Rangers boss Philippe Clement has been addressing a press conference ahead of the visit of Dynamo Kiev.
The Belgian manager has a reputation as a bit of a straight shooter and once again Big Phil let fire from the hip ahead of the Champions League QR3 clash at Hampden.
Facing questions on everything from Hamza Igamane to the finances on offer in the Champions League, there were some big takeaways from the session.
Here are the ten big talking points from Philippe Clement as Rangers look to make it to the Champions League Playoff at the expense of Dynamo Kiev.
With the match neatly poised at 1-1 it’s all to play for a Hampden.
Leon Balogun a Dynamo Kiev doubt
Rangers veteran Leon Balogun probably never expected to be considered a key player heading into a Champions League qualifier in 2024.
But alas here we are.
The 36-year-old centre-back is now Rangers’ most experienced player and is a reliable option at the heart of the club’s defence.
However Philippe Clement has confirmed that Leon is a major doubt heading into the clash with Dynamo Kiev in a big blow to Rangers’ chances.
“We have one doubt towards tomorrow from the squad that was there at the weekend,” said Clement. “That’s Leon Balogun.
“He felt something at the end of the game. So he didn’t train today we will see how he is tomorrow.”
The news will raise doubts about Leon’s fitness across the length of the season and whether Rangers probably still need another new defender.
Igamane and Nsiala making positive steps
With much scrutiny on Rangers’ transfer business, two summer signings are yet to play any part this season.
Philippe Clement warned that French defender Clinton Nsiala and Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane had been signed with the future in mind.
Despite this, Rangers fans are eager for updates on the two youngsters and when they might impact the first-team squad.
Clement has confirmed that both players are in first-team training with Igamane impressing the Rangers coaching staff.
“Clinton is training everything,” said Clement. “Hamza is doing part of the training now with the group.
“So step by step he’s going to the physical level that we need in the training and later on in the games.
“He’s showing a lot of interesting things with the ball, what we saw also in images that we saw from him in the games in Morocco.
“But yeah he’s settling in well, also with the language. He’s starting to learn his first English words.
“He’s feeling really grateful and happy to be here and he’s very determined to become a good player here.”
Champions League improves budget
Philippe Clement also reiterated that qualification for the Champions League will have a positive impact on the club’s transfer budget.
Interestingly, the Rangers manager also referenced future seasons.
Whilst the Gers boss is hoping to strike a few more deals this window, Clement suggests the real benefit of Champions League qualification will be felt somewhere else down the line.
“It’s not budgeted to go to the Champions League and that’s the best way,” said Clement.
“Some teams have done it in the past and they had really big financial problems out of that. So we cannot do that, clearly.
“Of course if you can go to the Champions League it will give another budget.
“The only thing is that it will be the last hours of the transfer market at that moment.
“But it would be an important thing, maybe for now something but for sure for the future windows for the club.”
Playoff won’t have much transfer impact
Later Clement touched on the difference progression to the Playoff would make to his transfer budget.
And for any Rangers fans hoping that the guaranteed £3.7m boost to the Rangers coffers would see transfer business ramp up in the event of victory over Dynamo Kiev, they’re set to be disappointed.
Clement admits that progression to the Playoff is unlikely to impact his transfer budget significantly.
When asked about the impact of reaching the Playoff on his transfer budget Clement said: “Not super much I think.
“I don’t think it’ll be a big difference but I said it last time also. I am not an accountant at the club.
“I am not the one looking OK ‘we spent £200k there, we get £100k there’.
“We had really clear talks about that with a clear plan before we went in the transfer window.
“There are other people deciding now where to spend the money.”
Rangers know how to hurt Kiev
Rangers put in a spirited display to earn a late draw v Dynamo Kiev in Poland but Clement is expecting a different game this time around.
Not least because Rangers have learned a thing or two about hurting their opponent.
A lack of certainty over how the Ukrainians are going to approach the match also has the Belgian on alert ahead of a tough battle at Hampden.
“We will do some different things,” said Clement. “Things we we saw where we can hurt them with and we put more focus on that.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do. Maybe they’re going to wait more and sit more and wait on the counter attack and the transitions.
“That I don’t know but we need to be prepared for the different scenarios.”
Can Gers support replicate Ibrox at Hampden?
Speaking of Hampden, Rangers will not have the safety net of a raucous Ibrox in Champions League qualification this season.
The Gers can usually rely on their famous old ground coming to life on a European night but due to the delayed works in the Copland Stand, bluenoses will be descending on Mount Florida instead.
Undeterred, Clement has asked the Rangers support to bridge the gap between themselves and the pitch and generate an atmosphere to remember at the national stadium.
“I hope (the atmosphere will be ) like at Ibrox,” said Clement. “I hope that, and that the fans feel already more at home after the first time.
“The first time is always like the first day of school. You feel a little bit uncomfortable
“It will be now for a lot of people the second time in that way and like this we can create an Ibrox atmosphere in Hampden also.
“It would be a huge achievement also from the fans to sit a little bit further away from the pitch but still create the same atmosphere.
“So I hope that they can get there and we’re going to give everything on the pitch that they are enthusiastic to do this.”
Rangers waiting on exits
We reckon Philippe Clement is probably getting sick and tired of saying the same things when it comes to Rangers’ interests in the transfer market.
The ex-Club Brugge boss has been repeatedly clear that any incomings would depend on outgoings and the manager has touched on this once again.
Suggesting that the situation is a source of frustration, Rangers are waiting on three want-away stars in particular to finalise moves out of the club and free up space the squad.
The Rangers manager also swatted away suggestions that anyone who wants out of Ibrox is kicking up a stink in the background of the club.
“I see everything’s in the newspapers,” said Clement when asked about reportedly Greece-bound Jose Cifuentes.
“I didn’t hear anything that something is done with somebody, and that’s a pity.
“He have several here still in the building or like Cifu not in the building and because of that it stops also to get other players.
“But for the moment I didn’t hear that somebody is officially going somewhere else.
“It’s not the nicest thing. But you need to adapt.
“I told you I’m not the accountant the club don’t ask me also to pay for the transfers so I know my role in the story.
“And the role in the story is to get the best out of the squad that is here.
“I cannot say that anybody affects the training pitch or the atmosphere. Because then it’s easy to put them out of the building also.
“That’s not been the case so everybody who’s been here, who’s been training here was with the right attitude.
“I had a talk with the captain group about that, that they had to keep an eye on that and give me signals if its not the case.”
Butland backing is a ‘big signal’
Prior to Philippe Clement coming out to speak to the press, Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland faced up to the media.
The Ibrox number one revealed that he had held talks with the head honchos at Rangers over the direction the club are heading on the park and off it.
Claiming that he was satisfied with the direction of travel at Rangers, Philippe Clement believes that it’s ‘symbolic’ of the positive steps the club are taking.
“It’s important and it shows that we’re on a good way,” said Clement.
“Because people with that quality, if they feel like this story is not going the right way, they will step out of the story and they will have several other opportunities.
“Jack feels what’s going on inside the building, what’s going on inside the squad, how things are evolving here in every sense.
“Things that fans cannot see.
“So it;’s a really big signal I think that somebody after his season, somebody with his quality is saying that.
“I think it’s a really symbolic thing.”
Rangers need to raise creative ‘quality’
As part of that shared ambition, Rangers have sought to raise the creative quality in the squad.
The addition of Vaclav Cerny has been viewed as a huge positive by supporters and there are high hopes that the Czech international can make a big impact in Glasgow.
Clement was asked about the impact of the winger, and claims that all of the club’s attackers have been tasked with raising their ‘creative quality’.
“You have ideas in your head about how you want to play football,” said Clement.
“(Cerny) is the type of player, the creative one, who can make the difference and we need to raise our qualities there.
“We spoke a lot about efficiency last season and we’re working hard on that.
“Players are making really good steps in that.
“To give one example, if Ross played on the right side he never came for a shot with his left foot.
“But we’ve been working on that, he’s really conscious about it, he’s very motivated about it and that’s why he gets a good shot against Kiev against the post.
“But this is a process that takes time and we’re with all the players, with everybody, everybody doing different things around that next to their collective trainings.”
Champions League about facing ‘the best’
The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football and there’s no doubt that Rangers want to be there for reasons beyond just the financial.
Philippe Clement believes so too, and has explained that competing in the Champions League is about facing off against ‘the best’.
Also speaking frankly about the impact the finances in the competition will have on Rangers’ general operations, it’s clear qualification for the tournament could have a transformational impact on the club.
“In the first place as a player, as a manager, it’s about competing against the best,” said Clement.
“That’s why I always like to be in the Champions League when it was as a player or when it was as a manager after.
“It’s the nicest place to be. It’s also the most challenging place for your players also because they can compete against the best and all the spotlight of the world are on them.
“That’s the main thing.
“As a club of course you need to look at both the exposure and the tradition, but the finance are really important in football.
“And I think this club knows this really well after what happened 12 years ago.
“So it’s a really important thing to keep a good balance in those things and not to make silly faults that you come into trouble.
“The club is very, very conscious about that. I know that, and together we want to create a really good story and a strong story for the future.
“The Champions League can make the story go faster.”
