The undermining of Clement continues as Ibrox’s biggest shareholder weighs in.

It’s remarkable, isn’t it? Here I am again, writing about the Ibrox ex-chairman and convicted tax dodger, Dave King. And yet, I find myself going back to his recent statement because I missed something crucial in it the first time around.

It’s not often that I overlook something so significant, but in my defence, it wasn’t something he said. It was what he didn’t say that now stands out, and my attention has recently been drawn to it.

A few readers emailed me after my last piece on King, pointing out a very important omission. He lavished praise on Tavernier and spoke warmly of John Bennett, the chairman, but he didn’t utter a single word—not one—in support of the manager.

That omission is interesting, and when you look at it in the context of everything else he said, it becomes even more significant. I can’t believe I didn’t catch it the first time.

So, let’s break down King’s statement in more detail.

These are the key parts, and I’ve made sure not to exclude anything that might change the meaning or provide extra context. I’ve combed through it several times, and it’s clear: not a mention of the manager. Not even a hint of support for Clement.

There’s one section I want to highlight first:

“We all judge player performance—that is part of being an emotional supporter. We wish slower players to be faster, we wish less creative players to be more creative, etc. Ultimately, it is the balancing of many factors that creates a successful team.”

Now, maybe it’s just me, but that reads like a thinly veiled critique of the coaching. I think that implication is definitely there, and it becomes even clearer when you consider what follows next:

“That is why player recruitment should assess multiple aspects, inter alia, the player’s technical ability, temperament, character (very important at Ibrox), leadership, and team compatibility. Different skill sets are required to ensure a balance in any successful team. Any player signed (here) must assume that he passed that standard and thereafter must perform in accordance with his abilities and the manager’s instructions for any given game. Individual players cannot be held accountable if the combined result of recruitment and team preparation results in poor performance.”

Within this statement, the criticism of the manager isn’t just implied—it’s glaringly obvious. It’s right there in black and white:

Do not hold individual players responsible if the coaching and recruitment aren’t up to standard. That line about “team preparation” is clearly a jab at the manager and his staff. Coming from a guy with King’s profile and background at the club that is extraordinary. It’s an enormous public expression of doubt about the coaching staff’s competence.

The focus of King’s statement is on Tavernier and the players, particularly the captain, as I noted in my previous article. The players weren’t the only ones criticised by fans; Bennett, the chairman, was also targeted, but King’s statement had kind words for him.

Clement, however, got nothing. He’s been taking flak on the forums for a while and is under pressure in the media, yet King didn’t offer a single word of support.

When you add to this King’s constant fawning over Gerrard and Souness’s recent comments about wanting to hire Frank Lampard, you start to see that the undermining of the manager isn’t limited to a few hacks, some fans on the forums, or a couple of ex-players. This issue runs deeper. Senior figures connected to the club are also making it clear—loudly and repeatedly—that there were other, better options. And King, with his not-so-subtle suggestion that the manager is to blame for much of the current mess, is right there with them.

This statement also criticises Clement’s judgment in the transfer market, too, because that reference to recruitment isn’t in there for nothing. If you assume Clement had the final say on player acquisitions, then this isn’t just implied criticism; it’s a blatant attack on the type of players he’s brought in. That point becomes even more pertinent when you think about the January transfer window.

Clement’s signings in that window were suspect, to say the least. Everyone knew there were key areas of the team that needed strengthening, and he failed to address them. We said at the time that their transfer window had gone even worse than ours, as they too failed to shore up crucial parts of their squad.

King is clearly up to something. That man never says anything without an agenda.

There’s always an angle he’s working, some advantage he’s seeking.

But what could he possibly gain from sowing chaos at the club right now?

Presumably, the same thing he wanted last time he was on the outside, stirring up trouble. He wants to be the man on the inside again, the one sitting in the big chair. Although he isn’t openly undermining John Bennett, he’s certainly positioning himself as the guy with a plan. He won’t say what that plan is, but he’s not talking about “self-inflicted wounds” just to hear his own voice. This is the language of a man who thinks he could do better.

As I said before, that club has a unique knack for getting itself into a mess, and the events of the past week have been extraordinary even by their standards.

I can’t recall a time when an Ibrox manager was under fire from so many directions. But King’s intervention is by far the most damaging. More damaging than anything Cantwell might say, more damaging than any agent playing games on behalf of Hagi, more damaging than all the undermining from people like John Souttar and the whispers behind the scenes.

Because this is not some ex-pro on Radio Clyde, or some overweight hack doing a hatchet job because he’s frustrated by the 3-0 hammering they just took from us and is worried about the future. This isn’t some fan-site offering a critique or some guys on a blog or podcast having their say.

This is the former chairman of the club and its largest individual shareholder casting doubt on the manager’s ability to both coach the players and identify and sign talent, and that means Clement’s position is far more precarious than we might have realised.

The man is on football manager death row.