Rangers ‘stick to plan’ with Clement after ‘disastrous’ cup exit

Rangers ‘ decision to keep manager Philippe Clement despite the “disastrous” Scottish Cup loss to Queen’s Park is about “the long-term interests of the club, not to save money”, according to chief executive Patrick Stewart.

Clement was put under more pressure after losing to championship rivals at Ibrox, with Rangers also falling 13 points behind Celtic in the Premiership.

Rangers have, however, reached the last 16 in the Europa League, another reason cited by Stewart for sticking with the Belgian.

In a club media interview, Stewart said: “We have been underperforming for several seasons now and that’s not down to a manager. The manager has been changed, but nothing has changed.

It’s like trying to repair a broken house by starting with the ceiling rather than the foundations until we sort the root causes.

Stewart added: “I’m not here to make popular decisions and get quick wins. I don’t want to make the same mistakes as I did in the past.

When Stewart asked if Clement’s removal is a result of the club’s finances, Stewart responded that was “absolutely not the case.”

“I’ve said consistently that we are not refusing to make changes because of finances”, he said.

It is a false economy to keep someone avoiding a termination payment. That’s not a way to run a club.

” Decisions have been made for the long-term interests of the club, not to save money.

Since taking over as manager in the middle of December, Stewart has been conducting an internal review at the club.

He said, “That role will place someone at the top of the football tree.” “They will be responsible for the men, women, academy, medical and performance and recruitment”.

Nils Koppen, the current technical director, has “performed really strongly in player recruitment,” Stewart said, adding that he will be responsible for “squad planning” for both the men and women at Ibrox.

The chief executive once more stated that the chief executive’s goal is to “make sure we get the foundation stones correct.”

He added: “It’s going to be tough, but, if we do the right things in the right order, I’m confident we will get there.