Philippe Clement has been told enough is enough with the “feeble” Rangers rebuild excuses as Patrick Stewart warned all the pressure over the Belgian now falls on his shoulders.
Queen’s Park produced a giant-killing and created Scottish Cup history at the same time as they dumped the Light Blues out of the competition in their own backyard at the last 16 stage. Callum Davidson – watching on from the stands due to suspension – has an incredible cup competition record on his CV as a manager and he produced a tactical masterclass at Ibrox. The away fans partied into the night while the Rangers players and their manager felt the angry wrath as supporters made their feelings known.
Celtic hero and Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton gave his hard-hitting view on the scenes in Govan and insisted it was a “total embarrassment” from a Rangers perspective to go out the Cup at this stage. He has warned Clement the fans have had enough and he still can’t get his head around how the Europa League form has been so good but it can’t be replicated in the bread and butter of the domestic scheduled.
The Hoops legend also insisted new CEO Stewart is the one who will now be feeling the heat behind the scenes with the supporters making their feelings known loud and clear over the current situation at the club. He believes the dilemma facing the club chief will be that Rangers are in the last 16 of the Europa League – but that can’t take away from what he describes domestically as ‘shambolic’
Speaking on the Daily Mail’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ podcast, Sutton said: “Rangers losing at home – and their home record has been pretty good this season – to a team half way up the Championship in Queen’s Park. To go to Ibrox and knock Rangers out of the Cup and while Rangers’ European form has been bafflingly good, they are into the last 16 of the Europa League.
“We are just into February and Rangers were beaten by Celtic in the League Cup Final on penalties. They are 13 points behind Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership and now they are now knocked out of the cup by Championship Queen’s Park. I don’t think it is ever been the case where Rangers have been knocked out on their own territory in a cup competition by a team from a lower league.
“If you look at Philippe Clement, all he talks about is we are in a rebuild. He’s been in long enough now where you cannot suffer a result like that. Remember the Inverness Caley result when John Barnes got the sack? I think there are parallels with that.
“That was a total embarrassment from Philippe Clement and Rangers’ perspective. Most of the Rangers fans have had enough of feeble excuses. Talk of a rebuild. But Europe is a headscratcher because they have played well. But domestically, second is last. I have said this many times. That was totally unacceptable. “
Asked about Clement’s future and if he makes it to the end of the season, he added: “It’s not as simple as that, is it? Patrick Stewart, the chief executive who has gone in there, I think there is a lot of pressure on him now to make a decision. His dilemma will be that Rangers are in the last 16 of the Europa League. But you can’t get away from the fact that it is shambolic. It is the start of February and Rangers are in a position domestically where they aren’t going to win anything.”