Philippe Clement set for Rangers fan Q&A as 7 burning questions must be answered
Philippe Clement would no doubt have hoped for better fortunes on the pitch when he agreed to a Q&A with Rangers fans.
The Ibrox boss will take part in the event at Edmiston House this evening when supporters will get the chance to ask him anything that is at the forefront of their minds at the minute. There is likely to be plenty after falling five points behind Celtic already and exiting the Champions League.
It could make for an uncomfortable evening for the Belgian who was proving popular with the fanbase in his early days at the club but is beginning to see his own performance questioned with things seemingly not improving on the pitch under his reign.
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Here, Football Scotland has put together some of the biggest questions he is likely to be asked.
Ending the Old Firm hoodoo
Rangers have now beaten Celtic just once in their last 13 encounters and it came in a dead rubber post-split match when the Hoops already had the title sewn up. Clement has just one draw and four defeats against the rivals from across the city. The Old Firm derby is crucial for any manager on either side of the divide and while there was an understanding of what Clement inherited, there has been no improvement and people will want to know when that is likely to change.
Closing the gap on Celtic
On a similar note, the Light Blues are miles behind their rivals on pretty much any metric you could think of. Despite pushing them close for the title last season, things are looking back to square one in their efforts to bridge the gap. How have they managed to go backwards after Clement initially seemed to be making ground, and what will he do to change that?
Limited transfer funds spent wisely this summer?
Rangers were expected to have a new-look team this season after a summer overhaul. But then the manager admitted things weren't as he initially thought in terms of the finances available to bring in players and they needed to move some out before bringing others in. That has happened to an extent but the XI isn't looking all that different to last year and most of those brought in aren't 100 per cent proven elsewhere. It will be interesting to know Clement's thoughts on recruitment now and whether enough has been done, after his previous comments.
Injuries
The Belgian bemoaned the club's crippling injury list last season and blamed the training regime under Michael Beale. He hinted the players hadn't had a proper pre-season and vowed things would get better under him. That hasn't happened and Danilo is now out for yet another extended spell on the sidelines, joining Oscar Cortes and Ridvan Yilmaz while Nico Raskin has also been out for most of the season.
Ianis Hagi situation
The Hagi situation was is a strange one. The club banished him to the B team as they tried to offload him and the player was forced to deny rumours he had refused to play for the club and asked to leave. Despite being in the wilderness for Rangers, he continues to prove his worth at international level and has repeatedly said he wants to help the team at club level too. Does Clement plan to use him now that the transfer window is out the way and he remains? And what of rumours that his already high wage will go up further if he makes one more appearance.
James Tavernier's future and fan flak
Rumours continue to swirl that captain James Tavernier could leave the club before the end of this week, with clubs in Turkey reportedly interested and their transfer window open until then. It is not yet clear what Rangers' stance on that is and whether they would even allow him to leave, so the manager may want to clear that up. There is also the matter of the unacceptable fan flak he received after defeat to Celtic and Clement will no doubt be keen to back his player.
Todd Cantwell parting comments
The outspoken midfielder has made a number of interesting comments since moving on to Blackburn Rovers, none more so that when he claimed the Rangers he left was "different" to the one he signed for. There was also the claim that Clement failed to get the best out of him with his tactics, so that is something else that may be put to the manager.