Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been addressing a press conference ahead of the clash with Aberdeen.
The Ibrox gaffer was just named the Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month for January with his team capable of topping the league with a victory over the Dons.
Given Aberdeen have also just appointed Neil Warnock, there was plenty to talk about heading into the clash at Ibrox.
Here’s everything Philippe Clement had to say at his latest press conference as Rangers look to keep up their fine form under the Belgian.
Philippe Clement press conference Rangers v Aberdeen
Philippe, Manager of the Month for January, are you happy with that award?
“For me it’s a collective award, those things. It’s good for the staff because of all the good job that they did. For the players also, because they worked really hard to get good results. So I see it in that way. It’s not an individual prize, it’s more a collective prize. So it means that the team is on the right way, and that’s the most important.”
It’s a case of Rangers continuing that into February which is another big and busy month…
“Yeah of course and we are happy about that eh? We want to stay as long as possible in the three competitions. We know we are the only team doing that next couple of months. But I think it’s a positive thing; a lot of challenges, good games, give chances to the squad to prove themselves in every sense against a lot of opponents. Give more chance to more players to play also, so that’s a positive thing.”
Always a big game when Rangers take on Aberdeen. How do you assess that challenge especially with a new manager in charge at Aberdeen as well?
“I’ve seen it, it’s living a lot of life on the other side. In Aberdeen, against Rangers apparently it’s really something special. So I know that, I have the experience now with two games already and I saw the third game also at the beginning of the season. So it’s going to be a good battle. It’s for me, it’s one of the, yeah, I need to say three, four best teams in the league for me, in quality of squad. So I am a bit surprised the position they have in the league but there are a few reasons for that in my mind but I don’t want to speak about that I want to speak about Rangers. So it’s a team with a lot of quality and we know we need to be at our best to take the three points and that’s everything time they go.”
Neil Warnock has a lot of experience in football. Is he someone that you’ve either ever come across before or someone that you’ve been aware of from a distance?
“No I know him of course. He has a long history in football. But I haven’t been so much at the island here in the past with other teams so we never met. But it’s somebody with a lot of experience. I don’t think it will change a lot. I don’t think Aberdeen will suddenly in a totally different style, I think the style that they were playing, it’s also more the style that he wants to see. So I don’t see big changes and whatever happens we are ready for that. That’s the good thing, the last couple of months we met a lot of different playing styles and the team knows better and better how to react towards a certain style.”
The club do have the chance to go joint on points with Celtic tomorrow, potentially top of the league when it comes to goal difference. Does that enter you’re thinking at all going into a game like this?
“Totally not. No. Zero. No, totally not. We have the same mindset and I see the players also. Nobody in the building is talking about that. We’re just busy with our own game. Having respect for our opponents knowing their qualities, trying to use their weaknesses, and taking the points and playing good football and entertaining our fans. And keeping this really strong team mentality that is in the dressing room now. That whoever is playing they are doing the job and the rest are really hungry to come off the bench and finish off the job. So no, we continue with that, that’s the only thing we’re busy with.”
That mindset Philippe, is that something you’ve had to stress to the squad or is it they always had that, of course the guys who’ve won titles in this squad before?
“I don’t know if it was there and I don’t care to be honest. No I know what’s the way to win trophies. I’ve been there enough times as a player, as a manager, what the season is. And there’s only one way and that’s to focus on yourself and to do it game by game. People who start to plan too much from before or look too much ahead they fail because they lose their focus. Of course I need to plan things. That’s my job to do, I need to plan long-term also. Like for example I can tell you guys already Ryan Jack will not be in the selection tomorrow because he comes out of injury, he has also a history of injuries and it’s only a short recovery time in between the two games. So I will not take risk with him now and we will build him with our medical staff, with our performance staff the next weeks, the next months, to make him more robust, that he can come out of this cycle of injuries that he had. So that’s planning long-term but towards results, it’s short term, it’s every time, every game, confirming and going for the three points.”
How is Leon Balogun?
“Leon, I don’t know yet. He’s this afternoon with the surgeon to speak about the surgery, what is necessary with the specialist to see if he needs surgery or not, and then we will know better. So he will aso not be selectable tomorrow.”
Anyone else changing from the squad at the weekend?
“No those two guys out and the four other players they are not ready yet to come in. So Ben Davies is close. He trained already a bit with the team but he’s not ready yet to be in the selection. And Kemar Roofe is getting also better and better but he’s not training with the group yet and the two others is more long-term.
With the surgeries for Balogun, is that jaw? Is it head or jaw? What kind of surgery does he need?
“No he’s with a specialist today, so he will decide what is the surgery. I am not a doctor or specialist.”
You said you’re not talking about being top of the league but it must be satisfying that if you did it make it to the top of the league it’s a sign of the progress you’ve wanted to make, or maybe even psychology?
”Whatever happens tomorrow the progress is there. So it doesn’t depend on one result. Everybody sees the progress that this team has made the last couple of months. So it’s not about one result or one week, or even one week with two games, no it’s about continuing what the team is doing. Everybody clearly sees from outside already the progress, we see from inside much more before we see them everyday in every sense. We need to integrate also the new players. You see with Fabio (Silva) also it takes a little bit of time but it becomes better and better and that’s normal. For offensive players it’s more difficult than for defensive players also. So to get a connection, to understand who’s playing in what way, who’s running where, what to do, to move together. And we’re going to do that work with Oscar (Cortes) and (Mohamed) Diomande also the next weeks and months and that will make us stronger again and with the rest of the team to make them more fit, to get more automatism in the team and like this to grow so the progression is there, no matter what happens tomorrow.”
I imagine you’re very pleased with, but are you surprised by how quickly things have…
“I never have expectation in an amount of time towards that because it’s not in my hands. I am the one here to guide things, to show the road but how fast people respond to that, how fast people understand everything, how fast people do the job and really understand everything that you can never know with a squad or with a new player. But I know that if you work in a good way long-term that it will come, that’s been clear in the past so no you never know how fast it goes. I told you guys and I told the team also until now for me, and I’m not so long a manager also, but until now this is the team who made the steps in the fastest way, until now.”
Oscar (Cortes) got his first taste of Ibrox and playing for Rangers, how has he reacted to that and how much is he looking forward to continuing that?
“Good. He was excited. He loved the stadium, the fans, the bus around the field, but he’s somebody with a certain cool. You see also if you play your first minutes at Ibrox some players can be really nervous, and it’s normal. It’s also not a bad thing but he stays cool, he keeps overview, he does the right things. He’s also somebody who comes out of Colombia, sometimes it can be hot there also in the stands. I have this experience with some Colombian players and all of them have this like this, this winning mentality, this no fear thing, so that’s what I like about that culture also.”
You spoke about planning Philippe, the five players who’re out of contract at the end of the season, have you made your mind up whether they’re going to be offered new contracts or not?
“Those are five different stories so that’s some things with the club and me to decide on. I can see my thoughts about the sporting idea around things and then it’s between the club and the players about the financial stuff because I am not the guy who is paying the bills, luckily my wife is happy about that I think.”
Will that decision come sooner or later in the season?
“That depends from situation to situation and how they perform and what the plan is towards next season. There are a lot of things around that so I am focused now mostly on the team and on performing and the players need to do that also first.”
