The actions will always speak louder than the words for Vaclav Cerny. A conversation with Philippe Clement acted as the inspiration for Cerny to let his football do the talking for Rangers.

Cerny found himself at the centre of a storm on Thursday evening following the Europa League defeat to Lyon. The winger was not, of course, solely responsible for the result or the overall performance but his early miss was seen as defining by many as Clement’s side saw their profligacy cost them dear against visitors who were classy and clinical in the final third.

Clement referenced the chance for Cerny – as he scooped the ball over an empty net from just yards out – post-match at Ibrox as he lamented the margins that went against his side in a 4-1 loss. The Belgian will never know if the outcome would have been different had Cerny scored but the importance of that moment was not lost on Clement or the support as they came to terms with a bruising defeat on matchday two.

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There were calls for Cerny to drop out of the side for the visit of St Johnstone on Sunday. Clement, though, had other ideas. He stuck by the Czech and saw his faith repaid as goals in either half secured a crucial Premiership victory.

Clement revealed afterwards that Cerny was ‘really down’ in the aftermath of the Lyon defeat and that he had held a heart-to-heart with his summer recruit. He was, he insisted, pleased on a personal level as well as a professional one to see Cerny respond in the right manner. Whatever questions others had of Cerny, the manager was not going to start doubting him at that moment.

"Yeah we had a long talk and he helped me a lot, I'm not going to deny that,” Cerny said. "For me, it's all about giving this trust he has in me back, but also back to the guys, because in the past weeks I've missed big chances.

“I still try to play my best game I can to give it to the team, but obviously I'm here to be decisive, assist goals and I know that, and it's been tough for me, but I think this is the best answer possible. So, appreciation from my side, for the trust and everything from the gaffer, and let's go from here."

Events on Sunday could be something of a fresh start for Cerny. He may only be a few weeks into his Ibrox career, but it felt like a potential turning point for the former Ajax and FC Twente forward. He is now well into his settling in period.

Cerny made an immediate impression this term as he registered assists against Dynamo Kyiv and Ross County and scored a terrific goal in the win over Motherwell. Recent times have been testing, though, and his efforts against the Saints – the first a lovely curled effort from distance and the second a low finish across keeper Ross Sinclair – were the match-winning interventions in a largely laboured performance from Clement’s side.

Rangers remain very much a work in progress this season and Clement has repeatedly stressed the need for patience and time. That is easier said than done at Ibrox, however. Cerny knows the levels that must be attained regardless of whatever circumstances players are going through.

"I mean, it's tough, but in the end, I don't care if anybody understands or not, it's part of the game,” Cerny said. “And it's your choice to join the club, and it's your job to be ready as soon as possible.

"I wasn't struggling in the beginning, obviously, and so that's on me, all of that. But in the end, you get a family, you need to settle in.

"It's not only you playing football, that's not important now, but in the end, it's about how you react to things, and I think today was a good reaction, and I want to build on this."

The fall-out from Thursday night impacted Cerny on and off the pitch. He had reacted to the support during the win over Hibernian a few days earlier and is now fully aware of the difficulties and demands of playing at Ibrox, especially at a time when supporters are as on edge about the direction of Rangers in the boardroom and the dressing room.

The 26-year-old deleted his Instagram account after being targeted by fans in recent days. He took the acclaim from the crowd on Sunday. Ultimately, it is what he contributes rather than what he posts that will define his standing amongst the support.

"As I said, it's been tough for someone like me, who is always willing to give my all, and sometimes I show it too much, as we all saw,” Cerny said when asked about his decision to leave social media. "But that's just me, because I want to do as best as I can every single time, and once you guys get to know me a bit better, you will see that. This was my bad reaction, it's alright, it's in the past, but it's because I want to help as much as I can.

"In the end, for me, it was today more like a mental thing, to get through it. Obviously, those big chances, I woke up in the night like, 'oh, I shouldn't miss those.'

"So it helps for a striker, for a winger, to make those two goals after such a tough period. So I'm very glad I could do that.”

Three goals and two assists from a dozen appearances represents – in purely black and white terms - a solid start to the season for Cerny following his loan switch from Wolfsburg. The eye test is always more telling, however, and supporters expect more from a forward that arrived at Ibrox with a sound pedigree to attempt to solve a long-standing issue on the right flank.

Cerny has Nations League fixtures with Albania and Ukraine to focus on during the international break. When he returns to Glasgow, Rangers will enter a crucial run of matches at home and abroad as Clement’s side look to finally build some momentum this term.

The Ibrox boss needs Cerny to play an integral part in that process. He has shown what he is capable of in moments this term. Now the impact must become more sustained as Cerny looks to contribute over a prolonged period.

“From my side, I have no message for the supporters,” Cerny said. "They have all the rights, but from my point of view, to support. I think I will speak for everyone, we all want to give our best every single time, and I think sometimes we don't realise it. It's our job to do the football part, but believe me, we all want to give our all every single time.

"Three goals now, but it could have been six already. I'm just showing you how I'm thinking, so I always demand the best from me, and those two chances I've missed were big ones, and I know that, but it's in the past, so it's three now, and let's go on."