Philippe Clements’ Blue and White Army

It’s been a rollercoaster of a season so far for Rangers. There’s been so many ups and downs that it feels like we fans have been on strings for most of the season so far.

From losing the first game of the season down at Rugby Park to the shambles that was a devastating home defeat at the hands of Aberdeen, the season start was chaotic, with no sense of direction or purpose until Michael Beale was relieved of his duties the day after that aforementioned defeat.

That embarrassing performance at Ibrox against the Dons was on September 30th. Beale lost his job the next day, on October 1st. A manager gone with the season barely up and running.

It was a watershed moment.

In all my life, I don’t recall Ibrox being that toxic or poisonous than it was that day. Fifty thousand people lost their shit. Enough was enough.

Rangers supporters’ patience finally snapped completely that day. It had been coming since that debacle on the first day of the season, when most watching could see there was very little structure to Rangers play. No style, little substance, with an ineptitude in their play that concerned us all.

The home defeat to Celtic a few weeks before that Aberdeen game was the final straw for many, with the vast majority of fans’ minds made up on the direction the club was heading. In truth, we all knew that the instant we failed to get a result, the management team would go.

As I say, that happened the day after that pivotal result against a bang average Aberdeen side that toyed with Rangers at times on the day.

Something had to give, and ultimately, the board had to make the call. They didn’t take long to make the correct decision.

It might well prove to be one of the finest decisions a Rangers board has made in many a year.

Rangers were devoid of confidence and clearly had no playing style all whilst they struggled badly to get results, losing three of their first seven league games.

A week or so passed, with candidates being mentioned for the role. Muscat and Glasner to name but two. Interesting times lay ahead. The board really did have to get this appointment right.

Seemingly, out of nowhere, Philippe Clements’ name got thrown into the hat. Who’s this, I thought. I hadn’t heard much of him, but oddly, I remembered him as a player from years ago.

As you do, you start to do some digging, I liked what I read and listened to in regard to Clements’ CV. Three league titles in Belgium, with two different clubs and also a very impressive time in Monaco, where he left after the Sporting Director had decided to move on.

Two weeks after Michael Beale left, Rangers had their new manager. Philippe Clement was in the building.

As our new manager puts it, the story had just begun. A team bereft of confidence, shackled by confusion and hampered by injuries, began to take on board what the new gaffer was wanting from them.

They started to play more expansive football, the team looked happier, more at ease perhaps.

Clement made plenty of comment on the injury situation, saying that in all his days in football, he’d never witnessed anything like it. He also stated he’d get to the bottom of it and rectify it with help from the medical team.

Rangers gained confidence. They were looking so much better. The manager spoke openly of wanting and needing the synergy back at Ibrox with the fans. He said it was the most important thing required for him to get the success we all so desperately crave.

Almost immediately, that synergy or energy was back at Ibrox. Everyone was pulling together and backing this team.

The one blip was up at Pittodrie, a one all draw (where I’m not afraid to admit I called it badly wrong, when I wrote in the aftermath of that result questioning the teams mentality) where they did everything but score on the day, until eventually a penalty in the dying moments, which Tavernier scored, gave us a share of the spoils.

An unlucky defeat at the hands of our title rivals, well, I’m not counting that as any kind of failure. If the officials do their job right on the day, then I’m fairly sure the team would’ve come away from the East End with a positive result. A draw would have been a fair reflection of the ninety minutes. I was disappointed with the result, but not the performance that day.

A draw at home to Limassol is perhaps not the ideal result, but on reflection, that point was key to our success in the Europa League.

A do or die game against Real Betis? No problem for this team. Rangers recorded a three-two victory. Our first ever success in Spain against a Spanish side.

That’s when i made my mind up on the new Rangers manager. I couldn’t believe my eyes during that game. Rangers played with a freedom and determination I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. We topped our group and made our way straight into the last sixteen of the tournament, avoiding the play-offs into the bargain.

I’ve bought into the manager, big time. I love his pressers. I like the way he deals with our media. He bats questions aside while being inoffensive.

He has an aura about him.

Mr Clement is a leader. He is the boss. The substitution of Todd Cantwell after thirty-five minutes during the Limassol game left no one in any doubt that if you don’t do your job, he’ll make the tough decisions with scant regard for reputation.

When the manager arrived, Rangers sat seven points behind in the title race. That was in the middle of October. At the start of December they were ELEVEN points behind.

Today, the team sits two points clear at the top of the table.

Twenty-six games, twenty-two wins, three draws, and a solitary, unfortunate defeat since the day Philippe Clement turned up in Glasgow. Nothing’s been decided in the league, nowhere near it. However, that is championship winning form.

If we keep that kind of run going right to the end of the season, then the team will be there or thereabouts when the medals are being handed out.

With the Viaplay Cup already in the trophy room, our new manager has shown he’s a winner, with a winning mentality. He’s instilling that right through the squad, making sure every single player feels part of the story.

If Rangers can do the unthinkable and win this title, then there can be no doubt, Philippe Clement will be the real story in all of this.

Everyone had written this Rangers team off in October. Four months later, our manager has us all daring to dream.

Rangers Football Club is built on success, on titles, and trophies. That’s what Rangers do. It’s been too long for a club the size of ours to be just winning the odd cup or title now and again.

I honestly believe that for the first time since Walter Smith returned to the club back in 2007, Rangers have a proper manager. A born winner who demands everything from everyone that works for him.

He’s got the fans believing again, he’s got the players buying into what he’s trying to do, and they’re running through brick walls for him.

There’s twelve games left in the league. First up is Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday. The old place will be a cauldron. It’s massive, Hearts are in fine form, but so are Rangers.

First versus third, it’s what you live for as a football fan. It’ll be a tough game, but, and it is a big but, if Rangers win, they’ll go five points clear, turning the screw in terms of cranking up the pressure on the team chasing us in second place.

No one could have predicted Rangers winning the league cup, top their Europa League group, looking forward to a last sixteen tie in the Europa League in March, while sitting top of the league, a mere three months ago. Not from the position they found themselves in October.

There’s only one man responsible for that, and that man is Philippe Clement. For me, he’s given us our pride back. He’s given us hope, but more importantly, he’s given us our club back.

This just feels like Rangers again, and I’m loving every single moment of it.

Make us dream.