Barry Ferguson praises Philippe Clement’s ‘character’ after choosing Rangers over Saudi offer
Barry Ferguson has praised Philippe Clement’s character, after the Belgian manager opted to take over the reins at Rangers, instead of the Saudi Pro League.
The former Monaco boss was announced as Michael Beale’s successor at Ibrox on Sunday (15 October) after two weeks of shortlisting and interviews saw him and former defender Kevin Muscat the final two candidates in the race.
Reports had emerged that Clement was being targeted by Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab as well [Sabq, 11 October], but the manager turned down the opportunity [The National, 16 October], something Ferguson was keen to praise.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show (16 October) he said: “He could go to Saudi Arabia and that’s him made for life, but it tells me that he’s got a bit about him. It’s not about finances, he sees Rangers as a big club and a big challenge.
“But that tells me he’s got the character to take on the challenge. It’s going to be interesting to see how he approaches it, what kind of style he brings to the club, what’s his starting XI going to be. I’m sure the fans are excited to see what he brings to the party.”
Good start
If there’s one way to ensure that you get the fans onside at your new club, it is to show just how highly you value the team and the history of the football club and it is safe to say that Clement has displayed that already at Ibrox after only a couple of days.
To turn down the riches of the Middle East league is by no means an easy task as Ferguson said, Clement would have been set for life financially had he made the switch instead of heading to Glasgow, but he clearly has bigger ambitions than just money.
The next task for the new Light Blues boss is going to be to ensure that he can get his playing staff on his side just as quickly as he has convinced the fanbase as he needs to try and get a tune out of these players on the field until the January transfer window at least.
Getting consistent performances out of this side won’t be easy as they have struggled to gel since the big summer overhaul under Beale, but if Clement wants to keep the fans and the media on his side, he’s going to have to hit the ground running as time isn’t often given to managers in recent Rangers history.
In other Rangers news, Simon Jordan has slammed the Rangers board describing them as “the blind leading the deaf.”