Rangers trail Celtic and Aberdeen by nine points in the Scottish Premiership title race; Philippe Clement's side have suffered back-to-back away defeats in the league after losing 2-1 to the Dons at Pittodrie; Clement took charge at Ibrox in October 2023 and signed a new deal in August
Thursday 14 November 2024 10:14, UK
"He needs to go now. Aberdeen are everything Rangers aren't."
Kris Boyd has had enough of Philippe Clement's "excuses" as he called for another managerial change at Ibrox in a bid to salvage their season.
Rangers' 2-1 defeat at Pittodrie leaves them trailing Aberdeen and Celtic by nine points after just 10 games of this Scottish Premiership campaign.
Former Gers striker Boyd, who won two league titles with the club, was furious after watching them slump to back-to-back away defeats.
"There is no way this can continue at Rangers and somebody needs to get a grip of it," he said on Sky Sports.
"He now needs to go - if there is progression, you can cut him some slack, but eight of today's 11 were already at the football club before he arrived, that is not progression.
"There's problems at Rangers that need to get fixed. Take nothing away from Aberdeen, by the way, they deserve their victory and are, by far, a better team than Rangers.
"Better manager than Rangers, better recruitment than Rangers, better team than Rangers right now. Rangers need to get sorted out.
"It is just excuses. The results are all that matters. They have lost three of their opening 10 and drawn one, it is not good enough."
The Ibrox club saw 16 players depart in the summer, with 11 new faces joining the squad.
Clement made no secret of a rebuild required at the club, as he was tasked with cutting wages, the squad size and building a team that could challenge at the top of the table.
However, Boyd believes things are going backwards.
"There are loads there that are absolutely miles off it. From top to bottom right now, Rangers are leaderless. I don't care what anybody says, they are leaderless.
"He's [Clement] realised 'there's nobody above me to question me'. Nils Koppen [director of football recruitment] can't be totally immune to criticism here because this is on him as well, the two of them. The recruitment has been diabolical once again.
"Aberdeen have recruited a team with £2m and don't forget they have sold their best player. They have built this team with £2m and they are miles ahead of this Rangers team in terms of a structure, even a work ethic to go and play.
"People tell me Rangers are cost-cutting, they have spent over £10m and they have downgraded in every single position.
"I don't care what anybody says, they have downgraded in every position, and they get what's coming to them.
"In terms of the budget, blame cutbacks all you want. There is still money being spent. [Mohamed] Diomande cost over £4 million. Jefte £1 million. [Oscar] Cortes they need to buy who we've hardly seen. [Hamza] Igamane £1.7 million. [Robin] Propper £1.5 million. [Nedim] Bajrami £3.4 million. The list goes on. There is no way this can continue at Rangers and somebody needs to get a grip on it."
Speaking on Sky Sports, former Celtic player Chris Sutton added: "They are a rotten watch. All season they have been, even the games they've won. You can't kid fans.
"They went in so deep with Philippe Clement, this is where the problem lies
"Rangers fans will be enraged. Not only are they being embarrassed by Celtic this season - Aberdeen too! They hate Aberdeen. They're embarrassing them.
"I think Rangers need to make the change and make it as soon as possible and have a new voice in. But I don't think it's easy - they let him get his own way at the start of the season. He should never have signed a new contract."
Rangers are currently searching for a new CEO and permanent chairman, with a further boardroom departure to come.
Interim chair John Gilligan is currently helping run the club and told Sky Sports News in an exclusive interview last month that Clement would be backed - even if results were not improving.
At that stage, the Gers were five behind their rivals - but that gap has almost doubled.
"It's been difficult for the manager and it would be silly to think otherwise. Putting my supporter's hat on, the word 'patience' is not something football supporters are very good at, but I would ask the fans to be patient.
"The manager has brought in some good, exciting young players. He's trying to take the age of the squad down, trying to get the trading model correct and I think this is the moment where we hopefully back the manager.
"I'll put myself on the line here and say we are backing this manager. This man has made a lot of changes in the background, we're starting to see that coming and we just look forward to the weeks and months ahead."
