Philippe Clement has admitted the circumstances around his big Rangers rebuild has changed significantly since he took the role last Autumn.
Clement has been busy in the transfer market this summer, securing the signings of five new players for his squad.
However, the manager acknowledges that more reinforcements are required if his team is to mount a serious challenge for the Scottish Premiership title and secure a coveted spot in the Champions League next season.
The club's ability to bring in additional talent is contingent on their success in raising funds through player sales.
Clement is aware that the current squad requires further strengthening to meet the team's lofty ambitions, and he is working closely with the club's hierarchy to identify suitable targets and facilitate the necessary transactions.
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“That’s the reality,” he confessed when asked about any more incomings.
“That’s the reality that the board told me a few months ago. I know this, the recruitment team knows this also.
“This is the reality of the club. I had other expectations when I came in in October, I have to say. But I know the reality now. I am very motivated to build the club and help in that.”
Manager Clement has made a concerted effort to inject young talent into his squad this transfer window. The additions of 20-year-olds Jefte and Clinton Nsiala, as well as 21-year-olds Connor Barron and Hamza Igamane, have significantly lowered the average age of the team.
The lone experienced recruit so far is 28-year-old Liam Kelly, who is expected to provide depth and support to first-choice goalkeeper Jack Butland. However, Clement acknowledges the need to also bring in more established players to fill key roles in the starting lineup.
The manager believes that striking a balance between youthful exuberance and veteran leadership will pay dividends for the team in the long run, as they look to build a squad capable of challenging successfully on all fronts.
The pressure is on Clement to get the right mix of players to take the team forward this season.
“It’s focusing not only on the short term but also on the long term,” the Belgian admitted following Saturday’s friendly match in the Netherlands.
“If I only looked at the short term I would only bring in experienced players who can do the job directly.
“Mistakes like that have been made too much in the past and at the end you don’t reach your goals.
“You need a different philosophy and that’s what we are all working towards. This is a massive rebuilding job, it is true.
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“Maybe some people would run away from that but, having been seven months in Glasgow, in this city, in the stadium, in the club, I have to say this club already took a big part of my heart in that way.
“I am really confident that we can work in stability the next months, the next years, that we can make a lot of things better in the club.
“We have been busy with that also. We have been changing staff in the medical department, in the performance department.
“It is all over the club that everybody is working really hard to make things better. At the end, it will benefit the cause of growing as a club.”
