We may still be in the midst of international week and nine days have passed since Rangers were handed an Old Firm skelping.
But fans won’t have forgotten and after some chose to descend on Ibrox to confront Philippe Clement and the players after the 3-0 defeat to Celtic, they will get their chance to grill the gaffer through proper channels this evening. A fundraising event for the club’s charity foundation, it has, perhaps, taken on even more significance since Gers were dumped out of the Champions League qualifiers, the transfer window closing and falling five points behind their rivals after just four Premiership fixtures.
There will be plenty wanting answers from the main man and it’s unlikely to be as comfortable an evening as was maybe hoped for when the event was announced back in the summer. But that comes with the territory when managing in Glasgow and you don’t make the start to the season that was expected of you.
Record Sport looks at what might be coming Clement’s way.
Why can’t Rangers beat Celtic?
It’s a question that has several answers and some of them are obvious. But it’s the most pressing issue facing Clement in his bid to deliver the title to Ibrox. He’s now had five attempts and failed to come out on top in any of the derbies. Even the 3-3 draw last season came courtesy of a stoppage time leveller. Celtic having better players, more money in the bank and a manager that knows exactly what’s required are all valid reasons Clement could point to, but it wouldn’t be prudent to publicly do so.
How is he going to change that?
That’s the million dollar (Forty million until the automatic Champions League group spot disappears) question. It’s all very well listing reasons why things haven’t gone Clement’s way against Celtic, but he needs to try and convince fans he has a plan to finally get the better of Brendan Rodgers.
Is the transfer budget what you expected when taking the job?
A valid question, but one where Clement has to tread carefully. Given Gers’ transfer business since he arrived and repeated claims that he has to move players on before he can bring more in, it’s fair to assume that there isn’t spare cash lying around for him to spend. Whether that was promised to him upon taking the job, we’re unlikely to find out any time soon. It also wouldn’t be wise for an under pressure manager to start shouting about broken promises from bosses, whether that is or isn’t the case.
Will there be money to spend in January?
Maybe a question for the board, but it’s hard to imagine the planning hasn’t already started and Clement doesn’t have an idea of what he’ll be able to do in the winter window. It might also hinge on if Rangers are still behind Celtic and by how much. If they are in striking distance, reinforcements to prevent a late season collapse like last term may be seen as a necessary investment – if the money can be found.
What’s the script with Lawrence Shankland?
Plenty of people told Clement he SHOULD sign the striker, but there is next to no evidence that he seriously wanted to. Of course, Hearts would have had plenty to say on the matter and it was far from a case of Rangers simply deciding if they wanted him that was the deciding factor. An on form Shankland is integral to the Jambos and they will have wanted a decent chunk to make it worthwhile, even with his contract up in the summer.
With Rangers needing another option up front given Cyriel Dessers still not quite convincing everyone, a 31-goal hitman could make all the difference when it comes to finishing first or second. But there were no attempts to land Shankland and fans will likely want to know that if the manager doesn’t fancy him, then why not (certainly based on last season rather than his start to this)?
Why was Hamza Igamane the answer?
The young Moroccan forward was signed for £1.7million in the summer and hasn’t been seen since. Clement insists he needed time to be ready for first team football and now that he’s actually started training, should be involved in some way in the coming weeks. But fans will be entitled to ask why money was invested in a project for the future rather than put towards a proven goalscorer like Shankland.
What does James Tavernier’s future look like?
The skipper seems to be the lightning rod when things aren’t going well. Some of that is down to his own performances, often against Celtic and Daizen Maeda in particular. Some of it is because he wears the armband and it comes with the territory of being a dressing room leader.
But with the Turkish transfer window still open and former boss Gio van Bronckhorst seemingly keen on a reunion, Tavernier’s short term future is far from decided. He has a year to run on his contract after this season and will be 33 next month with his testimonial year approaching. Where Clement sees him beyond the next few days, never mind a few months, is worthy of discussion.
Will Ianis Hagi play again?
Getting players out the door towards the end of the window proved tricky. Rangers took a financial hit to move Todd Cantwell on, but with Ianis Hagi sitting tight, this is a more complicated situation. Record Sport exclusively revealed that the Romanian is due a wage hike after 100 appearances. Currently sitting on 99, it explains why he’s been bombed to the B team.
But while Clement had seen plenty of Cantwell in action, Hagi spent last season on loan at Alaves and hasn’t really been given a chance in games under the Belgian. With Rangers struggling for creativity and Hagi looking very much like a first team player asked to play with the kids when turning out for the B team, calls have been made to bring him back into the fold.