When Philippe Clement took over at Rangers, our season was on the verge of total collapse.

Arguably had the Belgian been guilty of a single slip early on in the league the title race would’ve been done.

Beaten 3-1 by Aberdeen at home, Michael Beale was sacked late on the Sunday evening. The squad jetted off to Cyprus under temporary management in Steven Davis and lost to Cypriot side Aris by two goals to one. Perhaps the lowest ebb of the season, it was a dark moment between this team and the support.

Beale sold us a promise of attacking football which never arrived, a handbrake that was never released. Things simply didn’t work. Players stagnated, the football was poor and the summer window featured more misses than hits.

I wouldn’t say it was a complete mess when Clement arrived, but it wasn’t far away.

The Belgian arrived to little fanfare with most of the noise and focus on Kevin Muscat during the managerial hunt. As a support, we had become tired and uninspired by the start of the season and the football on show. There was an appetite for the type of football Muscat’s sides played.

Clement was instantly a figure who commanded respect. Polite and articulate, the Belgian laid out his project and made it clear only committed players would join him on the journey. After an opening 4-0 victory against Hibs, I asked Clement if he was satisfied with the performance. His answer? This didn’t even register as a good performance in his eyes.

Instantly you could tell that demands were set to increase.

With many players sincerely hampered by a lack of confidence or form, the manager began to slowly piece together a string of results. Things began to get better on the eye, even if some performances were patchy and at times bad habits resurfaced. Namely ‘shit lateral passes’ and deep crosses. Fast forward to the present day and both are starting to become more and more irregular.

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The late home win over Hearts early in Clement’s tenure was significant. The obituary for this squad and many individuals was all but written as the clock ticked down and a win for the visitors seemed likely. A hammering of Dundee was followed up quickly with a win in the Viaplay Cup semi-final over Hearts. In both games Rangers were dominant, asserting themselves upon the opposition. Slowly but surely confidence began to grow on the park and in the stands. A win over Sparta Prague was a big moment in the Europa League group but dropped points against Aberdeen and Aris provided bumps in the road.

In both games, Rangers created plenty but were unable to take their chances. A lack of quality on the pitch would reappear in the weeks to come.

Clement’s side then earned seven consecutive victories including wins at Tynecastle and Fir Park with the biggest moment coming in the city of Seville. Rangers would go to Betis staring at the Conference League and leave with three points and a Europa League last-16 spot secured. Betis were unbeaten at home all season. A certain Real Madrid were forced to leave with a point just days before.

It was a marvellous night which heralded a new spirit, determination and belief under Clement. ‘Big Phil’s treble-chasing Rangers’ was thrown around affectionately in hope as much as expectation afterwards but fans were starting to trust this team again.

Days later, Rangers would collect their first silverware in 18 months and first League Cup in 12 years with a 1-0 victory over Aberdeen at Hampden. It was a gritty performance and game this squad may not have won in previous years. James Tavernier, who else, was the man to pop up with a winner.

Clement’s unbeaten run did come to a shuddering stop at Parkhead just before the new year. A 2-1 defeat was disappointing and it was a lack of quality that proved costly. Celtic scored from two fantastic strikes while Rangers couldn’t pull the trigger on too many occasions.

That was the difference between two teams who were, unpopular or not, close in performance but divided by quality at the top of the park. In layman's terms, one team took their chances whilst the other could not.

While a frustrating result, as Rangers fans we can see the direction Clement is taking us in. There’s a cautious optimism we’re on the right track.

Before signing off for the winter break Rangers bounced back with a win over Kilmarnock. It was a solid performance against tricky opposition.

Throughout this run, there has been a crippling amount of injuries and limited time to work on the training pitch. For Clement to achieve what he has done on the pitch with that in mind is mightly impressive.

If you had offered any of the support when Clement arrived a place at the top of the Europa League group, League Cup trophy and place back in the title race, they'd have taken it.

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Now over January, alongside Nils Koppen, the challenge for the manager is to add quality which gets Rangers over the line in the moments that matter.

There is a belief that Clement just might have the quality and leadership we have been searching for since Steven Gerrard delivered 55. Now he must lead Rangers to that next level - something which can only be achieved by bringing quality to the club during this window.

Achieving success this season appeared unthinkable when Clement walked through the doors just eleven weeks ago. He deserves all the credit for changing expectations. 

I’ve seen enough to say the following.

In Clement we trust.