Alex McLeish reacts to Philippe Clement updates at Rangers with new manager close
Alex McLeish believes Philippe Clement is a good choice to take over as Rangers manager, but suggested the club may have to splash out more money to bring in new players.
Arabic outlet Al-Riyadiah reported on Tuesday (10 October) that Clement has been offered a four-year deal to succeed Michael Beale at Ibrox, amid strong suggestions that Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab were also vying for his signature.
McLeish, who crossed paths with Clement during his time coaching in Belgium, has backed the 49-year-old to be a success in Glasgow.
“It’s a tough job to get Rangers to a level that the Rangers fans expect,” he told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard. “We know that we can get managers coming in and resurrecting the situation, but it’s a tough job for anybody.
“If the recruitment is not right then it makes it even more difficult. He’ll definitely come with the right mentality having had success. He’s got confidence, he’s young enough – it’s not like he’s past it or anything – to come and take the lead.
“But has he got the right recruitment, or can he look at the players he has and improve them with his style of play, his managerial skills? That’s the key.
“Do Rangers have to go into their purse again and get more money for other players? I guess he’ll have a certain idea about bringing in certain players as well if Philippe is the man who’s coming.”
Use what he has
Rangers will certainly hope that Clement has the ability to get more out of the numerous summer recruits brought in during Beale’s watch, many of whom have just not really got going as of yet.
The Gers splashed out a reported £13million on new recruits in the summer – albeit Beale claimed that figure was “miles out” – to offset the large number of departures on the back of last season.
Any new manager will of course want to bring in one or two players as soon as possible, likely those known to him from a previous club, but this will surely be unlikely at Ibrox in January.
Instead, Clement – assuming he signs the contract offered by the Rangers board – will have to quickly get to work and look at finding the best players available to him in each position.
There is no reason why a coach who is as respected as the Belgian, a title winner in his homeland with Genk, cannot at the very least get the Gers back on track with those already at the club.
Once it becomes clear who can and cannot play under Clement, then a decision can be made on incoming and outgoing activity.
In other Rangers news, another candidate has reportedly followed Clement in holding a second round of talks with the Gers.