This week marks the anniversary of Philippe Clement being appointed as Rangers manager.
On October 15th 2023, Rangers looked to the ex-AS Monaco and Club Brugge boss as their solution to a managerial merry go-round which saw three managers leave the club in only two years.
The Ibrox side have repeatedly stressed that they will be backing their man in the weeks and months to come as the club faces on and off pitch upheaval.
One year on from joining Rangers, here are three things we reckon Philippe Clement has gotten right after a mixed 12 months in Glasgow.
Communication, Communication, Communication
When Philippe Clement came into Rangers, the club’s support had either side of the spectrum when it came to communications with their last two managers.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst, an elite-level footballer who’d been media trained to within an inch of his life, barely gave journalists or supporters a peep.
Michael Beale, a rookie in the management game when he joined the Ibrox side, often stood accused of sharing too much.
Philippe Clement might well have given himself enough rope with comments about the club’s new-look squad gelling by October.
But the Belgian manager has proven a healthy balance of both Van Bronckhorst and Beale who is happy to share when it suits and equally commanding and authoritative when it doesn’t.
Clement is a strong communicator in the press and we reckon that’s something that’s echoed in training, in the dressing room and on the pitch.
Rangers manager driving squad overhaul
Philippe Clement took his time to assess the Rangers squad and came to a conclusion which every single one of us already knew.
The Rangers team was too old, too expensive and too injury-prone for the level of success the fans were receiving.
This summer Clement oversaw the most substantial overhaul of the Rangers team in more than half a decade and the work is still very much ongoing.
With the intention of building a more youthful, valuable and successful Rangers team, it’s been a bright start in this regard with the club’s recruitment team scouring international markets for hidden gems.
At the same time, Clement has phased out a number of high-earning under-achievers and has Rangers back on track after years of regression.
There’s still a long way to go, and Clement needs more windows to implement the kind of changes the club needs long-term, but the early signs are promising.
Philippe Clement is in charge
It sounds like an obvious thing, but Philippe Clement has brought leadership to the playing side of Rangers at a time when where the club has been increasingly devoid of it.
Taking a lead role in ripping up the Rangers squad and implementing crucial changes at Auchenhowie, such as in the medical department, corporate upheaval has often seen Clement fire-fighting off-field issues.
Whilst Rangers are committed to lessening this burden on Clement – a burden which will always be there given the unique role of being Rangers manager – the Belgian has handled any questions with dignity and class.
The Gers’ hunt for a number of executive additions goes on with Clement the man who is most highly scrutinised even if his role doesn’t involve appointing a new CEO or chairman.
Not since the days of Steven Gerrard have Rangers had a clear figurehead at the club who commands respect and who demands success.
Whilst Clement is aware of the limitations at Rangers, and of his own role, when the Belgian speaks, everyone at Ibrox listens.
