So far, the Rangers’ season appears to be one step ahead and two steps back, with Philippe Clement struggling to change public perceptions of his future.
The roster is clearly divided into those who can do a job and those who the manager plays solely to rest his top players, even if the decline in quality plainly affects performances.
Rangers have made little impression two weeks into the transfer season, with the exception of an update on talks over loaning Hjalmar Ekdal from Burnley.
Rangers decide on Hjalmar Ekdal transfer.
The Light Blues were thought to be in talks with the Championship outfit, but according to The Rangers Review, the club is not actively looking to sign the 26-year-old Sweden international.
Clement is now limited on choices at centre-half and right-back, but the elevation of Clinton Nsiala has shown that trusting the academy can pay off.
With no anticipated arrivals, players such as Leon Balogun and Dujon Sterling are likely to return to action soon.
However, as shown against Dundee, St Johnstone, and Hibernian, the defence lacks physicality in key areas.
Are the Rangers going to be busy in January?
Patrick Stewart has discussed Rangers’ transfer ambitions in his first extensive interview, and it is evident that he is determined to take the club in a new direction:
“So, let’s talk about squad planning. First and foremost, I’d like to explain why I’m talking squad planning with you today instead of leaving it to Philippe.
“When it comes to signing players, club directors are constantly asked, ‘Are we backing the manager’. Again, I believe that in well-run clubs, players are signed by the club rather than the manager. The manager plays a vital role.
“He should be able to influence plans and have a veto over signings. I also anticipate a management pushing me and technical director Nils to invest in the team.
“I expect that challenge [and] equally I’m going to push back and say, ‘I want you to make the most of the players that we’ve got’ and so I think you need that kind of, I call it, healthy tension where Philippe is pushing for more players and as he said in a recent press conference, every manager wants more players and you’d want that from a manager.”
Rangers sorely needed a reset, and Stewart is determined to rectify the club’s wrongs and get it back on track, even if it means enduring some short-term pain.
