Fear And Loathing And Phillipe Clement: A Leadership Crisis in the Making

I’ve got to hand it to Graham Falk. His knack for spinning narratives is impressive, almost as if he’s penning a bestseller rather than reporting on sports. His recent piece on “unity” at Ibrox was so wildly imaginative it took me by surprise, and that’s no easy feat given the media landscape we’re in.

Take his opening line, for instance:

“Cringey, or unifying? There will be those who feel that (the Ibrox) players standing in a line, arm in arm, celebrating Saturday’s meek 2-0 win over St Johnstone with the Union Bears was very much the latter. But then the same was said of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who did the exact same thing following a dire 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion in the early throws of his Anfield reign – and they did alright, didn’t they?”

Yes, he really did attempt to draw a parallel between this Ibrox team, which benefited from yet another controversial officiating decision at the weekend, and Klopp’s Liverpool side, which went on to win both the Premier League and the Champions League. Now, if that isn’t inspired fiction, I don’t know what is. But Falk didn’t stop there.

“In the face of adversity, the fans have continued to show up regardless. Linking arms and toasting an underwhelming win against St Johnstone won’t put extra money into the transfer kitty, and it won’t see them suddenly gain parity with a far superior Celtic side, but it could draw a line in the sand between fans and players. Things have been fractured between the pair in recent months, but their moment together was a touching one. Sometimes a symbolic gesture of ‘we’re in this together’ is all that is needed in order to gain momentum.”

A touching moment. A single victory over a bottom-six team. And yet Falk talks about “momentum” as if that alone could turn the tide.

But what is this nonsense about fans “continuing to show up regardless”?

They couldn’t fill Hampden for a Champions League match when millions were on the line, and the attendance for yesterday’s game was even more embarrassing. What in God’s name is this guy talking about? These same fans booed the team off at half-time. They staged a demonstration in the car park before the game even started. And if they don’t beat Ross County at the weekend, these supporters will be threatening to tear Ibrox down brick by brick.

But Falk, and hacks like him, are missing the point.

The supposed “unity” they’re praising is just a mirage, a paper-thin attempt to cover up the real issues at Ibrox. The situation is a mess, and no amount of PR about touching moments will change the harsh realities that Philippe Clement is facing.

Let’s talk about the transfer window. We all know what Celtic needs to do in the remaining days, and while we’ve been frustrated by the lack of movement, at least we’ve got the funds to make things happen. If we sell Matt O’Riley to Brighton, after their latest offer, we could even push the boat out further and bring in some serious quality.

But across the city, they’re skint. Instead of focusing on strengthening the squad, the priority at Ibrox is to offload players to free up wages. In short, they’re conducting a fire sale. Everyone is available, and a number of players must go before they can bring anyone new in.

Take Ianis Hagi, for instance. He’s languishing in the reserves because starting him one more time triggers a £6,000-a-week pay rise. But while he’s on the books, he’s already earning a fortune and contributing nothing. He’s playing for the B team, and it’s impossible to see how they’ll get anything significant for him since everyone knows his situation here.

But it won’t take much to pry him away, given the club’s desperation.

As absurd as the Hagi situation is, it’s even crazier when you consider what’s happening with Todd Cantwell. For all his flaws, Cantwell is undeniably talented. Yet Clement has sidelined him, making him train alone and not even putting him in the shop window by playing him for the B team.

Instead, he persists with Tom Lawrence in the first team, even though Cantwell is arguably a better player. It’s clear that Cantwell and Clement don’t get along. It’s hard to imagine a manager being exposed to a player like Cantwell and not being frustrated by his attitude. But freezing him out entirely? That’s just bad leadership.

No one in the Celtic camp has any sympathy for Cantwell or for Ibrox. But even we can see that isolating a player like him, instead of showcasing him to attract bids before the window closes, is madness. He’s an asset—maybe not on the pitch, but certainly on the balance sheet. Treating him like a non-entity only devalues that asset.

If Cantwell is still at Ibrox when the window shuts, how can Clement continue to ostracise him? The only scenario that would make sense is if they’re planning to pay off his contract and let him leave for free. But that would be financially damaging too.

What’s the alternative? The manager has tried to talk him around, but if Cantwell insists he wants out, their relationship is beyond repair. No one in the media or the stands is going to buy any story about a change of heart after the window closes. And no club will offer much for a player who’s been branded a troublemaker and sidelined.

Clement has put himself in an impossible position.

He can’t plead poverty to the board while keeping one of their most talented players out in the cold. The directors will see right through that. But how can he back down without losing face? If he lets Cantwell back in the dressing room, his credibility is shot.

Every club has players they want to move on. Celtic has been through this situation with Daniel Kelly, and Brendan Rodgers has handled that situation with professionalism. Kelly is still in training, he’s still playing for the B side, and is likely to sign for Millwall soon. That’s how you manage the situation. Rodgers made it clear that he wasn’t going to be considered for the first team, but he didn’t throw him to the wolves either.

Kelly’s contract was up shortly. Cantwell has three years left on his contract.

They can’t leave him sitting in the reserves for that long, especially not when they’re still playing Tom Lawrence in his place. The longer this drags on, the more questions will be asked by the supporters and the board. What’s Clement’s long-term plan? How does he intend to resolve this without causing more damage?

If they don’t find a buyer for Cantwell in the next ten days, someone in a position of responsibility at Ibrox—perhaps John Bennett—will have to step in and tell Clement to sort it out.

Other managers have coped with players who wanted to leave without resorting to dumping them in the reserves. Clement’s handling of this situation reeks of ego and poor leadership. He doesn’t like being contradicted, and he doesn’t like being told no. When Cantwell refused to stay, Clement put him in Siberia. That’s tenable if you can shift him soon … but they can’t.

But here’s the thing; Clement can’t afford to be seen as weak. He can’t bring Cantwell back into the fold after taking such a public stand. If he does, his authority is finished.

It’s hard to make sense of what’s happening at Ibrox. The club has admitted to its own fans that it needs to make sales to bring in improvements, and yet they’re mishandling the players they want to sell. If they don’t bring in some new faces, they stand no chance of keeping pace with Celtic.

Clement is stuck. He can’t go to the board on the basis that he has a poor squad where they are short of cover and ask for more money while freezing out a guy like this. The directors won’t be sympathetic to a manager who’s made his own job harder by alienating assets. But how can he change course now without looking like a fool?

If Cantwell stays, Clement will have to reintegrate him, or face the consequences of his own stubbornness. Other clubs manage to keep players who want out without turning it into a crisis. Clement needs to show that he can do the same, or he risks losing control of the dressing room.

If Cantwell is refusing to play, that’s a different matter. But if it’s just a clash of egos, Clement needs to find a way to manage it, and it’s no exaggeration to say that his standing within the club might hinge on the decision he makes.

Cantwell and Hagi have become the poster boys for his shambolic squad management at Ibrox. These two players, for all their flaws, are still more skilled than some of the others currently taking up space in the squad. And yet they’re being treated as outcasts while less talented players like Rabbi Matondo and Scott Wright continue to play regularly.

Then there’s James Tavernier, the club captain, who knows his armband was offered to Jack Butland during that period when the club expected bids for him from Saudi Arabia.

Tavernier is aware that he’s no longer seen as crucial to Clement’s plans, yet he’s still there, still playing, still being called the captain.

And what about Butland himself?

This is the ultimate contradiction in Clement’s stand-off with Cantwell. Butland asked for a transfer at the end of last season, just like Cantwell did. But he’s worth too much to junk, and no other club is interested in paying the mad fee that Ibrox wants.

So, he’s staying put, for now, and isn’t being punished for wanting away.

Clement is trying to prove that he’s a strong leader, but in doing so, he’s only highlighting his weaknesses. His mismanagement of Cantwell shows up who he is.

The rot has set in at Ibrox, and unless something changes soon, it’s going to spread. The cracks are showing, and no amount of PR about “unity” can hide that.