Rangers

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Philippe Clement has urged Rangers fans to "follow the rules" after the club were issued a fine for the use of flares in their Europa League defeat to Lyon at Ibrox.

The Glasgow club have been charged over £27,000 for incidents with pyrotechnics in their first two Europa League matches, following a similar incident away to Malmo.

“Every time the club gets fines, it's a bad thing," Clement said.

"For the club, for everybody working in the club and for the fans also.

"It lowers the budget for other things, but for the fans it's also really important.

"They need to be smart and follow the rules that are made by UEFA, by the Scottish Football League.

"So they need to follow that, you need to follow also the rules when you’re outside in the city and you need to follow the rules of the police. That's life."

Clement's warning follows interim chairman John Gilligan's message earlier this week that the use of pyrotechnics "must stop".

"I know fans want to give their life for this club," Clement added.

"So I’m also confident when the right people say the right things that they understand that it's not a good thing for the club, so that they will not do it. I believe in them."

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Sunday's Scottish Premiership trip to Kilmarnock.

Here are the main points from his press conference:

• Clement says there are no new injuries in the squad after the international break. Ross McCausland and Danilo have returned to training but he is unsure if they will be available at the weekend.

• Says his side are looking forward to having to "battle" for three points on Sunday and are prepared to adapt to the artificial surface at Rugby Park.

• The Rangers manager is making sure all his players are prepared for the "packed schedule" coming up.

• Everyone at the club is "working hard to improve things" but acknowledges there are still several steps to be taken before they get to where they want to be.

• On the use of pyro in European matches, Clement warns fans that every time the club gets fines it "lowers the budget for other things" so urges supporters to be smart and follow the rules.

• When asked about links with Ryan Kent - who was released by Fenerbache recently - Clement admits he tried to sign the winger during his time at Club Brugge, just when the winger joined Rangers, but wouldn't be drawn on "rumours".

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

The temperature flares burn at? 1,600C. Sixteen times hotter than the water from your freshly boiled kettle.

Can you just imagine the damage if that kind of heat ever came into contact with someone's skin, someone's face?

Imagine then igniting that kind of heat in a crowd, with people tightly packed together, jumping up and down or swaying.

You just wouldn't do it, would you?

Sadly, when it comes to football fans, there are those who do, repeatedly, which makes it just a matter of time before there's an awful accident. The self-inflicted consequence of a self-inflicted problem.

It would appear the perpetrators are paying not the blindest bit of attention. So in must step European football's governing body.

This week, both Celtic and Rangers have been fined - again - for pyrotechnics lit by supporters in recent Uefa matches.

And not just fined. An away fan ban is in there as well for Celtic, albeit a suspended one.

How tragically sad that intervention from the blazers might be what it takes to stop people firing up the flares. Risking people's health and safety is alright, but risking being banned from going to games? No thanks.

Uefa's ethics and disciplinary committee have decreed all Celtic fans will be banned from a European away match if any of them light so much as a single piece of pyro at any point in the next two years.

As witnessed by the drubbing in Dortmund, matches on the continent are tough enough for Celtic without the players taking the field with no visible or audible support to lean on.

Is that what it's going to take for the fireworks fans to give them up: the threat of missing a European trip?

The Scottish champions are not the only club trying to deal with this issue, far from it. Right across Scotland and indeed Europe, clubs, police and emergency services are pleading with people to put the pyro away.

That said, if the threat from Uefa works, and the pyro peters out, many will rejoice. And it's not even just about flares now. I witnessed fireworks being set off inside the ground at Ibrox recently during Rangers' defeat to Lyon.

Rangers interim chairman John Gilligan pleaded with supporters to stop on Wednesday.

I would far rather have been salivating at the prospect of a top-of-the-table tussle between the only two teams in the Premiership to have taken maximum points from their first seven matches.

Instead, I'm just crossing my fingers that all fans across the country get in and out safely - and that football's pyro problem doesn't explode into another flashpoint.

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• Kilmarnock have lost nine of their last 10 league meetings with Rangers, winning the other 1-0 on the opening matchday of last season.

• Rangers have won four of their last six league visits to Kilmarnock (L2), this after failing to win their previous six beforehand (D2 L4).

• Kilmarnock are winless in five home league games (D3 L2), their longest such run in the Scottish Premiership since going nine without winning from May-November 2017.

• In all competitions, Rangers have kept seven clean sheets in their last nine games. In the other two, however, they lost by a margin of three goals – 0-3 v Celtic in September and 1-4 v Lyon this month.

• Rangers have used more different players (26) than any side in the Scottish Premiership this season. Despite this, however, they have had just five different goalscorers (excl. own goals), with only three sides having fewer in the competition this term.

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Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum says it was the "wrong decision" not to award Rangers a penalty against St Johnstone for a shirt pull on Cyriel Dessers.

It was announced earlier this week by the SFA's key match incident review panel that Saints defender Aaron Essel should have been penalised for a tug on the Rangers striker.

"We expect a penalty kick here and we expect the referee to be brought to the monitor to review the decision," Collum said.

"You hear the referee saying he saw a 'small hold but it has no impact'... but is what the refereeing saying actually what happened? We don’t regard this as a 'small hold' and as having 'no impact'.

"We believe if this holding offence doesn't happen, the attacker has the chance to challenge for the ball. It's excessive holding."

The previous weekend, defender John Souttar was penalised for handball in the box following a VAR review against Hibernian.

Mykola Kuharevich's spot-kick was saved and the hosts maintained their 1-0 lead until full-time.

"It's the correct decision for us," Collum said of the Souttar incident.

“We think the Rangers defender throws himself to save the shot, block the shot at all costs. Unfortunately for him he's made his body bigger, for us it’s not natural.

"There’s a slight arm movement, although it’s not deliberate, but it’s certainly a punishable handball.

"There is every opportunity the goalkeeper could save the shot. So we would not support a red card, it isn't an obvious goalscoring opportunity."

The position of goalkeeper Jack Butland's feet in relation to the goal line was also discussed and Collum was "content" there was no need for a re-take.

With domestic football making its return this weekend, we want to know what you're looking for from your side.

Rangers' start to the season hasn't been plain sailing after a hectic summer and they are currently five points adrift of Celtic and Aberdeen.

What does Philippe Clement need to improve between now and November's international break to close that gap?

Give us your thoughts here, external.

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Rangers return to domestic action at the venue where Michael Beale’s hopes of a successful title challenge hit the skids from the off last August.

The 1-0 opening-day defeat at Rugby Park at the hands of Derek McInnes’ Kilmarnock set the tone of what was to follow for the remainder of Beale’s short tenure.

And although Philippe Clement subsequently guided Rangers to three wins over Killie later in the season, the outcome of Sunday’s meeting is by no means a given.

Killie’s last outing brought their first win of the league season - an astonishing comeback at Dundee - but they are now unbeaten in five and McInnes always welcomes the opportunity to pit his wits against the club he once came close to managing.

As for Clement, he will once again find himself trying to claw back whatever advantage Celtic and Aberdeen have managed to accrue the previous day, in addition to the existing five-point lead.

On the bright side for him, at least both will be unable to stretch that to eight.

But the reality for Rangers is that every domestic game they play right now is a must-win and will remain so for much, if not all, of the season if they are to make any kind of success of it.

The manager will hope his injury list is not extended further by those away on international duty to allow him to field as strong a side as possible on Sunday, knowing another important Europa League match against Steaua Bucharest is just around the corner.

We asked for your views on Phillipe Clement's first year as Rangers manager.

Here's what some of you said:

Steven: I was happy with Clement at the end of the season but unfortunately now I think we are starting to see certain aspects of him which we have seen before with Pedro Caixinha, plus it's very hard to enjoy our football. I think his time is running out as our manager.

Jamie: It's a sorry time for Rangers. Clement has done well with limited resources. I think the club needs stability and I think he will provide it. Sort out the boardroom issues and get the team back to where it belongs.

Robert: One year into the job and I still feel as if Rangers have no real style of play and at times no obvious game plan. Failing to really lay a glove on Celtic has been extremely disappointing. Failure to sign Lawrence Shankland probably cost Rangers the league last season.

Fraser: The sad fact about playing football in Glasgow is there is no runners-up. So unless Clement finds a way to beat Celtic, and soon, he will be judged a failure.

Finlay: Clement has done a great job coming in to take up a club in a mess and make some changes after the mess that Michael Beale had left us. With a League Cup win and top of the league for a while, Clement has certainly done more than his predecessor.

Ian: Absolutely the man for the job. He's trying to compete on very little money with some players who don't seem to grasp the enormity of the club and its supporters' demands for success. He must be given time, and more importantly, money to spend on a couple of players, a defensive midfielder and a hard, no nonsense defender, not a shrinking violet.

Allan: Clement is building a squad which will take time to gel. He is working with a limited budget, which is smaller than he expected. For me, he is doing a good job with what he has at his disposal. We need to give him time and lower expectations for a while. I believe that he will come good.

Iain: We have stood still for over a year. Average players, our main striker is not good enough to be classed as average, lack of investment in quality players, no pattern or consistency in our play, on our many days off form the entire team play badly, not just one or two. and although I was initially very supportive of Clement, I am no longer so.

Billy: Clement started extremely well, but a home loss to Motherwell unmasked the lack of character in a lot of the squad. Long term it's looking bleak for us, too many injuries, no depth. It all points toward the fundamental lack of finances. I pray I'm wrong.

Ronnie: Overall it has been disappointing. Every Rangers manager will be rated by what we do against Celtic and where we are in regards to titles. We are no closer to Celtic under Clement. Our transfers in and out have been very poor. So sorry Phil it's a four out of 10 from me.

Ross: He is a brilliant manager and there is no denying it, but there is a few departments lacking these days. Losing out on the league was probably Beale's fault, but it still hurts. He needs more time to improve the team this season.

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Improved recruitment is key to Philippe Clement closing the gap on Celtic, says former Rangers boss Alex McLeish.

Tuesday marked one year since the Ibrox appointment of the Belgian, who has won one League Cup trophy and overseen a huge turnover of players.

The Govan side are currently five points adrift of their city rivals and Aberdeen after seven league games following a tumultuous summer.

McLeish, who won seven domestic honours during his time as Rangers manager, says he was fortunate to take over Dick Advocaat's high-quality squad in 2001, but Clement has not been afforded the same luxury as he continues rebuild.

Speaking on the BBC's Sacked in the Morning podcast, McLeish said: "He's not quite got the quality in the team that I inherited... he's still trying to build that.

"They're just a little bit short in terms of where Celtic are at the moment - it hinges on the recruitment.

"If Rangers can get the recruitment a little bit tighter then you know they'll surely be a big challenge to Celtic.

"I've met him and I like him, I like the cut of his jib and I'm hoping he can take Rangers to better things."

Ex-Aberdeen goalkeeper Joe Lewis has revealed Steven Gerrard wanted to take him to Rangers but he could not go back on a verbal agreement with the Dons. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Wednesday's gossip.

Phillipe Clement celebrates one year as Rangers manager today.

He got off to a flying start, securing the first piece of silverware available to him with the League Cup in the cabinet, but then failed to follow it up, losing out on the league title and Scottish Cup to Celtic.

He's competing in the Europa League with the Ibrox club this term and trail the Scottish Premiership leaders by five points.

To mark his first year in charge, we want to know how you would assess his tenure to date.

Give us all your thoughts here., external

Rangers defender Leon Balogun has demanded an investigation into his Nigeria team-mates being left in an airport for 12 hours after their plane was diverted following their refusal to play an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya. (Scottish Sun)

Ex-Rangers striker Jermain Defoe admits "it's been tough watching Rangers" this season and says it is "obvious that something needs to change". (Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Tuesday's gossip.

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Connor Barron has been called up to the Scotland squad for Tuesday's Nations League meeting with Portugal at Hampden.

The Rangers midfielder, 22, replaces Celtic winger James Forrest, 33, in Steve Clarke's squad and could win his first cap.

Barron has played 13 times for Scotland Under-21s, who visit Kazakhstan in their final European Championship qualifier on Tuesday.

Forrest, capped 39 times, did not feature in the senior squad for Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Croatia in Zagreb.

The Scots have lost their opening three fixtures in Group A1, including a 2-1 loss to Portugal in Lisbon in September. Poland left Hampden with a 3-2 victory in the opening fixture.

Clarke's side will host Croatia and visit Poland in November.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Having arrived on loan from Wolfsburg with big expectation, Vaclav Cerny lived up to that billing when he introduced himself to Rangers fans with an assist and a goal in consecutive games.

The Czech winger set up Cyriel Dessers' last-gasp equaliser away to Dynamo Kyiv in Champions League qualifying before curling in a Premiership winner against Motherwell just days later.

Cerny had been quiet in the following weeks and faced some criticism after missing a golden chance in Rangers' heavy defeat to Lyon last Thursday, but he recovered to net a classy double in the 2-0 win over St Johnstone on Sunday.

With those two weekend goals, he is now the Ibrox side's joint top scorer in the league with three, but that level of attacking output will need to improve from Philippe Clement's attack if they are to haul themselves into a title challenge.

If Cerny can maintain his goals-per-90 ratio of 0.70 and continue to increase his chances-created tally of eight, that will certainly help.

The winger is also getting his team into attacking positions by gaining possession in dangerous areas, winning the ball in the final third almost twice a game - the third highest in the league.

Getting his forward teammates to finish the chances could be the problem though, given striker Cyriel Dessers has already passed up six big chances this term.

Rangers are keen to sign a defensive midfielder. (Football Insider), external

Southampton manager and former Scotland and Rangers defender Russell Martin has three games to save his job. (Football Insider), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

Former Rangers boss Mark Warburton talks to The Football News Show about how managers can deal with mental health struggles while working at a club and what support there is available to them.

Watch The Football News Show's Mental Health special

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

Fraser asked: Do you think Philippe Clement is happy with his strikers? Does he honestly believe they will deliver the goals to win the league?

Tom answered: Hi Fraser. I’m going to throw some numbers at you. Cyriel Dessers, for all his shortcomings, has scored the same number of league goals as Kyogo Furuhashi this season and scored two more than him last season. Not comparing them as players at all, just the raw numbers. Dessers' numbers are very respectable, though he should score more.

Clement must be massively frustrated with all the injuries Danilo has picked up because he was a huge financial outlay - in relative terms - and has hardly got out of the starting blocks. It's early days for young Hamza Igamane, but on the evidence so far it looks like he has a lot to learn.

Rangers have scored 12 league goals this season compared to Aberdeen's 15 and Celtic's 22. If that trend continues then they have a problem. Everything gets lumped at Dessers' door and I think it's unfair.

Over the last couple of seasons, look where Rangers have got the bulk of their league goals from - James Tavernier 17 last season and 16 the season before; Abdallah Sima 16 last season; Todd Cantwell seven last season; Antonio Colak 14 the season before, Fashion Sakala scored 12, Malik Tillman got 10.

Tavernier has scored one goal in his last 21 games for Rangers. The penalties have dried up. Sima, Cantwell, Colak, Sakala and Tillman are no longer there. So who picks up the slack? It can't all be down to Dessers. The others have to deliver, too.

Vaclav Cerny and Tom Lawrence have both got three in the league so far. That's pretty encouraging, but Rangers need a lot more from their attacking players, not just their strikers. Nedim Bajrami and chums need to step up.

Scotland midfielder Kenny McLean says it only took one discussion with new Norwich City manager Johannes Hoff Thorup to persuade him to sign a new contract this summer despite the 32-year-old being linked with Rangers. (The Herald), external

A bookmaker has made Rangers one of the favourites to sign Jordan Henderson should the 34-year-old midfielder leave Ajax, where he has had limited game time, but the Ibrox club would struggle to match the Englishman's £85,000 per week salary. (Daily Record), external

Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay says he would happily reopen contract talks with Rangers-linked Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland, whose current deal ends next summer, but warned he will never smash the club’s wage structure to keep the 29-year-old club captain. (Daily Record), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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