Keith Jackson has put the boot into Phil Clement- even questioning why he has fallen out with Todd Cantwell with the TikTok influencer dropped from the first team squad.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of football knows that Cantwell brings nothing to the squad or team, that is why no-one other than Micky Beale was interested in the midfielder when Norwich made it known that they were desperate to get rid of Cantwell in January 2023. No dressing room in the UK would go near the former Norwich starlet.
Six months ago Jackson and his Daily Record colleagues were falling over each other to praise A Proper Football Manager. For back up they published Dave King’s concerns that Clement would be head-hunted by Manchester United, Bayern Munich or Liverpool.
Last weekend Clement broke rank by revealing that he had different expectations of what his transfer budget would be like when he discussed taking over from Micky Beale.
From that session with three reports in Holland it emerged that Clement was prepared to sell all of his players except the £30-40m rated Super Jack Butland. He warned that more signings were needed to qualify for the Champions League with Abdalah Sima out of his price range despite a successful loan last season at Ibrox.
David Edgar of Heart & Hand was summoned to put context on those comments, Stevie Clifford of Four Lads highlighted the fact that Clement had spent £11m on players with no-one sold as the Bordroom fired back at their manager.
Kris Boyd stirred the pot on Friday night with his concerns that Clement might quit the job, this morning Jackson has been summoned with a huge target for blame painted over A Proper Football Manager.
Clement made a sharp exit from Murray field on Saturday ‘to attend a wedding reception in Belgium’ which is certainly a novel excuse for someone wanting to avoid scrutiny after a dire performance and result.
Firing the blame back at Clement, Jackson tells Daily Record readers:
For a start, manager Philippe Clement has already clicked into self-preservation mode.
By insisting that he’s been blindsided by the lack of funds available to him this summer, the Belgian hasn’t just kicked a can down the road – he’s volleyed it straight into the boardroom and ramped up the heat on those inside.
That might protect his own reputation and safeguard his relationship with the fans. But it smacks of a wider sense of dysfunctionality and makes Clement look like a man getting his excuses in early.
And yet, almost ten full months into the job, it is still unclear as to what exactly Clement is doing to arrest the decline of his side. There’s certainly no sign of an identity or even a suggestion of his preferred style of play.
Jackson adds:
If nothing much has changed tactically or stylistically between then and now, then questions should be asked of Clement’s own vision for this team. Although, with rumours circulating that his name is in the frame to become the next Belgium national boss, perhaps he might not stick around long enough to answer any of them.
He could also be invited to explain exactly what the problem is between himself and the most talented attacking player in his dressing room as, from the outside looking in, it appears very much like Todd Cantwell’s days will be numbered for as long as Clement remains in position.
Why hasn’t Clement managed to get the best out of the Englishman and why does it feel as if the pair have been constantly at loggerheads since the start? While we’re at it, why is a creator of Cantwell’s quality being pushed to one side when Scott Wright and Rabbi Matondo are the ones left to pick up the slack?
Also, now that Clement is just 12 days away from curtain up in Edinburgh, is the manager really still convinced that he shouldn’t have thrown the kitchen sink at signing Lawrence Shankland from Hearts during the January transfer window?
Did he realise at that point that Rangers couldn’t come up with the cash to strike a deal – or, in fact, did he have misgivings over Shankland’s energy levels and ability to trigger a high-tempo press from the front? Because if Clement truly believed that his team was better equipped to win the title with Cyriel Dessers leading the line, then his judgement is fatally flawed.
Of course, it’s never too late for a change of heart and there’s even time for Clement to reconsider his position on Shankland before the season begins.
Another new autumn manager should be able to get the traditional bounce out of a very well squad of players that have perfected the art of being serial losers with James Tavernier and Connor Goldson heading up the Leadership Group. Others might dub it as a Self Preservation Society.
Alex Rae was brought in as an insurance policy when Beale got binned early last season and knows the script to keep some supporters onside with the board.
With Clement and the Ibrox board both setting out their excuses and blaming each other the stage is set for a dramatic start to the season with unhappy bears rehoused to Hampden.
The Champions League Third Round draw is made later this morning, the August fixture list looks daunting with the opening shots in the blame game fired with both sides not short of ammunition.
Whoever the next manager is he’ll have to deal with the long term contracts of Tavernier, Goldson, Cantwell, Ben Davies, Rabi Matondo, Ridvan Yilmaz, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Kieran Dowell.
CLICK HERE for the many faces of James Succulent Traynor.
CLICK HERE for Ibrox closure announcement.
The dramatic interview where Clement reveals that his expectations have changed since the October negotiations to take over from Beale.
