Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement‘s future has been thrown into doubt in recent days amid the possibility of him being a target for the Belgium FA.
Domenico Todesco’s position is under threat and the Daily Record recently reported that the Gers boss would be among the candidates to replace him if Belgium decide to part ways with their current manager.
However, IbroxNews then claimed that they would not be able to pursue the Rangers tactician unless the Scottish giants sack him, as they do not have the finances to pay the compensation that would be required.
With this in mind, the Light Blues board must take the decision to relieve the Belgian manager of his duties, after a poor start to the 2024/25 campaign.
Why Rangers should sack Philippe Clement
Firstly, Clement has been at Ibrox for over a year and there is still no clear style of play that supporters can identify with, with the Daily Record writing in October that some supporters have criticised games with too many short passes and others have bemoaned too many long balls in matches.
There has to be consistent success on the pitch to back up a lack of style in the team’s play and that has, unfortunately, not been the case for Clement.
His team were knocked by Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League play-off, sending his side to the Europa League, and Rangers have struggled badly in the Scottish Premiership.
The Gers have lost three of their 11 league games and find themselves a whopping nine points behind Aberdeen and Celtic, which has given them a mountain to climb in the title race.
Rangers must now part ways with the Belgian boss and consider a swoop for former Porto boss Sergio Conceicao, who has been out of work since the end of last season.
Why Rangers should appoint Sergio Conceicao
The Portuguese tactician has not been linked with a move to Ibrox but his career record suggests that he could be a sensible appointment, if the Gers are to brutally sack Clement after his poor start to the season and lack of an exciting style of play after 13 months.
Conceicao, who Fabio Capello claimed has a “winning mentality” and “what it takes” to manage AC Milan earlier this year, is a proven winner who lifted 11 trophies during his time with Porto.
The 4-2-3-1 tactician won three Liga Portugal titles, four Portuguese Cups, three Portuguese League Cups, and one Portuguese Super Cups before his exit at the end of last season, having won his fourth Portuguese Cup.
Across 368 matches with Porto, Conceicao averaged an impressive 2.29 points per game. Meanwhile, Clement has averaged 2.16 per game across 63 games at Ibrox, which immediately suggests that the out-of-work tactician could come in and provide more consistency at league level.
In terms of his style of play, Breaking The Lines once produced a lengthy, detailed, piece on his system and build-up play, which essentially uses recycling of the ball in deep possession before using rotations in forward positions to create chances when the play progresses through the thirds.
Whether or not Rangers fans would prefer that to Clement’s varied approach is completely subjective, but the facts behind the two managers’ respective teams suggest that Conceicao could come in as an upgrade and that is why the board must attempt to swoop for the 50-year-old after sacking the Belgian.
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