In the world of football, the role of a manager is often one that can be a thankless task at times as managers and coaches are under constant pressure and scrutiny from both the media and fans. One run of poor form can be enough to turn things around for the man in charge and we will touch on those who are facing the immense pressures of the job.

Two men under immense pressure in the coming weeks are Hibernian manager David Gray and Phillipe Clement of Rangers. Both men are in charge of two of the biggest clubs in Scottish football and both have severely underachieved.

David Gray

Whether it be through a lack of tactical innovation or a stubbornness in team selection, Gray has been at the forefront of several individual errors. They have picked up five red cards in the league this season, the second most behind Derek Mcinnes’ Kilmarnock side, with one fan saying that Gray is “Jinxed”.

Hibernian fans' sheer admiration and respect for the club ‘legend’ who has amassed over 100 appearances for the club. He scored the winning goal in the 2016 Scottish Cup final against Rangers, ending the Edinburgh side's 114-year wait for the trophy. However, considering the current situation it would be hard to deny that the club is in a dire condition and should perhaps look elsewhere as the young manager has only picked up one win in thirteen league games so far this season, with Hibs sitting in 12th place.

Gray has shown a naivety that could be expected from a young and inexperienced coach. Gray had taken charge of the side on three separate occasions as caretaker manager following the departures of Shaun Maloney, Lee Johnson and Nick Montgomery.

Phillipe Clement

Clement joined Rangers in October 2023 following Micheal Beale’s unsuccessful stint and got off to a promising start at the latter end of the season. He managed to close the gap and overtake the eventual champions Celtic heading into March. However, Clement’s side would face a brutal collapse after falling short to 11th-place Ross County and 6th-place Dundee respectively.

This poor form followed into the 24/25 season with the Belgian’s side picking up a measly 23 points from a possible 36, sitting in third place behind an in-form Aberdeen and fierce rivals Celtic, who remain unbeaten in first place. The side's lack of a real playing identity and poor form combined with Celtic and Aberdeen’s domination has left fans calling for the manager to be sacked immediately.

There have been a number of surprising reports over recent weeks that have linked Clement to the Belgium national team job as current head coach Domenico Tedesco has had a far from impressive start to his international tenure. These reports stem from the recent appointment of Vincent Mannaert as sporting director of the Belgium FA, who previously worked with Clement at Club Brugge. The pair had a great relationship during their time together at the Belgian giants. This potential appointment would be a blessing for Rangers and one that fans would be hoping has some truth behind it.

Just this morning, Rangers announced the appointment of new CEO Patrick Stewart. Stewart spent 18 years at Manchester United working in a few distinct roles, from company secretary to interim CEO. This appointment has instilled confidence within the fans that Stewart can help steady the ship and potentially have direct implications on Clement's job and find a worthy successor.

In a statement released earlier, the club said: “Patrick joins Rangers having most recently been interim CEO at Manchester United – indeed he spent 18 years at one of the biggest clubs in the world, gaining vast experience and knowledge to make him an excellent fit for his new role at Rangers.”

The Sack Race: Scottish Premiership managers that are facing the heat

David Gray

Phillipe Clement