Philippe Clement has aura befitting of a Rangers manager and I just have a feeling this guy is the real deal - Kenny Miller
The former Ibrox striker wrote about his admiration for the Belgian in his latest Sunday Mail column.
Forget the results for a second. Forget the performances, team selection or tactics.
I want to talk about Philippe Clement, the MAN. And right now, even just a few weeks into his reign as Ibrox gaffer, I’ve been so impressed by how the Belgian has carried himself. He’s displayed an image befitting a Rangers manager and one I’d expect from anyone in that job.
He’s spoken very clearly and honestly about what has to improve. And he’s filled the Rangers supporters with a belief that he can actually be the man to deliver success. That’s as important as anything when you come to this city. You need to convince these fans that you are THE guy and that you deserve to take on the privilege of being manager.
Along with that comes expectations and demands that we all know about. But one of the biggest compliments I can pay Clement is that he doesn’t look fazed by any of it. In his first three Premiership games, he’s already gained ground on Celtic at the top of the league. And he’s got a hard-fought away point in Europe against Sparta Prague.
Things are far from perfect within the squad he’s inherited. And the team is nowhere near where he wants them to be yet. But even with his side five points behind in the title race, nothing seems to be affecting him negatively. Dare I say it, but it reminds me of when Ange Postecoglou arrived at Celtic.
Like he did initially, Clement is assessing what’s inside the building. Not just in terms of players, but staff as well. He talks really well and has been clever in suggesting he wants a coach who knows the landscape at Rangers. He’s been open about that. He wants someone with a connection, a knowledge of what Rangers face every week.
Clement and his right-hand man, Stephan Van Der Heydan, could have studied the club before they got here. But they still don’t know. Not yet, anyway. Having someone beside you who has lived it? That’s very clever. Ange had John Kennedy and Stephen McManus at Parkhead when he got there. They’ve been there and done it at Celtic.
There’s an opportunity to get real adulation by achieving that at a really important time because it would give these players belief and hopefully a hunger to go and get more. Rangers can’t be winning trophies every few years – it has to be every single year.
That’s the relentless mindset Clement has been talking about. When you win something you celebrate, park it, move on to the next one. But first of all, they need to get past Hearts. They need to find a way. I’m not getting carried away with Clement. I just think there’s now a man in charge who is ticking lots of boxes.
I’m just talking about HIM. It’s just a feeling I’ve got, it’s something I see. A sense that this guy might just be the real deal. But to prove you’re the real deal, you have to win trophies. And this game at Hampden is his first big step towards that.