What should Rangers fans expect from Clement v Hibs?

0
What should Rangers fans expect from Clement v Hibs?
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 17: Philippe Clement poses for a photo as the new Rangers manager at Ibrox Stadium on October 17, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

With the arrival of Hibs to Govan on Saturday, Philippe Clement’s Rangers managerial reign formally begins.

ADVERTISEMENT

So what should fans expect from the new manager in the dugout for the first time?

Potential, if not results.

Clement is inheriting a mess, and while we would love to see an instant overhaul and a fantastic 5-0 gubbing, that is very unlikely despite Hibs’ own mediocre state at present.

ADVERTISEMENT

Philippe Clement is taking a rabble of a squad, and over the course of this week, he’s started to get a lay of the land, but has also conceded he’s not had all of his players at his disposal, given the international break.

As he said himself, the team he’ll pick on Saturday won’t be what we were seeing in training around his unveiling.

He may be without Jose Cifuentes, who missed Ecuador’s second match amid a bandage on his knee, and of course we currently have quite a few out missing through injury.

ADVERTISEMENT

But we urge patience here.

PC has already admitted he can’t put a timescale on when his ideas will start to work, and he won’t make false promises about an overnight overhaul and improvement.

All he can do at this point is assess what players he has, assess what he can do with them, and put something out on Saturday to the best of his ability which fits with what he knows about the squad in the short time he’s worked with them and try to engage a few of his ideas with them.

ADVERTISEMENT

In short, we could be waiting a month or more before the thing actually starts to work, so we’re absolutely tempering expectations here.

The season isn’t dead, and Clement is a great manager, but as he says he’s not a miracle worker – only Walter was.

But if we do go out there on Saturday and absolutely rampage the match and win 9-0, well, we’ll happily take that too!

We’ll see.

No posts to display