Fashion Sakala: ‘Everything will change at Rangers’, the club already have ‘what was missing’
Philippe Clement is “what was missing” at Rangers and he is the man to bring back success to Ibrox, according to Fashion Sakala.
The former Ibrox forward told Rangers Review (13 December) that he was convinced the Light Blues had got it right when he saw the Belgian had been brought in to replace Michael Beale, who sold him in the summer.
Sakala believes “everything” is set to change at the club with Clement in charge and has backed the former Genk and Club Brugge boss to turns things around once he has had the benefit of some signings of his own.
Sakala said: “When I saw that Rangers had signed him, I said ‘They have got the right man, they have got the right man’. He is what was missing. He needs time, of course, but I think everything will change at Rangers.
“I follow Rangers, I can see the results, see the way they are playing. It is not the same Rangers. I think he needs time to make his own signings and things will be much better. It is a club that deserves to win.
“I would be proud to see the club win again, as a former player I would like to see them win every season. I check the results and if I see they have won the game, I am happy. For the new coach, I think Rangers have got the right person and he will give them the results they deserve. He will bring back the smile on the fans.
“Being there, it is special. The love of the fans is far better than other big clubs. When you go to Ibrox, even for a friendly game, you have pressure like it is a final. The fans always want to win, the passion they have for the club, the love they have for the club is just massive.
“They just want the club to win and hopefully, Rangers keep winning and win trophies. I would be very happy to see them lifting more trophies.”
Two ships passing
Given how things turned out in the early part of this season with Beale there will likely be plenty of people who might wish Sakala had the chance to feature for Clement as a Rangers player.
His exit in the summer for £4million only made sense if he was adequately replaced and, Abdallah Sima aside, he simply hasn’t been.
For all the Zambian’s inconsistency could be maddening at times he had a spark to his play that nobody else in the squad possessed during his time in Glasgow, and even less so now.
With Clement scrambling for attackers in light of Danilo’s injury, on top of fitness (Kemar Roofe) and form (Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers) struggles among his other options, the departure of a player who clearly had such a connection to the club feels all the more of a mistake.
The 26-year-old would seemingly have loved the opportunity but instead he missed the Belgian’s arrival by little more than two months.
Clement has shown plenty of positive signs in his short Ibrox reign so far even if it hasn’t been entirely plain sailing, but Sakala is sure that Rangers made the correct decision, after their previous one ultimately proved a major misstep.
In other Rangers news, one name is thought to be “first on the list” for the January transfer window and it isn’t Lawrence Shankland.