I’m sure Patrick Stewart has got a stack of jobs sitting in his in-tray needing addressed.
But the new Rangers CEO needs to set them aside for the next few days and focus on finding Philippe Clement a new centre-back … and quick. Because there is absolutely no doubt that is the No1 priority at Ibrox heading into next week’s Old Firm clash.
Rangers were already skating on thin ice when it came to fit defenders after yet another flurry of winter knocks. So to see Leon Balogun pull up at St Mirren the other night as he joined John Souttar and Nana Kasanwirjo on the crocks list was a huge blow just a week out from that January 2 showdown with Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic. The defeat in Paisley was bad enough as it derailed the positive steps taken by Clement’s side over the past six weeks. But it could have more painful repercussions if big Leon fails to recover in time for the derby.
The squad was already down to the bare bones at the back as it was, so finding some fresh cover is now an imperative. The clock is ticking rapidly towards Celtic’s trip across the city. They don’t have time to waste, so Stewart and sporting director Nils Koppen are going to have to get their heads together and work out a way to recruit a new defender as soon as the window opens on the 1st.
Clement will know the dangers of failing to do so. He was forced to throw Dujon Sterling and Robin Propper together in Paisley the other night and paid a price as the unfamiliar pairing were undone at the death.
I’m a big fan of Sterling and thought he did well against Saints until that late slip - but that’s the sort of thing that happens when you are forced to cobble a partnership together at the last minute. I’ve seen it suggested that Clement should look to recall Ben Davies from Birmingham. He’s certainly having a decent run down there at St Andrews and is playing well.
But there’s a potential for Rangers to earn some cash from that arrangement so I can’t see him being invited back. Koppen and Clement will have to look elsewhere for reinforcements but it has to happen now because the team is just one more injury away from a defensive nightmare.
To be honest, the prospects for the remainder of the campaign are already looking grim now that Clement’s side have slipped 12 points adrift of Celtic. As someone born and raised as a Rangers fan, I’ll never concede defeat to anyone until it is signed and sealed. But things are looking bleak on the title race front.
There was a huge incentive to get through this week’s trips to St Mirren and Fir Park unscathed. If they could win both of those it would have set Rangers up with the chance to run out in front of 50000 home fans in the Ne’er Day game and look to slash the gap back to six points.
If they’d managed that, then you really could have said the title race was back on. But we’re a long way off that now. Even a victory over Rodgers’ team when they visit Ibrox is unlikely to panic Celtic too much. It’s a huge missed opportunity and Clement has every right to be frustrated with the way his team approached that first 45 minutes against the Buddies.
It was a first-half wasted. I’ve been in the game long enough to know you’re not going to play well in every single game. But showing energy and desire has to be the bare minimum. Too many times this season, Rangers have started games with those qualities lacking.
Rangers have played 29 games this season. In 15 of them, Clement has had to make half-time substitutions - more than half. Obviously some of those have been enforced by injury. But others, like Boxing Day, were because the men starting failed to do the basics. Clement said he could have made as many as nine changes and he was right.
The way the team approached that first period is just not acceptable. The performance was much improved after Nedim Bajrami and Connor Barron were replaced by Nico Raskin and Danilo ahead of the second half starting. But by then Gers were playing catch up and found themselves suffering a late sucker punch as Caolan Boyd-Munce grabbed a stoppage-time winner.
There was no stopping that strike but fingers are certainly being pointed at Jack Butland for his part in the opener.
Listen, it was a rush of blood from the keeper as he clattered into Greg Kiltie. It was a clear penalty and gave Oisin Smyth a shot at stroking home the opener.
But I have every faith the big man will bounce back. I know Jack well from our time together at Birmingham and I know what kind of character he is. He’s had criticism from some quarters this term and he won’t enjoy that. He’ll be gutted with his part in the defeat, angry even. He’s the same man that I used to train alongside so I know his way of reacting will be to double down and work even harder to make amends next week.
Hard graft is going to be required from everybody over the remaining weeks of the season because there’s no doubt there is a long hard slog required to turn around this campaign. In the meantime, Stewart is going to have to work around the clock to find the stopper Clement needs in the door by the Hogmanay Bells.
