Clement 'will do well' to avoid Rangers sack after cup shocker as pundit names when 'panic button' was smashed

A pair of pundits reckon the heat is on Philippe Clement after a dispiriting loss to Queen’s Park.

The Spiders pulled off an almighty Scottish Cup shock at the last 16 stage as they beat Clement’s side 1-0 at Ibrox. His job as manager at Rangers has been under pressure at times this campaign amid up and down domestic form that even a top eight run in the league phase of the Europa League has been able to bank credit for him. That chat is rising rapidly towards the top of the debate circles again.

Rangers hero Alan Hutton and former Premiership midfielder Marvin Bartley were on Premier Sports Cup punditry duty for the game. Hutton reckons that Clement has the minerals to survive this but there is no getting away from the heating being cranked up through the demand for results as soon as possible.

There was also a moment where panic set in. Hutton said: "The result is terrible for Rangers as a club.

“There is no getting away from that fact. The gap in the league, losing the League Cup, now this - the one shining light is the European performances. I have always said it's going to be an up and down season - he speaks about a rebuild but how long are we going to speak about a rebuild? One season, two seasons - it is what it is.

“That wasn't good enough. It's quite as simple as that. He talks about the substitutes - I think Bailey Rice has to stay on for the 90 minutes, learn from it. He has hit the panic button at half-time and decided I need to get Raskin on, I need to get Dessers on and I need to win the game.

“I still believe, though, they will stick with him. I think they believe the rinse and repeat of changing managers has to stop at some stage, so I do believe they will stick with him. But I do believe it's a results driven business, and at this moment in time that's not good enough."

Bartley meanwhile stepped it up a notch and reckons Clement will be glad to keep his job in the aftermath of this clash. He added: “He will do well to (keep his job). You cannot lose to Queen's Park.

“I am not being disrespectful, you cannot be a Rangers manager and lose at home to Queen's Park and get knocked out of the cup when for me it's the last chance of winning a trophy.

“The players will take some responsibility but ultimately it's the manager who is forced out of clubs when things aren't going right. The fans are absolutely raging today, and rightly so."