7 Rangers presser takeaways as Philippe Clement quizzed on Neil Warnock, chance to go top and contracts.
Tomorrow night is the new Aberdeen manager’s first game in charge at Ibrox.
The games are coming thick and fast already, and Rangers have a busy February ahead of them. Aberdeen is up next tomorrow night.
With seven games this month, Philippe Clement’s team will play a lot of fixtures between now and the end of the season, fighting on three fronts: the league, the Scottish Cup, and the Europa League. Their triumph over Livingston on Saturday served as a springboard, and they’ll be back in action soon when they host the Dons at home once more.
Following a news conference when Clement was questioned about facing the 75-year-old among other topics, these are the seven most important things to remember.
Neil Warnock
“I have a long history with football, so I know him, of course, but we haven’t met because I haven’t spent as much time on the island with other clubs in the past. It’s a highly experienced individual. It won’t change significantly, and I don’t think Aberdeen will start playing in a completely different way. Instead, I believe that the way they were playing is also the way that Warnock wants to see them play. I observe no significant changes. The good news is that we’re prepared for everything that may occur. We’ve encountered a wide variety of playing styles over the past few months, and the squad is becoming increasingly adept at responding to each one.”
Injuries
“Ryan Jack will not be in the selection tomorrow because he comes out of injury. He has a history with injuries and it’s only a short recovery time in between the two games so I will not take a risk with him and we will build him with the medical staff to make him more robust that he can come out of this cycle of injuries. Leon (Balogun) I don’t know yet, he’s speaking with the specialist this afternoon to see if he needs surgery or not. He will also not be selectable. Ben Davies is close, he trained already a bit with the team but he’s not ready for selection. Kemar Roofe is also getting better and better but he is not ready to train with the team.”
Manager of the month
“For me, it’s a collective award. It’s good for the staff because of all the good job they did, for the players also because they worked really hard to get the results. So I see it that way. It’s not an individual prize, it’s more a collective prize. It means the team is on the right way and that’s the most important thing.”
Busy February
“We’re happy about that. We want to stay as long as possible in the three competitions. We know we’re 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. It gives more chances for the players to play also so that’s a positive thing.”
Threat of Aberdeen
Thought about the chance to go joint top?
“Totally not. Zero. 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 playing good football and entertaining our fans. Keeping this really strong team mentality that it’s in the dressing room now. Whoever is playing is doing the job and the rest are really hungry to come off the bench and continue doing the job.
I know the way to win trophies, I’ve been there as a player and manager. There is only one way and that’s to focus on yourself and take it game to game. People who start to look too much ahead, they fail because they lose focus. Whatever happens tomorrow, the progress is there. It doesn’t depend off one result. Everybody sees the progress is there. Everybody sees from outside the progress, we see it much more because we see them every day.”
Contract
Since they are five distinct stories, the club and I will need to make a decision on that. I can express my opinions on the sporting front, and the club and players will discuss the money matters next. Fortunately, I’m not the one footing the bill. My spouse is pleased with that. It varies based on the circumstances, their performance, and the plans for the upcoming season. There are numerous factors surrounding that. My primary emphasis is on the team and their performance; the players must share this attention as well.”
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