Philippe Clement: Takeover talk hasn't made me consider impact on my position as Rangers manager

Rangers boss Philippe Clement insists he hasn’t thought about the implications for his own position if there is regime change at Ibrox.

An American consortium headed by the president of the San Francisco 49ers investment arm is currently in advanced talks to purchase a significant stake in Rangers. That would lead to influence in the boardroom and potentially a full takeover.

Inevitably, the news has led to speculation about how any potential deal would lead to changes for the first team squad and management but Clement claims he hasn’t given the issue any thought as he prepares his side to face St Mirren.

“No, I’m busy now with the group of players, the next game, all of that,” the Rangers boss said. “Those are the things I’m in control of. Because you don’t have everything under control.

“It’s about the everyday job, going full for that and getting the best out of the players that are available at that moment.

“It’s clear that I’m focused on the sporting side and busy with the now.”

Clement’s future as Rangers manager was in the spotlight following the team’s shock Scottish Cup defeat to Queen’s Park. Though they returned to winning ways against Hearts in the Premiership last weekend, a midweek interview on Rangers TV with club chief executive Patrick Stewart discussed Clement’s future.

In response to a question in the in-house interview about Clement, Stewart said that he had weighed up the damage of the cup defeat with European progress and how a change of manager might derail that.

Clement responded on Friday by taking the positives from the chief executive’s words.

“It tells me it’s clear that we have had a good series in Europe,” he said. “We want to be closer in the league and in the cup we didn’t perform the way we wanted to perform.

“That’s clear for me but they also see the good work that’s been done. In Europe but also in developing players and making them better.

“Younger players who came in, players who are making steps in their career, that’s also part of the story and one that’s very important.

“But in the end it’s always about the result altogether and putting all of the pieces together.”

Ahead of his pre-match media conference, Clement and his players had learned that they will face Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side in the last 16 of the Europa League.

The Rangers boss said that he respected Mourinho’s achievements in the game but revealed that he was not a fan of the Portuguese manager’s style of play.

“It’s not a personal thing, like I always said, it’s about the club,” he said. “It’s about the players.

“So I’m not so busy with which manager I managed against in one moment in time.

“I think you guys (media) will love that. He’s going to give you a lot of material.

“He is somebody who has won so many trophies. There are different managers with different styles. He won a lot of trophies in a certain style.

“I like even more managers with another style, but the respect is there.

“It’s about winning at the end, and he did that at several places with several teams, and winning the biggest trophies that you can win in the world.

“He is somebody who’s more in defensive and reacting out of that style.

“Personally, I prefer more the managers who go full in their attacking force and playing out of that, but incredible respect in the way he did it. That’s just a personal preference.

“It’s an exciting two games, that everybody is looking forward to.”