Philippe Clement's make or break Rangers run laid bare as he faces nightmare New Year and battle of the crisis clubs

Philippe Clement has been left with a huge headache before we even get to the Hogmanay party season. And the Belgian will have to hope he can find a cure for his Rangers team’s ills or it could be a very unhappy new year.

Twelve months ago the Light Blues defeated Motherwell away on Christmas Eve to move to within two points of Celtic with a game in hand at the Scottish Premiership summit after Clement had hauled them back into a title race that looked over before he succeeded Michael Beale.

But after a Boxing Day stuffing by St Mirren they are TWELVE points behind the Hoops ahead of another Fir Park trip - followed by that mammoth Ne’erday Old Firm derby showdown at Ibrox which is the first of NINE games in the first month of 2025. Here, Record Sport lays out the he run that could make or break the 50-year-old.

The Steelmen were hit for four at Parkhead just a couple of hours before Gers came a cropper in Paisley and will be smarting from that defeat. But after licking their wounds, Stuart Kettlewell’s men could pile the pain on Clement.

This will be the SEVENTH attempt for the Belgian to try and put one over his fierce rivals - and my word, he needs to win this one. Any defeat would almost certainly leave them at least FIFTEEN points behind Celtic in the league (unless Celtic suffer unlikely dropped points to St Jonhnstone on Sunday). That scenario would leave him a dead man walking.

David Gray is a name that will haunt Rangers after his Scottish Cup winner in 2016 and the Easter Road legend has got his team motoring after a sticky start to the season.

Gers won’t relish a trip to Leith.

A midweek trip to Dens Park brings back memories of last season’s title collapse after a goalless draw against the Dark Blues. They