As Rangers catch a breather during the international break, in Belgian coach Philippe Clement the club finally appear to be closing in on a new manager.
Whilst nothing is signed, sealed or delivered just yet, the sounds around the former AS Monaco and Club Brugge manager are getting louder by the day.
Amid reports of a bumper contract offer and claims from within Belgium, the 49-year-old manager is now the odds-on favourite to take the reins at Rangers.
If the club can conclude a deal for Philippe Clement – and it remains an if at this stage – then it would represent something of a statement as Rangers’ hunt for stability takes a fresh twist.
With three different names in through the door at Rangers over the last 12 months, the club cannot afford to find themselves in this situation in one year’s time.
Philippe Clement to be next Rangers manager?
There can be no room for error in the next Rangers manager appointment and progress must be evident under Philippe Clement or on the heads of James Bisgrove and John Bennett so be it.
The appointment appears to make some sense amid the wide breadth of candidates who have been linked to the job over the last two weeks or so.
Having won three league titles in Belgium and laid the foundations of Club Brugge’s relative success at Champions League level, Clement has already had success at a similar level.
With something of a Belgian flavour to Rangers’ squad – Nicolas Raskin and Cyriel Dessers Belgian nationals and Kemar Roofe and Rabbi Matondo having played in the country – Philippe Clement will also command some instant respect in the dressing room.
On top of that, the manager’s aggressive playing style is sure to placate Rangers fans who’ve been yearning for a return of the Ibrox club’s never-say-die identity of yore.
Every appointment is a risk of course, but of all the candidates in the running to become the next Rangers manager Philippe Clement is emerging as a standout.
Yokohama F Marinos manager Kevin Muscat is the other name most prominently mentioned but a failed stint in Belgium with Sint-Truiden and links to ex-Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou multiply the risk.
It all suggests that when Rangers return from the international break, Philippe Clement might well be the club’s 19th permanent manager and he’s already being backed by one ex-Ibrox manager.
