What REALLY pleased Philippe Clement during Rangers rout of Ross County as 'perfect' Celtic preparation played down

Even a six-goal win couldn’t make Philippe Clement completely happy. But the thumping win over Ross County at Hampden did bring a smile to the Belgian’s face.

Not just because his main striker, Cyriel Dessers, bagged a double and led the line superbly for Gers. It wasn’t even down to Rabbi Matondo ’s dazzling display on the wing that yielded two goals and two assists for the Welshman. No, what pleased Clement most about this victory was that he saw little signs of how he wants his team to look when they eventually hit top gear.

It’s been such a stop-start - at times, shambolic - beginning to the campaign for Rangers. Dropped points on the opening day, a Champions League exit, being away from Ibrox - and a lack of activity in the transfer market - has left punters pulling their hair out. But the manager is convinced they’re on the right road.

Whether he’ll still feel that way after next Sunday’s first Old Firm derby of the season is another matter. Against the Staggies, he saw positives he hopes will be a hallmark of their play once he gets his new-look team settled. That probably won’t happen until after the transfer window shuts.

But he insists that - with a bit of patience - he’ll get them to where he wants them to be. After a 6-0 stroll against County, Clement said: “Was that the perfect performance before Celtic? No, not perfect.

“I think we should have scored 10 or 11 to have the perfect game today. There are still things we can do better but we’re working on that.

“Celtic will be a totally different game, a different opponent and a different playing style. So we’ll work hard now to be ready for that kind of game.

“The team is on the right track. We're only at the end of August now, so there's still a long way