The Ibrox boss tells players to keep their focus on themselves after hitting summit with win over St Johnstone
Rangers’ rise to the top of the Premiership, according to Philippe Clement, may be attributed to their ability to block off distractions and concentrate on their game after surpassing Celtic in the fight for the championship.
After Celtic’s 1-1 draw against Kilmarnock less than a day earlier, Rangers easily defeated St Johnstone 3-0 at McDiarmid Park, gaining a two-point edge over the Old Firm rivals. With 12 games remaining in the league season, Clement is now pleading with his players to continue “growing” together as Rangers have clinched the top spot for the first time in two years.
“They put on a really good show today,” remarked Clement, whose players had to contend with a difficult pitch. “We couldn’t play football on that surface normally. However, we had to adjust, and the group is now prepared for it. We played a few practice matches in that manner, such as Dumbarton and St. Mirren, in really trying conditions, and they realised that, if you have that kind of surface, you had to play a different style of football in those situations. Today, we executed that well. There was never any question about our performance during the game.
Clement said his players have had it drilled into them to blank out noise from others about the title race. “We’re really busy with that because it’s of no use,” he said. “We’re just focused on ourselves and we will continue in that way in the next weeks and months. It’s the only way to be successful – and the players understand that really well.”
It was put to Clement that the next challenge is to stay top of the league. “We are not looking at that,” retorted the Belgian. “Our challenge is to be better every week better, better every month. Not every game you can be better – that’s impossible – but we try to do that, to develop as individuals, as a team, to become better and adapt to circumstances. My best time as a player was in a team was when we played two/three years together, because you learn out of experiences. Good ones, bad ones – you become better because you grow. That’s what we are doing as a team, to get experiences. The guys are really at the moment like a sponge, getting all the information inside and doing the right things with it. This is what I want. This is what I am going to be really tough on as well. I want to see an ambitious team that wants to become better and better. We’re not looking at others, just ourselves.
“It’s evident that, during the last several months, they have all grown. Because everyone is so dedicated every day, we as a staff will be investing a lot in them, just as they are investing a lot in the group and in themselves. For the first time in my four months on the team, I didn’t have any issues with it; I never had to slap someone for being unmotivated or unfocused. They all believe they are part of a truly unique story, and it can be a truly unique one, but it’s also a really important thing.”
With two further penalties added to Mohamed Diomande’s first, captain James Tavernier received extra recognition from Clement. Currently, he has 120 goals with the Rangers. “It’s absurd,” Clement remarked. “I’m not sure if a defender in Scotland or Europe has ever scored more goals.” He is very talented in that regard, and in addition to penalties, he has scored significant goals in other contexts, such as the cup final. Additionally, he is playing excellent defence since, in my opinion, he is a defender rather than an attacker. Unlike the others, he is focused on the team rather than on his own stats.
Because of Tavernier’s significance to the team, Clement said that when he took over at Ibrox in October, he spoke with him among the first people. The manager stated, “I am happy with Tav; he was the first player I spoke with.” It’s common to go to the captain first when you enter a building and discover there is a fire. I wanted to find out how to put it out as quickly as possible, so I requested all the information. Regarding everything at the club, the dressing room, and himself, he was incredibly forthright and honest. He is also feeling good; the team has a divided leadership group with multiple individuals taking accountability, but they get along fairly well together. If you’re all alone you can be alone in the desert, now he has a few lieutenants around him that help also and are very influential. It’s important to have that.”
Although St Johnstone was clearly inferior to Rangers, their manager Craig Levein took issue with the visitors’ second penalty when Luke Robinson was judged to have handled a Tom Lawrence shot based on VAR’s recommendation. “It’s incredibly unfair,” Levein remarked. “Your arm comes out as you spin. I’m not sure how you’re supposed to spin around with your arm in that position. The people in the booth make the call; the referee hasn’t seen anything. Sometimes, the calls made by these men in the booth are confusing. The game is no longer actually officiated by the referees. Perhaps they ought to receive only half of their money.
A less evident penalty was called on minute 87. Luke Robinson’s flailing arm was impacted by Tom Lawrence’s shot, and MacDermid again consulted the VAR monitor before indicating the location. Tavernier scored his 120th goal while wearing Rangers colours by converting once again.
The Rangers supporters responded with a loud “we shall not be moved” and a scathing warning to Celtic. They said, “We’re going to win the league.” It’s in their hands now, with 12 games to go.
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