View: Rangers ace couldn't hide it, showed something is broken in the squad under Clement

John Souttar’s appearance in front of the media ahead of Rangers vs St. Johnstone will not have done anything to assuage fan fears that the season is heading for a write-off.

The Gers defender answered questions on 16 August and looked every bit a man going through the motions after the painful defeat to Dynamo Kyiv in midweek saw the club knocked out of the Champions League in qualifying.

That much is probably unsurprising. Players might not want to speak to journalists at the best of times, let alone when they have won one game in four to start the season and can see as well as anyone their squad is weaker than it finished the previous campaign.

Souttar did his duty and answered all his questions without revealing any particular insight on anything, but the mask seemed to slip during an awkward moment where he could barely bring himself to answer a pair of questions about the side being some way off top form.

Rangers face St. Johnstone at Hampden Park under pressure

After responding with full sentences to everything prior, albeit in an understandably glum manner, Souttar was asked if he agreed with his manager’s assessment that it would be October before the best of this squad was seen.

Souttar looked away, scratched his beard, waited, then replied with a resigned single word, “yeah”.

To the follow up question of whether it was therefore a concern that a lot of ground could be lost in that time he ignored it and replied: “Yeah, I agree with what the manager said”.

It is very easy to read too far into press conferences given by players who would really rather not be there.

Clement himself has been remarkably honest about the realities of the situation this summer, even if there may be an element of self-preservation to that from the Belgian.

But whether it is just Souttar’s feelings, or it spreads further into an underperforming and understrength Light Blues squad, the manner of his non-answers gave the impression he feels the exact opposite of what he said.

Todd Cantwell has asked to leave Ibrox, Ianis Hagi frozen out

Fans may already be feeling the season spiral out of control but with a Scotland international barely able to maintain the manager’s line through gritted teeth it won’t inspire confidence.

Souttar himself may have put in one of the strongest showings in the controversial European defeat but the side has already been filled with inconsistency and underperformance through four games.

With players in the B Team who could help in the absence of new signings perhaps it is little surprise that some behind the scenes at Ibrox don’t agree with how things are being run.

Todd Cantwell may have put himself in that position by asking to leave, but Ianis Hagi wants to stay [Sky Sports, 12 August] and has been frozen out all the same as the club avoids paying him £6,000-a-week in extra wages based on a clause in his contract [Daily Record, 13 August].

Even Alex Lowry might have something to offer after his own exploits for the reserves but Clement continues to plow ahead with Tow Lawrence, Scott Wright and company.

The Belgian made clear in his own press conference that there are players still at Ibrox who have been told they are not needed, so whether Souttar’s displeasure is towards them or decisions made by his manager it hardly looks like a united front.

There is no shortage of reasons for fans to be concerned about the situation at the club right now, and based on the defender’s reactions it looks like some of those feelings might be shared within the dressing room.

In other Rangers news, an exit-bound attacking ace has done something “simply ridiculous” this week.

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