Rangers ‘stick to the plan’ with Philippe Clement after ‘disastrous’ cup exit

“Until we sort the root causes, then it’s akin to trying to fix a broken house and starting with the ceiling instead of starting with the foundations.

“For all that the Queen’s Park result was disastrous, we do also have to give credit to Philippe and the team for the Europa League run. I don’t want to take a step that would put further progress in the Europa League at risk.

“I’m not here to make popular decisions and get quick wins. I do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Asked if the club’s finances make it difficult to remove Clement, Stewart replied that was “absolutely not the case”.

“I’ve said consistently that we are not refusing to make changes because of finances,” he explained.

“To keep somebody in a position to avoid a termination payment is a false economy. That’s not a way to run a club.

“Decisions have been made for the long-term interests of the club, not to save money.

“We’ve got to stick to the plan, but there are no free passes. We are all judged on results.”