The manager was speaking ahead of his side's Champions League clash with Liverpool tomorrow. 

What’s the team news heading into tomorrow?

We have the same players available as Saturday. We lose James Sands because of suspension but otherwise, we have the same players available.

Klopp said he expects Rangers to come out fighting after two defeats - is he right?

Of course. We lost our first game and it means we don’t have any points. We know the challenge we face tomorrow against a really, really good side. We want to have results and that’s what we have to do. Of course, we have to look at ourselves but we are going to come here to have a good result, that is our intention and it always has to be.

You’ve had many tough ties over the years but where does this tie rank in terms of difficulty?

It is going to be very difficult. It is a team who performs really well in the Premier League, they were in three Champions League finals in the last five years. I think they are still one of the best teams in Europe. If you look at all the opponents we faced last season in Europe and also this season, this is probably the strongest side.

Is it a tough choice between starting Colak or Morelos?

The decision is not difficult because you always look at the opponent and how you want to play and what kind of game you expect it to be, and then you choose the best option. It’s good because both are in a really good position at the moment. Antonio [Colak] has scored a lot of goals in the league and Morelos when he came in also. They are two different kinds of strikers but we will always look at the game ahead.

Can this game bring out the best in your players?

Of course. It is a huge podium for us to perform, not only for the club but for the players. It is against a quality side. It is many years since there has been a Scottish team playing against an English team and it’s the first time we have faced each other in our histories. These are all good things to look forward to. We are excited to be here.

Are there things you have seen in Liverpool that you think you can exploit?

There are always things to exploit. Any team has those areas you can exploit. They didn’t have a good result last Saturday but we are still going to prepare for a Liverpool team that is really good. They have all the strengths they need to perform at this level. The form says nothing. They have quality players, a good team, and a fantastic coach, we are preparing for the best Liverpool we can face.

Is this a stage for Ryan Kent to show what he is made of?

Well, for everyone. Obviously, we’re really proud that we’re back in the Champions League. It means we’re going to face really good opposition and players. Of course, there’s a motivation to perform on this level, not only for Ryan but for my whole team and me as a coach as well.

Is the pressure on Liverpool?

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They play at home and of course when you play at home it is. The first result was a bad result for them. They won against Ajax but I think the pressure is always on both teams. They’re used to performing at this level. For us, it’s a huge step from the last couple of years that we had to perform at in Europe. But we embrace the challenge. Of course, the pressure is also on us. We want to still be involved in Europe after the World Cup break. That means you usually have points to go through but it’s a hard place to come. Still, we believe there’s something possible but we’re going to face a huge challenge.

Is Allan McGregor now your No.1?

I don’t like to talk about No.1 and No.2. I didn’t do that with Jon [McLaughlin] at the start of the season when Jon was starting. Jon started the season but the performances Allan [McGregor] had in the last couple of games were really good so he will continue in goal. Of course, I had to inform both players which I did last week. We all have one thing in mind, which is to be successful for this club and the decision is for me to make and not the players to accept.

Do you take encouragement from the Brighton tie?

Of course, you will look at the opponents they faced and the way they played. They have conceded more goals than they normally do and they had a result that could have been better only last Saturday. But they will come out to pressure us and to win this game. For them, it’s also an opportunity to change things round. We’ve got to prepare the team as if we’re playing the strongest team that there can be.

How much more is needed than the Napoli display?

The performance we had against Napoli was a lot better than we had against Ajax in Amsterdam. We competed really well until the red card, which then made it really difficult for us to keep the clean sheet and going forward was much more difficult. In Europe against the opponents we face, you have to be on top form, individually and as a team, to face the challenge you face every game in the Champions League.

Do you need to convince your players they can do this psychologically?

We always have the belief, it all starts with belief. If you don’t have any belief when you go on the pitch you are going to face an impossible challenge. That’s the character we have to show. It’s also the character we have shown in the past and we have to have the same spirit and belief to get something out of the game. That’s where it starts – before you enter the pitch. You have to be ready mentally as well, because it is a very hard ground to come to. We have to be prepared tactically for the challenge we face against Liverpool but also for the atmosphere we are going to face tomorrow.

How much do players just have to enjoy the occasion?

It’s important. There are many positives to take out of this year’s campaign in the Champions League. It has been a lot of years since we performed on this level. Of course, there was a history of the last 10 years when we had to get up to the highest level in Scotland from the bottom leagues. In Europe, we are improving each year and playing in the Champions League and Europa League final last year was a great achievement for all of us. We are all proud to be at this stage and to play against the team we are facing. Then again, if you are playing at the top level in Europe you want to win games as well. That’s our focus.

Can you update us on Tom Lawrence?

His recovery went on schedule but Tom sustained a new injury unfortunately this week. We have to wait [to see] how long he will be out but I think it is going to be longer term. Probably more months than weeks.

Do you know the injury, did it happen in training? 

Not yet. We are still diagnosing his injury but I don’t think we will have him back before the World Cup. It happened in training.