Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart has been warned he can’t reveal any financial implications on Philippe Clement keeping his job as Rangers boss.
In the wake of the shock Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Queen’s Park, calls for the Belgian to leave his post have ramped up from the disappointed Ibrox faithful – with the prospect of a trophyless campaign becoming a very real reality. Stewart insisted to the Fan Advisory Board that Rangers ’ decision to stick by Philippe Clement is not driven by cash as they prepare for the clash with Hearts – with one report suggesting a mammoth £1.2m would have to be paid out to get rid of the under-fire boss.
Baffled Celtic hero Simon Donnelly conceded he was struggling to wrap his head around the comments from the ex-Manchester United chief. He told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: “I don’t know where they go from here. I know they have said it’s not a financial decision with Clement, but I can’t see if being anything else.”
But former Hibs and Hoops midfielder Scott Allan disagreed – feeling that discussing the Ibrox coffers was a move he couldn’t make: “For me, I don’t think he is going to cover himself in glory if he comes out and announces ‘no matter what the team’s performance is like, the implications on the pitch or what results are like – we can’t sack him because of the amount of money his contract is worth. He just cannot say that.”
Amid the talk of money, Peter Grant reckons that fans will have regrets over Mike Ashley‘s lack of involvement. The club was forced to fork out £8.25million to get the tycoon off their backs amid a lengthy court battle, but former Celtic man Grant told Go Radio: “The biggest thing – and this will not go down well with Rangers fans – is that they didn’t like Mike Ashley, because everything he touched became a success at some level.
“He’d have provided the finances to make the club successful. I don’t know the background of it all, but from a Celtic perspective I was glad he didn’t become a part of Rangers. Fans don’t realise how successful he was in his business, and it was a major blow for them [not to acquire him].”