Before starting to write this, I’d hung fire in the faint hope that Rangers might somehow perform an unprecedented comeback against St Mirren at Ibrox.
There has of course been no evidence from this Rangers team to support that impulse, but as a fan that hope and expectation is all part of the ‘fun’.
Excruciating, exhausting fun.
With the team 2-0 down, as if to comfort me from the reality of the galling current situation at the club, something within me insisted Rangers could still turn it around.
Oh how wrong I, and the few people who’d remained in Ibrox by full-time if only to boo their team off the pitch, was proven to be.
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Philippe Clement and Rangers let fans down for final time
With Celtic dropping points against Hibs, Rangers had the chance to go within 10 points (and thus four given there are two Old Firms to come) in the Scottish Premiership.
A title tilt remained a long shot but, as I’ve previously explained, hope trumps all common sense when it comes to football fandom.
But once again any notion that this – amongst the worst Rangers teams I have ever laid eyes upon, at least domestically – could go out and respond proved at best misplaced and at worst full blown deluded.
St Mirren were worthy winners at Ibrox and looked a better drilled, fitter and more committed team than Rangers to record their first win at Ibrox since 1991.
As this unrecognisable Rangers team, which so clearly lacks the necessary courage, experience and quality to play at Ibrox, blow their final chance to win domestic favour with fans, it’s a delusion which has finally evaporated.
It’s one I’ve been clinging to all season long when it comes to Philippe Clement, in some misguided belief that the Rangers manager will eventually come good.
Call it naive, call it stupid, but up until now I had consciously and publicly backed Philippe Clement given the context of the challenges at Rangers this season.
Not anymore.
In the 2-0 defeat to St Mirren, this Rangers team has officially lost any belief from within the Ibrox ranks and Philippe Clement ought to have lost support from within the boardroom too.
It sent a message to each and every supporter, who’d earlier been buoyed by the result at Easter Road, that they just do not get it.
This was a must win match, if only to relieve the pressure on Rangers fans who the club, which is an extension of their identity, has let down time and again in recent seasons.
The lack of application, ideas, creativity and – most sinfully of all – effort has wounded fans in some respects even deeper than the Scottish Cup exit to Queen’s Park.
The Belgian’s time is absolutely up and the Rangers board are insulting the intelligence of supporters by keeping up the charade.
We expect Clement’s P45 to be in the post and, forget the Europa League clash with Fenerbahce, it’s over for the Belgian manager and there are no more excuses.
Rangers board must send signal to club legend
Rangers might have a chink of light at the end of the tunnel in the shape of US investment from the San Francisco 49ers.
Dave King spoke about ‘investor fatigue’ when it comes to the Rangers board. But what about ‘supporter fatigue’ when it comes to stumping time, effort and above all else, money, to be humiliated week on week?
It’s hard to have sympathy for the millionaires at the top of Rangers when those who can barely rub two bob together just so they can follow the team are being so openly disrespected.
The swell is too big, the waves are about to crash on the Blue Sea of Ibrox.
A Rangers team which lacks heart is inexcusable, as is a manager who looks to everything else rather than himself when it comes to taking responsibility.
Supporters aren’t so much fatigued as they are outright exhausted.
If change really is on the horizon, then this Rangers board would do well to curry favour with fans by telling Philippe Clement he is officially out of chances.
With regime change to come, there is one obvious candidate who can come into Rangers, galvanise the club and guide us through what’s left of this disastrous season.
Patrick Stewart might feel Clement has earned the right to take the team into Europe, but that officially expired the moment Mikael Mandron and Toyosi Olyusanya put Rangers to the sword at Ibrox.
It’s time for Rangers to dust off the Ibrox bat signal and call for Steven Davis before allowing the San Francisco 49ers to get someone capable in place for the start of next season.
