The passing of four months has afforded Philippe Clement time to reflect on his turbulent 16-month reign as Rangers manager.

Distance from Glasgow, and the febrile environment in which he became engulfed, has allowed him to pinpoint one particular game that he believes marked the beginning of the end of his time in charge at Ibrox.

Mid-December 2024. Pressure is building. Rangers are nine points behind Celtic.

Only a series of good Europa League results are keeping the dogs at bay. Just three days before the season’s first domestic silverware is awarded, Clement’s side earn another of those in a creditable 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

Then to Hampden, with Celtic heavy favourites to wrest back the League Cup. Rangers, however, go toe-to-toe with them and are denied a spot-kick before losing on penalties following a 3-3 draw.

“I think it was a vital game,” Clement tells Sport Scotland.

“If we had won, there would have been more patience with the fans also and the board could have stayed much calmer.”

But Rangers did not and Clement endured a winter of highs and lows before being relieved of his duties following an abject defeat by St Mirren at Ibrox in February.

In the week that Russell Martin was appointed his full-time successor, the Belgian talks to Sport Scotland about cutting costs, recruitment, mentality and the players he left behind.