Rangers face Dynamo Kyiv tomorrow night under only one pressure - financial.

Talking to Rangers fans, the idea of a lengthy run in Europe is almost seen as a sporting irrelevance. They've had success in the Europa League for years, culminating in the run to Seville and they've returned to the Champions League promised land under Gio Van Bronckhorst. A new generation have seen Rangers as a largely successful mid-tier European outfit.

What they've not had the chance to enjoy is any prolonged domestic dominance - the thing coveted most. Even a 55th title was won behind closed doors during Covid lockdowns.

Of course, it's all fine and well for fans to think Europe is a secondary priority, but within the corridors of power at Ibrox, the accountants will be reminding everyone of the importance of a strong continental showing. For just getting past Kyiv, Rangers will guarantee themselves a €4.3m UEFA parachute payout - even if Twente or Red Bull Salzburg in the next round offer too much of a challenge to get past. That's still a major cash injection that will be heavily coveted. With a complete rebuild only just started, some extra lucre in the transfer kitty wouldn't go amiss for Philippe Clement, that much is certain.

The Ukrainians look formidable if their 9-2 destruction of Partisan Belgrade is any indicator. Just getting through this tie would be a solid achievement for the Belgian and allow him to concentrate on the domestic scene with the money banked. In a normal year, Salzburg and Twente would look winnable in the next round but less so with so much still to do on the team-building front.

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The 0-0 draw with Hearts at the weekend only served to highlight that long-term issues from the last three managers still remain unsolved and it will take time to clear the decks of unwanted players that are clearly not good enough. The likes of Cyriel Dessers is simply not up to being regular Rangers starter while Scott Wright and Ben Davies don't meet quality levels often enough to retain a rotation spot.

The squad has a strange mix of different eras and the manager is still forced to rely on guys like these he knows won't likely be around come September. Thus while it seems certain business will be done to ensure Rangers have a better future, the present looks stormy indeed.

Celtic pulverised Kilmarnock in their opening game and looked a settled side that's gone up a gear. It's hard to imagine anything but a bruising afternoon at Parkhead in the fourth game of the season.

Regardless of what happens, Rangers, from the board room to the stands must stand firm and back the manager. He's a proven winner who's won titles with two other teams in a better league. The instability that's blighted the club must be stopped and Clement given the multiple transfer windows any manager would need to try and put this mess right.

How Europe fits into that will be defined by what happens in Kyiv, but make no mistake, beyond the financial imperatives, the entire adventure will be an irrelevance in the narrative around the manager. His name will stand or fall on how his side fares in domestic competition and after the Champions League qualifiers end, he should prioritise accordingly.