Clement claims he could've walked from Rangers as he sends defiant Europa League message
01/31/2025 08:15 AM
Philippe Clement is nobody's fool and the Rangers manager was well aware of the seismic task he faced at Ibrox this season.
The Belgian manager might not have been at the club when short-sighted, expensive contracts were handed out to underperforming players.
But it's Philippe Clement who has had to front the change as Rangers go through a necessary evolution in the club's stuttering operations.
As Rangers qualify for the last 16 of the Europa League, Philippe Clement reiterated that he was well aware of the scale of the challenge at Ibrox this summer.
But far from discourage him from the task at hand in Glasgow, it just made the big Belgian more determined to deliver the success Rangers deserves.
Philippe Clement could've walked from Rangers
Rangers remain in the midst of that evolution as evidenced by the exits of Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell this January.
But those two players follow a summer of great change as Rangers slashed their wage bill by £6m.
No fewer that's 14 players from last season's squad moved on the summer as Rangers looked to youth to build forward towards a brighter future.
Philippe Clement insists that the project has never been about him as a manager and explains that the Europa League finish is an indication of progress.
The Rangers boss also indicated that he had the chance to walk away before being handed a new contract on the eve of the Scottish Premiership season.
"I said it already 100 times," Clement told the press after the game. "It’s not about me. I’m not in this story about me.
"And you can write whatever you want about things. I know what we are doing with the club.
"We explained in the beginning of the season. What this club needed. And it’s not my choice. It was the choice of the board.
"And they asked me if I would want to step in this very challenging project. In that way. We did. And I do. And I will be on the barricades for this club.
"But it’s good also that people start to see more and more the things we talked about a few months ago.
"That people maybe didn’t believe or didn’t realise. That they see this more and more.
"And this qualification in the Europa League is one of those things. That is a proof of that."
'Europa League proves Rangers are on the right path'
Philippe Clement went on to praise the young players who stepped into the Rangers team against USG at Ibrox.
Ross McCausland deputised at right-back, whilst Zak Lovelace and Paul Nsio came into the side with the game still in the balance.
The likes of Nicolas Raskin, Hamza Igamane and Mohamed Diomande were also singled out for their progress.
All of this stands as evidence to Philippe Clement that the Gers are on the right path and the Belgian insists what it means to be at Rangers is starting to click for the team.
"This club is on the right way," said Clement.
"Is it fast enough to win everything? We want that. That’s our ambition. And that’s going to be our ambition towards the Sunday game again.
"And we need to create this culture. I see more and more this culture also in the dressing room. That they understand what this club is about.
"That was also one part of learning this new team. What this club is about. And you see more and more of that.
"Otherwise you cannot do a performance like that. And for sure with players out of position."
