Men of real power at Rangers lurk in shadows with mouths shut while the 'scapegoat' must wonder where his protection is

For a man presented as a ‘scapegoat’ at Rugby Park, Rangers boss Philippe Clement must be wondering just why he’s not been allowed to benefit from the herd protection enjoyed by the big beasts above him at Ibrox.

Another trip to the Rugby Park, another slip-up on the awkward Ayrshire astro, another title bid on the verge of collapse before October is even out. It’s a pattern of failure that’s been going on for a decade. And yet it was the man who's been in charge for a mere 12 months who was again shunted out to face the cameras as the real men of power and influence on Edmiston Drive stood in the shadows with mouths shut.

For a steadily increasing section of the Rangers support, minds have been made up where the Belgian is concerned. The failure to make last year’s title push stick, the repeated Old Firm defeats, the refusal to budge from his favoured shape and system, the stat-heavy post-match excuses - all of those have added up to a sudden collapse in faith in the manager.

But for some fans, the realisation has finally dawned that pointing fingers at temporary custodians of the manager’s office is a futile exercise when there are bigger questions to be asked of those at the top of Marble Staircase.

That was spelled out in foot-high font on Sunday as the punters tried to persuade their brethren on the terracing to look beyond the scapegoat in the dugout and instead focus on the men huddled together in the directors box.

”The mismanagement of Rangers must stop and stop now” read a Union Bears banner which shouted rather than spoke. But the fans will likely be left waiting for answers from the men pulling the strings at a club in crisis.

After all, why stick their heads above the parapet when they can let the fans take