'Very Damaging' - Pundit issues 'Huge' Clement exit verdict at Rangers after Kilmarnock loss

Philippe Clement is now under “huge pressure” at Rangers after his side were beaten at Kilmarnock to lose more ground on the top two, says Ross McCormack.

The ex-Ibrox striker told the Scottish Football Podcast (21 October) that the 1-0 loss at Rugby Park was “very damaging” and it already looks like there is “a long way back” now for the Light Blues in the title race.

Celtic and Aberdeen had drawn at Parkhead on 19 October to open the door for the Gers to close the gap on both, but a dismal performance saw Marley Watkins score a late winner and ramp up major questions around the direction of travel under Clement.

McCormack said (7m 20s): “He’s got to be under huge pressure. I mean if you go back to the end of last season they were favourites to win the league, they were ahead, and they blew it. It’s as simple as that.

“The start to the season hasn’t been great. Okay they’re in the Europa League but it’s not been ideal… Celtic have got an identity, a set way of playing. I don’t see anything like that with Rangers.

“Pushing [James] Tavernier forward to right midfield, that doesn’t suit him at all. Tavernier’s much better when he’s got grass in front of him, coming onto the game, not when you give him the ball and he’s got someone up his backside, it’s a completely different position.

“So it just looks as if when it’s not going well the manager just wants to put square pegs in round holes.”

Rangers blow shot to close on Celtic and Aberdeen

A 1-0 loss at Rugby Park in October might not be the most significant of results on paper but it could end up being a sliding doors moment for Clement and Rangers.

Since the miserable 3-0 Old Firm derby defeat on 1 September the domestic results have all been victories, and had that been followed by another against Derek McInnes’ side it could have been interpreted as growth.

With the door left open by the top two after they each dropped their first points of the campaign there would be reason to be hopeful if the gap had been closed to three.

But to actually lose ground across the weekend instead, with the performance as limp as any so far this term puts everything that came before into a far more negative context, since any momentum has been lost and a few Scottish wins did not prove to be a signal of more to come.

The players absolutely must shoulder some of the blame for how they have performed so far this season, and the general management of a club which has a temporary chairman and not much else in place is a million miles from the ideal scenario for any manager.

But it is impossible for Clement not to be in the spotlight as well when his team is not showing signs of moving in the right direction, not least when it has regressed hugely since his opening months in charge.

The Belgian provided a major boost when he took over from Michael Beale a year ago but at this stage it is generally in question whether they might now be worse than under the Englishman, which is a damning assessment.

Whether the club could even make another managerial change for the fourth year running if they wanted to has to be in doubt, but Clement is giving those who believe he wasn’t the right man to back with a contract extension this summer way too much ammunition right now.

In other Rangers news, key conditions are currently in place for the Light Blues to make a high-profile signing.

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