Rangers now 'Supremely Hopeful' amid Bennett Ibrox update, Clement 'Taken Aback' - Journalist

Rangers are “supremely hopeful” of being back at Ibrox by the early weeks of September, according to Andy Devlin.

The journalist told colleague Roger Hannah for the Scottish Sun’s YouTube channel on 12 July that the club “expect” to be back from Hampden Park well before October although he would not go as far as to say they were “confident” as a “minimum of five games” away are on the cards.

Chairman John Bennett released a statement on 11 July indicating that a deal was near to play at the national stadium with Ibrox out of action due to building work delays on the Copland Road stand but could not confirm for how long.

Devlin added that Philippe Clement had been caught unawares by the mess, saying: “There was absolutely no doubt that the news was a surprise to him, I think he was taken aback by the situation and where Rangers find themselves.”

Rangers to play home games at Hampden Park to begin new season

Given the potential for the stadium disruption to have a hugely-damaging effect on a squad already filled with uncertainty during a stuttering overhaul it goes without saying the sooner the Gers are back at Ibrox the better.

Clement is bound to have been furious when he learned of the complication as he is already under pressure to get his first full season at the club off to a fast start.

The Belgian is already attempting to bring together a side that has seen a host of senior players leave, with more expected to be sold, while signing a group of relatively-inexperienced new arrivals so far.

And after opportunities to win both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup were both thrown away to Celtic last term he has a reduced margin for error now if he wants to avoid following in Michael Beale’s footsteps and losing his job soon after a transfer overhaul.

Hugh Keevins claimed in the Daily Record (25 March) that a Clement exit to the Premier League could be hasted by the “eccentricities” of Scottish football after the controversy over the Dundee clash at Dens Park.

That may have been an extreme verdict at the time but if there was any truth to it at all the situation will not have been improved in any way by a similar debacle at Ibrox.

In other Rangers news, the Light Blues are now in the hunt to make an “unbelievable” new signing.

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