Graeme Souness lived by a Rangers rule on who players REALLY had to worry about and Ibrox hero reckons it's back

John Brown insists players make a judgement on managers in the inner sanctum of the dressing room every bit as quickly as supporters do in the stands. Luckily for the Rangers’ nine-in-a-row legend sussing out Graeme Souness and Walter Smith was about as easy as it comes considering the league title was delivered nine times in his near-decade at Ibrox.

Be it through their knowledge, the way they handled big names or simply by delivering results, every move made by the gaffer is scrutinised by those under his charge according to Brown. That’s why he loves what he’s seeing from his former club under Philippe Clement in the five months since he replaced Michael Beale. Rangers have now got the real deal according to Bomber who lifted eight titles, three Scottish Cups and three League Cups between 1988 and 1997.

He reckons Clement has the same aura as Souness and Smith. And he’s confident the Belgian is on the right track to getting the same results with the Treble still up for grabs. Rangers supporters might want their side to blow away Ross County by more than three goals tomorrow night to go top of the league for the first time this season. But Brown reckons there’s no danger of Clement, or more importantly his players, getting ahead of themselves in a title fight he reckons will go to the wire.

He said: “Can I tell you one thing that Graeme Souness once said to me. He said, ‘I pick the team. The only person you need to worry about is me, not the fans. You have got to keep me happy to stay in the team’. That is what Philippe is putting over to his players. They have to do as he is demanding or they will not be in the side. And every player is reacting to that. The team’s priority is to win the game.

“The manager will not be