Journalist shares what Rangers now have that was previously ‘absent’ under Michael Beale
Rangers are showing an “appetite” to work hard for each other under Philippe Clement, a trait that was absent under Michael Beale says Daily Record journalist Gordon Parks.
Clement was chosen as the successor to Beale, who paid the price for a shoddy start to the campaign at Ibrox having made nine summer signings.
A 4-0 hammering of Hibs was followed by a creditable goalless goal at Sparta Prague in the Europa League, and Parks is impressed by the early signs Rangers are showing under Clement.
“Organisation, structure and a group of players showing an appetite to work and play for the team which was absent while Michael Beale was in charge,” Parks wrote in the print edition of the Record (28 October, page 53).
Fight, fight, fight
Let us be brutally honest about this, there was a LOT missing during the final days of Beale’s tenure.
There was a lack of cohesion, a lack of quality, a lack of understanding, and Parks is right that hunger was definitely missing from this Rangers squad.
We’re still, obviously, very early in the tenure of Clement – he has had only one league game after all – so it is important to temper expectations to a certain extent.
But it is good to see Rangers playing with some more heart, some more hunger, and some more fight. They are the absolute basics any professional football team should be showing and are the fundamentals to a successful side.
Some considerably bigger challenges are still on the horizon and Clement will know that Rangers need more momentum to continue on an upward trajectory but the early signs have certainly been positive.
In other Rangers news, the club’s relationship with the SPFL is now surely damaged beyond repair.