Philippe Clement will be looking to win his first trophy as Rangers manager when his side face Aberdeen in a few weeks’ time but a memory from a previous generation serves as how important silverware is for motivation.
The league cup, or Viaplay Cup as it is known in its current guise, has traditionally been the opening competition of the season and the new Gers boss has a golden chance to repeat the feat of a certain Dick Advocaat.
The Dutchman arrived at Ibrox and was heavily backed by the board, overhauling an ageing and imbalanced squad with one that was packed with quality but expensively assembled, a luxury unlikely to be afforded to Philippe Clement as he looks to rebuild his Rangers squad.
Philippe Clement will be hoping for Rangers repeat of cup triumph
For those old enough to remember, Advocaat’s revolution was one that saw genuine excitement return to the stands after the huge anti-climax of Walter Smith’s last season.
European heavyweights were competed with but, not only that, domestic dominance was also restored starting 25 years ago today with the league cup trophy, the same one that Philippe Clement will be desperate to win for Rangers.
The goalscorers on the day included a familiar face and one whose reputation far exceeded reality when it came to performances and return on a reported £3.5m fee.
Why wouldn’t fans get excited about the man who led the line for France as they swept to glory in the World Cup and had been Ligue 1’s most prolific marksman for two seasons?
Imagine signing Kylian Mbappe now, or even Olivier Giroud despite his ageing years.
Stephane Guivarc’h arrived from Newcastle United after a difficult time on Tynesaide and this was his only highlight in a short career at Ibrox.
The other scorer was a player that Philippe Clement would love to have in his Rangers squad, Jorg Albertz, a midfielder who guaranteed double figures for goals and assists every season.
Michael Beale blew his chance to repeat the achievements of Alex McLeish when he took over a struggling Rangers team to win a cup double but the Belgian has to succeed where his predecessor failed.
Philippe Clement has made a good start to his career as Rangers manager, but we all know the value of silverware.
