Experts in body language will be having a field day with Rangers manager Philippe Clement’s press conference today at Ibrox, where quizzed on the striker situation, the man said one thing but gestured another as he tried to suggest he is happy with the squad he has.
Speaking before Livingston this weekend, the manager said thus:
“I’m happy with the squad that’s here now…”
But closed his eyes in a very long slow blink, which experts in gestures will tell you is to ‘distance’ yourself from what you are saying, hinting it might not be true.
He then did it again when he said:
“Fabio showed already good things…”
But he did not do it when he said:
“About the striker position, everybody is saying that Cyriel is doing a big evolution in these three months, it’s really clear for everybody…”
Which suggests the manager is happy enough with the Belgian-born Nigerian, albeit he did so in a strange manner by saying that everyone else is impressed with the ex-Feyenoord man’s improvement in the past 3 months, without necessarily saying that includes himself.
It was a fascinating performance from the manager, who tries to be transparent and honest, but sometimes one’s body language betrays what one really thinks and if we’re to be explicit here…
He’s implying he’s not entirely happy with the Ibrox squad, but is having to make do, and few will believe that Fabio has come close to doing any good things yet.
This is not completely scientific, and body language isn’t used as actual evidence in UK courts. It is, however, used in some courts overseas as admissible evidence, so different nations have different takes on how definitive it is. But the fact the man did emit the same gesture when saying two things that weren’t completely believable at face value hints that he was trying to be polite about his situation.
Rangers’ squad is decent, but the lack of striker addition is a huge bugbear and while all three signings have ‘potential’, Rangers didn’t add a single player this window with an established CV and significant experience at high levels.
Few Rangers managers would be completely content with that.