserved. A hopeless Rangers side, players not near good enough even to beat St Mirren, greatest mystery of all is why does cCement still have a job after this catastrophe? Surely the luckiest Rangers manager in history, but seems this gutless Ibrox board won’t pull the trigger. Should have been gone long ago, with every bad result Clement is an excuse merchant.”
Paddy Gowans said: “It’s time for Clement to go, these excuses are a joke. He couldn’t pick tatties in a field, never mind pick a team.”
Some Rangers fans are ready to crown Celtic champions already as Jamie Thompson, Yoker, said: “This is a team of bottlers that lack basic football skills. Jack Butland is real concern along with many others this team, Celtic will win the league by at least 20 points. Chairman needs to make decisions to get rid of lot players and Clement by early January, supporters are sick of the worst Rangers team for a long time.”
And Andrew Lamb, Fraserburgh, wrote in: “I said after the first Old Firm defeat that Rangers needed to forget about Celtic this season, maybe even next. It’s obvious that Clement needs at least another two transfer windows and many of the current Rangers squad need moved on. It’s a mess on and off the park at Ibrox.” .
John Scott, Port Glasgow, said: “Mr Clement says that if Rangers play the whole game against St Mirren like they played the second half they win the game. Does he not realise the second half was a 1-1 draw? Add that to his genius observation that if they had played better they would have won the game and you can see why he was given a contract extension.”
12 points sit between the top two now with one game each before the derby on January 2. Stephen Mulhern, Dumbarton, said: “The narrative for the upcoming Glasgow derby for Philippe Clement has changed from Rangers needing to win to claw themselves back into the title race to them losing and Clement’s exit from Ibrox. The other reason Rangers have collapsed like a pack of cards is they haven’t replaced warriors like Lundstram, Jack and Goldson, and yesterday’s results confirmed Celtic have serial winners in their team while Rangers have serial losers in theirs.”
Robert McEwan, Mt. Vernon, had a message for another regular as he said: “Oh Jimmy Mac, when are you coming back to reality? See when 55 is reached very soon, we won’t be complaining along with another treble.”
Elsewhere in the green half of Glasgow, Hotline hardliner Gordon Ashley, Ayr, said: “What a laugh it has been this Christmas watching the arrogant bad loser comments of Hotline Rangers fans being shot down. Their dreams shattered as the newly crowned World’s Most Successful Football Club rips their only claim to fame out of their hands and reminds them they are are easily £200m behind us and their rivals from now on will be Aberdeen.”
Andy Logan, Livingston, said: The champions elect drop two points and the title race is back on for some deluded Rangers fans. Another defeat on the road, are Rangers becoming a team who only raise their game against Celtic? Something their support accuse a lot of other Scottish clubs when they play against Rangers.”
Hibs picked up their first win over Hearts at Tynecastle in five years on Boxing Day. And Neil Renton, Leith, said: “I’m not eating turkey leftovers from Christmas Day. Much like many Hibs fans I’m munching on humble pie. I didn’t think David Gray should have got the manager’s job at Easter Road but I’m glad the club stuck by him when results weren’t going our way. He’s now proving the doubters including myself wrong. He’s Pep Graydiola.”
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