Pep Guardiola name-dropped in Rangers manager address as defiant Clement hits back at stinging personal abuse
Angry Rangers fans have called for Philippe Clement’s resignation after the club’s shock Scottish Cup exit last weekend
Philippe Clement has confessed that stinging abuse directed at him from a small section of Rangers supporters has hurt but the defiant Ibrox boss insist he remains fully committed to fighting for the club.
The increasing pressure on the Belgian’s shoulders has skyrocketed in the wake of the Light Blues’ ‘devastating’ Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Championship side Queen’s Park last weekend.
A video clip went viral on social media post-match showing one furious fan overstepping the mark by targeting Clement with some foul-mouthed personal abuse as he left the stadium last Sunday as calls for him to resign ramped up from the angry Ibrox faithful.
While admitting he understood fans’ fury, Clement cited Stuart Kettlewell’s recent decision to leave Motherwell as a prime example of how such intense criticism can have an adverse affect on managers as he fielded a host of tough questions on Friday over his long-term prospects in the hot seat.
Clement - who also fronted up to talks with CEO Patrick Stewart after the shock cup defeat - will put himself back in the firing line in Edinburgh on Sunday as Rangers looking to return to winning ways against Hearts at Tynecastle. And he still retain belief that he can get supporters back onside with a string of positive results, starting in Gorgie.
“It’s been a long week, after a defeat like that you want a game as fast as possible to react and do the right things,” Clement said. “We need to react after an unacceptable defeat. It is about picking up the team again and correcting the mistakes we made.
“I spoke with Patrick (Stewart) after the game as I do after every game. Not one manager in the world has guarantees, maybe Guardiola at Man City after all the success he had during a long spell there. So, that is part of football, we spoke about Sunday’s result.
“It was a big blow to get that result. It is unacceptable, we are all devastated and sick about that but now we need to react in a positive way.
“Abuse from fans hurts, of course. What I like most about this job is to achieve things with people all together. We have had some amazing moments of synergy with the fans and amazing evenings at Ibrox, big European games, winning a trophy together, so those are all good moments.
“Sunday was clearly a bad moment. I saw the video (of the abuse), I didn’t know at the time that someone was recording a video, and someone was shouting at me. But there were also children there asking for autographs, so for them I stopped.
“I understand the frustrations of people, it’s difficult for me to say where the line is (regarding abuse) because it was something personal. We had a few weeks ago a manager (Stuart Kettlewell) thinking a line was crossed and for that reason he stopped.
“But I am still here and I want to fight for this club, I want to get the results that we had in the weeks before and to continue developing this team and making it better.
“We don’t want to have any more results like Queen’s Park again. I know how great this place can be if you have success so I have hunger and I desire to have all of that. My determination, day and night, is to make this story better and get that consistency over longer periods and have good performances every three days, because that is what the fans expect.
“I am still excited by this squad, how it can evolve and how good these players can be, because I see a lot of potential in that. But it’s about getting the right results just now, and I know that, I have had some great moments with these fans, I know they are not happy right now about this season and about going out of the cup but I want them to know that I am going to do everything I can and everything in my ability to make things better.”