Go now Philippe Clement and Rangers might just be able to hold on to a shred of credibility – Keith Jackson

Philippe Clement may have just about managed to keep his head above water up until now but on Sunday this beleaguered Belgian suffered a defeat so catastrophic and so humiliating that it’s impossible to see how he can survive with any kind of credibility.

He’s had more close shaves than Harry Houdini over the course of these last 12 months but to crash out of the Scottish Cup at home to Queen’s Park? No that has to be regarded as a line in the sand moment even for a Rangers board which has prevaricated its way through this extended period of underachieving, without ever looking like grasping the bull by the horns.

Well, now Clement has backed them into a corner with one final clumsy calamity, simply adopting the foetal position and opting to do nothing at all no longer seems like a viable position. On the contrary, unless Patrick Stewart emerges from the smouldering wreckage of another car crash of a campaign then his own worthiness as the man at the head of the command centre will be the subject of serious debate.

Stewart was smart enough to stay well clear of this minefield when he scheduled his first day in the office for the day after the Premier Sports Cup Final. It was widely anticipated around that time that his first act as the club’s incoming CEO would be to usher Clement aside for a quiet word before sending him on his way.

But Clement dodged that bullet by holding Ange Postecoglou and Spurs to a Europa League draw at Ibrox just days before taking Celtic all the way to a penalty shoot-out on cup final day at Hampden. Somehow, against all the odds, Clement had kept his head above water.

But now he has sunk like a stone and this latest toe curling capitulation really does leave Stewart with very little choice but