Rangers are searching for a new manager after sacking Philippe Clement – but where did it all go wrong for the Belgian?
The 50-year-old took charge at Ibrox in October 2023, with the Gers seven points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Fast forward a few months and Clement’s side had amassed an unbeaten run of 16 matches followed by another stint lasting 14 games, moving Rangers level on points with their rivals having played one game fewer. Those unbeaten runs also saw the club win the League Cup for the first time in over a decade and progress to the Europa League last 16.
However, that campaign ultimately ended in disappointment as the team missed out on the top-flight title and, with Rangers failing to mount a serious Premiership challenge this time around while suffering cup humiliation, Clement has been dismissed.
He is the fifth shortest-serving manager in Rangers’ 152-year history – so what were the defining moments of his time in Glasgow?
December 17, 2023 – Rangers win the League Cup with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen at Hampden
James Tavernier scored the only goal of the game as Rangers claimed their first League Cup win since 2011, with the team greeted by thousands of jubilant supporters back at Ibrox. After the game Clement said it was his job to keep everyone’s feet on the ground but insisted his team was “growing”.
December 30, 2023 – Clement loses his first game to Celtic
Highlights of Celtic’s 2-1 win over Rangers last season
The Belgian’s unbeaten record as Rangers boss was brought to an end when his 10-player side lost 2-1 to their Old Firm rivals at Parkhead. Clement questioned the officials in defeat but also lamented poor finishing – it would not be the last time he would do so.
March 2, 2024 – Motherwell win at Ibrox for first time since 1997
What felt like a crucial midweek win at Kilmarnock was undone in the very next fixture with a surprise defeat at home to Motherwell – the Steelmen’s first at Ibrox in nearly 30 years. Celtic passed up the chance to capitalise the following day with defeat at Hearts but this was arguably where the wheels started coming off for Clement.
April 14, 2024 – Ross County beat Rangers for first time
Highlights as Rangers lost 3-2 at Ross County last season
Clement’s side dropped four points behind Celtic with a pitiful second-half showing against Ross County in Dingwall to hand the initiative to their Old Firm rivals. Rangers followed this up with a goalless draw at Dundee the following midweek as their title aspirations imploded.
May 25, 2024 – Last-gasp Celtic winner seals Scottish Cup
In what was becoming an all-too-familiar story for Clement, Celtic again ran out winners against Rangers, this time with a 90th-minute winner from Adam Idah. In truth, Rangers were much better and felt aggrieved to have Abdallah Sima’s goal ruled out by VAR but it was another winless Old Firm encounter for Clement.
August 13, 2024 – Rangers knocked out of Champions League qualifying
Rangers went into their Champions League third-round qualifying second leg against Dynamo Kyiv already at a disadvantage as rebuilding works at Ibrox forced a move to Hampden. It was not the venue but some questionable officiating that ultimately put paid to Rangers’ Champions League hopes, however, as Jefte was harshly red-carded before the visitors scored twice to complete a 3-1 aggregate win.
September 1 – Celtic hammer Rangers to lay down title marker
Celtic thrashed Rangers in the opening Old Firm clash of this season
A summer of turmoil on and off the park was brought to a head in the east end of Glasgow as Celtic brushed Rangers aside again. Clement had been tasked with slashing the wage bill over the summer and the squad downsizing was on full display here as Celtic made light work of the Belgian’s team.
It was Clement’s fifth failed attempt to beat Celtic.
Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd was scathing of his old side after the match, claiming no Rangers players would get into the Celtic team: “It’s about time people realise this isn’t going anywhere fast. That was embarrassing from Rangers.”
October 30, 2024 – Rangers fall nine points behind Aberdeen
Rangers found themselves nine points behind Aberdeen and leaders Celtic after defeat at Pittodrie
Rangers fans had unfurled banners protesting the running of the club against Kilmarnock and St Mirren and a 2-1 loss to Aberdeen served to incense them further. Another defensive calamity and lack of competent finishing cost Clement’s side as Aberdeen moved nine points clear of Rangers before Halloween.
Clement’s post-match comments where he claimed: “I think this is one of our better performances until now, this season, with the new squad,” did nothing to placate Boyd, who said it was time for the Belgian to go.
“He needs to go now. Aberdeen are everything Rangers aren’t. There is no way this can continue at Rangers and somebody needs to get a grip of it. From top to bottom right now, Rangers are leaderless. I don’t care what anybody says, they are leaderless.”
November 23, 2024 – Rangers booed off after Dundee United struggles
Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Dundee United
Rangers weren’t just booed off the pitch as they turned in an insipid performance against Dundee United – jeers were audible throughout the match as fans vented their frustration. It wasn’t just the points dropped that drew the fans’ ire – but the manner of the display.
Clement’s side were consistently turning in pitiful showings with little or no cutting edge, combined with shaky defensive moments. United boss Jim Goodwin even had a pre-match plan to “create some nervous tension” and use the Rangers fans to their advantage at Ibrox, highlighting just how detached supporters had become from the squad.
This 1-1 draw kept Rangers third and further intensified pressure on the Belgian manager.
December 26, 2024 – Rangers return to normality in St Mirren loss
Watch highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between St Mirren and Rangers
An upturn in performances since that Dundee United debacle at Ibrox a month previously had seen Rangers put a decent run of results together. Clement felt hard done by in a League Cup final defeat to Celtic and said his team should have beaten Tottenham in the Europa League.
But that upturn wasn’t to last long. A comfortable win over Dundee before Christmas was followed up by another sluggish performance at St Mirren. Clement made changes to his starting line-up and was forced into substitutions at half time again in a bid to try and rescue the game with his side 1-0 down.
They thought they had at least earned a point before Caolan Boyd-Munce snatched victory in stoppage time for the hosts, halting any sort of momentum heading into the new year.
December 29, 2024 – Things go from bad to worse at Fir Park
Highlights of the Scottish Premiership game between Motherwell and Rangers
A defeat to St Mirren on Boxing Day was bad enough but to follow that up with anything other than a strong performance and comfortable win over Motherwell three days later would be completely unacceptable for Rangers.
An unexpected starting line-up yielded expected results with Motherwell 2-0 ahead at half-time against a much-changed Rangers, as the visitors turned in another shambolic 45-minute display to rival the first half in Paisley three days previous.
A double from Hamza Igamane rescued a draw for Rangers but left them trailing Celtic by 14 points going into the New Year Old Firm clash, with Clement struggling to explain the return to trite performances and results that had pushed him to the brink once again.
February 9, 2024 – Ibrox stunned at Queen’s Park humiliation
Seb Drozd celebrates after giving Queen’s Park a shock lead against Rangers
January had been a relatively successful month for Clement after starting the new year with a dominant 3-0 victory over Celtic – the Belgian’s first (and, ultimately, only) Old Firm win. Draws at Hibernian and Dundee were par for the course in a season which has been derailed by the side’s away form but Rangers did secure a top-eight finish in the Europa League group stages, which seemed to temporarily temper domestic frustrations.
However, any credit Clement may have had in the bank was completely wiped out when Championship side Queen’s Park dumped Rangers out of the Scottish Cup the following month in one of the competition’s biggest-ever upsets. James Tavernier missed a 97th-minute penalty to seal Rangers’ fate in a 1-0 defeat, which left the home crowd calling once again for the manager to go.
Asked if he would consider his position after the match, Clement was defiant: “No, totally not. No, I don’t expect this (talks with board) because you can put another manager in this game – would it be different in that sense? So what was yesterday? Progression was made, top eight in Europe and more consistency in the league and all these things, they don’t change in 90 minutes. I understand that the fans are in emotions now. I know a lot of fans were on my side three hours ago. I know that.”
February 22, 2024 – Clement accepts the board have a decision to make after St Mirren loss
Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and St Mirren
Clement was offered a stay of execution by CEO Patrick Stewart 10 days after that Queen’s Park humiliation, where he re-iterated his belief that Rangers’ troubles in recent years were not down to one manager and that sacking the 50-year-old would simply be repeating “mistakes of the past”.
Things changed with another defeat at Ibrox, however, when St Mirren brushed an insipid Rangers aside to record their first win in Govan since 1991 and back-to-back victories over the Gers for the first time since 1979/80.
Clement had spent the previous day insisting that he was not worried about his role with the news that American investors were in talks with Rangers over a multi-million-pound takeover of the club.
However, he looked visibly downbeat after the 2-0 defeat and any hint of defiance in his post-match interviews had seemingly evaporated: “Those are things the board needs to decide. I believe I can get results with these players. But I am also very disappointed with what we showed today – and I am responsible for that. It was by far the worst performance from my time here.”
