The answer and the admission did not come as a surprise. Indeed, if Philippe Clement had sought to spin his way out of it then a support that have asked plenty of questions of those above him would have had a query about their manager to add to a lengthy list at Ibrox.

As it stands, few would back Rangers to challenge for the Premiership title, never mind win it. When the focus is shifted to the Champions League, the outlook becomes even bleaker. This is not a group that can be expected to qualify and compete. Clement knows it.

READ MORE: Check all the Rangers transfer news & rumours before the transfer window

To coin a well-used phrase, Clement will keep believing. If that is all he can hang on to come the return to European action, Rangers will be staring at the Europa League rather than the riches of the premier competition in the club game. In football terms, that may be no bad thing. In financial terms, the need and the want to qualify speak for themselves.

Rangers can only speculate to accumulate so much. Progression through the third qualifying round and play-off would see big money banked and bolster their hand in the transfer market. The problem for Clement, though, is that the funds are required before a ball is kicked.

The Belgian has punched above his weight before. Yet a squad that has only had six new arrivals added to it this summer is short of strength and depth. Until that is addressed, Rangers cannot be expected to come out swinging on the continent.

“We need extra bodies and extra quality. To be successful,” Clement says when asked if the group that he put through their paces in Holland last week has what is required to achieve his ambitions in the Champions League. “I always believe that with your squad you can succeed, because otherwise, you cannot get results against Real Madrid with a team like Brugge. Everyone said that was impossible. But if you don’t believe it is possible, it will never happen.

“So it’s about the mindset of the players. They must believe in themselves and be hungry to become better because it’s not only about quality, it’s about work rate, it’s about mentality, it’s about what you do every day. I’ve seen players that are now better than they were six months ago.

“We’ve been working hard for that kind of mindset in all the players who have come in. We want them all ambitious to become better and with all the staff together we can give them the tools to become better.

“So in that way, I believe that with whatever squad we have at that moment will have the ability to qualify. But everybody needs to be at their top and the more quality you have, the better your chance.”

Rangers will be seeded for the third round draw and their six potential opponents have been known for some time. Old foes Union Saint-Gilloise are on the list, as are FC Twente. The winners of the tie between Lugano and Fenerbahce and either Dynamo Kiev or Partizan Belgrade will also be in the hat.

On paper, all of the ties are winnable ones for Rangers. On the grass, there is much work to be done. The time in the Netherlands last week was beneficial for Clement as most of his new recruits got down to business. The task now is twofold, and a frustrated fan base are expecting players in and players out at regular intervals.

Clement knows what it takes to upset the odds and give some of the heavyweights of European football a bloody nose. That is the dream. The reality could be somewhat different.

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“It is for sure not easy because you need to qualify against teams with a much bigger budget,” Clement says. “That is the reality. We did it a few years ago with Brugge.

“The advantage then at that moment was that you had your core of your team already a few years together. We are building that now.

“You need to build a core for the next couple of years and that is why players like Diomande were really important to bring in in January. We see him grow in the months after and again now. We are busy with doing that and we are going to throw ourselves full to qualify because everything is possible.

“Of course, you are not going to be favourites in these qualifying games against teams with bigger budgets and maybe teams who play a long time together. That is the interesting thing to have this challenge, you want to be in this position.

“It is amazing to be at Rangers to be a player and have these challenges and play for those things than to be in a team where you don’t have these challenges and you only have the league and the cup.

“We know already that we have Europe after so there is going to be a lot of games, a lot of experience to take. Everyone wants to go to the Champions League. Me also, I have been there several times and it is a nice world.”

The importance of Champions League cash is obvious. When it comes to sporting priorities, there are other items that are higher up the to-do list for Clement.

That will not stop Clement from aspiring to achieve, though. A hat-trick of Pro League titles in his homeland were the foundations that his managerial reputation was built on. Some notable nights in Europe gave Clement an added stature and satisfaction.

“Yes we drew against Madrid, against PSG,” Clement says as he recalls some of his fondest moments with Brugge. Winning in Leipzig, winning against Zenit. A lot of good memories. And as a player also. Winning in Milan, winning against a good Ajax team with Sneijders, van der Vaart, Ibrahimovic. So those are the memories that I will be able to tell my grandchildren. I don’t have them yet but maybe one day.

“But yeah, those are the memories for life and the players are of course also motivated to be there. But it’s also important that they don’t forget the league because it’s now our focus to get the squad ready to play every three days in August.

“Some players will be ready for that, others not yet because they’re coming out of injury and won’t be able to play 90 minutes every three days or even one time a week. So we have to get the squad fit so they can put it in every game and then make a good start to the season.”