Rangers become SPL’s rock-bottom side away from home | OneFootball

Ibrox Noise regulars were asking the site if we were looking forward to offering our ratings for Rangers’ latest shambolic performance and result, this time in Rugby Park.

As we suggested at the time, the only pass mark was the fan banner.

Rangers hit a new low in Ayrshire – thanks to that abhorrent display, Rangers are now the SPL’s worst team for scoring away from home with an absolutely abject single goal away from Ibrox (or Hampden). Only Ross County are as bad.

Where does the blame lie?

Well, a lot more fans are now finally, after 10+ months of Ibrox Noise questioning the manager, pointing our finger at Clement, doing the same themselves and now finally looking at the boss in the way he deserves.

As much as we want to blame the board, or blame the summer budget, or blame the players, it wasn’t the board who signed Hamza Igamane, it wasn’t the summer budget who dropped Dujon Sterling, and it wasn’t the players who keep on selecting James Tavernier.

We absolutely do not relieve the board of their part in this, we’ve complained a fair few times about Graeme Park and Alistair Johnston, to name just two, and we sure don’t think the players are completely innocent either.

But on the football side, a football club lives and dies on the sword of its manager – his decision and his choices are what keeps the ship afloat or sinks it.

Furthermore, what excuse does the manager have for how bad this team is when he built most of it now? When his £16M summer spend has us completely trailing Aberdeen, far less Celtic?

It’s Paul Le Guen and Pedro territory, it’s even worse than Michael Beale into his second season, and it’s Philippe Clement who keeps selecting Mohamed Diomande and Kieran Dowell.

These are players who have no business at a club the size of Rangers and are totally out of their depth, but Clement keeps using them.

Of course, we’re not going to absolve James Tavernier of responsibility either, he’s been a tragedy this season, his heart clearly not in the club any more. And the manager will never drop him.

Do we singularly blame the manager? He’s not the only thing wrong at Rangers, but he’s a big one, and counts as yet another failed Rangers boss who looked correct on paper.

Ibrox Noise definitely got that choice wrong, but sussed it out well before he was awarded a new contract.

And now we’re trapped with the guy.