Philippe Clement believes his Rangers team are starting to vindicate his earlier claims that the “best Rangers” would emerge during October and November.
His prophecy, made shortly after taking charge, came at a time when the club found themselves at a low ebb.
Rangers were in dire straits after the September international break, having suffered a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Celtic. That loss left them trailing by five points in the Premiership, just four games into the season.
The club had also crashed out of the Champions League, leaving questions about Clement’s future swirling.
With nine new faces added to the squad during the summer, including some last-minute signings, the Belgian insisted patience was key, predicting that his team would hit their stride as autumn progressed.
Since then, Rangers have responded emphatically, racking up three consecutive victories across three different competitions.
Their latest triumph, a solid away win against Malmo in Sweden, followed domestic victories over Dundee United in the Premiership and Dundee in the Premier Sports Cup.
Speaking after the Malmo match, Clement said his team’s recent performances are proof that his prediction is being fulfilled.
When asked by Sky Sports if the win in Sweden would boost the squad’s confidence, Clement responded:
“It’s good, it’s important, but for me it’s more confirmation of what I’ve been seeing for the last couple of weeks in training. The team is growing for a few weeks, and it’s like I said one month ago, that we would see the best Rangers in October and November (warning to Celtic that Rangers are not out of it just yet). It’s normal.”
He highlighted the challenge of integrating so many new players, especially after such a major summer overhaul.
“So many guys who need to learn the story together, how to play together in the style we want to play. They’re doing the right things, and it’s about continuing to do that,” Clement added.
“It’s different playing every three days to playing once a week, but that’s what Rangers is about, so it’s about seeing who can cope with that, physically and mentally.”
Clement noted the unique pressure of playing in Europe and its impact on squad depth, saying:
“For a lot of guys, it’s something new, so we still need to discover the squad in that way. It’s difficult, but those are the consequences of playing in Europe, and they are positive consequences.”
Looking ahead, Rangers face Hibernian in the Premiership this weekend, and Clement will welcome the return of a full-capacity Ibrox stadium.
The Copland Road stand, which had been partially closed, is now fully reopened, allowing a full away allocation for Hibs and a sell-out home crowd.
Clement was buoyant about the prospect of a packed Ibrox:
“We were already so happy that we had a part of Ibrox open last week. We felt the joy with the players, the staff, and the fans. So now, a full Ibrox, that’s why players come here and why I like to be here.”
With the crowd fully behind them, Clement is optimistic for the weeks ahead, concluding:
“I feel a lot of positivity in the fans from what they’ve seen in the last few weeks, with the new faces coming in and giving them what they expect. So I expect a fully loaded Ibrox on Sunday.”