BIG PHIL'S FLAGGING

CEO watching on ahead of another tricky away trip

WITH every day and each passing game, it does feel as if we're moving rapidly towards the crux of the matter where Philippe Clement's rocky relationship with Rangers is concerned.

So, when he takes his team to Tayside tonight, there will be very little left in the way of wriggle room for a man who has been battling to hold onto his credibility for most of these last 12 months, which must be beginning to feel like an eternity.

He went into 2024 on the back of a beating from Celtic. He started 2025 by notching up his first-ever win against Brendan Rodgers' side, albeit at the seventh attempt in 12 months.

That rampant 3-0 victory came largely out of the blue but, on the back of a titanic Premier Sports Cup Final tussle at Hampden last month, it was just about enough to steady Clement's ship heading into the second half of a tumultuous campaign.

But it was followed up by two further dropped points: at Easter Road and further confirmation that the accident-prone Belgian can't be trusted to keep his hands on the wheel whenever he takes his team on its domestic travels.