Philippe Clement Sacked as Rangers Manager After 16 Months in Charge
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Rangers have sacked manager Philippe Clement after 16 months in charge, following a series of damaging back-to-back home defeats, including a humiliating Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Scottish Championship side Queen's Park and a 2-0 loss to St Mirren. The Belgian manager had been under extreme pressure since the Scottish Cup exit, and the latest defeat proved to be the final straw for the board. Clement departs Rangers at a time when the club is in talks about a multimillion-pound investment by a United States-led consortium, which includes Paraag Marathe, president of 49ers Enterprises and chairman of Leeds United.
Clement succeeded Michael Beale in October 2023 and led Rangers to the League Cup two months after his appointment. However, he was never able to recapture the promising form of his early months in the job, and the team has struggled badly on their travels this season, winning only five of their 13 away matches in the Premiership. Despite leading the club to the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face Fenerbahce next month, Clement vacates his position at Ibrox with Rangers well adrift of Celtic at the top of the league and set to end the season without a domestic trophy. The Scottish Premiership title seems out of reach, and the team's poor form has been a major concern for the fans and the board.
The club's chief executive, Patrick Stewart, had twice given his backing to the increasingly beleaguered manager, but the last two Ibrox results in effect signalled the end for the 50-year-old. Clement described Saturday's display in the 2-0 defeat by St Mirren as "by far the worst I've seen in all the time I've been here". The team's poor performances have been a major concern, and the board has decided to make a change in an attempt to turn the season around. The Europa League remains the team's only hope of a trophy, and they will face a tough test against Fenerbahce in the last 16 next month.
Here are the match scores that led to Clement's departure:
- Rangers 0, Queen's Park 1 (Scottish Cup)
- Rangers 0, St Mirren 2 (Scottish Premiership)
- Rangers 1, Dundee 1 (Scottish Premiership)
- Rangers 1, Hibernian 1 (Scottish Premiership)
- Rangers 1, Motherwell 1 (Scottish Premiership)
Rangers have struggled to replace key players who have left the club, and the squad has undergone significant changes in the summer. The team's lack of depth and quality has been exposed, and the new manager will have to work hard to rebuild the squad and restore the team's confidence. The fans will be hoping for a quick turnaround, but it will not be easy, and the team will have to work hard to achieve their goals. The club's future is uncertain, and the new manager will have to navigate the challenges of the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League to bring success back to Ibrox.
ranger clement manager scottish philippe sack cup mirren celtic premiership
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