The international break may have taken centre stage currently, but Rangers manager Philippe Clement is reportedly making big moves at the club before the return to domestic action.
The Gers made a disappointing start to their Scottish Premiership campaign under Michael Beale, with results and performances both short of what was expected at Ibrox. For that reason, Beale was eventually relieved of his duties early in the season, with Clement replacing him, hoping to turn their fortunes around. It has been a promising start to life in Scotland for the Frenchman, who has got some momentum back into Rangers’ season, with his side now eight points behind Celtic with a game in hand.
While the Hoops are clearly the favourites to seal title glory once again in 2023/24, there is a new look about the Gers, and the hope is that they will only improve with Clement at the helm. Domestic football has currently made way for international action, but for those players not currently representing Scotland or other countries, it looks as though they are being asked big questions of by their new manager.
Key Clement at Rangers update
According to Football Insider’s Wayne Veysey, Clement is spending the international break working his Rangers squad extremely hard physically, in order to get them in the best possible shape for the remainder of the season with intentions to “blow Celtic away”.
“Philippe Clement is pushing his Rangers stars extremely hard during the international break as he looks to transform their fitness and help them reach new physical levels at their Auchenhowie training headquarters, sources have told Football Insider.
“The Ibrox boss is said to have implemented individually-tailored fitness programmes for the players who remain in Glasgow during the two-week break to get them fitter and sharper for the pre-Christmas programme. Those players not on national team duty have also been afforded just two or a maximum of three days off depending on the intensity of their match schedule prior to the international break.”
This is great to hear from a Rangers perspective, with Clement clearly feeling that his squad haven’t been at their optimum fitness level under Beale, with improvements in that area taking them up a gear as a team. In fact, a recent report even hinted at the players not being fit enough when Beale was in charge, with Glen Kamara’s physical ability at Leeds United praised in spite of what was going on at Ibrox before he moved to Elland Road.
Having incredibly fit players is so essential in the modern game, with high-intensity styles of play and relentless pressing the norm for so many sides, so it is hugely encouraging to see that Clement feels the need to focus on this area.
The likes of Manchester City and Liverpool have shown in recent years that being brutally effective as a unit off the ball can depend on physical fitness, and it looks as though the Rangers boss feels exactly the same, potentially paving the way for his squad to be in perfect shape heading into a busy run of relentless fixtures.
