As Ibrox Noise reported some weeks ago, January will not see a massive Rangers overhaul of players, albeit manager Philippe Clement does want to make a few additions where possible.

Speaking post-League Cup win, the manager admitted, cryptically, that the idea of a complete overhaul on the squad just isn’t happening, and that January is a typically bad month to do such things anyway.

He said:

“We know January is difficult and if players are performing well the club don’t want to let them go. It’s logical and the same for us. Maybe it will be players who played less, it’s more difficult. But we are looking to make the club better. But also it is my job to make the player’s better. It’s ok to say we need five or six players and need this, this and this. I’m not that kind of manager – I want to invest in the team that are here.”

There’s a lot to digest in here, but one big clue is Clement is also admitting the market Rangers are shopping in remains the same as Ibrox Noise reported a few weeks ago – fringe players, Bosmans and players who may have fallen out with their managers.

Rangers just can’t afford the £10M market of asset players – first-choice players who are key to their team, even in League One in England, do not come cheap, and Rangers can’t be in the market for that marquee football right now.

He is also hinting that he’s trying hard to work with the players he has – the Lammers, Dessers, Bornas of this world – players who are not quite Messi, to say the least, but he thinks he can still get a tune with.

In reality Clement is being canny. If he can’t have new players en-masse in January, then he does need to work with what he has, and he’s putting a bit of public faith in the players at his disposal.

That makes them feel better and work harder for him, in time hopefully for a serious upgrade come the summer.

Never know, might be off the back of a treble…