Winning games is the only way out of the predicament that Philippe Clement finds himself in right now. Unfortunately for the Belgian, the blame game is the only one that many supporters would back him to claim victory in at present.

Rangers emerged from the Old Firm defeat at Parkhead knowing that they could not afford to be any further behind Celtic the next time that they met. Just four league fixtures on, they now find themselves six points adrift. A weekend that should have seen the deficit cut resulted in Clement’s side losing ground instead.

The surprising aspect of it was not that Rangers failed to beat Kilmarnock after seeing their Old Firm rivals pegged back by Aberdeen the previous afternoon. It was, in fact, that people were surprised at all. This is a team, or a club, that just doesn’t do what is needed when it is needed. Rangers squander opportunities rather than grasp them, they blunder down dead ends when standing at the path to prosperity.

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Any mention of the Rugby Park pitch or Kilmarnock’s style of play was irrelevant on Sunday. Neither were a shock, and neither are any form of excuse or mitigating factor. As unsatisfactory as the boardroom situation is, that also cannot be used to justify an afternoon that was as abject and as unacceptable from a Rangers perspective. The damage sustained was once again entirely self-inflicted.

Rangers need an overhaul behind the scenes and permanent appointments in the positions of chairman and chief executive cannot come soon enough to give the club a sense of direction and purpose after another period of upheaval. While that work is ongoing, results must be earned. Clement retains the backing of those above him and that should give the 50-year-old stability. Whether he can capitalise on that or not remains to be seen.

Clement’s side have not had the look or feel of challengers, never mind champions, about them this term. Losing to Kilmarnock will not cost Rangers a title that was unlikely to be won. It was, though, symptomatic of where Rangers have been, where they are and perhaps where they are heading. If Clement's side were to fall nine behind Aberdeen next Wednesday evening, that would put an even more serious slant on an already difficult situation.

Clement insisted post-match that there is ‘a lot of potential in this squad’ and argued that there is perhaps 'much more potential than people see maybe for the moment'. If that is the case and if these players are better than the results and performances indicate, then that asks questions of the manager. Promises of better to come are fine for so long, but eventually supporters cash in on those words and want to see action.

(Image: Steve Welsh) Right now, are Rangers better than the sum of their parts? Arguably, no. Is Clement’s commitment to his tactical approach and to some players hindering rather than helping? Arguably, yes. 

If fortunes are to change, then Clement must change first. A perseverance with a system that is flawed will not win over critics or win enough matches. He is almost at the nothing to lose stage now and would perhaps get himself some much-needed credit in the bank by being brave with his selections in personnel and approach. Fans simply cannot stomach seeing the same mistakes being made by a midfield that is too easy to play through and a forward who often cuts an isolated and frustrated figure. 

Calls for patience from the punters can only be made when there are tangible signs of progress. A year into Clement’s tenure, the debate over how far forward, if at all, he has taken Rangers does not bode well for the Belgian. His side are largely uninventive and regularly turgid, the lack of creativity and cutting edge just as evident and costly now as it was last season as Rangers capitulated in the closing weeks of the campaign.

This is not a matter of substance over style and winning at any cost. A series of victories would reduce the decibel level around Clement but supporters need to see something more substantive in the way that Rangers approach and win matches. Defensive concerns have never subsided, while the worries about Rangers from middle to front continue to build.

This is not a squad that supporters have huge faith in. Clement is not a boss that supporters have huge faith in, either. Individually and collectively, they must find way to address those respective situations. It must, of course, be done sooner rather than later.

Rangers have a dozen domestic fixtures before the next Old Firm at Ibrox that will kick-off 2025. Victory over Motherwell in the League Cup would set up a meeting with Celtic or Aberdeen in the final and take the schedule to 13 matches. Will it be unlucky for Clement?

The often repeated sentiment since Clement was appointed a year ago this month has been that Rangers must stop chopping and changing managers around this time season after season. That is, of course, a sound and sensible perspective and the need for long-term planning and success is as evident now as it has been for several campaigns.

Yet that does not mean that a manager that is not up to the task can remain in situ for longer than is merited. Many are now deliberating where Clement sits on that back him or sack him sliding scale and the first matches in this upcoming sequence will determine what appetite there is for the Belgian to see the final ones.

Rangers need the faith in Clement - which was reaffirmed with a new contract earlier this summer - to be repaid and fans want him to succeed. From a position of strength after an encouraging start at Ibrox, Clement now finds himself with more to prove than at any stage of his tenure.

It will not and cannot be John Gilligan that fires this Rangers manager or hires the next one. The opinions of those that sit around the top table will ultimately determine Clement’s fate. How far into the future that moment lies will be determined by events.

The thousands of voices of those who were behind the goal at Rugby Park or that will take their seats at Ibrox in the coming days that will shape the mood and the narrative around him. When fans speak as a collective, board individuals must listen. They must also look at themselves in the mirror and ask as many questions of each other as they ask of Clement.

On the day that Clement marked his debut as manager with a resounding victory over Hibernian, he spoke about the ‘synergy that was back between the players and fans because it's a crucial thing for this club’ and how important it was for him to feel the support from the stands. The reaction on Thursday evening against FCSB and on Sunday for the visit of St Mirren will be telling.

In times of crisis at any club, the old line about a manager losing a dressing room often comes to the fore. Losing the crowd is just as serious a situation, though. Clement now stands on that precipice.

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The obvious answer is the one that is easier said than done. Rangers need performances and they need results. Over the next two months, they arguably need to be point perfect in the Premiership.

The likelihood of that happening appears beyond fanciful at present and bookies would allow you to name your price if you wished to part with your hard earned to back that outcome. This is a team, after all, that has scored just once in four away league fixtures, one that sits with a goal difference of seven despite taking six off Ross County at Hampden. Rangers do not dominate matches, they edge them. They are still some way away from being the best technical, tactical, mental and physical side in Scotland and achieving the goals that Clement set out in relation to his four pillars.

Clement and his players have put themselves in this situation. Now they must find their own way back out of it. The next time the blame game is played, fingers will point in many directions. The loser on that occasion will pay the price.