In Summary

  • Win over Dons could be a 'massive' step forward for Rangers
  • Boss delighted with Cantwell contribution
  • Bond between players and supporters gives Clement optimism

Philippe Clement has spoken to the media after the 2-1 victory against Aberdeen. Here is what he had to say.

What was your take on the game?

That we played a really good game today, a really dominant game. But these are the kind of game you have in a season when the circumstances are not on your side. You totally dominate the first half, you have the chances to score more than one, a few blocks, a lot of people in the box throwing their bodies in front of our players to shoot, a goalkeeper who played a really good game today, for sure in the second half. And then you have this one moment and it is the quality of Miovski, he doesn’t need much to score goals. You get a knock there just before half-time and then it is important to stay calm and to continue what you are doing, not start to doubt. I think that is a massive step forward that the team is ready to do that now, that the dressing room is ready to do that and on the other side that the fans are ready to do that. It is a big difference with a few months ago that the belief stays and everybody keeps on pushing to get the result. That was one circumstance and then the second is the red card ten minutes before the end of the game. You need to struggle in those minutes, although it was not really a struggle. We even had chances to score a goal because we kept on going but it made it more difficult to finish the game. Maybe at the end it is good to show everybody how aligned everybody is in the club now, the fans and players, because it was amazing to feel this energy out of the stands in the last ten minutes.

Do you feel this can be a significant night?

I don’t think the fans are too busy with that, they just feel that the football is much better, that the team is fighting for everything in a good way and a good football way that all the squad is involved to give their best every day for the club. It is something that the players have built again, this credit that they lost at the beginning of the season. It is back there. It is important for us to keep on repeating that and it is important for the fans also to keep on pushing the team through difficult moments because they will come in the next months also.

What was your take on the red card?

That it was a harsh decision for me. Dujon slipped and he hits the toes of the opponent. I didn’t see until now many red cards that you touch the opponent at his toes. If I look back, I cannot remember one moment. So that is a harsh one and it makes the end of the game difficult but it is also a difficult profession, I know because we need to do it every day in the training to make decisions. At the end, the referee decides and we need to accept it.

You must be pleased with Todd’s contribution?

I see him growing, he is doing much more what is necessary for the team and he starts to understand better the story. He feels also that it is to his benefit but that is not the most important thing, that is the benefit to the team. He needs to continue in that way, to work for the team, do the things for the team and then the individual things come also, like the goals and the assists. But it is not only for Todd, it is for everyone all together. I think people saw really good combination play today with really good actions, not only with the offensive players but with all the team involved in our attacks. That is the football we want to bring in the next couple of months and to grow with that because we have a lot of room for progression to make it better.

Both goals were scored by players gambling…

Yeah, that also. But also first that the shot is made and that was also a thing in the past that it took too much time sometimes. Everybody sees the team growing month by month and that is our ambition, to grow. We have a few new lads coming in and they understand better and better the story, you see Fabio in a better way than two, three weeks ago. It is normal, it is logical. If you work together, you need to have the connection with the players. Cyriel did also a really important job before that to break the wall because at the end of the game or the last 20, 25 minutes you get more space because players get tired because of the work that has been done in the first half. It is a team performance and I am really glad about that, to feel this winning mentality in this dressing room now. There is no doubt anymore whatever happens, like getting this goal against just before half time. Those can be break points in the heads and it is important that we overcome those.

Has the change in atmosphere improved quicker than you first believed?

That is a difficult question because I didn’t have expectations about that. It is my ambition. It is my ambition also to win everything. Until now I never did it with a team, to win everything in a season. I have ambitions always. It is great to feel it and that was for me one of the major reasons to come to this club compared to other possibilities because I knew how incredible I can be when all these fans are behind the team and how much energy that can give. I love this job. If we win things, if you see the joy from the players, from the staff, from the fans, there I get my energy out to work hard every day. I get a lot back now.

How pleased were you with Cortes and Diomande?

Oscar is adapting really fast but he was playing also with the Under-21 team of Colombia so he is more match fit. Dio played his last game at the end of November so he has some physical work to do. I see in the training he is also ready to do the right things for the team and week by week, match by match, it is seeing if we can bring them more into the story step by step.

Do you think Duk could have got a red card?

If you give a red card for the tackle on the toes, then that one can also be red. But it stays the decision of the referee. I can think whatever I want, it is not important. It is the referee who decides. It is our job, and that stays important, to accept it also. We want to play this game. My job is to make a good team, in my head also to make good football because I love football, I love the game of football, I want an attractive team, a dominant team. I am busy with that and there is somebody, the referee, who decides the rules. We need to accept.

What did you say to the referee?

We had a calm talk, really calm. I like it also that we can discuss things with referees with respect in a decent way.

Will you consider an appeal?

That we need to decide those things as a club. I never make those decisions alone, I don’t want to make those alone. This one is quite clear I think but we need to discuss this inside the club.

What was the rationale behind playing Tom Lawrence?

You can make a lot of questions about other players. It is what I see in the moment, who is showing the most quality. It is difficult choices to make for the moment, there is a lot of competition. Nico comes out of long term injury so he needs to pick up rhythm. This was also a game not to put players in to gain rhythm, I knew it would be a really hard fight and we had to show a lot of quality. By that, the choice of Tom who played a really good game for me, like he did before also. He is also somebody coming out of injury so the moment he got tired I changed him for Dujon. That is the way it is going and will go on until the end of the season. I want every second to have players on the pitch at 100 per cent, not at 90 or 95. They have earned this.