After replacing James Bisgrove at Ibrox in December, Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart has had a lot on his plate.
When Stewart was hired as Rangers’ new CEO, he had a sizable in-tray. The team had been without one for almost seven months following Bisgrove’s departure in May of last year.
Stewart has already had a lot of problems off the field as a result of signing in the middle of the season, while the Light Blues and manager Philippe Clement are still struggling on it.
With the board coming under fire for their inaction following Sunday’s Scottish Cup loss to Queen’s Park, Clement’s employment is—or at least ought to be—hanging by a thread in the eyes of Gers supporters.
Prior to the Queen’s Park fiasco, on February 5, Stewart met with the Rangers Fan Advisory Board and stated that Sportsology, a US-based company, was offering outside assistance while he was in charge of a new study.
Sportsology is prioritizing “the footballing side of the club” over other Stewart-led facets, according to a statement made by the Fan Advisory Board following its meeting on February 13.
In order to make sure that the Light Blues’ performance is “befitting of an elite club,” Stewart and the leadership team will conduct a “all encompassing” football evaluation in addition to reviewing other operational areas.
It’s difficult to identify a single aspect of Rangers’ current situation that doesn’t require urgent, major change, and that improvement cannot come soon enough.
Since arriving at Ibrox late last year, Stewart hasn’t had much time to make significant changes, and supporters are becoming impatient despite the board’s reaffirmation in the same meeting that they still believe in Clement.
The fact that their CEO, who was hired to turn around a failing football team, will not be in charge of the football portion of a study aimed at turning things around may also raise concerns among the fan base.
Instead, that aspect of the review will be ignored by a US-based corporation, which would not have joined without a respectable salary package, leaving supporters perplexed about the path their team is following.
considering the lack of impact made by those in-house, some supporters could appreciate the outside influence of a fresh voice making decisions. However, considering that Stewart was signed by an outside recruitment firm, Sportsology’s arrival implies that Ibrox decision-makers are once again shifting the blame.