Greedy Philippe Clement won’t want to hear it but Rangers beating Benfica could be worst thing to happen

The Mechanic is engineering a fight on four fronts as the Ibrox giants chase a title, Scottish Cup and European success to go with their League Cup.

There is a downside to being regarded as some sort of miracle worker.

Defy defined logic often enough and eventually the temptation to believe that water really can be walked on becomes almost irresistible. And that’s the highly precarious position which is about to confront Philippe Clement, if it hasn’t stared the Belgian down already. Having inherited the equivalent of five loaves and two fish from Michael Beale, Clement is now entering the final phase of an utterly astonishing turnaround campaign. But, over the course of the next couple of days, the Rangers manager may have reason to pause and wonder if beating Benfica on Thursday night might end up being more bother than it’s worth.

If that thought does occur then the chances are it will be quickly dismissed. Clement ‘The Mechanic’ is driven by a deep-rooted desire to win – perhaps at any cost – and it’s this steely mindset which has completely transformed the fortunes of a team which was going nowhere before he got his hands on the wheel.

And one which is now 90 minutes away from the quarter finals of the Europa League, into the last four of the Scottish Cup and sitting two points clear at the top of the Premiership pile. The man in charge could not possibly be blamed for getting greedy when there is so much still on the table. And, having already fed the 5,000, nor should he be. After all, what manager worth his salt would consciously set limitations on the scale of his own ambitions?

And yet, the longer and more remarkable his first season in Scottish football becomes, inevitably the heavier the toll it takes. One look at the queue outside the medical room at the club’s Auchenhowie HQ will remind Clement of exactly that.

He could also fret over the lessons from recent history which show that extended European campaigns are simply not compatible with domestic success on Scottish soil. When Celtic trailblazer their way to a UEFA Cup Final under Martin O’Neil in 2003, Rangers stayed at home and bagged themselves a Treble.

When Walter Smith matched that achievement in 2008, his side ran out of steam before the finishing line and fell over through sheer exhaustion in the last few yards of the championship race.

And when Giovanni van Bronckhorst made history by leading the Ibrox club all the way to Seville two years ago, it was Ange Postecoglou who came up trumps in terms of claiming the Scottish title.

Van Bronckhorst was so hamstrung by going the distance in Europe that he ended the competition with Joe Aribo filling in as a striker. And then lost his job six months later. Now it’s Clement who is left attempting to juggle plates as the injuries pile up inside his medical room.

Youngster Cole McKinnon is the latest in a line of reinforcements to be drafted into service as the body count continues to rise. The 21-year-old, who has spent loan spells at East Fife and Partick Thistle, found himself thrown into action at the Stadium of Light last Thursday, came off the bench again at Hibs on Sunday and may have a part to play again under the lights at Ibrox when the Portuguese big hitters roll into town for the second leg.

Like the rest of them, McKinnon is a willing conscript to Clement’s limitless philosophy. He said: “It shows the belief he has. It was 2-2 at Benfica when I got on and it we were only 1-0 up against Hibs in an edgy game. So it shows the belief he has in younger players.

“The manager has been great with everyone. As soon as he came into the building there was a change in mentality of the players and everyone is buying into what he is trying to do.

“I know myself, especially, I feel a lot better working under him and he is making me a better player in lots of different ways.

“So I have really enjoyed working with him and I am thankful that I am there training and thankful that he has obviously given me these opportunities. It is down to bad reasons - a couple of injuries - but you need to take your opportunities when they come and I am looking forward to Thursday.”

And yet one undeniable fact remains, in spite of all Clement’s best intentions. There are two very good reasons why Rangers will almost certainly not lift European silverware this season even if they do finish off the job they started against Benfica to make it into the last eight. Liverpool and Leverkusen.

But, for now, McKinnon and his team-mates have no wish to be woken from the dream their manager has started. He went on: “It was actually quite weird to be out there on the same pitch as some of those Benfica players the other night.

“I am used to watching these guys on the TV and now I am in amongst them! It is great. You can only take so much from it though, it is my job at the end of the day. You need to go in there and play, you can’t be too starstruck about it all. ButI loved it when I was in there, it was a great feeling.”

McKinnon signed his first professional contract at Ibrox on the same day as Ross McCausland, who has nailed down a place in Clement’s squad and was the only fit winger left standing in Lisbon last week.

Now it’s McKinnon’s turn to shoulder some of the weight. And he couldn’t be happier about it. He said: “That is football. Injuries happen and it is not nice when so many players are out at the same time. We are very unlucky with injuries this season but I need to step up now.

“It doesn’t matter where on the park it is, if I need to fill in in goals I will. That’s the type of player I am, I will play wherever I am needed. So hopefully I can keep on taking my chances if they come and just be humble about it. I am not getting too far ahead of myself.

“It is only the two appearances so I need to keep working hard in training every day and hopefully it will come. I am a Rangers fan and so if I wasn’t hungry for more there would be questions to be asked.”

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