A lot can change in football over 24 hours, never mind a week, a month or a year with Rangers in particular, the type of club that can see almost seismic differences in a short period of time.
Cast your minds back a year, Michael Beale had replace Giovanni van Bronkhorst after a series of big defeats and a disastrous Champions League campaign.
Injuries didn’t help the Dutchman but Steven Gerrard’s Rangers number two arrived and promised the world, little did he know that 12-months down the line that he too would be heading out the Ibrox exit.
Michael Beale fails to live up to Rangers promises
We were promised attacking football with the handbrake off, instead, Rangers fans didn’t even see the level of organisation that was so fundamental during our last title win.
There seemed to be no game plan other than relying on James Tavernier and Borna Barisic to find ever isolated forwards in packed penalty boxes.
He promised a new world but the reality was that it was more of the same with league and cup defeats to Celtic increasing the pressure immediately on Beale before a transfer window that he had to get right.
The club’s hierarchy changed and key players departed but nothing seemed to improve, iff anything, we got worse.
Money was spent, James Bisgrove said we weren’t holding back and with deals that could cost nearly £15m, Danilo, Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers were signed.
So far, they have not been value for money.
Ultimately, this is what cost Beale his job, he hand built a squad without a sporting director but didn’t know how to get the best out of it.
Philippe Clement begins Rangers revolution
Philippe Clement, on the other hand, does.
Danilo was made first choice and started scoring goals, Cyriel Dessers has improved every aspect of his game, Leon Balogun has been restored to the starting XI and been immense and there are others who have all gone up a level – the upturn in performances and results proves this.
The biggest difference is that Clement has taken the handbrake off.
We are playing more forward passes, more progressive passes, getting more players in the box, scoring more goals, creating more chances, and yet, he inherited the same squad but with more injuries.
There is a belief, a determination and a resolution that has been missing for years and the team is defending as a unit.
It’s amazing how much has changed in a year but the reality is, it’s nothing to do with the players.
The board have nailed the managerial appointment of Philippe Clement and, if he is backed in January, can deliver what we all covet the most – the Scottish Premiership title.
