Ibrox scrapes a win today and edges ever closer to its Hampden reckoning at Celtic’s hands.

One of the things that inevitably happens when individuals and institutions are not held to account is that they begin to act however they please. This is evident across all walks of life—from politics to entertainment to sport. The media is supposed to act as a check on this.

Instead, it often enables it.

The upcoming AGM at the Ibrox club should be a chance for fans who care about their club to hold it to account. It should also be an opportunity for the media, which is meant to scrutinise major institutions, to do the same. Yet, I already sense it’s going to be a whitewash. Some in the press appear determined to avoid the chaos that should follow if Ibrox’s issues are properly addressed.

The Ibrox club scraped a 1–0 win away against St. Johnstone, courtesy of an own goal. I watched the game, and it was one of the most dreadful 90 minutes I’ve ever had to endure. Truly awful. The contrast between the football on display there and the blistering, intelligent, movement-driven game Celtic played against Ross County yesterday couldn’t be starker. It wasn’t just a difference in appearance; it was a difference in substance.

This morning, a journalist—whose name I’m sure most of you can guess—actually suggested that Ibrox might win the Europa League this season. There’s little more that needs to be said about him. His article starts by admitting he has imaginary conversations in his head before posing a “what if?” scenario where Philippe Clement not only remains at Ibrox but wins silverware, including a European trophy. This isn’t journalism; it’s fantasy.

We’re now at the stage where the new CEO—who isn’t even starting until after the League Cup Final, presumably to avoid the fallout from that potential catastrophe—might feel justified in demanding apologies from those who think the manager should lose his job. The media coverage feels like a publication of the Philippe Clement Appreciation Society.

After today’s performance, I wonder how anyone could watch that game and believe they’re watching a Europa League winner in the making. From Thursday’s misplaced euphoria to today’s colossal letdown, it’s hard to see how even the most optimistic Ibrox supporters can maintain belief in their club after enduring that kind of football.

Yet, a couple of back-to-back wins—one in Europe and this away victory—will likely cause the media to ease off Clement in the run-up to the AGM. I already predicted it wouldn’t be the fiery affair it might have been, thanks to the European win. But based on today’s showing, this is not a club moving forward. They’re stumbling toward the League Cup Final, and for many fans, it must feel like standing in front of an onrushing train. The notion they might get something from that game—let alone win it—feels absurd, so far removed from reality that some probably wish it was already over.

Even those hacks waxing lyrical about Europa Leagues and Clement bucking the odds must know, deep down, how unlikely it is that he’ll still be in the job come January. For now, though, Clement has bought himself another week. They still have a huge game to navigate on Wednesday night, but for the moment, he can talk about “signs of progress” and other such nonsense. It’s all easier when you have three points in the bag.

But in truth, this is just one more week closer to the final, one more week where they could sack him but won’t. Despite what some in the press might fantasise, they’re not turning a corner. They’re edging ever closer to rock bottom.