Although Goldson was upset that Clement had benched him earlier in the season, he gradually came to terms with the fact that the boss was competent.
When faced with the superstar threats posed by Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi, Philippe Clement maintained his composure.
So why should the possibility of his club facing down Lawrence Shankland worry the Rangers gaffer?
The Hearts supporters will reply that the Light Blues boss should be concerned as their hot frontman gets ready for today’s trip to Ibrox, having scored 26 goals for both club and country this season. The striker has another chance to prove to Steve Clarke that he is the best player to spearhead Scotland’s assault at the Euros this summer on a grand scale.
The 28-year-old is playing at his best level, having struck out 14 times in his last 12 games. Regarding what the Jambos captain has accomplished with Stevie Naismith’s team over the last seven months, Clement is undoubtedly very respectful of what the player has accomplished. But anxiety? Unlikely. Clement is aware that Hearts are no more a one-man team than the PSG club that his former Monaco team faced last season; both teams are formidable opponents who can be neutralized by stopping their incredibly skilled top three.
The big Belgian avoided that run-in with the flashy strike force of the Parisians by focusing his build-up efforts on a strategy that highlighted his own team’s strengths rather than underplaying theirs. He is depending on that strategy to work when his new league leaders head out today afternoon trying to open up a five-point advantage on Celtic. It worked, with Monaco holding their own in a 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes.
The Rangers manager stated, “It is crucial [to keep Shankland silent] because he has scored more than 50% of their goals.” If you watch the entire season, that is a lot of points.
It is not necessary to concentrate only on him and ignore the others since other guys will still be important. We never play a game with only one player in mind.
“Last year, I participated in a match with my squad against Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe. However, we didn’t concentrate on them; instead, we concentrated on our style of play, how to stop them, and how to use them to attack as well. That was a positive outcome. My guiding principle has always been to put greater emphasis on ourselves.
“This is a very talented and well-organized team that depends heavily on a key player for goals.” They currently boast the third-best defense in the league, demonstrating their organizational skills and willingness to wait for the right opportunity.
“Our goal is to breach that barrier, maintain our dominance without becoming gullible, avoid transitions, and avoid set pieces as they are as formidable in that regard. and play our regular game in Ibrox with our amazing supporters cheering us on. That is another important factor that contributed a lot of energy to the previous several games.
“I anticipate a crowd that pushes the players to perform at their highest level and is incredibly supportive of the team from the warm-up to the end of the game.”
The numbers from Shankland are astounding. As Clement notes, he has been responsible for more than half of the 35 Premiership goals the Tynecastle team has scored so far, with 18 in the league. He’ll be facing Connor Goldson, a man with some very impressive stats of his own.
Today, the large defender is scheduled to make his 300th appearance for the team. In his five and a half years at Ibrox, he has missed just 25 games, which is a monument to his durability and sets a record for attendance of almost 92%.
Clement praised the Englishman, saying, “He is very important.” Along with a select group of men, including Jack Butland, James Tavernier, and John Lundstram, he has a great deal of influence. The club becomes a part of your life if you stay somewhere for 300 games. With Connor, this group feels more like a family than it does like a club now.
He is incredibly interested in this club, in everything, in every little detail. He is also doing a great job of mentoring the young guys by demonstrating to them what it means to be a Rangers player. His on- and off-field performances have me incredibly pleased.
The player who acquired Goldson from Brighton in 2018—Steven Gerrard—used to make jokes about how afraid he was to rest the center back. When Clement handed the 31-year-old the night off against Dundee in December, he had the guts to attempt it, and he’s just happy that Goldson saw there were advantages to resting.
“There was a moment when I took him out too to give him a breather,” he smiled.
Although that didn’t make him particularly happy, it’s not a big deal. After acknowledging that it was best for him, he accepted it and remarked, “Yeah, I do notice a difference.”
He is a bright, clever man with a burning desire to play every minute. I want thirty players who share that goal of playing every minute of the game. You need that in order to develop into a very excellent side.
The Rangers are undoubtedly a stronger team now than they were under Michael Beale’s leadership. They will take the field this afternoon for the first time carrying the immense pressure of being league tops, having defeated Celtic with a commanding victory at St Johnstone on Sunday.
Can they handle that load? is the question that needs to be answered right now. The boss responded strongly, saying, “I don’t feel like there’s any pressure in this group.
“I have a strong sense of hunger, desire, motivation, and training quality.” The number of points that other teams have truly doesn’t interest me. All we need to do is aim high and attempt to win every game.
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