Rangers Manager Philippe Clement Addresses Squad Strategy, Player Loans, Academy Integration, and Fan Pyrotechnics

Prior to Rangers’ Premiership fixture against Ross County on Sunday, manager Philippe Clement addressed the media. The main points from his address are as follows: Injured wingers Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo have resumed full training sessions. Clement stated that the club’s strategy to reduce its wage bill and the average age of the squad was a factor in the modest sum of £810,000 received from the summer sales of five first-team players. He noted that Rangers are compelled to secure players such as Vaclav Cerny on loan because funds for outright purchases are not accessible, though Clement expressed a desire to decrease the club’s dependence on loan agreements moving forward. Regarding Cerny, Clement quoted him saying, “He loves it here,” and further added: “He told me last week that he never felt better in his career.” Clement also articulated his belief that the Scottish football landscape would gain from clubs, including Rangers, integrating their academy players into the second tier, mirroring practices seen in nations such as Belgium, Croatia, and the Netherlands. The manager implored supporters to refrain from igniting pyrotechnics during matches, indicating that penalties incurred from such actions could diminish financial resources allocated to the first team. This plea follows the club’s recent charge by the SPFL after flares were deployed during their League Cup semi-final victory against Motherwell. Clement remarked on fireworks, stating, “It’s not safe,” and further commented: “It doesn’t help in any sense towards the team.”