Philippe Clement’s Rangers results and contrasting form in focus
Philippe Clement’s side are five points adrift of Celtic in the title race <i>(Image: SNS)</i>
Philippe Clement’s side are five points adrift of Celtic in the title race (Image: SNS)
The visit of Motherwell to Ibrox in March should have been a somewhat nondescript afternoon for Rangers, a match that was important in that moment but would have been largely forgotten over the passing of time had all gone to form and to plan. In the end, it was not just a blip for Philippe Clement’s side. It was the beginning of the end for their Premiership title aspirations.
Six months on, it could be said that Rangers have never fully recovered. Rangers had won their eleven previous fixtures and had emerged victorious in 13 of the 14 matches that Clement had taken charge of at Ibrox. The only black mark on that record was the draw with Aris Limassol that did not prove costly in terms of European progression. The 2-1 defeat to Stuart Kettlewell’s side did, though, and Rangers never rebuilt the momentum that had been established following Clement’s appointment as Michael Beale’s successor.
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That run had seen Rangers be transformed from hopeless challengers into potential champions. Heading into that Motherwell match, Clement’s side were in fine fettle and on top of the table. Soon, neither of those things were true. Today, they sit fourth in the standings and few believe they will rise higher than second in the Premiership.
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The salvaged point against Celtic the following month kept the dream alive but losing to Ross County and Dundee within a matter of days killed it off. Rangers ended the season collecting just six wins from their last 15 outings, with an Old Firm Scottish Cup final defeat perhaps a fittingly abject way to bring the curtain down on another unsuccessful, unfulfilling campaign.
The first 20 games under Clement’s guidance had brought 18 wins but that feels like such a long time ago now. When the seven fixtures from this term are taken into account, Rangers have a win ratio of just over 40 per cent in all competitions since that Ibrox loss.
That is not a temporary dip, it is an alarming slide that has become a pattern. If it is not reversed, a disillusioned support will need no reminding of what happens next.
The attached xG trendline, which charts a ten-game average of Rangers’ chances created and conceded last season, demonstrates that Clement’s defence grew increasingly open to high-quality chances as the season wore on. Rangers recorded just three clean sheets after that Motherwell match. Two of them came in the Scottish Cup wins over Hibernian and Hearts, while the other was at Dens Park on one of the worst nights of Clement’s tenure to date.
(Image: StatsBomb)
The summer break may have been a line in the sand and the end of a cycle, but it has not been a fresh start for Rangers in the manner that they required. There are new faces, but there are old mistakes.
Clement spoke in the aftermath of the Old Firm defeat last weekend about seeing in January how big the gap between the sides is this term. He pointed to the fact that Brendan Rodgers has an established and experienced group of players and referenced the ‘new team’ that is being built at Ibrox.
The previous weekend, the Belgian had stated that Rangers were on the ‘right track’ following a 6-0 win over Ross County. Clement also reiterated his belief, which he admitted that some people may not have liked, that he expected the ‘best Rangers to be seen in October, November’ as his team and his squad look to improve and evolve this season.
“Yeah, of course,” Clement said when asked if the performance against County was what he had in mind for the style of his side. “And then a lot of movement without ball, but doing things together, not just run to run. In the right positions, taking the right positions, making the right decisions in the final third. Because that’s what we missed in the St. Johnstone game.
“We had also a lot of good movements. We came a lot of times in the final third, but we were not decisive enough in our choices there. So it’s every time to work on that, to show the images, to explain to the players how to do better, how to have better communication.
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“And like this to grow as a team. I feel that dressing room has a lot of hunger to become better and to learn every detail. So, we’re going to continue this process. It’s not that we need to be satisfied now after this victory and that we’re there. I saw still a lot of things that we can do better and we’re going to work on that the next week and the next month.”
Just eight days on, all the optimism was drained from the support. Once again, Clement finds himself having to pick up a squad and reunite them with the fan base. He said there was no other choice but to be patient on Sunday but the situation he is now in is very different to the one that he inherited almost 12 months ago. This is his team, and these are his performances and results to take ownership of and problems and concerns to address.
The answer to all of the ills is simple. If Rangers win games, the noise level will diminish and the criticisms will be enveloped by positivity. Between now and that January Old Firm game, Rangers must not lose further ground on a Celtic side that have started their title defence with a swagger and assuredness that Clement’s side look unable of matching right now.
That run from October to March, from the 4-0 thumping of Hibernian to the hammer blow of the defeat to Motherwell, is evidence that Clement knows how to put a prolonged sequence together. The fear, though, is that it could be attributed to the reaction that players often show when a new boss steps in through the front door.
Rangers reverted to type in adversity last term. They are back in that dark place once again after falling five points adrift of Celtic and crashing out of the Champions League to Dynamo Kyiv. The reaction now must be better than it was then.
The promise of Rangers being a better version of themselves in October and November is worthless to supporters today. The fears over what September will bring during trips to Dundee United and Malmo and Ibrox fixtures with Dundee and Hibernian are well founded. Right now, Rangers don’t pass the eye test and the statistics don’t offer encouragement. To say that three domestic wins in a non-negotiable target is stating the obvious.
The credit that Clement put in the bank during those first months at Ibrox was added to when the League Cup was placed in the trophy cabinet. The last half a year have seen those reserves whittled away, though. The faith that the board have in the boss will not be universally shared by the support.
Clement was the answer to the problems this time 12 months ago. As it stands, there are questions over whether he is the cause of them at Ibrox.
The solution is easy to say but hard to achieve. Rangers just need to win the games they should be winning. As that Motherwell defeat shows, life is never that simple.
Rangers FC
Philippe Clement
Football
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