Another week of the summer has been ticked off and Rangers are a step closer to their return to action. Philippe Clement’s side will spend the coming days at a training camp in Holland as their preparations for the new campaign are stepped up once again and the matches will soon come thick and fast for a squad that must hit the ground running.
The deal for Hamza Igamane has dominated the agenda in recent days, while there has also been plenty of talk regarding a move for Kenny McLean. Off the park, supporters are still waiting to discover where Clement’s side will be playing their home matches in August.
Even in a quieter week, there is still plenty on the go at Ibrox. Here, Chris Jack answers a selection of questions from Rangers Review readers.
Are we looking at investing in younger players and relying on loans for experience?
It was telling that the manager mentioned the need for experienced players during his recent interview with RangersTV and that will be in play during the next phase of the window. Deals for the likes of Jefte, Clinton Nsiala and Oscar Cortes were completed with a longer-term view in mind but they will have to contribute this season. Remember, Clement is rebuilding a squad as well as a team.
The loan market is one that Rangers could well utilise, but those moves are likely to be the finishing touches to the work rather than the foundation of it. A move for McLean, for example, wouldn’t represent a huge financial outlay but would provide that experience that is required in the squad.
There are a lot of moving parts at present for Rangers. We will see a mixture of loans and permanent deals, of younger players with potential and older ones with a track record. That blend is important for Clement given the football and financial implications of any move he makes.
If Dessers leaves then how many strikers do we need to sign?
It will be a case of one in and one out I believe. The Rangers Review revealed this week that clubs in Saudi Arabia, France and Spain, as well as the previously linked PAOK, were in the running for Dessers. The striker splits opinion amongst the support but few would grumble if a £4.5million fee and his wages could be reinvested in another forward option.
Clement will be careful with Danilo given that he has only recently re-joined the squad after his knee injury. As it stands, we don’t know enough about Igamane to determine if he will be an immediate hit or if he will take him to get up to speed at Ibrox.
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That does leave Clement with a problem to solve given how hectic and important the August schedule is. An established centre-forward is a must for Rangers. Given that Clement only utilises one man through the middle, it would be a surprise if he recruits a fourth option for that position. Instead, the burden will be on others to contribute in the final third.
Do you think people have overlooked Danilo to play as No.10 or second striker?
There was a fair bit of excitement around Danilo when he was signed last summer and a lot of that was justified given that a £6million fee had just been spent on a Brazilian forward. A year on, the support are interested to see what Danilo can do for different reasons.
As mentioned above, it would be wrong to put too much expectation on him too early and any player that goes through cruciate knee ligament surgery and the required rehabilitation schedule needs to find his form and fitness. Having said that, Clement needs Danilo to contribute and carry his share of the scoring burden this season.
Rangers will invest in the playmaker position and it would be no surprise to see the likes of Todd Cantwell and Tom Lawrence move on. Danilo was signed a No.9 and that will be his primary role. Rather than fitting him in slightly deeper, Clement should strengthen sufficiently at No.10 and then, hopefully, have a decision to make about who leads the line.
Does it matter who is in the training camp squad next week, could they still be sold?
Moving players on is always easier said than done. So many names have been spoken about over the course of the window as potential departures but until there is money and contracts on the table then nothing is guaranteed. This process does need to speed up a bit, though.
Rangers cannot carry a bloated squad. It doesn’t make sense in football or financial terms and Clement will not want to have players who are out of his plans in his dressing room for too long.
Given that it is still relatively early in the window, supporters shouldn’t be too concerned about who is heading to Holland. Things can change very quickly, and players and agents can make things happen when they are faced with the reality of their situation. A seat on the plane does not guarantee a place in the squad come the end of the window.
Will we be bringing in a right centre-back?
There is still a lot of work to be done in this area of the team. The Rangers Review revealed that the move for Jose Cordoba had fallen through several weeks ago and the signing of Nsiala is the only centre-back arrival to date. Given the number of players in that position, that is perhaps not a surprise.
Leon Balogun was a straightforward bit of business and ticks a lot of boxes but he is not a starter on a regular basis. Connor Goldson will be sold if the right offer comes in for the club and the player and Ben Davies and Leon King also look like being surplus to requirements. If three leave, at least one must come in.
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John Souttar didn’t have a standout campaign but he was solid overall and will look to stake a claim for that spot in his more natural spot. He answered a lot of questions by being as reliable in terms of selection last season but he is not guaranteed a jersey given that a right-sided recruit should arrive.
What do you consider to be an experienced player? Someone between 24-26 with a few seasons behind him or someone over 30? Or perhaps someone with X amount of first team games at a decent level if they made their debut at a young age?
The experience factor has become increasingly prevalent as the window has progressed at Ibrox. It is understandable, too, when you consider the profiles of some of the recruits. Nsiala hasn’t played a first team match, Jefte is untested at this level and Cortes has only had a handful of games to show what he can do in a blue jersey. As outlined above, Igamane is an unknown quantity and can’t be judged on paper.
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Generally speaking, I don’t think fans should get too hung up on the age of a recruit. A player can develop the required nous and knowledge within a few seasons if he is surrounded by good professionals and operating at a high level.
By the time you have, for example, 100 games under your belt, as long as the majority of them are not late cameos off the bench, you should be wise enough to know your way about. Ultimately, it can only be judged on a case-by-case basis.
What do you believe to be a realistic objective for the season ahead, considering the amount of changes that are being made to the squad and the limited budget we have for what in effect is a massive rebuild? Do you think Clement will be given similar time to Gerrard for it?
The Premiership title is non-negotiable for Rangers. It always has been and always must be. Any season that ends with the silverware not housed at Ibrox is regarded as a failure. Even if the Scottish Cup had been lifted last term, Clement would rightly have received criticism for failing to get his side over the line in the top flight.
The situation now is very different to the one that Gerrard inherited. If Rangers fail this term, it would take a leap of faith to keep Clement in charge for a third crack at the title. Given what he walked into, maybe that is unfair. That is life at Ibrox, though.
Rangers need to break the cycle of hiring and firing managers and of rebuilding underperforming squads. The club needs stability in the dugout and the changing room. That doesn’t mean that you stick with a formula that isn’t working and Clement and these players have it all to prove once again this term. He will know that as well as anyone.
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