Philippe Clement Reminds Celtic and Rangers Doubters ‘I told you so’ as Manager Sees Bold Timeline Predictions Coming True

Clement predicted that the ‘best Rangers’ would emerge in October and November, and he believes he is being proven right.

Philippe Clement believes his team is proving him correct after predicting the ‘best Rangers’ would emerge in October and November.

The Ibrox side finished the September internationals at a low point in the Clement era, losing 3-0 to Celtic and falling five points behind the Premiership leaders just four games in. They had already been eliminated from the Champions League, and there were worries about the Belgian’s status.

But they’ve reacted with three consecutive wins in three competitions, including a stunning success over Malmo in Sweden, which followed victories over Dundee United in the Premiership and Dundee at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup.

Clement stated earlier in September that their greatest form would not be achieved until October and November, following a summer of upheaval that saw nine new faces enter, many of whom arrived near the end of the window. And he believes their recent run demonstrates that the prophecy has been fulfilled.

When asked if the win over Malmo had boosted their confidence, he told Sky Sports: “It’s good, it’s vital, but for me, it’s more confirmation of what I’ve seen in training over the last few weeks. The team has been growing for several weeks, and as I predicted a month ago, we will see the greatest Rangers in October and November. It’s normal.

“So many guys who need to learn the story together, how to play together in the style we want to play. They’re doing the right things and it’s about continuing to do that. It’s different playing every three days to playing once a week, but that’s what Rangers is about, so it’s about seeing who can cope with that, physically and mentally.

“For a lot of guys it’s something new, so we still need to discover the squad in that way. It’s difficult but those are the consequences of playing in Europe, and they are positive consequences.”

It’s Hibs in the Premiership this weekend and Rangers confirmed on Thursday that Ibrox would be at full capacity with the Copland Road stand fully reopened at last. It means a full away allocation for Hibs as well as a bumper home crowd and Clement said: “We were already so happy that we had a part of Ibrox open last week. We felt the joy with the players, the staff, and the fans. So now, a full Ibrox, that’s why players come here and why I like to be here.

“It gives it a totally different dynamic. I feel a lot of positivity in the fans from what they’ve seen in the last few weeks, with the new faces coming in and giving them what they expect. So I expect a fully loaded Ibrox on Sunday.”