Rangers manager Philippe Clement has praised his side after they closed the gap at top of the Scottish Premiership to a single goal with a win over Ross County.
Whilst the Ibrox manager’s team failed to score the necessary final goal which would’ve sent them to the top of the Scottish top flight table, a 10-point gap between the Old Firm from Steven Davis’ interim reign has been officially bridged.
In a show of utter domination, Rangers had a quite remarkable 43 shots in the match, 23 on target, but the team couldn’t muster better than a 3-1 victory over the Staggies at Ibrox.
Here’s everything Philippe Clement had to say in a post-match press conference as Rangers got the victory over Ross County.
Philippe Clement post-match press conference – Rangers v Ross County
Philippe, how did you see that one tonight?
“I think for sure in my period but I think all season it’s our game with most shots on target. What stays the most important in football; 23 they told me. I see a team growing week-by-week, month-by-month. Of course, you cannot become better game-after-game there is always something that can happen, you’re opponents are also different. But we had wave after wave of attacks, good possession play, good runs together, good tempo, good shot, but we had a goalkeeper also on the other side maybe had the evening of his life and a few times luck also on his side. So it could’ve been much more today but of course as a manager you need to be happy, although I’m not so fast happy, with the 3-1 victory because I cannot ask more of my players than what they are doing now. I think every supporter who was in the stadium today and was there four months ago, they would say ‘what a difference’ for all the players on the pitch. So this is the thing we need to do now and the next couple of months, to continue doing what we’ve been doing and then we’re going to take a lot of points. But it’s about doing the hard work everyday.
Can you quite believe it was only three goals not just given the number of chances but the quality of chances you created tonight as well?
“Yeah but I think our finishing was also not that bad if you get 23 shots on goal, but it’s about centimetres. We can do better in that way, we can still raise our level in that way to be more precise but those are the next steps to take. I think the team already took a lot of steps, that’s extra focus, focus that’s been there already the last few weeks or months because it stays an important part of football. But you cannot ask much more of the players, where they are now, in the period we’ve been working together.”
I know you said you won’t look at the league table after this game…
“Everybody tells me so I know, that’s a little bit of a pity.”
How keen where you for the team to get that next goal?
“Yeah but it’s more about you feel the momentum, you make wave after wave attacks, you play good football, you create the chances, you feel its the moment still to go to score the extra goal. And that’s nothing to do with the ranking it’s something that I want in every game. There can be also games where at that moment you need to control the game and stop the game. It depends also how the game is, how the opponent is, what they are doing, so it’s about doing the right things at the right moment.”
There seemed to be some anxiety around the stadium tonight, the fans seemed a bit nervous with the situation in the league…
“I think they are really happy with the situation in the league.”
Sometimes they need to show a wee bit more patience?
“Yes that’s true but I talked about that with the team before the game. That’s normal, that’s being a fan. Maybe we need to talk about that more also with the fans. It doesn’t help but our players need to be strong in that to just keep focused on ourselves and not to become anxious. I didn’t have the feeling also on the pitch that it happened today but that’s the danger indeed. If you start to live the life of fans on the field then you will not reach your goals so we need to step out of that. I am really proud the way the players did that today because they never became nervous they only showed hunger and ambition for more and more and more.”
Do you think the team is in a strong position to go for the title?
“It depends on how many points other teams take. I am with only one thing busy and that’s taking as much points as possible. And if we’re doing what we’ve been doing the last four months, all the rest they need to compete really hard to be there also, and that’s what we’re going to do. I’m here – and I said it from the beginning – I am somebody who wants to win prizes. We have already one, that’s a good thing, and we are ambitious for more and all this dressing room is ambitious for more. But at the end the only thing you can control is yourself and the points you take so we need to keep focused on that, that’s the only thing that’s important. Not only in one competition but in three and we are the only team in Scotland who is in three competitions, so that’s also interesting to do that in a really good way.”
What did you make of Cyriel Dessers’ contribution?
“I think a positive for Cyriel but I cannot say for one player that it’s not a positive night. You know me already, for me it’s really difficult to take out individuals after a game because I’ve seen a a lot, a lot of quality on the pitch today. Jack (Butland) is the only one who could not score today of my team, all the rest created chances. I’ve said it from the beginning, a striker is for me much more than only scoring goals. They need to do also a lot of other things for the team because like this the team becomes better. Cyriel is doing those things, Fabio (Silva) is doing those things and then the goals will follow, because they will come in the positions, but all the rest of the team also. I don’t care if it’s the striker who scores goals, or a midfielder or the defender.”
After six wins on the bounce, do you feel a sense of momentum?
“I feel a lot already before the winter break momentum. I got the question a few minutes ago, ‘is there now belief in the team?’. There’s already a long-time belief in the team otherwise you cannot win all those games in a row, otherwise you cannot play the game like today they played. So no, there’s a lot of belief, there’s a lot of confidence, there’s a lot of hunger and desire, and the most important thing is there’s a lot of collectivity. Because you see we didn’t play with the same XI as a few days ago but you don’t see a difference in what we are doing, you don’t see a difference when players are coming in, everybody is doing their job for the team and that’s the way we need to do it until the end of the season. That’s a really crucial one for me. They all feel part of the story, they all had already their importance, all the team, all the squad this season and we need to continue in that way.”
James Tavernier got three assists tonight, another big contribution from the captain?
“Of course, and he could’ve scored also today with his quality. Tav is very important like Ridvan was for me also really good today, and Borna is also pushing that way. Dujon was suspended for today. It’s interesting the next couple of weeks. It’s good I don’t have too much hair anymore because otherwise I could be in danger to look in a different way in a couple of weeks with all the things I need to think about. So the team is putting pressure on me and I like that.”
