Philippe Clement was sold a pup at Rangers but here's why the next taxi at the rank won't be fooled

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The news cycle doesn’t hang about these days.

Rangers fans were still getting their heads around their club’s financial results when barely a day later another kind of result shifted the agenda on its axis. Philippe Clement's future is front and centre right now – which is understandable given the pickle the Belgian has got himself into.

Let’s be honest, Rangers have punted plenty of gaffers for being in similar situations to the one Clement finds himself in. They might end up having to bite the bullet and do it again if there’s not some kind of miraculous upturn. Clement pointed out the side were in the same spot last term when he came in and they went on a run that took them to the top of the league.

True – but the team was stronger then and it only highlighted the fact they are right back where they started, but without a potential new manager bounce. That could change soon, mind you. Clement has lost most of the fans and every bad result will see the calls get louder for the bags to get packed, until it’s so deafening the Gers board won’t be able to ignore it.

But then what? That’s why the financial figures from the other day can’t get swept up in the news cycle.

Rangers keep spending more than they bring in, and it looks like good money after bad. You’ve got to feel for the guys who keep ponying up, time and again.

Rangers have made losses of more than £100million since their 2012 Armageddon and it has mostly come out of the pockets of guys who are desperate to see their club back at the top of the game. Unfortunately, the dosh has gone down a black hole and they look as far away as they did in the days when Pedro Caixinha was barking and Graeme Murty was tumbling.

It’s a nice bit of spin to suggest the £17m loss wasn’t too bad because the non-player trading operation was close to breaking even. Unfortunately for Rangers, player trading is part of the game. They need to sign good players or they fail. The players need to perform – or they won’t be worth ten bob. When it comes to recruitment, the wage bill is being slashed and the club can only spend what they make in sales.

You get the sense Clement was sold a pup when he came in and the goal posts were moved. But the next taxi at the rank won’t be fooled. They’ll know next year’s financials won’t be great either with no Champions League and no big sales, on top of all the Copland Road carry on – and potentially paying off yet another manager.

A chief executive would be handy at some point too. The bucket will need to be passed around yet again to keep the show on the road but the task for whoever is brave enough to take the hot seat will keep getting harder until Rangers find a way to break this destructive cycle.

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