Ally McCoist: Philippe Clement must be backed by Rangers board in January transfer window
Ally McCoist believes that Philippe Clement has earned the backing of the Rangers board during the January transfer window.
Clement is yet to taste defeat as manager of the Ibrox club since arriving in October, and oversaw a 3-2 win over Real Betis in Spain to claim top spot in the Europa League group stages
And when asked live on TNT Sports (14 December, 22:16), if the club need to strengthen in the January window McCoist was adamant that they need a few players and that Clement has earned that right since joining.
“Absolutely,” he said. “You know I’m a firm believer that you can only judge a manager or a coach when he’s got his own team on the pitch and I think Philippe Clement certainly deserves to bring one or two players in that he wants to get.
“Derek is absolutely right. To drop five points against Aris who finished bottom of the group, they could have been home and dry.
“But the difference in Rangers since he’s come is evident. I still think they’ve got a good bit to go. I still think they’ll play better, I genuinely do. But there’s a bit of resolve about them, there’s a bit of steel about them. They’ve got goals.
“When Rangers scored, we’re on the edge of our seat but you can see there is an organisation, a desire, a bit of steel.
“I think Philippe Clement, at this moment in time he’s got to be very pleased and I think he should and I think he will be supported in the transfer market in the window, because like I said earlier on a manager can only be judged when he’s got his own team on the pitch.”
Rebuild?
Rangers don’t need a rebuild, and we don’t actually need that many new faces either. But what we do need is some of Clement’s players in the squad.
Right now he is making the most of a difficult situation with players that he doesn’t rate that highly having to fill gaps due to the injury situations at Ibrox.
But with money tight ahead of the window, it’s not a surprise that there have been some question marks about giving him free reign in the market considering the way Michael Beale messed it up when he was given that freedom.
Some players will leave and some will come in during January for sure, and the fact that Clement has earned the backing of a bunch of club legends like McCoist publicly will surely tip the board towards giving him the keys to the future.
It’ll be a fun month, but Clement has given nobody a reason to doubt him as it stands and therefore deserves to be given some backing by those above him.
In other Rangers news, Derek McInnes sings praises of ‘Outstanding’ Rangers star John Lundstram after win vs Real Betis