Clement gets the backing of the Ibrox board, as their CEO does that thing the Celtic CEO doesn't do, communication with the fans

02/13/2025 02:16 PM

After four days of stony silence, the Ibrox CEO sat down and spoke to the Ibrox fan advisory board. Paddy Stewart informed Ibrox fans that the club had issued a vote of confidence in the beleaguered Belgian manager.

So, it would appear that the shitshow rolls on.

Now, I have to give Paddy Stewart some credit, because to be fair to him, he’s actually willing to speak to the fans of his club.

This is the second time since he started his tenure that he’s done this.

Which is more than I can say for our own esteemed CEO.

Who seems to have a serious aversion to any kind of public speaking.

One CEO has no worries about finance, while the other has to insist that the reason not to sack Philippe is nothing to do with money.

Because finance is all he has to worry about, whereas due to the fact Celtic are so cash rich, finance is the least of Michael Nicholson’s worries.

Well, I’m sure he worries about spending money, but that’s a different kind of worry entirely.

Paddy Stewart, in the meantime, seems to be getting it from all angles at Ibrox.

Which leaves him with no choice but to face the klanbase head on.

However, despite everything that was fired at him, Paddy insisted they were sticking with their man.

Here’s some of what he had to say in an article from Andy Newport in the Record:

But it's now been revealed that new CEO Stewart has again repeated his insistence that money would not play a part in decisions taken on Clement's future. He made a similar claim last month while issuing a vote of confidence in the 50-year-old following fan protests.

And he stressed the same point as he sat down with Gers' Fan Advisory Board. Minutes from the meeting – which took place before last Sunday's humiliating Queen's capitulation – show Stewart being taken to task over the "dismay" fans were being put through by Clement's stuttering side.

He was asked "why the club were seemingly accepting of this" and to explain why Clement was still in post with his team sitting 13 points behind leaders Celtic when previous bosses Gio van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale had been axed when their teams were trailing by only single-digit figures.

Well, it looks like those poor Ibrox fans will have to continue to put up with being dismayed.

One wonders if the Clemential dismay will continue at Tynecastle next Sunday?

Neil Critchley reckons they might be facing a wounded animal.

Although I reckon a wounded chicken won’t present too much of a threat to a team who has scored 14 goals in their last four games.

Ripe for the plucking I’d say.

Of course, keeping Clement in post has nothing to do with money, I believe Paddy Stewart when he says that.

Kind of like I believed if I made a face when I was young and the wind changed, it would stay that way.

This particular comment from Paddy gave me a few chuckles:

In response, Stewart "reiterated that the decision to retain Philippe Clement as manager was not a financially driven decision, rather it was recognition there was so much else to fix in the football department". The former Manchester United director was appointed in December to take over the day-to-day running of the club.

In other words, it was better for Paddy to say that the football department was in the shit, rather than admit they’re broke.

And that somehow, Clement is the man to fix it.

But his team are playing are playing mince because the football department is broken.

Which has nothing to do with Clement.

But not to worry, Sportsology are going to tidy all of that up for Phil and Paddy Stewart.

Which is nice.

I have to say, this comment had me in stitches:

While the club's football operations are being prioritised, Patrick and the leadership team are also reviewing other areas of the club's operations. In terms of the football review, it is all encompassing with the objective of ensuring that the department is befitting of an elite club. Key outputs from the review will be shared with fans in due course.

Elite club??

Help me!

My sides are splitting!

Wannabe elite club more like it.

Well, I suppose the gullibillies will have left Ibrox after that safe in the knowledge their club is in the safe hands of Paddy and Phil.

Paddy decided to save the best till last though with this statement:

But Stewart told the fan group that new chairman Fraser Thornton "is currently engaging with our existing shareholders", adding "there could be appetite for future investment, but only if it was the right investor(s) for the long-term interests of the club"

Indeed.

There could be appetite for future investment.

I could win the lotto tomorrow.

And the earth could fall off it’s axis tomorrow.

All of the above could happen, but it won’t.

But what will happen tomorrow is that big Phil will take training at Auchenhowie.

And for us Celtic fans, that is indeed, wonderful news.

We welcome the chase from Phil.

From Paddy.

And of course, all those guys with a future appetite for investment.

I suppose chatty Paddy does get credit for being chattier than Silent Mike, though.

Two CEO’s.

Two very contrasting clubs.

One has loadsa money.

The other is skint.

Reality bites.

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