Some would argue it should not have taken this long for Rangers to finally pull the trigger on their completely beleaguered manager Philippe Clement. Two weeks ago, Championship outfit Queen’s Park came to Ibrox and became the first team from outside Scotland’s top flight to win a Scottish Cup tie against them there. Against the backdrop of trailing Celtic heavily in the Premiership and spluttering form away from home against the rest of the league, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back for the fans. It was another team in black-and-white that broke the camel’s back for the board after St Mirren won 2-0 at Ibrox on Saturday. Amid serious talk of takeover from America and a Europa League tie against Fenerbahce, Rangers’ current hierarchy wanted to hobble on until March. Clement has done his best work on the continent but there was no more goodwill from upstairs. Board talks on Saturday evening and Sunday made it clear that Clement had run out of credit. The truth is that the 50-year-old Belgian had been using an overdraft, brokered by a successful January whereby he presided over a win against Celtic and qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League. But losing consecutively at home to Queen’s Park and then St Mirren (for the first time since 1991) were steps too far. One wonders whether there will be an element of relief for Clement, who looked like a haunted man when trying to explain to the media on Saturday evening that he could turn Rangers around. The ex-Monaco and Club Brugge boss has spent the past fortnuight answering questions as to why he is still in post. As he pointed out after losing to St Mirren, that was a poser for the board to discuss. They have decided - at some financial cost - that this cannot go on. Chief executive Patrick Stewart and chairman Fraser Thornton are only just in the door, yet they are fronting up for the previous regime’s decision to give Clement and his coaching team a contract extension until the summer of 2028. History will show that was a costly mistake, although having won the Premier Sports Cup and briefly usurped Celtic in a proper title race less than nine months into the job last season, there was genuine hope that with better recruitment and more experience of the Scottish game, Clement could make a good fist of this campaign. Losing this season’s version of the League Cup final on penalties to Celtic was a bitter blow and dreadful away form by Rangers’ standards in the league allowed their arch rivals to pull away too quickly in the title race. Dropped points at Hearts, Aberdeen, Hibs, Kilmarnock and Dundee trampled on any green shoots of growth that came from doing well in the Europa League, as for every good result against the likes of Nice, Tottenham Hotspur or Malmo, there were too many poor ones back at home. Rangers fans also became disaffected with the style of play under Clement. This team finds it hard to break down stubborn opponents with a low block, and the coach never truly mastered how to be the ones always taking it to the opposition in Scotland. Clement leaves Glasgow after 497 days in situ having won 55 of his 86 games in charge, drawing 16 and losing 15. His win ratio is 65 per cent - less than his predecessor Michael Beale (72 per cent) but more than the man who currently heads the market to replace him in Steven Gerrard (64 per cent). But Gerrard did what Clement and others have failed to do: beat Celtic to the Premiership title. The Belgian never got a chance to draw breath under the suffocating form across the city - and that never, ever helps the struggling half of the Old Firm. Rangers’ ills lie much deeper than Clement. Stewart alluded to that even last week, when he tried to give Clement a vote of confidence publicly. They made a £17.2 million loss in their last accounts and are paying the price for poor recruitment and having to terminate manager after manager. Clement had to deal with botched stadium upgrades that forced a temporary flit to Hampden, upheaval at board level with James Bisgrove leaving as CEO and John Bennett standing down as chairman, as well as budget recalibrations. The Belgian was never tangibly backed in the transfer market due to the club’s financial results. What next for Rangers? In the very short term, someone is required to stand in when the team travels to Rugby Park - a scene of a Clement defeat this season - to take on Kilmarnock on Wednesday night. Motherwell visit Ibrox on March 1 before the first leg of their Europa League tie in Turkey against Fenerbahce. On the horizon is an Old Firm clash at Celtic on March 16. This is not an easy time for anyone at the club on the pitch. Rangers’ senior players have not stepped up to the plate enough for Clement of late. Even with injuries, too many performed passively and at times buckled under the weight of expectation. After a strong start to 2025, this Rangers team grounded themselves tragically against Queen’s Park and could not get off the ground again. Amid a root-and-branch review of the club from an external company, Rangers are planning to introduce a sporting director into their structure and are being eyed up for takeover. A consortium backed by the San Francisco 49ers and said to include Leeds chief Paraag Marathe are in talks with shareholders over a purchase. While that deal still has some road to run, it is likely any future investors will want their say on what direction the club takes next. There is potential for Rangers to take a manager in on a temporary basis until the end of the season given the flux the club finds itself in. Whatever route they go down, so much is wrong at Ibrox on and off the pitch. Clement’s departure may briefly appease the masses, but more change - in terms of leadership, funds and players - must happen. This should just be the beginning of seismic activity at Rangers.