As Rangers fans nervously await this season’s big kick off, Philippe Clement has addressed them for one of the first times.
Only, the Belgian manager hasn’t exactly inspired confidence that things are going swimmingly this summer.
After making a handful of signings, ominous transfer updates surrounding a lack of imminent Rangers activity hasn’t exactly got Gers fans buzzing.
Throw in the fiasco around the renovation of Ibrox and there’s a sinking feeling around the club before a ball has even been kicked this season.
Now, Philippe Clement hasn’t exactly helped to quell that sensation as he tempers expectations at Rangers in both the transfer window and in terms of the club’s youthful incomings.
Rangers rebuild expectations tempered
The Gers have lost five experienced players at the end of their contracts, something Philippe Clement has regularly referenced in the months leading up to the summer.
With a slim budget to work on, Rangers could’ve really done without having to replace around 750 appearances after recouping the sum total of £0 on their exits.
Once again referencing the situation as he spoke to Rangers Review, Clement claims that this Rangers rebuild will not be completed in a day in ominous comments ahead of the new campaign.
The Ibrox boss also once again referenced the state of the injury crisis at Ibrox, tempering expectations of those players returning from issues this summer.
“It is not easy to replace five players and Robby also without money coming into the club,” said Clement. “That is not an easy thing.
“It’s focusing on everyone to get the best out of them. We have players coming back from long-term injury, several in fact. We cannot train them in the same way.
“Several won’t be ready for the 90 minutes, I know that so we still have a lot of things to do. We have to focus on every single individual story and how to get the best out of them.”
Earlier, Clement talked about the club’s long-term planning: “You can have luck in moments when you get results with less quality but not in the long term.
“It is really important now that the club works on something long term.
“It is not only the short term and looking at that because then you always come into the same problems that have been in the past.
“A house is not built in one day, Rome was not built in one day. Rangers will not be rebuilt in one day also. I can say to all the fans that everyone is working day and night towards that.
“We need to build that up to make them stronger, make them better, make them better collectively, better individually, to get good signings in, to get less injuries, to have better prevention, to make them more robust, to score more goals, get less goals against. All these things. Everybody is very busy with that.”
On top of that, Clement has suggested that both Clinton Nsiala and Hamza Igamane, two of the clubs most high-profile summer signings, are ‘not expected to be starters’ next season.
Yikes.
Clement: judge transfers in September
With all that in mind, Clement has been urging supporters not to judge the club’s transfer business until the end of the window.
But with Rangers set to kick off the Scottish Premiership away to Hearts at the beginning of August, and with the Champions League qualifiers to come thick and fast, September 1st is a long way away.
In yet more ominous comments, the Rangers manager has urged fans to hold off rating his new signings until the window slams shut.
The problem is that Rangers’ season – and the financial gap with Old Firm rivals Celtic – could be handed a serious dent before the window closes.
“It’s not a point now to rate,” Clement says. “The one thing I have learned is to work hard, work hard with the players who are there and you never know how fast things go. You are not in control of that.
“With players you want you first need to convince them to come and then you need to convince their team that you pay the right amount of money. You can only make an evaluation on September 1.
“That is my reality. Sometimes you do business early, sometimes it can be the last day. It depends on the market. Also, my experience tells me that in the years you have World Cups or Euros, the market starts slower.
“We have been really busy already with watching a lot of players. Already we have done really good things for the future of the club.”
As Rangers fans nervously await the next few weeks leading up to the season, these comments won’t exactly inspire confidence.
More than praise the direction Rangers are going the manager appears to be downplaying expectations ahead of the new season and trying to rationalise a lack of transfer activity.
Maybe we’re reading between the lines, maybe Clement is just speaking the truth, but for Rangers fans expecting a title challenge next season, the Belgian has failed to rally the troops.
There’s a sinking feeling we’re in for a long campaign and if Clement is expecting a bye or any patience from fans he can just about forget it.
Whilst Rangers supporters will acknowledge progress no matter how little, blaming short term regression with soundbites about long-term progress will not cut it.
These guys in the background of the club have got to get it right this summer – or at least push us in the right direction – and anything less will see their jobs on the line.
It very much feels like Clement has got some excuses in early here.
Whilst we hope we’re wrong, far from inspire confidence the manager’s latest soundbites have done precisely the opposite.
