“Two words,” said a furious Ibrox fan last night on one of their forums. “Not f@@@ing good enough.” And that just about summed it up for me.
This morning, the UK political media is convulsing itself with laughter as the memoirs of the shortest serving Prime Minister in the history of this nation goes on sale, and Truss attempts to explain away the utter disaster that was her reign of error.
She lasted just 50 days. That’s why Liz Truss’ book “Ten Years To Save The West” is already the subject of much mockery.
The publicity tour to promote it has been hilarious because you cannot listen to this woman and not recognise that she is off her nut.
Phillipe Clement has already lasted longer than 50 days. He is not yet approaching the point where he is racing against time versus a lettuce, but more and more he sounds like a complete cabbage.
Last night, in the aftermath of that disastrous result for his team, he praised the players, claimed he got the reaction he’d been looking for and said that Dundee had marked them so closely they even followed his players to the toilet.
Surely a joke … although Todd Cantwell probably believes it.
It’s clear though that this man, who actually swore during his presser on Tuesday and blamed the media for it because he is now too familiar with them (I am not making this up) has already gone past Van Bronckhorst style rambling and has entered Pedro Caixinha territory, or Liz Truss country to put it a different way. He sounds like someone starting to unspool.
Ibrox fan forums are divided on this subject; is this man losing his mind, or is he just saying what he has to in public to keep the dressing room sweet? Here’s the problem with that particular theory; if you’ve reached the point where you’re trying to bollock a room full of grown men, multimillionaires all, in an attempt to bully them into playing better, then the battle is already lost and what you say out in front of the cameras doesn’t matter a damn.
Much worse would be if he meant every word and was going into the dressing room and telling the players the self-same thing he’s telling the press; that Dundee “were lucky” and that this was just another off-day or freak occurrence. Is he mad enough to believe that? It doesn’t matter. Whatever he said to those players between the weekend and last night made no difference at all, and anyone who is still playing Fabio Silva deserves what he gets anyway.
I listened to Liz Truss being interviewed by Ian Dale the other day, as she ranted and raved, sounding like someone who had escaped from a secure hospital, and I thought that would surely be the barmiest thing I listened to this month. But I was wrong. Listening to Clement last night, I was struck by how normal Truss sounds when compared with him.
On Tuesday, he was asked about winning only two games from the last seven; he deflected and said it was a “poor use of statistics” because two games against Benfica were folded into that, as if it made him sound better by pointing out that he’d won only two league games in the last five.
Last night he was asked about his recent record and uttered the most bizarre words I have ever heard from a manager whose team is chasing the league; “Yes of course it’s a good reaction but I know for journalists and fans they’re sometimes only looking at results.”
Is there any other element which should matter in a close title race? Is there something more important than results? How else are journalists and fans supposed to judge the team at this stage, and especially when those results have been so stinking? In the space of weeks, they’ve lost to Motherwell and Ross County and drawn against Celtic and Dundee. Benfica have knocked them out of Europe in the same period. Their title challenge has crumbled to dust.
Standing on the sidelines last night, Clement looked a lot like a man who has jumped out of an airplane and only when he reached what the skydivers call terminal velocity discovered that he’d put on a backpack instead of a parachute. That man has no idea how to get them out of the trouble they are in, and you can see it on his face and hear it in his voice.
But worse, if you’re an Ibrox fan, is that like Truss he believes he’s getting everything right, that his judgement is unimpeachable, that he’s some kind of guru.
I talked the other day about his crazy press statements in relation to the run they are on; against Celtic they were brilliant, albeit only for 45 minutes. Ross County was an off-day. Motherwell was a freak occurrence … not only can he not give an iota of credit to the opposition, but he genuinely thinks he’s doing just fine and that his luck will turn.
Truss thought that it was people around her who failed because they didn’t hold their nerve in allowing her decisions to play out all the way. That Britain would have ended up the plaything of Chinese speculators and the IMF appears not to have dawned on her.
Clement thought that was a good performance last night, that they had plenty of chances to score, and that Dundee were lucky. “It’s not easy against a team who play man making all over the pitch and follow you…even if you go to the toilet,” he said, in the most bizarre managerial statement Scottish football has seen since Pedro was in town. Which is to say nothing for how odd it is to hear a manager complaining because his opposite number did his job.
But how many times have we pointed out that other than dead balls and long punts and lucky breaks in the game they just aren’t doing that well?
He talked about scoring three against Celtic; one of those was a penalty and another was a deflection. He talked about scoring two against Ross County; one of those was an own goal, and of course the other was a penalty … they didn’t get one of those last night and they’ve failed to put the ball in the net. Is the pattern starting to become clear?
He says he “still believes.” So does Liz Truss, and that’s the amazing thing. Crazy people do tend to believe their own delusions; there would be no problem otherwise, would there? But as I once wrote, if you live in fairytales, you always have to worry about dragons, and the dragon is not Celtic, it is the rabid element of the Ibrox support which thinks that any manager who fails them does so because he just doesn’t have the right cultural understanding of the club.
And that’s why this morning the fear and loathing is rolling off the forums in waves, and some of them are washing up on Clement’s doorstep for the first time, and this is just the start of it. I said a few months ago that everything changed for him the moment they went top of the league; before that he was the heroic leader who closed the gap … now he’s the guy who threw away a lead against a Celtic side which most of them thought was there for the taking.
Right now, they are still willing to give him some benefit of the doubt, but the doubt is there and it is growing. His Truss-like press conference in the aftermath of the game was frankly incredible and that has somehow scared them more than the result.
The fear is not misplaced. The loathing is directed at the players for now … but the man they call Big Phil will have it coming if he doesn’t sort this out. The thing is … I wonder if he even fully grasps that anything is wrong.
I think they might play better when they come to Parkhead. Why? Because none of their support will be there. If they do collapse, and l really do think that is a distinct possibility, then l think it will be more down to the fear of playing Celtic. They’re in bad form. We,ve seen them collapse more than a few times over the last dozen years or so. So it’s no surprise to us really. The only surprising thing to me is that the baying mob from Govan keep falling into the same Groundhog Day trap. This time will be different. But it never is. Maybe it’s because they are “Simply the second Best”?
Liz Truss? Hahahahaha. What an idiot of a woman. For me, the fact she even got to No 10 should tell everyone in Scotland that we must leave the UK. How BAD does it need to be before people twig?
Baldermort? Where do the huns dig these guys up? It’s like they sign up, put the cheap suit, club tie and brown brogues on then enter a completely different dimension. It really is uncanny, they are all crazy ape bonkers.
That our media don’t call them out for what they are (an embarrassment to Scottish football) tells me everything I need to know about how I should consume football related journalism.
In all the euphoria of Dundee’s draw last night, let’s not forget – they were denied a penalty from a clear and obvious handball which, if it had been committed by one of their players, would have been awarded. The pattern of assistance continues, regardless of results.
The BBC highlights make it out that they got a free kick outside the box instead.
Sevco the gift that keeps giving ha ha long may it continue hail! hail!.
Looks like the wheels are comin off the ‘juggernaut’. Clemmont sounded like he was tryin tae convince himself more than anythin wi that BS last night. Tho take nothin for granted. Still the same, 1 game at a time for us untill its done and hopefully with nae further injuries, it’s definitely in our hands.
Had to laugh at the end of the Dundee game James, all the huns screaming obscenities at their own players ..
New song, yer shiiittte fuck off …yer shiiittte fuck off.
Luv to hear it ..
The league is over , the rebels have won
HH FTH
He’ll soon have his own big padded room in the house in the hills ,and he can manage the nutjob 11 in the loonie league.
We have known for some time…probably since he appeared at Mordor, that big Clement Freud, would be another managerial, messianic prototype that they love and would back, to put us in our place.
One that can do no wrong in the eyes of the Sevconian hordes, and the majority of our Ibrokes cheerleading SMSM.
Until that is, things do start to go wrong. The only thing standing between Clement & Sevco, achieving their goals ( toppling Celtic,) are the bullshit stories he narrates, every time he’s in front of the media.
We all know how it ultimately plays out over at the Crumbledome, when results don’t go well. The process is starting again and the ‘loyal’ bears are very angry!!! It is hugely hilarious.
As for our club…a long way to go yet, but we are now firmly in the driving seat for this title. I’ve always maintained we would retain it, despite a lot of the negativity and poor press, that has surrounded us. I’ve also said that it would be one of the most satisfying, for the very same reasons.
Again, no more slip ups Celtic! Let us get this wrapped up, as quickly as we can, and enjoy a summer, of ( hopefully,) change and quality signings.
Whilst the bears wallow in their self pity and decide if big Phil, is indeed the man, who will take them to the promised land!!!
Immense article James. Can’t argue with a single word and very well written. I would hazard a guess that he will join Pedro, Van B, The Mooch in the dustbin of managers at Snake Mountain come the summer, though to be fair I think it is him that will chuck it. They have no money, almost all of the team have to go with the possible exceptions of Butland and the kid from Norn Iron.
Hail Hail and on to Fifty Four!
Carefull being too cocky. They could bring back Murty and they would go on a 254 game unbeaten run. Celtic ladies going top last night. Happy days.
Clement….the circus act is the perfect manager for Rangers, you couldn’t get abetter fit, he’s an arrogant entitled delusional gob*hite who has fully taken in the “we are the people” bollo*ks that his club and their rabid deranged supporters spout, the shots of them on the TV after the Ross County and Dundee games would lift your heart, shock, disbelief and bewilderment, quickly followed up by realisation, anger then unadulterated rage.When we win the title, this season won’t go down as a classic but the schadenfreude of the puddle drinkers turning on their own mob will last a very long time. HAIL HAIL.
Credit to BR also for the subtle way he applied pressure on them in his remarks after Saturday’s game. He said he preferred to have points in the bag and that he enjoyed this time of year when trophies were up for grabs.
Did rangers do a lap of honour after the Dundee game last night?……isn’t that what they do after a draw?
You beat me to it Stephen!
@ SMcD. They were sayin it was done after the 3 each draw tae ‘show everybody they were all in it together’. Didnae look like that at the end of the Ross C and last night’s games. They really don’t help theirselves dae rhey ?!
Another big mistake he made last night was stating that if they win there last 5 games of the league the fans will be happy.
I don’t think he comprehends the demand from that support is to win the league (& in there case at all costs.. literally)
I wonder if he thinks putting up a “good show” is enough to come back again next year
Big Lurch falls into the usual category of BRILLIANT coach, talks the talk for a while until the BS is too much to bare, then it’s torches and pitchforks.
GVB was there best since their inception but unfortunately he did not stick to the narrative and told too many home truths esp in Europe where he said they did not have the players or investment to compete. The board don’t like it when the paying customer are confronted with the facts.
When any new manager gets down to the finger pointing, made up narrative like we are seeing/hearing now from big Nosferatu then we recognise the pattern and know he won’t be around for long. Out of his depth big time, next it will be calling out the players who have let him down not the fact that his long ball tactics stink and he has some real crap picking up huge salaries going thru the motions. Lundstram comes to mind. Their midfield is rank rotten.
I blame the SFA their 12th man is letting the rangers down. Tav-pen should be awarded at least twice per game. Dundee didn’t get a player sent off, WTF SFA, dems the rules.
Good luck to the Bhoys versus the Dons. My daughter also has a gender reveal Saturday so could be a very nice weekend. HH
Your wrong about the players taking all the anger. On ibrox noise they have an article about how Mick Beale had a better record after this first 25 league games than their current manager lol
Hahaha that’s fabulous 🙂 I need to check that out!
now my friends is not the time for complacency ,as we can be sure the fiends , beaston and his knuckle crunching buddies will already have taken stock of the situation , and anyone who thinks otherwise is so innocent their not fit to be let out on their own .
they have not put their neck on the block or ” reputation ” on the line for it all to fail at the last hurdle , if beaston the whelk or dullas are left anywhere near a celtic matchs they will cost us points , just one game will cost us 3 points but two draws is 4 points , and it will be the unseen unacountable varman to do the deed in a penalty against us as , i hope brendan makes his concerns known , we have been here before when the old rangers put 6 past the dunfirmline club that gave up the ghost and cheated us on that last day of the season to win the league , i remember it bitterly as does the celtic side of the day , chris sutton to name but one , and believe me anyone who does not remember , they laughed at us and called us paranoid. i’v been watching loonstrum as far back as their last european match and for me he’s throw his hat at it . barasic is another , they know they are not to get rewarded with new contracts and share in the C L monies or celebrations they’v thrown the rattle out of the pram , that said we must be alert to the new plan being put in place to deny us the league by the MIB , it’s not over by a long shot ,
Haha that’s true enough mate.