Philippe Clement faces Rangers sack next week as new claim made

Bill Leckie has suggested Philippe Clement could be sacked if Rangers lose to Aberdeen next week.

The Gers have fallen six points behind Celtic and Aberdeen at the top of the Scottish Premiership after a late winner courtesy of Marley Watkins secured a shock 1-0 defeat at Rugby Park at the weekend.

Leckie provided his verdict on the loss in his column for The Scottish Sun [20 October], saying that Rangers may be forced to pull the trigger on Clement should the club fall further behind in the SPFL.

He wrote: “A week on Wednesday, he and the rag-tag gang who were badgered into defeat by Killie go to Pittodrie to face an Aberdeen side who were magnificent in clawing out a 2-2 draw at Parkhead on Saturday.

“Lose that one and they could be a minimum of nine points off second place with ten games gone.

And if that happens, even the tea lady could make the decision that would need to be made.”

Philippe Clement is fighting for his life at Rangers

Rangers are in serious trouble in the SPFL. For Clement, there are no excuses for failing to beat Kilmarnock on the weekend.

If the Belgian was not already under pressure at Ibrox, he certainly will be now as he faces a defining period in the next week to save his Rangers future with crucial fixtures ahead in the league and Europa League.

The league campaign is all but confirmed to be a resounding failure for the Gers – a six-point gap to Celtic is going to be extremely tough to bridge, never mind also having Aberdeen to contend with.

Aberdeen have emerged as a surprise package and Clement faces the risk of finishing third in a two-horse race.

The excellent work of Jimmy Thelin at Pittodrie shows a side doesn’t need the riches of Celtic to mount a serious challenge for their SPFL crown.

Rangers must find a way to make the best of their situation and, while the Europa League is not the European competition the side had hoped to compete in this year, it is much more fitting to where the side currently is.

The match against Steaua Bucuresti at Ibrox on Thursday [24 October] is the perfect opportunity to return to winning ways and has now become a must-win match after the loss on the weekend.