Rangers manager Philippe Clement was in focused mood as he addressed a press conference following Scottish Premiership victory over St Johnstone.
The Belgian manager was talking after he guided Rangers to the summit of the Scottish top flight, the Gers now two points clear in the Scottish Premiership title race.
But far from get carried away, Philippe Clement looked to keep Rangers feet firmly on the ground with plenty of work still to be done between now and May.
Here’s every word from Clement’s post-match press conference at Ibrox:
What did you make of that performance today?
“That it was a really strong performance today, for sure in these circumstances. It’s not a surface where we can play our normal football, what we train everyday, what the lads have shown the last couple of weeks or months. So we had to adapt. But the team is ready for that now. We had a few practice games in that way, like Dumbarton, St Mirren, in really difficult circumstances and they understand now we need to play a different kind of football. In those moments, if you have that kind of surface, and we did in a really good way today with a dominant performance. There was never a doubt in the game. We didn’t even get one shot on target against, scoring three goals, could’ve been more. So yeah, it’s really pleasing. Also starting with XI players but all the guys who come in they give something extra to the team, they give the extra energy, they give the extra quality in that moment and you see the team growing. And extra points, new players coming in, getting more minutes, showing quality also. Dio was even Man of the Match today, Oscar was last time I think. So those are also really important things and you see they are settling in really fast because the dressing room is a really nice environment to come into. All the boys are helping the new guys to settle in really fast so that’s also a really pleasing thing.”
There was a lot of expectation on the team today, you must be pleased by the way they handle that, they don’t allow the external noise to affect them?
“We’re really busy with that because it’s of no use, we’re just focused on ourselves and we will continue in that way the next weeks and the next months. It’s the only way to be successful and the players understand really well.”
Is the challenge now for Rangers to stay at the top of the table?
“No we are not looking at that. Our challenge is to be every week better, every month better. Not every game better, that’s impossible, but we try to do that. To develop as individuals, as a team, to become better, to adapt to circumstances, to get experience together. My best time as a player was in a team where we played two years, three years together because you learn our of experiences, good ones, bad ones, you become better because you grow. And that’s what we are doing as a team to get experiences. Maybe if we wouldn’t have had the Dumbarton game in the cup it would’ve been more difficult today. So you learn out of every experience and the guys are really for the moment like a sponge getting all the information inside and doing the right things with it, what we ask, so that’s a good way. So this is what I want. This is what I’m going to be really tough on also. That I want to see an ambitious team who wants to become better and better and not looking at others, just at ourselves.”
James Tavernier reached 120 goals; it’s a remarkable return for a right-back
“It’s a crazy amount of goals. It’s really crazy for a full-back. I don’t know if there was ever a defender scoring more goals in Scotland or even in Europe. He has a lot of qualities doing that but not only with penalties because he scored also important other goals like in the League Cup Final. And he’s doing a really good defensive job with us. In the first place he’s a defender for me, not an attacking player, so he’s not busy with statistics to play for himself, he’s playing for the team like they all are doing.”
What impresses you about how Tavernier leads the team?
“I am happy with Tav. He was the first player I talked with. It’s also the normal way if you come into a building and you know the fire is going on. I wanted to see how to stop the fire as fast as possible so I wanted to have all the information. It’s normal you speak first with the captain about that and he was really open and honest about all things in the club, in the dressing room, about himself also. So that was a really important step. He feels good also with – there is a divided leadership in this dressing room – with several players who take responsibility but they have a really good connection together. So that’s important also. If you are all alone you can be alone in the desert but now he has a few lieutenants around him who help also and are also really influential so it’s important to have that as a group.”
Is this just the beginning for this team?
“Beginning is maybe exaggerated but for sure we can grow a lot. If I see how they are playing now these last weeks and four months ago we cannot speak about the beginning, because that was the beginning, but there is still a lot of room for progression. It’s clear, they all are growing also these last couple of months without exception so yeah we’re going to invest a lot with all staff in them and they invest also a lot in themselves and in the group because every day every body is super focused, hardworking. So I didn’t have any problem with that in this four months. That’s the first time in a team that I never had to smack somebody who was not focused any more or not motivated so no it’s a really important thing. But they all feel that they are in a special story and that it can be a really special story.”
What will the goal do for Mohamed Diomande and what’s his best position?
“I told you guys he can play in the three positions in midfield. We had a lot of talks with him about that. I want also to know players really well before they come inot the building. So I want players who are available for the team, who don’t only come to play their own game or their own position. Dio can play the three positions in midfield without a problem. It’s good for him of course to feel directly really good in the team but it’s because of all the people around him also. It’s about Connor and John speaking a lot, and Lunny speaking a lot with him, it’s about players in front of him who are available to receive the passes. It’s about the connection together and he adapted really fast because the other guys are helping him in that way.”
