Rangers investors told dig deep as Philippe Clement earns Ibrox trust – Fraser Wilson
Fraser Wilson has called upon Rangers investors to “dig deep” during the transfer window after Philippe Clement earned the trust of the Ibrox higher-ups.
The Light Blues invested heavily over the summer under the management of Michael Beale, with the club’s accounts showing they spent £21 million on new players, but the Englishman was unable to get consistent performances out of his side and was sacked.
Since arriving in Glasgow, Clement has got a tune out of the side Beale left behind and Daily Record journalist Wilson believes the Belgian has earned enough credit from those above him at Ibrox to be backed, like Beale was, in the transfer window.
Writing for the Daily Record (15 November) he said: “Clement has earned the right to be backed in January. But one look at this week’s figures and it’s clear to see investors are going to have to dig deep again.
“The 49-year-old wouldn’t have taken the job without assurances he will have cash to spend in January. Chief executive James Bisgrove as good as promised it when unveiling the club’s 19th manager last month.
“How much would be enough to close the gap on a Celtic side that you have to expect will strengthen again in January is anyone’s guess. It’s another gamble. But one Clement has already earned the right to take.”
Dig deep
Rangers may be unhappy at the thought of once again digging deep in the transfer window, given how unsuccessful their business appears to be during the summer, but Clement has shown that he is deserving of some backing from the investors.
The Belgian has not put a foot out of line since arriving in Scotland, remaining unbeaten in all competitions, booking the Light Blues’ place in the Viaplay Cup final and looking incredibly likely to guide Rangers into the Europa League knockout stages.
All of that has been with a squad of players that looked massively off of the pace under Beale, so Clement deserves plenty of credit for the job he’s done in his first month at Ibrox. But the gap to Celtic remains and reinforcements are required.
It doesn’t need to be a complete reshuffle of the team as it was under Beale in the summer with nine new additions to the squad. Instead, the Gers should be looking to add a couple of genuine quality players to take them to the next level.
The investors at Ibrox may need to dig deep again, but as Wilson suggested, Clement is deserving of that financial backing.
In other Rangers news, Borna Barisic may only have 11 games left in a Light Blue shirt after the latest rumours around his future