Marvin Bartley paints a picture of an Ibrox dressing room on the edge of self-destruction.

Regular readers will know that I’ve never been a fan of Radio Clyde. It’s not that I actively avoid it, but I tend to keep a vague awareness of what’s happening on it—mostly through second-hand reports. So, when I read yesterday that Marvin Bartley, one of their regulars, claimed live on air that he’s heard from inside the Ibrox dressing room that some players believe they’ll outlast the manager, it was one of those moments where I wished I’d tuned in.

Because, let’s be honest, that’s an extraordinary claim.

It’s the sort of revelation that puts the Ibrox situation in its full context and leaves the manager himself in a truly terrible place. That’s exactly the sort of dressing room secret which clubs pray stays that way. Bartley has done them no favours here.

He also says this is one of the reasons the club extended the manager’s contract—to give him peace of mind and to bring stability to the club. But, when a team has to do that just to calm speculation, when they feel the need to protect the manager from his own players, you really have to wonder: isn’t the game already up for him?

It’s glaringly obvious this is a manager in a world of trouble.

A claim like Bartley’s edges them closer to a scenario where the dressing room refuses to play for him. If there are players who believe they’ll outlast the gaffer, it’s not a stretch to imagine they might speed up the process. If they suspect he’s clinging on by his fingernails, are we really far from a situation where they simply don’t want to put in the effort anymore?

Bartley’s not speculating here, this is the thing. He’s not floating a theory. He’s saying outright that this is what he’s heard, straight from inside the dressing room. That’s massive. It’s a colossal development, and it should set alarm bells ringing all across that club. If players genuinely think they can outlast the manager, how far are we from seeing a team that’s given up entirely? You only have to look back to situations in the past where this kind of dressing-room discontent led to managers being shown the door, and Ibrox doesn’t seem to be far from that at all.

I’m not going to speculate on who these players might be, but we can safely assume they’re senior figures in the squad. And let’s not kid ourselves—there have already been rumours of senior players at Ibrox who don’t exactly hold the manager in high regard. They’re not breaking their backs for him. We also know player power played a part in getting Hagi back into the first team. His return wasn’t down to the manager’s choice; it was his teammates who pushed for it. That speaks volumes.

When your decisions are being swayed by players, fans, and higher-ups alike, you’ve lost control. In Hagi’s case, it was all three groups putting pressure on the manager, and that he bowed down to it is, as this blog pointed out, a glaring sign of weakness. Once you show that kind of vulnerability, it’s nearly impossible to regain control. Bartley’s claims are another hammer blow to a support already staggering from a series of them. But, truthfully, it’s not going to shock many, because most of them have already written this manager off.

As I pointed out last night, he was teetering on the edge regardless of these reports. But news that sections of the dressing room want him gone? That’s not going to reignite the fans’ enthusiasm. It could push them closer to revolt.

This story also smashes the ridiculous narrative spun by Peter Martin recently, which I highlighted on this site. He suggested that the manager signed a deal that makes it easier to sack him. But if Clement went to the board fearing that elements of his own dressing room were turning against him, why on earth would he agree to a deal that would make it easier for them to send him packing?

Nobody in their right mind would do that. And whatever else we might think of Clement—arrogant, tactically naïve, poor man-manager—he’s not stupid. His agent would have strapped him to his desk before letting him sign such an agreement. Yet, somehow, parts of the media still spin these outlandish tales, never ceasing to amaze with how wrong they can be.

Bartley’s revelation cuts through all that noise. It paints a clear picture of a manager under siege from within, a dressing room fracturing, and a club in turmoil. The only question left is how long it takes for the inevitable to unfold.