Clement retains a fierce reputation despite his shock Monaco struggles and is itching to set the record straight at Ibrox.
Clement retains a fierce reputation despite his shock Monaco struggles and is itching to set the record straight at Ibrox.
Clement retains a fierce reputation despite his shock Monaco struggles and is itching to set the record straight at Ibrox.
A defined style of play
Beale guaranteed he would take the handbrake off upon succeeding Gio van Bronckhorst but miffed punters felt the Englishman also removed the clutch and the steering wheel for much of his ill-fated 10 months in the top job. Clement’s side come with a guarantee of goals and chances created – it has been the MO of his career.
The Londoner’s downfall was due to a myriad of factors, but none were greater than his choice to go narrow with his summer rebuild set around central players rather than replacing the width which was a hallmark under both Steven Gerrard and Van Bronckhorst. There will be no such inner turmoil from Clement, he knows what he wants.
Clement has enjoyed success with multiple formations. The 4-4-2 was a favourite during his time in Belgium but he has shown a capacity to shapeshift during his time in Monaco with much of his success during a buoyant first 12 months in the Principality based on a system which included both a back four and five. There was also games where he plumped for a 4-3-3 while he also paired Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland as a front two.
But no set formation
Clement has enjoyed success with multiple formations. The 4-4-2 was a favourite during his time in Belgium but he has shown a capacity to shapeshift during his time in Monaco with much of his success during a buoyant first 12 months in the Principality based on a system which included both a back four and five. There was also games where he plumped for a 4-3-3 while he also paired Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland as a front two.
Leaving elite sides reeling
Clement has been commended for his clarity of message and his passionate nature but, perhaps, all he would need to convince the Rangers board is playing them his managerial masterclass which was Monaco’s 3-1 romp over PSG in March. It was the perfect performance with Clement’s tactics flummoxing rival Christophe Galtier.
Monaco had 19 shots to PSG’s seven and that only tells part of the story. Kylian Mbappe was absent but it was in every are of the pitch where Monaco dominated their free-spending rivals. And it wasn’t the first time – Clement’s side wiped the floor with the same opposition 12 months earlier. And while his Brugge side took some lickings in the Champions League, a 2-2 draw in the Bernabeu plus a pair of wins over Zenit were rightly savoured.
Creating unsolvable problems
That is the biggest takeaway from watching Clement’s sides both in Belgium and France. All out attack would be a stretch, however, this is a manager who loves multiple players squeezing the opposition back. Check this image from his final game in charge against Toulouse but there are countless other examples of multiple players advancing into attacking areas which result in goals. Van Bronckhorst – for all his success in the Europa League – often left Rangers fans miffed with a perceived inability to truly punish domestic opposition. Clement’s history hints that will unlikely to be a problem.
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