Philippe Clement has highlighted the importance of the next two weeks with Rangers having the opportunity to overtake Celtic in the title race during a hectic festive schedule.
The Ibrox side have clawed back a significant deficit to go within touching distance of their fierce city rivals. Two points separate the duo after Celtic suffered consecutive league defeats for the first time in over a decade – leaving the Light Blues, who have a game in hand, ready to pounce. Clement has raised the bar since replacing Michael Beale two months ago and has urged his squad to remain laser-focused on their football rather than enjoying the festivities.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of their trip to face Motherwell on Sunday, he said: “It’s very important [to be prepared mentally], of course. It’s always a special period because everybody is going on holiday, stopping working and is relaxed, they have a good time with parties. But that’s not the case for the players of course or the staff. So, it’s very important that they know our ambitions from themselves and from the club, and that the next two weeks they keep their full focus like they did the last couple of weeks.
“They know the difference about the good periods and the period’s where you lose points. So, the motivation is building.”
The hard work never stops under Clement, with the Belgian ordering his squad into training on Christmas Day in preparation for their Boxing Day clash at home to Ross County. Rangers then face the mouthwatering prospect of reaching the Scottish Premiership summit by New Year when they face Celtic on December 30.
“There will be no day off,” he insisted. “They’ve known that already for a long-time. It’s not the moment to give a day off because we have a game a few days later.”
Both Kemar Roofe and John Lundstram have been added to Rangers’ lengthy injury list since Wednesday’s win over St Johnstone, which has created another unwanted selection headache. Clement has been forced to play defender Dujon Sterling in midfield and has brought forgotten man Kieran Dowell back into the fold.
He continued: “For sure and that’s been an important part in the journey of the last couple of weeks. We have had quite a lot of injuries and we’ve had players playing in positions that they’ve never played before. But they did really well. I like Dujon in midfield, I like Kieran Dowell in midfield. The structure is clear, everybody knows what to do and then it’s important that players step in and do the job like they did. Those are really crucial things to be competitive.”
Be the first to comment