Philippe Clement reckons his team are starting to prove him right after he claimed the ‘best Rangers‘ would emerge in October and November.
The Ibrox side signed off for the September internationals at a low point of the Clement era with a 3-0 defeat to Celtic leaving them already five points off the pace in the Premiership just four games into the season. They’d already exited the Champions League and questions were being asked of the Belgian’s position.
But they’ve responded with three straight wins in three competitions, their impressive win over Malmo in Sweden coming after victories over Dundee United in the Premiership and Dundee back at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup. Clement said earlier in September that their best form wouldn’t come to pass until October and November, after a summer of overhaul that saw nine new faces arrive, many of which at the end of the window. And he reckons their recent run shows it’s prophecy fulfilled.
Asked if the win over Malmo was a boost to their confidence, he told Sky Sports: “It’s good, it’s important, but for me it’s more confirmation of what I’ve been seeing for the last couple of weeks in training. The team is growing for a few weeks, and it’s like I said one month ago, that we would see the best Rangers in October and November. It’s normal.
“So many guys who need to learn the story together, how to play together in the style we want to play. They’re doing the right things and it’s about continuing to do that. It’s different playing every three days to playing once a week, but that’s what Rangers is about, so it’s about seeing who can cope with that, physically and mentally.
“For a lot of guys it’s something new, so we still need to discover the squad in that way. It’s difficult but those are the consequences of playing in Europe, and they are positive consequences.”
It’s Hibs in the Premiership this weekend and Rangers confirmed on Thursday that Ibrox would be at full capacity with the Copland Road stand fully reopened at last. It means a full away allocation for Hibs as well as a bumper home crowd and Clement said: “We were already so happy that we had a part of Ibrox open last week. We felt the joy with the players, the staff, and the fans. So now, a full Ibrox, that’s why players come here and why I like to be here.
“It gives it a totally different dynamic. I feel a lot of positivity in the fans from what they’ve seen in the last few weeks, with the new faces coming in and giving them what they expect. So I expect a fully loaded Ibrox on Sunday.”