Philippe Clement has ‘never faced’ Scottish low block, needs Rangers ‘plan B’ – Jonny McFarlane
Philippe Clement will need a “plan B” for Rangers if they struggle against Scottish side’s low block, according to Jonny McFarlane.
Speaking live on The Rangers Review’s YouTube channel (18 October), the journalist claimed that he expects the new Belgian boss to bring the progressive and energetic football seen at Monaco and Club Brugge, but feared that he had “never faced” Scotland’s press-resistant tactics.
Clement takes on Hibernian on Saturday (21 October) where he will get his first taste of the Ibrox crowd.
McFarlane said: “One of the things that I expect to see from our Clement side will be that they push up and press in that final third and progress aggressively, set traps and swarm all over the opponents.
“Where he might struggle with that is if in Scotland, teams like Livingston or Ross County basically just boot the ball over the press. What can you do if you can’t press? He has to have a plan B and that’s something that he will need to keep in mind.
“He’s never faced a low block like this.”
Adapt
Clement has been studying Rangers closely before and since his appointment. While the tactical changes from other European leagues to Scotland are different, Clement will be aware of the tactical differences that await him.
As McFarlane alluded to, Rangers’ success may depend on how loyal Clement wants to be to his footballing philosophy. With the quality of personnel in his ranks, Rangers can go man-for-man in every game except the Old Firm, but opposition tactics can frustrate the Gers.
At Rangers, results are needed, but high-quality and entertaining football is also a must. This was part of Michael Beale’s downfall. While he found wins before his sacking, the nature of the performances was subpar at best.
Clement will be aware of the task ahead and his adept man-management could prove vital in getting the best from the underperforming new signings. Best case scenario, he can implement his aggressive philosophy quickly and have the Gers firing again.
However, plans must be in place to prevent the worst possible outcome: defeat. The Ibrox faithful will be forgiving of a new manager if they can see the tide is turning, but for this season, the points need to be won.
In other Rangers news, a loanee deserves a clean slate at Ibrox and Clement could look to end his agreement in January.