Phil Clement has warned the Ibrox board that they need to spend more on his squad if they want to pick up a Champions League windfall.
In three weeks time A Proper Football Manager will be headlong into a Third Round qualifier with a place in the new look competition likely to land his club £30m more than playing in the Europa League.
Fenerbahce, FC Twente, Dinamo Kiev or Partizan Belgrade are among the possible opponents in the Third Round qualifier with RB Salzburg or Lille waiting in the Play Off Round.
It would be a tall order for a squad in form but with the summer Revolution! stalling due to a lack of cash Clement will have to rely heavily on the squad that fell apart in the run-in to last seasons honours.
After losing 1-0 at home to Benfica in the Europa League Tavpen and Co resorted to type highlighted by a run of taking two points from successive matches at home to Celtic followed by away matches at Ross County and Dundee.
The expected clear out and influx of fresh talent has stalled with Robbie McCrorie leaving alongside the arrival of a couple of projects topped up by the underwhelming swoops to sign Liam Kelly and Connor Barron from the bottom half of the SPFL.
Regardless of those circumstances Clement is expected to deliver Champions League football but covering his back the brilliant Belgian is getting the excuses in early, telling the Daily Record:
We need to [add to the squad] We need extra bodies and extra quality to be successful.
I always believe that with your squad you can succeed, because otherwise you cannot get results against Real Madrid with a team like Brugge. Everyone said that was impossible. But if you don’t believe it is possible, it will never happen. So it’s about the mindset of the players.
They must believe in themselves and be hungry to become better because it’s not only about quality, it’s about work rate, it’s about mentality, it’s about what you do every day.
Clement has little faith in the mentality of a squad that includes James Tavernier and Connor Goldson in their leadership group.
The latest negative comments are part of a drip-feed of bad news to come out of the Dutch training camp which ended on Saturday night with a flight back to Glasgow.
On arrival the Sunday edition of newspapers revealed how the budget had changed for Clement from the one that he had discussed in October before agreeing to take on the job.
With no media access this week the reporters out in Holland filled their boots with quotes, holding sections back to help justify their trip to Holland.
Following the news that the Board had gone back on their promises it was revealed that Clement had put a price tag of £30,-40m on Jack Butland. A bid of £29m will be wildly celebrated by Chairman John Bennett with £5m likely to do the trick as Kelly is hyped up beyond belief.
James Tavernier and Connor Goldson are available for sale but the Record’s stream of tales from Saudi Arabia are is fake news.
On Tuesday the Daily Record, Sun and Newsquest (Herald, Glasgow Times, Rangers Review) shared the news that Clement couldn’t afford to sign Abdalah Sima who looks on A Proper Football Manager as his father.
Now we have a Champions League warning as three reporters deliver good content for their publishers in a sea of transfer fliers, speculation and gossip.
The ‘Ibrox’ board has already started briefing against Clement with Stevie Clifford of Four Lads pointing out that A Proper Football Manager has already been given £11m to spend with £9m of that used on Mohamed Diomande and Oscar Cortes.
Clement isn’t expected to meet the media until he previews Saturday’s match against Manchester United against a growing background of discontent from fans over the lack of transfer activity and the crumbling state of Ibrox.
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