Philippe Clement has told Rangers fans they will see an “interesting” team at Hearts on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, but admits it could be months before his new-look side are up and running.
The Belgian was speaking on the day it was announced he had extended his contract at Ibrox until 2028.
Clement has signed nine players in his bid to wrest the title back from Celtic albeit defender Robin Propper, who signed from FC Twente on Thursday, could be denied a debut this weekend due to paperwork, while Vaclav Cerny is unlikely to start and Hamza Igamane is a long way off appropriate fitness.
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The Light Blues have been unconvincing in pre-season and ahead of the Scottish Premiership season opener at Tynecastle, Clement said: “I am 200 per cent sure we are going to be much better in October, November and December and the months after.
“That is normal if you see how many players left the building, how many players came in to the building and how many young players who came in who still have to learn things.
“In that way it is a squad with a lot of potential, more potential than there was last season and so the idea is to improve as a club and become better.
“Does it mean tomorrow we are going to see the best Rangers, better than last season?
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Clement tells Sky Sports News he needs time to rebuild his side if they are to catch Celtic in the Scottish Premiership
“I think you will see some interesting things. I am confident about that but we are not there yet, at our best, but that is asking the impossible.
“It is logical that there needs to be patience.
“You have players who adapt really fast, some players need weeks, some needs months to get used to things.
“I don’t know one manager in the world who can predict that. That is impossible to do. Of course you need time.”
After signing his new deal Clement revealed he had “fallen in love” with the Ibrox club.
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Clement explains why he has signed a new contract at Ibrox until the summer of 2028
The Belgian took over from Michael Beale last October and sparked an upturn in form that included a League Cup triumph and briefly brought them back into title contention before Celtic pulled away in the closing stages.
“I have a really open and transparent relationship with the board,” the manager told Gers’ website.
“In every meeting that we have had you feel the passion and desire to make the club better and that is the same for me.
“I have fallen in love with the club, with the fans, the stadium and with the city.
“I see huge potential and now we need to make the club better and stronger in every department, that is our goal, and we are all really aligned about that.”
Rodgers targets domestic treble and CL play-offs
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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers speaks to Sky Sports News about their transfer plans and season objectives
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers declared his “burning” desire to improve his team as he targeted a treble and European progress ahead of the new season – but he knows he still needs to add quality to his squad to achieve that plan.
The first season of Rodgers’ second spell in charge ended on a high as Celtic won 11 of their final 12 matches to clinch a double.
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There were strong signs his team could carry on that form when they put four goals past each of DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea on their pre-season tour of the United States, with the coordinated pressing of the team showing an improved understanding of Rodgers’ tactical demands.
But they go into their Scottish Premiership opener at home against Kilmarnock on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, without much difference to their squad.
Kasper Schmeichel has replaced the retired Joe Hart while Celtic brought back Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal following his loan spell from Benfica. A similar deal for Adam Idah, if Norwich can be persuaded to part with the forward, could get Celtic basically back to where they were at the end of last season.
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Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City began their pre-season tour of the USA with a narrow defeat to Celtic in a 4-3 thriller
Rodgers remains relaxed about the transfer plans with four weeks left of the window and is confident his side can hit the ground running.
“Our objective is to win every domestic trophy,” he said. “You can’t hide behind anything other than that.
“We’re in an exciting Champions League format, so we want to get into the play-off stage of that.
“But alongside that for me it will be looking at the football performance and the consistency of that. There were spells last year where we played some fantastic football and probably more so towards the end with some sporadic games in between.
“But now the clarity is there with everything and how we’re working then I would expect us to really be a lot more consistent.
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Celtic defender Alistair Johnston tells Sky Sports News he has been impressed by their level in pre-season and expects them to hit another level when they kick off their Scottish Premiership title defence.
“From the tactical aspect, we’ve worked on some things over the pre-season, especially in America, against some really good opponents.
“And it was interesting because one young player of mine who played for Chelsea, a former player, he said after the game that ‘it’s a Brendan team we’re playing’.
“So that was a good sign for me on a personal level because he has played for me before and knows what I expect and demand and he can see it in a different team, but playing the same way.”
Scottish Premiership and SWPL on Sky Sports
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