“It’s done. It’s over to Patrick Stewart now. This can’t continue, it’s impossible.”
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd pulled no punches in his Sky Sports post-match verdict as Clement again insisted his side will return, regroup and recover.
The Belgian boss also reiterated this is a new, young squad, hampered by injuries.
The latter cannot be doubted – though Dundee have 10 first-team players out themselves – but Clement has now been assembling his team for over a year.
Growing pains are no longer an excuse.
So what, if any, progress has been made during Clement’s reign?
He had a hold on one piece of silverware in the League Cup but lost that last month in the controversial final defeat by Celtic.
When he took over in October 2023, Rangers’ city rivals were seven points clear.
At this point last season, the destination of the trophy was still a doubt. This January, Celtic Park has already been punched into the satnav.
Yes, Clement finally defeated Celtic on 2 January at Ibrox but, since then, he’s seen his side drop four points. One step forward, two steps back.
“You can talk about progress, there’s none,” Boyd fumed. “You absolutely destroyed Celtic a week ago, and you’re struggling for confidence?
“There were no confidence struggles going into the Celtic game. It can’t just be a one-off.”
