Next Rangers manager odds: Ibrox chief drops clue over Clement's future as leading candidate makes position clear
Philippe Clement is facing fresh calls to be sacked as Rangers manager once again after a humiliating Scottish Cup exit
Rangers boss Philippe Clement finds himself under increasing scrutiny as his clings onto his job for grim life after Sunday’s humiliating Scottish Cup exit against lower league opposition.
The Belgian watched his men crash out of the competition to Championship side Queen’s Park at the fifth round stage then faced questions over whether he will resign from his post in the aftermath.
It leaves the Light Blues on the verge of a trophyless campaign, with the club currently trailing rivals Celtic by 13 points in the Premiership title race, having already lost out on the Premier Sports Cup at Hampden.
New Rangers chairman Fraser Thornton appeared alongside CEO Patrick Stewart in a hospitality lounge last month to throw their support behind Clement in a leaked video clip and the former has dropped a major clue that the hierarchy will continue to stick by their man after playing down speculation that they would do the “easy thing” and part ways with the 50-year-old.
He stated: “Of course we all know that results have been simply nowhere near good enough. It’s undeniable and well understood. I have to say home has been okay but away is horrendous. Honestly, the easy thing to do would be just to say ‘let’s change the manager and move on’.
“But you know if you really sit back and reflect on it a little bit and you say it’s actually season upon season upon season that the results haven’t been good enough. It’s 10 years. It’s not even one or two years. It’s ten. It’s a decade of underperformance that we’ve got.
“We haven’t managed to have a team that’s been capable of winning week, in week out and challenging domestically. It’s a decade. So it’s not just a managerial thing - there are many other issues at play. And with that in mind and under Patrick’s expert guidance we said ‘Look, we need to take a long hard look at our footballing actives but actually all of our activities, but first of all our football activities, hence the operational review that we announced. So that’s the rationale and the context behind this.”
A list of candidates to succeed Clement has already been drawn up by the bookies and one name that has been consistently touted with a move to Glasgow in recent months is Shanghai Port boss Kevin Muscat, who lost out on the job to Clement back in November 2023 after being interviewed for the post.
Muscat, who has enjoyed managerial success on the other side of the world with the likes of Melbourne Victory and Yokohama F. Marinos in recent years, has made his position clear on his future amid revived links.
He initially signed a one-year contract in Shanghai with several outlets in China reporting the club held an option to extend his £1.6m-per-year deal by a further 12 months. Ahead of the new Chinese Super League season, it appears Muscat remains fully focused on the task in hand at his current club.
Speaking to Australian radio show ‘The Rush Hour’, Muscat hinted that he would be content to stay in China. He said: “The first time the club have finished with a double in the league and cup, in the same season. So things are going really good.”
But who is the new favourite to be named as the next Rangers manager if the Belgian is to be axed from the Ibrox hotseat in the coming days? Here, BonusCodeBets has provided the latest updated odds*
*Odds are subject to change at any time, please gamble responsibly.
Next Rangers manager:
- Steven Gerrard - 7/4
- Russell Martin - 9/4
- Sean Dyche - 5/2
- David Martindale - 11/4
- Derek McInnes - 3/1
- Kevin Muscat - 5/1
- Rob Edwards - 7/1
- Wayne Rooney - 12/1
- John Terry - 16/1
- Paul Ince - 25/1