Philippe Clement is a man under pressure in the Glasgow Rangers hotseat. Across 14 competitive matches this season, the Light Blues have won only eight times, hardly the form of a team fighting for trophies on all fronts.
Against Kilmarnock recently, the starting XI looked afraid to push into the opponent’s final third, with Killie registering a higher xG stat from open play than the Gers during the contest, a damning indictment of how poor the team has become under Clement of late.
During the transfer window, the Belgian knew he had to get things spot on, otherwise, it would likely be another one-horse race in the Premiership. While several signings have settled in well and shown that they might be a key part of the future, the majority have struggled.
Rangers' summer 2024 transfer business
The main priority for Clement after the 2023/24 season ended was bringing the wage bill down significantly. The likes of Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Jack all departed when their contracts expired, saving the club around £77k-per-week in the process.
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Combine this with the fact the club also moved on Connor Goldson and Sam Lammers, who earned £55k-per-week between them, and it was evident the wage bill had been reduced effectively, freeing up funds for Clement to bring in his own players.
Establishing a player trading model appeared to be his main focus, signing Connor Barron, Clinton Nsiala, Jefte, Oscar Cortes and Hamza Igamane, who were all aged 22 or under upon arriving at Ibrox.
Player
Club signed from
Connor Barron
Aberdeen
Clinton Nsiala
AC Milan
Liam Kelly
Motherwell
Vaclav Cerny
Wolfsburg (loan)
Oscar Cortes
Lens
Mohamed Diomande
FC Nordsjaelland
Hamza Igamane
AS FAR
Jefte
Fluminense
Robin Propper
FC Twente
Nedim Bajrami
Sassuolo
Neraysho Kasanwirjo
Feyenoord (loan)
Jefte and Barron have featured 14 and 11 times respectively for the first team this season, while the jury is still out on Cortes and Igamane. Time will be given to those who don’t have much experience, but can the same be said for those who have arrived with plenty to prove?
Robin Propper was expected to be the heir apparent to Goldson, but he hasn’t exactly hit the ground running so far. Nedim Bajrami has shown plenty of promise, although he has been forced to play on the left wing rather than through the middle due to injury issues.
Vaclav Cerny was a signing who, on the surface, looked like having all the hallmarks of being an excellent one. A winger who is entering his prime years and scored four times in the Bundesliga last season.
The reality, however, has been very different.
Vaclav Cerny’s season in numbers
Registering three goals and two assists in 13 games since joining the Ibrox side hints at a positive start, but more often than not, the Czech gem has played poorly.
His struggles have been apparent in Europe especially. In the first two Europa League fixtures, Cerny has missed two big chances, succeeded with just 0.5 dribbles per game and created zero big chances. These are the matches where Clement expects big things from the former Ajax gem.
His two-goal salvo against St Johnstone before the international break skews things slightly with regard to his domestic statistics, but it is clear the winger needs to improve massively.
Over the previous few years, the Gers have struggled to find effective widemen capable of contributing goals and assists, while also creating plenty of chances.
They released someone in 2012 who is now starring across the pond and would make a big difference to the current first team – Lewis Morgan.
The Rangers star who left for nothing
The current New York Red Bulls star joined the Rangers academy back in 2004 when he was aged just eight, going on to spend the next eight years at Auchenhowie before being released in 2012.
Not to be deterred by his release from the Ibrox side, Morgan soon joined St Mirren and went on to make 118 appearances for the Buddies over the next six years, scoring 29 goals while registering 23 assists for the club.
It didn’t take long for his form to get noticed, as Celtic lured him back to Glasgow in 2018, but his spell at Parkhead was hardly wonderful, scoring only twice in 31 games for the club.
A move to the MLS in 2020 has proven to be the catalyst for him to kickstart his career, first shining for Inter Miami before joining New York Red Bulls in 2021.
Lewis Morgan’s season statistics
Hailed as “dynamic” by his former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, the Scot has exuded this quality for his club side during the 2024 MLS campaign.
Across 31 matches in all competitions, Morgan has registered 20 goal contributions – 13 goals and seven assists – while also creating 13 big chances, averaging 1.7 key passes per game and succeeding with one dribble each match.
Compare this to Cerny, who has scored only eight goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, chipping in with just three assists, suggesting Morgan would have been a far more effective threat out wide than the Czech winger.
When compared to his positional peers, Morgan ranks in the top 5% for shot-creating actions, progressive carries and progressive passes over the previous 365 days. Cerny, in comparison, doesn’t even rank in the top 50% for these metrics when compared to players in similar leagues over the same timeframe.
This is yet more evidence of how much better Morgan is at the moment over the current Rangers loanee.
Still ‘only’ 28, Morgan’s market value could continue to rise following his excellent showings this season. Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, the forward is currently valued at €5m (£4m).
Of course, the Light Blues didn’t know back in 2012 how good a player Morgan was going to be, releasing him due to his physical stature. After years of developing in Scotland, he took the plunge and moved to America.
This has not only revitalised his career, but also seen the player establish himself as a more permanent fixture in the Scottish national team setup, playing five times under Steve Clarke.
If Clement was able to call on him rather than Cerny, then perhaps the Gers might have scored a few more goals. For that there is no doubt.
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