Chris Sutton has produced an outstanding attack on Phil Clement while most in the media pack hedge their bets and deflect to incredible lengths away from calling for the sacking of the Belgian Beale.
Sutton has been on duty for Sky Sports at Easter Road and Dens Park over the last week.
Kris Boyd and Neil McCann have been avoiding the obvious conclusion- even when the loyal bears are chanting ‘Clement, Clement, Get Tae F**k’ in the background.
All sorts of excuses have been trotted out for Clement with the entire media pack well aware that sacking and paying off the manager and his coaching staff is beyond the finances of their favourite club.
Football budgets have been slashed at Ibrox but the legacy deals that Cyriel Dessers, Danilo, Tom Lawrence, Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo are on is eye-watering for almost no contribution.
There won’t be many players at Celtic with wages on a par with James Tavernier and Jack Butland who have amassed a grand total of four winners medals between them during their lucrative time at Ibrox.
Despite the cuts being enforced and rebranded as a rebuild Clement has far greater resources to call on that St Mirren, Motherwell, Hibs and Dundee.
A year ago he was being fawned over as A Proper Football Manager but as usual it falls on Sutton to publish what others are thinking and afraid to speak out about over another flop in the Ibrox dug-out.
In the Daily Record Sutton calls him out with:
It almost defies belief he’s still in a job given the likes of Gio van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale were binned for a lot less. Celtic have been superb but to be 15 points behind in January is just embarrassing.
The Belgian waffle is getting worse every week. It’s excuse after laughable excuse. Clement had the brass neck to talk about injury problems the other night when Dundee had 10 players out – including arguably their best player in Lyall Cameron.
Tony Docherty had two goalkeepers on his bench and others who had school the next day. Clement had some cheek and his sly digs at Celtic’s budget are another joke.
He can’t moan about Celtic’s resources when he can’t get results against teams who have a fraction of the money he has.
You wonder how on earth it’s been allowed to get this far and new chief executive Patrick Stewart will have some tough questions
to answer. Is Clement still in position because Rangers can’t afford to sack him? At what point do they get to the conclusion they can’t afford to keep him? Celtic are strong right now, on and off the pitch, but that’s nothing to do with not being able to deal with the rest.
Clement’s job was to rid Rangers of the loser mentality that’s riddled the club for years. Yet he’s only made it worse. This is a team that can raise their game when the stakes are low, they can turn it on when they are underdogs and there are few expectations. But the rest of the time they fall woefully short.
The rest of the country had a giggle at the minor falling-out at Celtic last week but Rangers fans must be close to revolting. Worse still, they are in danger of slumping into total apathy.
None of Sutton’s Sky Sports colleagues would dare to use language like that, some elderly Record readers might be offended by it but they are going to find out the truth one way or another.
On December 23 Keith Jackson was getting slightly excited by a mini-slump at Celtic which might revive Clement’s title challenge.
There is more chance of sales of the Daily Record soaring up above 50,000 than Clement putting together a title challenge but as ever it is the hope that kills the Gullible & Deluded.
The Sun are reporting that Paddy Stewart will finally address the media for the first time with 11am Saturday the moment for the new CEO to show his authority.
If he is afraid to sack Clement the former Manchester United low-achiever will become central to the problems at Ibrox with both the Rangers Supporters Association and Union Bears calling for the manager to be sacked.
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by Valentine's day massacre
Big Sutton is highly critical of big Pip Clem -on in his daily Record piece ,unlike the scoops who are employed by the Kharzi roll rag ! It’s the all soft , fluffy pal’s act treatment from wee Scotty ..Gav …big Andy … Inaction and Frase who are still wearing welder ‘s goggles and ear buds towards the omnishambles of Monsieur Philipe’ s tenure . Ranch hand’s come to mind !