Ally McCoist has weighed in on the growing pressure facing Rangers manager Philippe Clement ahead of the upcoming Old Firm derby, insisting that the result will not be “defining” for the Belgian’s future at the club.
Rangers’ recent disappointment in the Scottish League Cup final, where they lost 5-4 on penalties to Celtic after a thrilling 3-3 draw, has intensified the scrutiny on Clement. Following that result, pundit Chris Sutton suggested that another defeat to Celtic in the next Old Firm clash could signal the end of the manager’s tenure.
However, McCoist, the former Rangers striker and club legend, disagreed with Sutton’s assessment. Speaking to the Daily Record on December 20, McCoist emphasized that the outcome of the next match would not necessarily determine Clement’s future.
“I’m not sure if I’d go as far as to say the next Old Firm game will be defining for Clement,” McCoist explained. “Where I do agree with big Chris – for the first time in about 11 years – is that he has to keep beating Celtic. But that’s a fact, regardless of who is the Rangers manager.”
McCoist stressed the importance of results against Celtic for anyone in charge at Ibrox. “If you are a Rangers manager, you have to beat Celtic. If you are the centre-forward at Rangers, you have to score goals against Celtic,” he added.