Rangers Boss shuts down Rangers ‘ego’ amid title hype as Celtic question earns blunt response.

The manager was resolved to concentrate on his own team rather than looking at Glasgow’s east end.

Focused Philippe Clement is determined to keep Rangers on track as they approach the top of the league.

Celtic’s defeat at Pittodrie gives them a chance to clinch the Premiership title against Aberdeen on Tuesday night. To do so, they must repeat yesterday’s three-goal victory over Davie Martindale’s underwhelming Livi. Clement, who is expecting further injuries after Leon Balogun’s potential face fracture, understands that the title race is still far from over.

And he’s trying to keep Gers focused solely on the goal. When asked if he had paid attention to the lunchtime happenings in Granite City before his team rushed out for their 3pm kick-off, the big Belgian responded, “No. It’s critical in football to focus on oneself. We can look at the rankings for the last two or three games of the season, but not before.

“We don’t need to be preoccupied with what others are doing; we just need to be concerned with ourselves. All of the players are preoccupied with that. There is no longer any distinction between other teams that played before us and their results. We only focus on ourselves.

“It’s not important where we are now or on Wednesday. It’s important where we are at the end of May.“Yes [I can understand why the fans are starting to believe], but that’s the nice thing being a fan. Being a player is a totally different life.

“We know exactly what we need to complete our work, and it needs complete concentration. When you start focusing about others, you lose sight of what you want for yourself.

“We will not fall into that trap as a team. I am satisfied with the team because I have not heard the name of any other team this week. Everyone is focusing on Rangers, not his ego, but the team.

“There is a really wonderful team mentality in that locker room right now, and I’m going to work hard to keep it that way. That is why we see outcomes. When we begin to focus on others, we risk losing that.

Clement inherited a team seven points adrift of Celtic when he was brought in to replace Michael Beale in September. But they’ve dropped just four in the 15 games since his appointment and the Viaplay Cup winners are now firmly in the hunt for a second trophy of the season.

And Clement reckons his side are only going to get better after watching goals from Fabio Silva, Rabbi Matondo and Todd Cantwell crush Livi. “I’m pleased with what I saw today,” he said. “I see the team grow week by week, month by month.

“The players are gradually gaining an understanding of how to run, when to run, the timings, the linkages, the reaction after losing the ball, and the attacking and defensive organisation. I’ve watched three good goals. I’m seeing more of the football I want to play.

“We are not at 100% yet, but that is typical. After the game, I informed the players that where they are today is similar to where we were nine or twelve months ago. That is a very wonderful thing.

“In addition to that, there is a fantastic connection with the fans. A football player or manager will enjoy playing in such an environment. I don’t believe there are many sites like that in Europe, therefore we want to continue in that direction.”

The only negative for Gers was Balogun’s injury, which occurred after a violent collision with Shaun Donnellan. Clement stated, “It’s not good because it’s a bad injury; he probably broke something in his face.” The plus side is that he is a warrior who believes he can return quickly with a mask. So I hope that’s the case.

Rangers Boss Sends a strong Message as cuts down Rangers’ ‘ego’ amid title anticipation, while Celtic query receives a stern response.

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