It's been 130 days since Rangers last ran out at Ibrox but for Philippe Clement, it’s felt a lot longer. And no wonder. In the time since James Bisgrove booked himself on the first flight to Saudi Arabia after realising he’d made a right royal balls up with his late steel shipment order, Rangers’ world has collapsed about as quickly as, well, their defence did at Parkhead.
They’ve lost hundreds of thousands having to hire out Hampden, waved goodbye to a £40million Champions League bonanza and watched as hopes of a mounting a credible title challenge to Celtic were made to look like pie in the sky by Brendan Rodgers’ rampant Hoops … and all within the first month of the season.
With the addition of chairman John Bennett’s enforced resignation on health grounds amid intolerable levels of strain, it’s no wonder the days have dragged in like a decade for Gers’ Belgian boss.
But the return to Ibrox at last offers a chink of blue sky through the dark clouds currently sitting over Govan. Speaking ahead of the Premier Sports Cup homecoming clash against Dundee, the relieved Rangers gaffer said: “To be honest, it's a buzz.