Rangers protests and why Clement's felt 'alone in the desert'

But as play resumed after Mohamed Diomande had sent Rangers 3-0 up on St Johnstone inside 30 minutes yesterday, the hubbub of conversation continued and an eerie atmosphere which had pervaded the entire afternoon resumed. This was a day, or a weekend, where what happened off the pitch attracted more attention than what happened on it.

The day after CEO Patrick Stewart threw the club’s backing behind Philippe Clement, on an afternoon when Rangers started 18 points behind Celtic with 16 league games of ultimate insignificance to play, it was no wonder that Sunday was more about protests than performance.

The Union Bears, who held up three banners before a pre-planned walkout on the 55th minute, abstained from singing and spare a burst of enthusiasm around the half-hour mark, or indeed when the ultras group did eventually depart, this was not a day for song. The stadium’s loudest voice was reserved to boo the group's decision and sing a few choruses themselves in response. While no mass walkout took place and three early goals probably helped that fact, the point of a protest is to raise awareness and this certainly did that.

St Johnstone are the Scottish Premiership’s worst side and, to their manager’s credit, attempting to find a way out of their position at the bottom of the table by actually playing football. Here their naivety in certain moments to leave open space and pass into danger worked in favour of the home side, who routinely struggle to set the tempo and open up spaces when facing a low block.

All three Rangers goals came from quick, forward attacks into space that a side sitting deep in a low block probably wouldn’t have afforded. Ibrox was livened by the odd referee call with which it begged to differ and to occasionally let their team know if the opposition were progressing forward too comfortably. Otherwise, it was a strange, sleepy outcome and truly, what else could be expected? The lack of engagement in the Union Bears’ protest should not be mistaken for faith and trust in the current project because, simply, apathy abounds at present. When was the last time a league season was over before January ends?

When the visitors pulled back a goal from a corner, just before the planned walkout, anticipation for observers built slightly. In the end, very few joined the group who’d brandished a banner moments earlier that read ‘Time For Fans To Force Change’. Earlier editions said, ‘Everything From Everyone, Fans Gave All While You Let Our Standards Fall’ and ‘Our Loyalty Is Not a Free Pass For Failure’.

“It's a big difference in atmosphere with two weeks ago, in the Old Firm against Celtic, that's clear for everybody,” Clement said on the atmosphere and protest.

“But I'm focused on the team, I'm focused on getting the results, and I know also out of my experience here, if we play well if we get the results, that the fans are always behind the team.

“I want everybody to be united. Simple. You can see it as a positive that still a lot of people are behind everything. But I want to have everybody united. So, that's what I wanted last year when I came in, and it was also totally not the case at the moment.

“It has to do with performance, and that's normal. We want consistency, I want consistency, and fans want consistency to get better results. And in that way, we have the consistency in the home games. We have now 31 points out of 33, I think. We have consistency in our European season, but we didn't have consistency away at home. So, those are things to work on with all the squads.”

Read more:

• Every word Patrick Stewart had to say on why Rangers are backing Philippe Clement
• Every word Patrick Stewart said on January window, not selling Igamane and transfers
• Rangers 3-1 St Johnstone: Banners against board, fans walk-out and quickfire goals

Stewart’s defiant backing of Clement the day before the game came as no surprise to the Belgian who’s routinely batted off any fear of his future. It is true that protests and disengagement have been directed at those in the boardroom more than the man in the dugout and yet, the football this season has played its part in lowering the mood.

On the park, this is a team who had taken as many points against Celtic (three) as games with Hibs, Dundee, Motherwell and St Mirren since December 26. For every big impressive performance in Europe, there’s been a stale trip to Rugby Park or Fir Park. The statement win over Celtic at Ibrox just over a week lost any momentum with the results that followed at Easter Road and in Dundee. Clement was already playing catch-up having failed to win twice in the fixtures between Christmas and New Year.

Today an external review of the football department, something Clement has welcomed, begins. The 50-year-old Rangers manager is happy to finally have an allay in Stewart, suggesting after the match: “I've been six, seven months sometimes feeling alone in the desert and addressing things to make better in the club, or that I saw things regressing because of the situation.”

Even if some accountability and vision is beginning to appear at Rangers in the form of Stewart the results of that feel a long way off. It’s true that the CEO is here to offer external, critical eyes himself. For too long the Rangers board have opted for the same decisions which have gleaned the same outcomes. Only significant change - which Stewart says this external “root and branch review” should provide - will offer a different future.

While Sunday showed the support, at least visibly, may not be as fragmented in voting with their feet yet what cannot be argued is that a lack of belief was the dominant emotion on a dull day at Ibrox. That’s the task for Clement and Stewart in the short term. How can you engage a support that has heard many promises and, quite simply, find themselves fatigued from the last few years? Because even if no mass walk-out took place, there is no mass buy-in at present either.