Philippe Clement's tendency to be straight-talking will earn him time and trust at Rangers.
That's the opinion of former Ibrox midfielder Kevin Thomson.
The 39-year-old has been impressed with the start made by the Belgian in Glasgow. In particular, he has enjoyed his handling of the media and how he portrays himself on camera.
It's something that will stand him in good stead moving forward, insisting there is no 'merry dance' about his attitude when publically speaking.
He told Safebettingsites.com: "I like the early signs for Clement, I like his interviews, I like how direct he is, how relatable he is, how he speaks and how he presents himself. I don’t feel like he takes you on a wee merry dance when speaking to the press.
“You feel as though you get an honest, straight-to-the-point answer off of him without trying to pull the wool over your eyes, which I think has happened in the past.
“I think people were starting to see through that in the past, and even more so when the results weren’t coming.
“Listen I still think Celtic are going to be a tough nut to crack, but the fact that there’s still three Old Firms to play and Rangers are only eight points behind gives them a chance.
“Bearing in mind Rangers have already sacked their manager, and they’re only eight points behind.”
However, the former Kelty Hearts manager says success in the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen on December 17 at Hampden is absolutely vital.
He added: “They need to win the cup, which would set them up well, but there are other games within that period, and they need to win every one.
“I think the good thing that the new manager’s got in his favour is he has earned a bit of slack.
“It’s obviously Michael’s team. There was a big rebuild and they signed lots of players in the summer.
“I know things can turn quickly against managers, even when you’ve inherited someone else’s team but I think he’s started well enough and the fans have related to him quickly and given him a wee bit of credit in the bank.
“If they win the cup final, and I’m not saying they’re going to go and beat Celtic in the league, but I think it’ll give him a wee bit more time.
“He could have come in and not got the results, and he’d already be feeling under pressure within a few weeks because the team’s not performing.
“But that hasn’t been the case, and I also think he’s bought himself a wee bit of time by the way he’s carried himself.
“I think time will tell; if you come second you’re a failure; that’s just the way it is."
