Before his night of great irony, I got a glimpse into the Rangers abyss as Clement infuriates the locals – Hugh Keevins

The Belgian must understand you can lose a dressing room but you cannot lose a city

It is a textbook example of unfortunate timing as well as the height of irony.

Rangers’ manager Philippe Clement is scheduled to hold a club-organised question-and-answer session for charitable purposes on Tuesday night in the aftermath of his fifth Old Firm derby without a win. The irony being that the event comes at a time when the answers he has given to the questions about losing to Celtic last Sunday have already outraged the Ibrox support. Pre-publicity for the fans gathering states that Clement will, among other topics, discuss his: “Aspirations for this season.”

I would have thought, under current circumstances, the manager’s first target on a personal basis would have been to remain in work for the duration of the league championship. If Celtic had won by the margin they should have done last weekend – and doubled their 3-0 win to a watershed scoreline with far-reaching consequences – Clement’s employment prospects would have been left hanging by a thread.

There are embarrassments that preclude any hope of survival – and that could have been one of them. You can lose a dressing room and still have a defiant hope of survival.

But if you lose a city, then you’re done for and nothing will save you. The green half of Glasgow is laughing at Clement and the blue half has been plunged into a state of acute depression because of him.

Some of the callers to the radio since last weekend’s events at Celtic Park have provided stunning soundbites. One fan said he didn’t know: “How much more I can take.”

Another disillusioned supporter declared himself to be in the “depths of despair”. And yet another victim of remorse, gripped by a need for recrimination, summed up Rangers as being in a “dark abyss”. It is the Five Stages of Grief for a tortured support.

● DENIAL. No attempt. A full disclosure of suffering.

● ANGER. Fans outside Ibrox waiting for the players’ return from Celtic Park ticked that box.

● BARGAINING. About what? With whom?

● DEPRESSION. Check.

● ACCEPTANCE. For now, but attitudes will harden further if things get worse.

I wrote here, following the exit from the Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv at Hampden, that Rangers’ situation was worse than the events surrounding administration and liquidation in 2012 because there was now emotional, as opposed to financial, bankruptcy. I would say I have been proved to be correct.

The majority of fans are growing distant from those who govern the club, pick the team and wear the jersey. Accusations of capitulation on the park, alleged maladministration off it.

I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to put £20million of your own money into what is presently an ailing football club, but I know it must speak volumes for the love of Rangers felt by Ibrox chairman John Bennett. He is not, however, confronted by the onerous task of trying to bring sustainability to the club’s business model while dealing with an inescapable decline on the field.

Rangers’ next game is at Tannadice, where they won Nine-in-a-row, and gained immortality in 1997. When they go there next Sunday it is about salvaging credibility in the eyes of a support who have started to lose belief in the team and the manager.

When Walter Smith beat Dundee United that pre-Millennium night it was about Gough and Laudrup. Now it’s about cough and splutter.

The symptoms of anxiety are evident among a less-distinguished group of players and the fans aren’t buying dance routines after a cup win over St Johnstone or verbal gymnastics designed to camouflage a going-over from Celtic. The supporters must be feeling as if the world is out to get them at present.

Rangers at home to St. Johnstone on a Sunday could hardly be described as box office at the best of times. But when the SPFL re-arrange the kick-off for a time when parents are putting their kids to bed for school the following day what attraction the fixture did have in the first place suffers a commercial blow.

Likewise, if anything went wrong when Rangers were in temporary residence at the National Stadium, the default setting was in place to reference the lack of atmosphere there. Clement’s side had better be careful when they play Dundee in the Premier Sports Cup at Ibrox in front of three operational stands later this month that default does not simply become their fault in the event of mishap.

Whoever Rangers are playing, wherever and whenever, it is time for them to do their talking on the park. Sometimes a cliche is a comfort as well as being instructive.

“In Pain”: Celtic hero makes fun of Kris Boyd after he loses his mind over Rangers’ defeat on Sky Sports

Rangers losing 3-0 at Celtic left Kris Boyd “in pain” and his fellow pundits searching for a therapist for him, according to Stiliyan Petrov.

The former Hoops midfielder mocked the ex-Gers striker in response to a fan on X (2 September) after being alongside him in the Sky Sports studio at Parkhead the day before.

Boyd raged at the deficiencies on display on the pitch and the running of the club off it after the result which left Philippe Clement five points adrift of Brendan Rodgers already, and Petrov admitted it was “hectic” in the studio.

He wrote: “Nothing to add on. He was in pain. I left him to get his frustration and anger out.”

He then added, referring to himself and James McFadden: “We were googling for a good phycological [sic] mentor to calm him down. It was hectic in the studio”.

Philippe Clement goes another Old Firm derby without Rangers win

Boyd spoke for plenty of Gers supporters when he took aim at how far off their Old Firm rivals they have slipped since winning the title under Steven Gerrard.

Philippe Clement has now gone five games without a victory over Celtic and the team appears to have gone backwards since it threw away the title last term.

The sad truth for the Light Blues is that Petrov, Chris Sutton and company can afford to sit back and enjoy themselves while Boyd is left furious.

A position of strength three years ago has been well and truly squandered now and it is an uphill battle once again.

What Tanner Tessmann has been told about his future at Venezia after summer link to Celtic

One player who Brendan Rodgers was believed to be interested in this summer appears to be leaving his club as Celtic looks to bolster their roster.

Tanner Tessman was linked to Celtic this summer after his July transfer to Inter Milan collapsed due to unsatisfactory negotiations with his agency.

At the time, Turin, Parma, Como, Brentford, and Celtic were rumoured to be interested in the American, but there have been no updates since.

But according to general director Filippo Antonelli of Venezia, who made comments about the 22-year-old midfielder this week, he is no longer in the Serie A team’s future plans.

“Out of the Venezia project” is Tessmann.
Although Tessmann is no longer in Venezia’s plans for this season, Antonelli assured Il Gazzetinno that he will continue to practice with the first squad.

Football Scotland reports that the midfield player has been informed he is not eligible for selection for the upcoming season, possibly as a result of the rumours around his future.

“Tessmann is out of the Venezia project,” declared Antonelli. Please try to appreciate that this has been a challenging week. I apologise especially to the gamer for the predicament he found himself in. He is not currently on Di Francesco’s list of available players, but it is entirely up to him to make that decision.

He trains with the rest of the team, of course, but right now he is not there in terms of his brain. Our way of thinking does not change in Serie A.

“We would rather have players that are fervently committed to our goal and immensely motivated to play with the Venezia shirt. It would be preferable to take someone else if not.

A US youth might present Celtic with a choice.
Tessmann made his debut in the 7-0 thumping of Trinidad back in February 2021. He has received two caps for the United States.

At the Stade d’…, Tanner Tessmann attempts a shot during the Men’s group A match between the United States and New Zealand at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Andrea Vilchez/ISI/Getty Images image
This summer, he participated in four Olympic games for the United States in Paris and advanced to the quarterfinals.

But with his future at Venezia in jeopardy, does Rodgers think the young player could provide the quality he needs to get ready for the Champions League?

Since the Celtic manager signed Paulo Bernardo this summer, you would have to assume not, but it is a move that should be carefully monitored as the adaptable Tessmann now appears to be headed out.