Philippe Clement’s tenure as Rangers manager may be at risk if he fails to improve performances, according to former Ibrox midfielder Derek Ferguson. Ferguson, reflecting on the club’s recent history with underperforming managers, suggests the Belgian is fortunate to still be in charge amid the current circumstances.
Rangers find themselves nine points adrift of both Celtic and Aberdeen in third place, with recent losses to both rivals as well as to Kilmarnock, raising concerns among fans and former players alike. Ferguson drew comparisons to the situations faced by Clement’s predecessors, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale, who were let go when they were similarly off the pace. Van Bronckhorst was dismissed two years ago when Rangers were also nine points behind Celtic, and Beale was only seven points back when he was sacked last season.
“Under normal circumstances, Clement would probably be gone by now,” Ferguson shared with Ibrox News. “If you look at what went on in the past, you’d say, ‘Yep, he shouldn’t have survived it.’ But there are reasons why.”
One key factor, according to Ferguson, is the club’s unsettled leadership. With John Gilligan serving as interim chairman and no CEO currently in place, the usual hierarchy needed to make managerial changes is absent. “There’s no chairman, there’s no chief exec, so who’s he answering to?” Ferguson asked. “He keeps banging on about a ‘project.’ Rangers isn’t a project. Rangers is about winning—winning leagues, winning cups, putting on good performances, entertaining the fans.”
Ferguson acknowledged that while Clement has achieved some positive results in Europe, the domestic performances have left much to be desired. “At the moment, over the last number of games, apart from Europe, he’s not delivered,” Ferguson said. “So he can look at himself as pretty lucky to still be in a job, but he’s hanging on with his fingernails at the moment.”
The former midfielder added that ultimately, Clement’s fate may be decided by the fanbase. “If he keeps going with this level of performance, there’s only one outcome, and that’ll be that he will lose his job. I think that’ll lie with the fans.”