“No Question”: Michael Stewart makes a devastating assertion about the Rangers following Clement’s transfer.

Rangers don’t look like they had a plan in the transfer window and have managed to weaken the side from last term, according to Michael Stewart.

The pundit told Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club on 2 September there was “no question” the squad is now worse than the one that fell short last season after a “lack of strategy” in the market this summer.

Celtic blew the Light Blues away 3-0 at Parkhead over the weekend to expose Philippe Clement’s half-finished transfer business after a financially frustrating window.

Stewart said (14m 10s): “There’s no question that Rangers are a weaker squad then they were last season but I go back to the point that there does certainly feel like there’s a lack of strategy in terms of where do they need to strengthen.

“It just seems a little bit ad-hoc and scattergun.”

Rangers lose to Celtic again after Philippe Clement transfer window

Clement may be due some criticism for how he prepared his side for the trip across Glasgow at the weekend, and comments after the game that suggested he didn’t appreciate the significance of the defeat.

But having been stuck having to sell to buy throughout the summer while the club strained to offload Michael Beale purchases there is plenty the Belgian is not responsible for.

What looks like a perfect storm at Ibrox has seemingly undone all the good work Clement had produced in his early months in Scotland.

It was widely accepted that the squad wasn’t good enough after the title race was conceded last term, and the incoming summer haul is a work in progress at best.

Connor Barron has impressed so far but was overwhelmed at Celtic, while Vaclav Cerny’s early flashes have quickly dried up and Robin Propper is already looking just as calamitous and injury-prone as every other centre-back in recent seasons

The Deadline Day captures of Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Nedim Bajrami may prove to be good ones, and Hamza Igamane finally showed some positive signs in his first minutes at Parkhead.

But it is far from obvious that what has come in is of a higher quality than what has left, and this season is already looking like a slog unless something drastic changes quickly.

As the Rangers move a mega-money contract from Ibrox wage bill, Rabbi Matondo will depart

Derek Ferguson believes that Rabbi Matondo’s move to Blackburn before the transfer window closes is the right one given his enormous salary at Rangers.

To the surprise of host Si Ferry, the former Gers midfielder revealed on Open Goal (August 22) that the quick wide player is paid £34,000 a week at Ibrox.

He has been heavily linked to a move to Ewood Park despite his impressive performance in the 6-0 victory over Ross County on August 24 [Daily Mail, 22 August].

Ferguson thinks it would make sense to approve an exit for the money he is on so Philippe Clement can make some of his own signings prior to the transfer deadline.

“The other thing is in terms of the wages because you hear the rumours up here about what he’s on,” he exclusively told Ibrox News.

And he seems to be on a hell of a lot of money for the Scottish Premiership.

“I believe the manager would prefer to have him removed from the team because he needs new players.”

“The manager has had a good year to look at Rabbi; he’s been there for a good while.” He might not be his type.

“I’m sure he leaves with the best wishes of the fans,”

Rabbi Matondo will stay, according to Rangers manager Philippe Clement, barring a sizable offer.

Rangers winger is what Blackburn Rovers manager wants at Ewood Park.

Even before he scored two goals at the weekend, Blackburn manager John Eustance announced his team’s interest in the 23-year-old [Lancashire Telegraph, August 22].

Raising the stakes on a late departure, Clement said after the game that Matondo would stay unless a club were to “come with enough money” [Sky Sports, 24 August].

The Welsh international’s wage would probably be justified if he consistently produced results similar to his most recent one.

It may not be a contract the Gers can afford to carry, though, after two years of patchy form and fitness and only moments of brilliance [Scottish Sun, 23 August], especially in light of rumours he might be used as a makeweight to bring in Blackburn captain Lewis Travis.