Fortunately, Rangers have a manager in Philippe Clement bullish enough in his beliefs not to be swayed by criticism from outside Ibrox and on the scorched lands of social media.
By his own admission, had Clement made his decisions based on the whims of the more toxic sections of the Rangers fanbase, that nightmare night in the Europa League may have brought an early end to Vaclav Cerny’s time on the blue side of Glasgow.
Three days after he missed a sitter against Malmo, Cerny hit back after being subjected to a few jeers from the home ‘support’ during the 1-0 win over Hibernian in late September.
And as the Wolfsburg loanee spooned another glorious chance over the bar in Rangers’ 4-1 hammering by Lyon when the game was still goalless, even Cerny’s most committed backers could have been forgiven for wondering whether the die had been cast.
So it is to Cerny’s – and Clement’s – credit that, like Cyriel Dessers back in 2023, a player who arrived amid lofty expectations is belatedly starting to silence his doubters.
Almost exactly a month after that Hibs flashpoint, those who so vocally questioned Cerny’s involvement are now wiping the crumbs of humble pie from their mouths with Kris Boyd among those now signing the Rangers winger’s praises.
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Philippe Clement delighted by Vaclav Cerny’s Rangers revival
Speaking ahead of Rangers’ trip to Premiership pacesetters Aberdeen on Wednesday evening, Clement is backing Cerny and the rest of the squad to silence those who wrote them off before the Halloween decorations even arrived on the shelves.
“Maybe it’s better that they don’t think we’re in the fight, that they underestimate us at the end. No, we are just focused on ourselves and not on all the noise,” Clement tells his pre-match press conference.
“It’s difficult in the press conferences. Very difficult. And today more than ever, maybe. But, no, it’s part of football. And it’s changed a lot in the last 10 years, but players need to learn that also.
“Vaclav was, in that way, also a really good example because he was really, really hardly touched by all the comments that he got after a moment in Lyon.”
Social media detox helps Wolfsburg loanee save Ibrox career
Clement explains how Cerny was encouraged to turn his back on the poisonous world of social media. A decision he is now reaping the benefits of.
Refreshed and re-vitalised, the former FC Twente talisman has responded with five goals and an assist in his last four Rangers outings, including the winner in Sunday’s 2-1 triumph over St Mirren.
Cerny’s stunning brace as Rangers battered Romanian giants FCSB was his most complete display in that blue shirt.
“And he cut out his Insta [Instagram] after a good talk about that, because it’s of no use,” adds Clement. “It’s totally of no use to live in these emotions because then you can never create stability. There’s not one person in the world who is every day at his best and [producing] top performance.
“But that’s what’s expected from all the players and we’re pushing in that way.
“But, also in moments that they didn’t perform at their best, you need to give them also confidence to be the next time there to react in that way. So, if I would listen to that and read all of that, then I would make a lot of bad calls, I think.
“Because, for example, Cerny would not have played after Lyon. And he was the most decisive player that we had the last couple of weeks!”
