Philippe Clement claims Rangers fans are on his side as tensions mount ahead of Celtic clash

There are plenty of Rangers fans who reckon Philippe Clement is so far beyond the dead man walking stage it’s a ouija board rather than a microphone required for his pre-match interviews.

A 14-point chasm between his side and Celtic going into the New Year derby showdown is more than enough reason for most to be expecting the Belgian to be speaking from the managerial beyond. Yet Clement is convinced there are still plenty who believe he’s still alive and kicking.

He will be hard pushed to find too many if there’s another Old Firm failure tomorrow, with the boss still without a victory in the encounter that matters the most to supporters. Clement probably knows it deep down too, but for now he’s putting a brave face on things. As brave as he can in the circumstances.

As he faced the media on Hogmanay, the gaffer strongly defended his squad rotation and grand plan, insisting his long term vision has not been knocked off course in the defeat to St Mirren and draw with Motherwell.

Those were matches his side dominated but only paid the price for ‘shooting themselves in the foot’. Whether that washes with large swathes of the support is another matter. But he’s adamant he hasn’t lost the faith of the stands.

Clement said: “I don't know. I don't meet these people. I know if you don't get the results people expect a team to get then you get criticism. That's part of the job. Everybody in the club knows what the plan is with the club and what the club had to do to become healthy first.

“That was a big step in the summer – to be sustainable again and then to invest in these young players. Nine days ago, everybody saw and made the conclusion that yes, Rangers is on the right track.

"There are really exciting young players coming