Everyone is keenly aware that the optimism Rangers fans held over the summer has largely waned. Philippe Clement did well following his arrival in mid October as Michael Beale’s replacement and performances and results improved, but our busy summer of wheeling and dealing in the transfer market has just not delivered the outcome that everyone was hoping.
A full pre season under the 50 year old has not really improved our performance levels, or game to game consistency, and probably as expected, our far younger newbies moving to a new country and a new league have just not settled in quickly enough and hit the ground running. The best odds guaranteed bookmakers may have seen this coming with so many changes.
Sadly for us, our 2024/25 campaign so far has just shown up all of those flaws and many would argue that we have in fact gone backwards. Eleven games in, we are third in the table and a full nine points behind the table toppers given the three defeats we have suffered, and our goal difference is not great either and just stands to show how we are struggling in games.
Naturally, there is plenty of talk about strengthening further in the January transfer window, but the question right now is whether or not Clement will remain in position by then given the pressure that is building on him, and the general atmosphere that surrounds Ibrox Stadium.
Our Europa League campaign has been slightly more enjoyable for fans with two wins and a draw from our opening four matches. It leaves us just two points from the automatic qualification spots, and whilst that could be a big boost for Clement, the domestic campaign rules the roost and as we go into the next international break the Hearts win has likely created a bit more leeway – but it was still hardly emphatic.
The reaction of fans in the game prove that, and whilst we made heavy work of the victory, Clement also came under fire for his choice of substitutes in the game – particularly the decision to take off Olympiakos star man Connor Barron in the 68th minute. That change was roundly greeted by boos but the gaffer has now doubled down on the decision, insisting the change was careful management following the 5000 mile round trip to Greece, and that he was protecting the player with the games coming thick and fast.
He acknowledged that fans see Barron as one of the ‘symbols’ of the squad, and his importance is obvious but ‘fans…don’t know all the facts’. Clement will have a point on injuries that are not obvious, or elements of fatigue and he sees what happens in training, but a 20 minute rest on the cusp of an international break where a serious issue would see him withdrawn from Scotland duty…fans will hold their own opinion.
We shall see how our form goes when domestic football returns, but the improvement we need to make remains obvious to all and we are not really making the strides you would expect us to (newbies included) given we are now in November.
Something has to change.
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