Rangers

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There were mixed fortunes for Rangers' international contingent on Tuesday.

Vaclav Cerny started for Czech Republic in their 3-2 Nations League Group B1 victory against Ukraine.

The winger assisted the opener then was booked and substituted in the second half of a lively match which ended in the Czechs collecting their first win of the campaign.

In the same group, Nedim Bajrami featured for Albania in their 1-0 defeat to Georgia, though Albania remain in second ahead of Czech Republic on goal difference.

Fellow midfielder Mohamed Diomande was a second-half substitute for Ivory Coast in their 2-0 victory against Chad in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. After back-to-back wins, Ivory Coast top Group G.

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St Mirren vice-chairman Jim Gillespie will not be joining Rangers as their new chief executive. (Sun), external

Gillespie has withdrawn from the race to be appointed Rangers chief executive. (Mail), external

Rangers captain James Tavernier remains an option as former Ibrox manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst seeks a new right-back for Besiktas, according to reports in Turkey, although it is also suggested they might have to wait until the January transfer window with the Glasgow club currently unable to find a replacement for the 32-year-old. (Daily Record), external

Rangers will reject any bids for Tavernier this week as they have no opportunity to replace the right-back amid reported interest from Trabzonspor and with the Turkish transfer window open until Friday. (Football Insider), external

Romania midfielder Ianis Hagi says he will return to Rangers from international duty and continue to fight for his place despite the 25-year-old being frozen out the first team since August 2023 and being sent to train with the B side by manager Philippe Clement. (Pro Sport), external

Rangers supporters unveiled a banner criticising the Ibrox board but backing Clement before the manager held a charity question and answer session at the club's Edmiston House. (Herald - subscription), external

Clement told supporters Rangers can still win the Scottish Premiership, despite their five-point deficit to leaders Celtic. (Sun), external

Former Rangers winger Jamie Murphy has claimed his transfer move from Brighton & Hove Albion was nearly scrapped after another Scottish club told the English outfit the Ibrox club could not afford the deal. (Open Goal), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Since Philippe Clement replaced Michael Beale as Rangers manager, he has stressed the scale of the rebuild needed at Ibrox.

Almost a year on, Rangers still look a long way short of competing for the Premiership title, as evidenced by their 3-0 defeat at Parkhead.

They were swamped by Celtic in the first half, outplayed and outfought by their city rivals, a result and performance that provoked anger from the fans.

Clement pointed to stats after the game to suggest the contest was closer than the scoreline suggested, but only results will appease frustrations.

Rangers signed 11 players over the summer - 12 departed - but they don't look any closer to Celtic as a result, and without Champions League football the financial gap between the clubs will continue to grow.

If Clement is to compete for the title, he needs to maximise the resources at his disposal, and he needs to find a way to beat Celtic when the sides meet again - a feat he is yet to manage in five games.

Read more: What we've learned about each Premiership club so far

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

Things at Rangers are far from rosy. The shambolic performance and result at Parkhead were followed by the moronic abuse of James Tavernier after the match.

The team have looked low on confidence and ability so far this season but the only thing we can do as fans as is get behind them.

Rangers seem fragile and having a fanbase who are snarling and ready to go tonto at the first bad pass is not the way to help the team out of this situation. Rather, they are more likely to go into their shell.

Things are tough for the fans just now but all we can do is support the players and hope the manager can get a tune out of them and see where we are when we get to the next international break.

We have to reset and go again. We are five points behind a team that looks like they are going to motor away and be clear by Christmas. We are also behind Aberdeen, who are enjoying this early spell under their new manager.

Dundee United on Sunday will be a tough afternoon; every game feels like that. The season already feels like a complete chore destined to end in failure.

However, we need to see a proper reaction from the players and the manager. It's all up to them, let's see how they respond.

Stand up and be counted or fold under pressure. We're about to find out which players will fit into which category and if the manager will find a style and shape that fits the players he has at his disposal.

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St Johnstone have announced they will cut the away ticket allocations for Celtic and Rangers at McDiarmid Park.

In a letter to fans, new Saints owner and chairman Adam Webb explained the decision and claimed it was part of his "commitment to making McDiarmid Park a true fortress."

"Historically, we have sometimes allocated the East Stand to visiting supporters and moved supporters to the Geoff Brown Stand," Webb wrote. "We have also allotted more seats than necessary in the Geoff Brown Stand to opposing fans.

"Under our new policies, to be announced later this week, opposing fans will be limited to the Ormond and North stands and one section of the Geoff Brown Stand which is legally required to accommodate disabled seating."

American businessman Webb, who took over from long-term owner Geoff Brown in the summer, also asked fans to "turn out in force" if the initiative is to be successful.

Hearts and Hibs, as well as St Mirren, have all taken a similar approach in recent times, with Hibs claiming the move was down to "abhorrent behaviour and chanting."

St Johnstone will host Celtic on Saturday, 28 September in a 17:45 kick-off, while Rangers don't visit Perth until 1 December.

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Although his banishment from the Rangers first-team squad continues, Ianis Hagi has made his mark for Romania in recent days.

The attacking midfielder came off the bench for the final few minutes of the Nations League opener - a 3-0 win at Kosovo - before a key contribution on his 41st cap in the 3-1 home victory over Lithuania.

Hagi, 25, came on in the 70th minute and won a spot-kick three minutes from time that Razvan Marin converted to put Romania 2-1 up.

Alexandru Mitrita made the result safe with an injury-time third as Romania set the pace in Group C2.

Former Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack has received an offer from second-tier Turkish club Erokspor after leaving the Ibrox club at the end of last season. (Scottish Sun), external

Besiktas, who are managed by former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, could be about to make an offer for James Tavernier. (Scottish Sun via FotoMac), external

Read all of Tuesday's Scottish Gossip

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Ross McCausland featured for Northern Ireland in their 1-0 defeat to Bulgaria on Sunday.

The Rangers winger started on the bench and replaced captain Trai Hume for the last 10 minutes of the match.

The Nations League game was the 21-year-old's third competitive senior appearance for Michael O'Neill's side.

He also managed 16 minutes in their 2-0 win over Luxembourg on Thursday 5 September.

Steven Gerrard shared on Instagram an image of a poster containing lyrics of Rangers chants, captioned "I need this picture", leading fans to believe their former manager could be tempted to return from Al-Ettifaq as pressure continues to grow on current boss Philippe Clement. (Football Insider), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Rangers have identified free agent right-back Cyrus Christie, 31, as a possible replacement should captain James Tavernier, 32, leave Ibrox. (HITC), external

However, Tavernier and his wife have purchased a £1m flat in Glasgow's west end, indicating he may be staying at Rangers for the time being. (Sun), external

Former Rangers chairman Dave King defends Tavernier following recent criticisms. (Record), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

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There is fresh interest in Rangers captain James Tavernier, 32, from six clubs across two countries - Turkey and Qatar, where the transfer window remains open. (Sun), external

Rangers manager Philippe Clement's assistant at Genk and Brugge, Johan van Rumst, says their success in Belgium was all based on hard work" and urges Ibrox supporters "to give him more time". (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Four games in, five points behind Celtic.

After an opening-day draw with Hearts and an Old Firm defeat before the international break - sandwiched by the failure to reach the Champions League proper - it's been a tough start to the season for Philippe Clement's side.

It'll be no surprise Rangers are the bridesmaid, not the bride, in most of the early-season stats charts.

From possession (63% average), to touches in the opposition box (129), to shots (58), the attacking intent is there from Rangers, but just not enough to top their rivals.

Having scored eight goals - six of them against Ross County - Rangers are slightly underperforming their xG of 8.66. Indeed, six other clubs have a better chance conversion rate than the Ibrox side's 13.8%.

Cyriel Dessers is joint top in the scoring column with three goals, though, and with an expected goals (xG) of 3.08, he's doing his job.

Arguably the biggest change of all from last season is up the other end.

Jack Butland has had a shaky start, having conceded four goals already, averaging one a game.

The shot-stopper's save percentage is a mediocre 63.64 and Rangers' xG against is 3.77, suggesting the defence isn't giving Butland much protection.

The England international dug Rangers out of many a hole last season, and with an uphill battle already on the cards, eyes will be on him to stand strong again.

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Todd Cantwell says Rangers "felt like a different place" prior to his move to Blackburn Rovers on transfer deadline day.

Cantwell was signed in January 2023 by manager Philippe Clement's predecessor Michael Beale, who was sacked a few weeks into the 2023-24 season.

In the intervening period, director of football Ross Wilson also left while there have been changes at boardroom level at Ibrox over the past year.

"It felt like a different place," said the midfielder. "I didn't believe it was the right place for me to be and they are personal reasons.

"You don't have to look too far behind tactics and the way a team plays and how you get the best version of yourself. It felt like the right time as a player to move on.

"At 26 if you're not sure what the best changing room for you to be in is then ultimately you'll probably bounce around quite a lot."

Cantwell, who insists he wishes Clement and the players well for the future, picked up a Scottish League Cup winners' medal during his 19 months at Rangers and said: "Walking out at Ibrox is something I'll never forget.

"I loved my time at Rangers, it's a special, special football club. No one can ever take that away from it. Is it demanding? Yes. Is it stressful at times? Yes. I loved having to win every game. The pressure to try and win in every game was enjoyable.

"During my time, we didn't get the best of the others as much as we'd have liked to. Unfortunately that's sometimes the way that things unfold."

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Rangers forward Danilo, 25, has been given permission to travel to the Netherlands for rehabilitation on his latest injury and will be out for at least a month. (Sun), external

Danilo was spotted in a leg brace at Glasgow Airport following a tidy-up operation on his knee. (Herald - subscription), external

Meanwhile, Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo, 23, faces a minimum of three months out with a hamstring injury. (Football Scotland), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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Danilo is a notable omission after Rangers submitted their squad list for the Europa League.

The Brazilian striker, who missed the second half of last season with a knee injury, has reportedly had a second operation., external

Danilo has made two appearances this season, scoring in the 6-0 win over Ross County after coming off the bench.

Manager Philippe Clement dismissed suggestions the 25-year-old was limping in a social media video posted - and later deleted - by Rangers before the Champions League qualifying defeat to Dynamo Kyiv.

Wales winger Rabbi Matondo, who faces a spell on the sidelines after being injured in last weekend's Old Firm defeat, is also not included in the 21-man Europa League squad.

Clubs are permitted to name 25 players in a European squad as long as eight are locally trained. But Rangers only have four - Liam Kelly, Lewis Budinauckas, John Souttar and Connor Barron - who come into that category.

Academy graduates such as Ross McCausland and Leon King do not have to be named in the main squad and will be part of the 'B' list.

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Todd Cantwell says he is "desperate" to clear up claims that he "didn't want to play for Rangers".

The midfielder joined Blackburn Rovers on transfer deadline day last week after a messy end to his career at Ibrox.

Manager Philippe Clement said in July that the 26-year-old no longer wanted to play for the club and had handed in a second transfer request.

"I've got full respect for the manager and the management but I did 't believe it was the right place for me to be and those are personal reasons," Cantwell told Sky Sports.

"It's a bold decision but let's see how it unfolds.

"It was his decision to tell the press that that was my decision [to leave]. We had spoken internally for a while but ultimately we couldn't find a happy medium for both.

"The one thing I'm desperate to clear up is that I never said I didn't want to play for Rangers, that never came out of my mouth and never would."

BBC Sport Scotland chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your questions.

Drew asked: Where do you think the problems at Rangers lie? Is it the board, the manager, the players or a combination of all three?

Tom answered: Drew, as you'll well remember, two years ago, Rangers were in a European final. Along the way they beat a Dortmund side that had Jude Bellingham, Marco Reus and Mats Hummels and beat a Leipzig team that had Josko Gvardiol, Dani Olmo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Christopher Nkunku. They lost a European final in a penalty shootout. It’s almost surreal to look back on that season and compare it to now.

Where's the problem? It's in the decision-making at board level. It's the board believing in the wrong people. I know there was a groundswell of opinion that Giovanni van Bronckhorst needed to go - and, in fairness, I probably said as much at the time - but in hindsight it looks a very rash decision.

Michael Beale should never have been appointed Rangers manager. That's not being wise after the event. The signs were abundantly clear at the time. He was a rookie manager with a patchy and desperately limited track record.

He got the job because he was a 'Rangers man'. Ridiculous. And when he got it, he had to be backed. So, money was spent on players who weren't good enough. Major salaries were paid out on substandard footballers. Ross Wilson recruited some/many of them. Not good enough, across the board.

It all goes back to the board - well-meaning folk, Rangers through and through, very successful in life, some have invested heavily, but they've been misguided when it comes to the savage and unforgiving business of football. Chairman John Bennett and others have put a fortune into the club - and without their financial input, the place would be in trouble - but the decision-making has been dreadful. Until the decision-making improves, nothing changes.

Darren asked: What is really going on with Ianis Hagi? He was a great player for us at times, in a position where Rangers have struggled recently.

Tom answered: Darren, Philippe Clement remains coy about the Hagi situation, apart from making it clear that his time is up. He won't say why and I haven't found out. It's odd.

There's a danger, I think, in his absence making the heart grow fonder. Hagi was very good in the season Rangers won the league. That's the Hagi that people remember, but he wasn't always that effective. The longer it goes without him playing the better a player he seems to become in the mind's eye. It's obvious that everybody needs to move on.

BBC Sport Scotland chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your questions.

Jim asked: Is Philippe Clement the right man for Rangers? I can't see any style in their play and I think the players can't either.

Tom answered: Hi Jim. Clement won trophies before he ever set foot in Scotland, then won a League Cup at Hampden and got a pretty average team into the box-seat in the Premiership, before the players blew it. That, to me, was a really good feat of management. I rate him.

But not winning any of his first five Old Firm matches is poor and the pressure is on, understandably. Too many of his players are not good enough, that’s the bottom line. I know time is a precious commodity in Glasgow football, but he needs time to build a squad.

I can’t see Rangers winning the league this season or next, so they need to use that time to find some gems and nurture them. Rangers fans want immediate success. It’s not going to happen. The club needs to put its foot on the ball and be calm and clinical in what it's doing, not acting out of emotion or frustration. There’s been too much of that in recent years.

That's going to be brutally hard. They've wasted a stratospheric amount of money - fees and salaries - on poor players over a number of seasons now. It can't carry on. Take stock, rebuild and come back stronger.

Joseph asked: How can Rangers improve performances against Celtic and compete with the financials across the city?

Tom answered: In a word, slowly. They need a proper player trading model to rival Celtic's, first of all. That'll take a lot of time and a lot of good scouting and decision-making. The financial advantage Celtic hold over Rangers on player trading revenues alone is gargantuan. Again this season, Celtic will get a multiple million-pound advantage in Champions League cash versus Rangers' Europa League cash. The gulf is vast.

Improvement in performance against Celtic will only come with an improvement in Rangers' playing squad. For me, it all goes back to player trading. Buy and sell more Calvin Basseys. Develop more Nathan Pattersons. Shovel money into a red-hot scouting system. Generate more money and be a lot wiser in spending it.

I'm totally convinced the Rangers board now know what they need to do. I'm unconvinced they know how to do it.

Former Rangers winger Ryan Kent angered Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho after the out-of-favour 27-year-old Englishman rejecting offers from England, Scotland and Saudi Arabia during the summer transfer window. (Iscihaber), external

Southampton manager Russell Martin says "it wasn't on our end" that winger Samuel Edozie's loan switch to Rangers fell through on transfer deadline day before the 21-year-old sealed a move to Anderlecht instead. (Daily Record), external

Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi is content to stay at the club at least for the first half of the season despite the 25-year-old's lack of first-team action and the chance to join Steaua Bucharest in his native Romania. (Football Insider), external

Robin Propper only decided to sign for Rangers from Twente at the last minute after the 30-year-old centre-half expressed late doubts about the move, according to the Dutch club's technical director, Arnold Bruggink. (Daily Record), external

Rangers chiefs are otherwise fully behind Philippe Clement, but the 50-year-old manager's winless run against Celtic is becoming problematic and his position will come under scrutiny if that does not improve. (Football Insider), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Get your questions ready.

Tom English, BBC Sport Scotland's chief sportswriter, is in the hotseat and ready to offer his insight and opinion on your club.

Four games into the Premiership campaign, what would you like to ask?

Put your questions to our man here, external.

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Sunday’s Old Firm derby was yet another chastening experience for Philippe Clement’s Rangers, the club losing at Celtic Park for the fifth time in a row – the first time that’s happened since 1980.

Other than an encouraging opening 10 minutes in which they should have scored at least once, Rangers were comfortably second best throughout and the gulf between the sides doesn’t look like narrowing any time soon.

Both Cyriel Dessers and Rabbi Matondo had excellent games the week before against Ross County but when it came to the crunch against their old rivals, both fluffed their lines badly. Rangers simply cannot afford to pass up the type of opportunities they did against a Celtic side who were far more clinical when it mattered.

Clement asserted his confidence afterwards over his side's ability to mount a title challenge but vast improvement is required for that to become a reality.

A great deal of work will need to be done on the training ground over the next two weeks (with relatively few of the squad departing on international duty) if they are to begin to make inroads into Celtic's lead (not to mention that of Aberdeen and Dundee United).

A trip to Tannadice awaits after the international break and that appears fraught with danger for a side that has won just once in the last seven away league games and whose confidence seems brittle in the face of adversity.

Supporters are questioning the running of the club, the manager's decisions and the players' ability and mentality. There is no quick fix for such a multitude of issues but a positive response is required before further anger or, worse, apathy takes hold.