The appointment of Patrick Stewart as Rangers’ new CEO has certainly turned a few heads at Ibrox.
The ex-Manchester United man – who spent the best part of two decades meandering through the ranks of Old Trafford – comes with a big reputation.
Legendary broadcaster Jim White claims there’s ’excitement’ within Rangers about capturing Stewart, an Aberdeen-born lawyer reared at the University of Glasgow.
But with the shake-up appointment set to send a shockwave through Ibrox, come day one at Rangers there is already an almighty decision that can only be made by the new Rangers chief.
Patrick Stewart’s Rangers switch delayed
Rangers’ decision to push back Stewart’s appointment is a controversial one.
The new Gers CEO will not start the gig until the 16th of December, the day after Rangers face Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup Final.
In a kind of ominous premonition, this will prevent Stewart taking any of the flak concerned with Rangers losing their title as the world’s most successful club at Hampden next month.
And to their eternal Old Firm rivals no less.
It also means Stewart will not have to face a furious Rangers shareholder base at the club’s forthcoming AGM, which is sure to be a barrel of laughs.
But more than all this, it separates Patrick Stewart from the chaos of Rangers this season and is a date fixed with the intention of giving the club a fresh start.
It is also a clear judgement day for Philippe Clement, who could have all but crashed out of Europe, the Scottish Premiership title race and the League Cup by the time Stewart takes charge.
Philippe Clement has six games to save Rangers career
Deciding on the future of Philippe Clement will be Patrick Stewart’s first major call on his Rangers tenure. It will also be one he is under pressure to get right.
Make the wrong move – either by backing or sacking the Belgian – and on Stewart’s shoulders it will rest with the Rangers Review claiming the ex-Man United chief will get the ‘say and sway’ at Ibrox.
Given that the decision-making will then rest on Stewart’s shoulders, and that the new Rangers CEO has no loyalty to the dugout’s current incumbent, we give Philippe Clement six games to save his skin.
Despite the clamour for change amongst Rangers fans, the Ibrox side have pulled the trigger too early before and it’s come back to cost them. This time things have to be different.
Rangers travel to OGC Nice on Europa League duties this week in what is – rather remarkably – a no-win match for Clement, even if he daren’t lose.
Whilst a draw away to Ligue 1 opposition is objectively a good result, even a victory will do little to calm the vitriol of the Rangers support.
A particularly bad defeat will only see Rangers protestations get louder.
Rangers then travel to Simo Valakari’s resurgent St Johnstone, who will fancy their chances against a wounded Gers at serious of risk of slipping down the table.
Then, the midweek visit of Kilmarnock and trip to Ross County presents a Scottish Premiership double-header that the Gers can ill-afford to drop any points in.
Three wins from these three league games is the only return if Clement is to keep his job.
The final week – in what may prove either Clement’s undoing or his salvation – will see Premier League Tottenham come to town before that Old Firm visit to Hampden.
No more soundbites about long-term planning. No more excuses about a newly formed squad. Let’s see what Philippe Clement is really made of.
If Rangers come out of this six-game run completely out of three competitions having lost their moniker as not just Scotland’s, but the world’s best, then the first big decision of Patrick Stewart’s tenure has already been made for him.
