By the time Glasgow Rangers had sacked Michael Beale at the start of October, they had already lost four times across just 14 matches, including three defeats in the Premiership and this wasn’t the form that was expected.

Philippe Clement was announced as the new manager just a couple of weeks later, and he has won five out of his first six matches and the feel good factor appears to be slowly returning to Ibrox.

Indeed, Clement has seen his side score 16 times in just six matches, while Beale’s side scored 23 goals, but it took them 14 matches to do it and the improvement going forward is astonishing.

The Belgian has also had to make do with a team inherited from Beale, which includes summer signings Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers.

The Nigerian international cost around £4.5m and was one of the top targets identified by the 43-year-old during the summer transfer window, yet he certainly hasn’t looked like a multimillion pound player since his arrival, scoring just five times in 21 matches while often looking lethargic and lacking a clinical nature.

Despite this woeful record, the signing of Lammers has arguably been worse, and it proves that Beale wasted vast sums of money on players who simply aren’t up to the required standard to succeed at the club.

Sam Lammers’ Rangers statistics

With Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Scott Arfield departing the Gers, while Antonio Colak and Fashion Sakala both being sold, Beale was under pressure to go through a summer rebuild at the club, with particular focus on the attacking department.

Lammers, who had scored just six goals since the start of the 2020/21 season, cost the Light Blues £3m from Serie A side Atalanta and while his goal record wasn’t exactly favourable, it looked as though the former QPR coach was going to deploy him in a deeper role to utilise his creative talents.

Lammers ended up scoring just once before Beale was sacked in October, along with grabbing an assist, and it's safe to say he hasn’t exactly lit up Ibrox since his arrival.

The forward currently ranks in a lowly 20th position for key passes made per game in the Premiership (0.5), while also ranking tenth for big chances created (one) and fourth for big chances missed (four), demonstrating his failure to make an impact among the current squad this season.

Beale, as it transpires, got a few things wrong in the months leading up to his eventual sacking, but loaning out Ianis Hagi will surely be seen as one of his biggest mistakes, especially with the Romanian scoring twice so far this term, the same number as Lammers, yet he has done it in 11 fewer matches.

Ianis Hagi joined Alaves on loan for the 2023/24 season

The 25-year-old joined the Light Blues on a permanent basis in the summer of 2020 following a successful loan spell, and he went on to play a key part in the club securing their first league title in a decade during the 2020/21 season.

Indeed, during that record-breaking season, Hagi ranked third across the squad for goals and assists in the league (18) while also ranking fifth for big chances created (five) and for key passes per game (one), demonstrating his positive influence on the team.

Things were looking rosy during the first half of the following term as he scored four times and grabbed four assists, yet a serious knee injury suffered against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup ruled him out for the rest of the season, thus missing the run to the Europa League final.

He made his return nearly a year to the day since he suffered the injury, but it appeared as though Beale didn’t see a space for him in his system, despite scoring against Hibs towards the end of the season.

With the signings of Lammers and Dessers, plus Tom Lawrence and Todd Cantwell in the squad, Hagi was loaned to La Liga side, Alaves, for the 2023/24 season, but it looks like a colossal blunder.

Ianis Hagi’s statistics this season for Alaves

Once dubbed as an “absolute dream to work with” by his former manager Steven Gerrard, the Romanian is using his temporary spell to gain some much-needed game time and build himself back into the creative talent he was before suffering the injury.

The 25-year-old currently ranks as Alaves’ second highest rated player with regard to overall Sofascore rating (7.03) in La Liga, along with ranking fourth for shots per game (1.9), second for big chances created (two) and first for key passes per game (1.6), indicating that he is returning to some sort of form in Spain.

0.4

1.6

0

2

0.5

1.9

0.8 (86%)

0.4 (75%)

1

0

These statistics are much better than the numbers Lammers has displayed during the current season, and it makes the decision to send Hagi out on loan even stranger.

Clement will be keeping an eye on the Romanian international with regard to utilising his talents for when he returns to the Ibrox side, and it could come at the expense of Lammers.

His form has even secured the attacking midfielder an international recall following his injury problems and he even scored and grabbed two assists against Andorra in the latest match for the national team.

Beale was obviously trying to build his own squad during the summer, shifting on players who he didn’t believe fitted into his tactical ethos or ideologies, yet the decision to send Hagi out on loan has proven to be a mistake.

His stats in La Liga are impressive and if he continues to gain regular game time, his match fitness will also improve, bringing him back to the level he was at pre-injury.

It was evident that the Gers were missing something linking the midfield to the attacking during the early part of the season and, although he may not have been 100% fit, Hagi could have been the creative talent which may have turned games in their favour.

Thankfully, it is just a temporary deal and the Glasgow side will be able to count on the services of Hagi next year, and he could thrive under the leadership of Clement, no doubt about it.