Miller reckons ecruitment could be the difference between winning the Premiership and not.
When Philippe Clement arrived at Rangers he took over a team who were playing their way OUT of a title race.
Yet somehow, under his management, this same group of players now find themselves very much in the midst of a battle with Celtic for the league flag. Irrespective of that narrow Old Firm defeat with 10 men at Parkhead a week ago – Clement’s first loss in charge – that’s a remarkable achievement for the Belgian in such a short space of time.
He’s been hugely impressive since replacing Michael Beale in October. When he got here, Rangers were seven points off Celtic. Now if they win both of their games in hand – which they should – the gap will be down to two. People will say it’s because Brendan Rodgers’ side have dropped points they shouldn’t have. But that’s exactly how a title is won and lost.
Ultimately, Clement has dropped fewer points than Rodgers since he was appointed. He might have lost his first derby but it was a close contest – and there were mitigating circumstances, like Leon Balogun’s red card.
Let me tell you, better Rangers teams than the current one have gone to Parkhead and lost. That 2-1 result won’t define Clement’s title chances. It’s clear that he’s the right type of character for this job and that he possesses the mentality needed to be a gaffer in Glasgow.
Some people speak in sound bites and it’s just words. But with this guy it’s more than that. He gets it. He understands what it takes to manage a club like Rangers He has already won a trophy but you can tell he’s just hungry for more.
When he came in there were certain things he HAD to do. Because it was three months before the next transfer window, his main objective was to get more out of this squad of players.
I didn’t expect huge, significant changes to what I’d been watching under previous boss Beale. What I needed to see was these heavily-criticised players producing more, while still winning. That wasn’t an easy job for Clement – but he has achieved it.
There was a League Cup semi-final on the horizon. He HAD to win that trophy, with Celtic already out. There was real pressure to deliver that silverware.
And he achieved that too, without looking fazed by it. And while the challenge was to steer Rangers into the knockout stages of the Europa League, the fact they topped their group to reach the last 16 exceeded expectations.
Clement even did that the hard way by slipping up at home with a draw against Aris Limassol but then going to Seville and beating Real Betis on their own patch. So just about everything he had to do, he’s done. Apart from the result at Celtic Park, he’s ticked every box.
Throw in the emergence of Ross McCausland, the increased goal tally of Abdallah Sima, the rejuvenation of John Lundstram.And of course, they’re back in the title race.
So could Clement really have done any more? I don’t think so. Now that we’re in January, it’s on to the next part of his job as Rangers manager –recruitment. It’s an area where there were clear failings last summer.
The great thing for Clement is that any mistakes made previously weren’t his fault. Now he’s got the keys to the kingdom in many respects. And he’s got to get it right.
He has already brought in Fabio Silva on loan from Wolves. A lot is expected of him but he’s still only 20 years old. You’d love to think he could have the same kind of impact Jota had at Celtic when he initially joined from Benfica but time will tell.
Even with Silva on board, I think Clement needs to sign one more attacker in the window, whether it’s a centre-forward like Lawrence Shankland, whom I’ve spoken about in this column, or a wide player, with Sima potentially missing for a month at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Midfield is an area Rangers have found themselves short in at times due to injuries and I expect Clement to remedy that this month. He needs a creative player in there, someone who provides assists and goals.
There are a lot of rumours about Todd Cantwell in that position right now. Is he happy in Glasgow? We don’t know for sure.
What we do know is that he has not produced the same kind of form he showed at the end of last term. Clement needs more from him. I take my hat off to Dujon Sterling who has performed admirably there. But he’s not the creative type or someone who might make the difference in a title race.
That’s why I think the manager will look to strengthen that area of the pitch. In terms of his defence, I don’t expect that to be reshaped until the summer window.
There is uncertainty over the futures of Ben Davies, Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz. Balogun only signed a one-year deal when he came back so the whole left side of Clement’s back-line needs sorted. But I don’t think you can fix everything in January and, right now, it’s not a priority.
Don’t get me wrong, if the chance is there to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool – who has really impressed me on loan at Dundee – I’d do it. He’d be a terrific signing if he’s available. And the reason I’d do it now is to get in before someone else moves first.
Aside from that, Rangers are well covered at the back. When it comes to offloading players in this window, it’s a tough task for Clement.
Sam Lammers is the one everyone is talking about and a loan move away from Ibrox would seem likely. But it’s tough to get rid of guys you’ve only just bought for good money and who are on good wages.
He’d probably want to trim the squad by three or four. But that’s not easy at this time of the season.
That’s the challenge facing Clement as he prepares for the second part of the campaign. So far, he has passed just about every test posed with flying colours. If he does the same in January, it will go a long way to help decide if Rangers are champions come May.
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