Since the start of the 2024/25 season, Rangers have struggled to meet expectations under Philippe Clement, often lagging behind and underperforming.
In the Scottish Premiership, they trail Celtic by a considerable margin, and although they pushed hard against Brendan Rodgers’ side in last year’s Scottish League Cup final, they left Hampden Park without another trophy.
However, the Gers have managed to finish among the top eight in their Europa League group, and they are scheduled to take on Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup fifth round on Sunday. The match on 9 February is expected to be a straightforward win for Clement’s team, even if emerging talents like Bailey Rice get a start.
Amidst the winter transfer window, several of Rangers’ first-team players were linked with moves away from Ibrox. Notable departures at mid-season have included Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo, while persistent rumors about Nigerian international Cyriel Dessers circulating over the past six months have yet to materialize into a deal.
BBC Radio Scotland pundit Peter Grant believes that, rather than focusing on selling players to trim the wage bill, Rangers should concentrate on building a team that wins trophies. Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show on 6 February, Grant stressed, “Rangers need to be built on silverware. Even if you earn £10million or £5million from a sale, if you don’t win any trophies, it doesn’t matter because fan support will dwindle. A winning team is what fans demand, and Rangers haven’t consistently delivered that by winning championships. While Celtic continue to fetch high fees—well over £25million for players like Jota and Matt O’Riley—I still think that if Rangers had sold Dessers without proper reinforcements, it would signal a disregard for the importance of the Scottish Cup, which remains a crucial domestic prize for them.”
For Philippe Clement, the focus now should be on the Scottish Cup. Even though Rangers’ strong group-stage performance in the Europa League might see them progress further, the Scottish Cup seems a more realistic target. They came tantalizingly close to winning the Scottish League Cup against Celtic but ultimately lost on penalties in the final. For Clement to consider the season a success, reclaiming a domestic trophy—perhaps by reintroducing the Scottish League Cup to Ibrox—might be the only viable option. This would require overcoming Celtic, a challenge they have shown is possible with their 3-0 win over the Bhoys on 2 January. Only time will tell what the future holds, but for now, it appears that Clement must concentrate his efforts on the Scottish Cup if he hopes to add another trophy to the cabinet.
