Under-fire Philippe Clement has come out swinging with pressure mounting over his Rangers future.
Clement is facing increased pressure following the Light Blues’ lacklustre defeat to Kilmarnock – which left the Glasgow giants unable to close the gap on Celtic and Aberdeen at the Premiership summit following their draw on Saturday. He must now pick his side up for the Europa League clash with Steaua Bucharest as Rangers look to escape the league phase and reach the knockout rounds.
But with some fans now feeling disillusioned with the style of play employed by the Belgian this season, Clement reminded the punters that the squad is still in period of transition. Asked for a message to the “growing number of fans who are concerned about the direction of the team”, he said: “We spoke about a big rebuild in many ways.
“Cutting wages to make the club sustainable for now and for the future, because there was decisions made in the past before I was here. So, I stepped in after long talks, and to make long-term decisions with the board towards the future. We are working really hard with the players, everybody, and the staff to make it as fast as possible to get back at the level the club was at 12-15 years ago or in moments the last couple of years – but never over a long period.
“So, that takes time. We are going to work hard on that. It’s a process we need to follow. It’s about performing well, maybe less days, but you want to avoid that as much as possible. It was one of the lower days against Kilmarnock, for sure, but we are in specific circumstance now and it’s about reacting to Steaua Bucharest. I have confidence in this squad for the short-term and for sure for the long-term.”
Asked if he had a “time in mind when the squad would click” – having previously stated he expects to see the best of his side in October or November – Clement interrupted: “Those are good questions for everybody who has never been a manager or a player, because there are so many circumstances you don’t have under your control that you cannot say that. There are players that come into the team on the first day and they feel good, and there are other players who need three months or six months – they are human beings. They are no machines.”
Tune in toHotline Liveevery Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.