The Ibrox CEO hunt is over. They can start the search for the next one now.

If you want a summation of everything that is wrong with the Scottish sporting mainstream media today, you only have to listen to Jim White this morning on TalkSport, and you’ll understand where the problem lies.

The Ibrox club has just announced its new CEO.

Earlier, I wrote about their incoming chairman—or the guy widely tipped to be their incoming chairman—and his so-called political experience, which is why his hiring is being hailed as some kind of masterstroke. In actual fact, his political experience amounts to giving money to the Tory Party and getting a peerage from Boris Johnson.

But even more ridiculous is the praise being poured on Patrick Stewart, their new CEO.

Let me tell you the facts. The media is touting him as some sort of strategic thinker and genius. This is because he was the CEO at Manchester United. Except he wasn’t. He was the interim CEO at Manchester United—for about five minutes. He was appointed as a temporary stand-in during a difficult takeover period.

Making sweeping judgments based on interim appointments is ludicrous. Let me explain something about interim roles. Celtic has made interim appointments before. For example, John Kennedy was an interim manager at Celtic Park for a spell.

He had no chance whatsoever of getting the job on a permanent basis, and when he’s been for job interviews since, at no point would his CV boast about being the interim Celtic boss. Why? Because to all intents and purposes, he was—and remains—an assistant. Nobody judges him on his brief time as a stand-in manager.

The same applies to Ibrox’s interim managers: Kenny McDowall, Graeme Murty, Jimmy Nicholl, and Steven Davis, all of whom have held the role in the past seven years. So forgive me if the idea that Stewart was interim CEO at Manchester United doesn’t exactly fill me with dread that they’ve landed some heavyweight figure.

In reality, he’s a lawyer and a backroom administrator. Those types can work in certain roles. Michael Nicholson at Celtic Park, for instance, is regarded as competent.

He’s not a front-facing guy; he prefers to stay behind the scenes and has never given a press interview. Some of us have issues with that, but at the end of the day, is he effective? Yes. Still, it’s a scaled-down version of the job Peter Lawwell did because some of his responsibilities have been devolved to Chris Mackay and others to Paul Tisdale.

Stewart had no executive experience in a role of this size, and we shouldn’t treat him as if he does. The idea that his interim time at Manchester United is being spun as impressive is part of the media’s ongoing nonsense.

Already, people like Jim White are showering him with praise. And what’s the source of Jim White’s excitement? Ibrox insiders have told him this is a big, exciting announcement. That’s it. That’s the story. The people who hired Stewart are briefing the media that he’s a good hire. Is that news? Is that worthy of parroting? Should journalists be repeating that, or should they be scrutinising what this guy has actually done?

Stewart is a competent administrator, and that’s all. He’s not a visionary thinker. He’s not a broad strategic mind. He’s not bringing in any new investment. Over the coming days, you’ll hear all sorts of excitement about deals he was supposedly involved in at Manchester United. But here’s the reality: as a lawyer, he checked over the small print of deals negotiated by the commercial department before they were signed off by the actual CEOs.

And let’s be clear: if you’re part of the executive at Manchester United—one of the world’s biggest football brands—it would be stranger not to have been involved in some major deals. But only a small number of people are responsible for the commercial success or failure of a club that size.

The media won’t be looking at Manchester United’s record over the past decade, which is hardly flattering. This is a club that’s had everything from ludicrous vanity signings, like the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, to a parade of mediocre managers, each spending fortunes and then getting fired. Its performances in the domestic league have been middling at best, and the stands are regularly hostile towards the owners.

Not a single major issue at Ibrox will be solved by this appointment. They now have a figurehead to make decisions—which will be handy since the interim chairman, John Gilligan, was actually on holiday this weekend as the club crisis deepened; talk about fiddling whilst Rome burns.

And yes, let’s note again the word “interim.” Gilligan, too, is a placeholder, which is why there’s been so much talk about his limited authority. He may not even have the power to fire anyone at the club. Interim roles don’t carry much weight.

So, they’ve hired a CEO. Good for them. They’ve nabbed someone from the Premier League, so he’ll at least know his way around the basics. But if Stewart is smart, his first act should be to back Philippe Clement, guarantee the manager time, and tell the fans that they’re building something long-term. He should stand up to the anger in the stands and commit to stability.

But I suspect that’s beyond anyone at Ibrox right now. His first major act is likely to be firing the manager and going on another hunt for a new one. It’ll be a repeat of the chaos he witnessed at Manchester United, where short-term thinking ruled the day. His priority will likely be to appease the fans with a blood sacrifice, rather than standing firm.

For a few days, Stewart will be hailed as a hero. He’ll do the media rounds, talk about stability, and project an image of progress. But as he compiles a shortlist for Clement’s replacement, he’ll be sowing yet more instability.

Meanwhile, the same board that hired Stewart will avoid scrutiny. This is the same group that hired Koppen, Bisgrove, and Clement. Stewart is just the latest figurehead brought in to create the illusion that they know what they’re doing. And as long as people like Jim White are happy to carry their water, they’ll get away with it—for now.