It was a day of returns as Rangers beat St Johnstone on Sunday, and Ibrox icon Kris Boyd was delighted to see the clock roll back.
There was the homecoming of Ianis Hagi.
Back in the first-team picture after Hagi’s proposed sale from Rangers to Romania failed to materialise, the number 30 marked his first outing of 2024/25 with an assist and, rather less positively, a late red card.
The first showcasing Hagi’s eye for a defence splitting pass, and the latter perhaps a sign of rustiness after so long without first-team minutes.
For Vaclav Cerny, however, this was not so much a return to contention as a return to form.
Much-maligned following a couple of difficult weeks – Cerny missed an open goal against Lyon in the Europa League as the relationship between him and the Rangers fans threatened to go sour – the Czech Republic international turned those cheers to jeers as he hit a maiden brace in Scottish football.
Rangers legend Kris Boyd likens Vaclav Cerny to Nicolas Kuhn
His first of the day was classic Vaclav Cerny.
Skipping past a baffled St Johnstone defender, the Wolfsburg loanee then curled home the sort of pinpoint finish he made his trademark at FC Twente.
Cerny was labelled a ‘special’ talent by former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag. A player of his supreme technical talents could take Rangers by storm if he can rediscover his Eredivisie pomp.
And, as he doubled his tally from Hagi’s assist, this felt like a belated coming-of-age performance from a man who’s confidence came surging back against The Saints.
Kris Boyd sees similarities between Cerny and another left-footed right-winger who overcame a difficult start to life in Scotland.
And if Cerny can blossom a la Nicolas Kuhn at Celtic – six goals or assists in his first 18 Hoops games and then 14 in his next 11 – then perhaps Rangers will one day look back on that 2-0 win over St Johnstone as the day where their Czech schemer turned the tide.
“I thought his first goal was excellent, to be honest,” Boyd says. “Similar to Kuhn, as soon as he comes inside, you know what he’s going to try and do.
“As he nutmegs the boy, he is away and he just bends it into the far corner. It really was a top-class finish.
“The second-half, Rangers get the second goal [with] a tidy enough finish from his right foot.”
Philippe Clement delighted to see Cerny find form at Rangers
Cerny went straight to Clement as he opened the scoring, Rangers winning a fifth out of seven Premiership games as a plucky St Johnstone side were eventually vanquished.
The Gers boss has been the first to defend his under-fire winger during a tough spell. And, clearly, Cerny is keen to pay back his manager’s faith.
“I’m really happy for Vaclav, because from the first moment he came into this club, he’s been working really hard,” Clement said at his post-match press conference. “He was really down after Thursday, by missing that chance [against Lyon].
“He felt really responsible because he knew it was a really important moment in the beginning of the game. If you score there, you have a totally different momentum and it can be a different game. He talked about that with me, and it was a really open and good talk.
“But he didn’t lose any of my confidence. He showed what I wanted to see, after the disappointment, to react and to keep composure and not start to doubt. So I’m really happy for him with two quality goals.
“He’s going to get more and more important minutes and moments the next couple of months, because he’s just in the building and starting to get to know the rest of the team. I’m really pleased with him.
“Not only as a football player, but also as a person.”
