After leading the Scottish Premiership for the first time during his tenure with a convincing 3-0 victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Sunday afternoon, Rangers head coach Philippe Clement declined to show his excitement.
Thanks to two late penalties from James Tavernier and an incredible first-half goal from Mohamed Diomonde, the Rangers manager saw his team take full advantage of Celtic’s error against Kilmarnock to go two points clear at the top of the league. The Belgian was thrilled with his team’s performance in Perth.
“Undoubtedly, given the circumstances, today’s performance was incredibly strong. We had to adjust because it was not a surface where we could play the kind of game we play every day, what the boys had demonstrated over the previous few weeks and months. The team is prepared for that at this point. We’ve played a few practice matches in that manner, such as Dumbarton and St. Mirren, in extremely challenging conditions, and they now understand that, should that type of surface exist, they must play a different style of football. Today, we performed admirably in that regard, according to Clement.
The 49-year-old Rangers manager cited the match as crucial to the development of his team and gave his captain extra credit after Tavernier scored the club’s 120th goal in Perth.
“There was never any uncertainty in the game—we played a dominant effort. We didn’t have a shot on target, in my opinion. We could have scored more, but we’re incredibly happy with our three goals. Despite just having 11 players at first, every new member added further quality and vitality to the team. The crew is developing, as you can see. The newly arrived players impressed with their extra minutes.
“Tavernier’s 120 goals is absurd.” I’m not sure whether 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 everyone else, he is not preoccupied with statistics to benefit himself, but rather the team,” the Belgian stated.
In addition, Clement disclosed why his teammates are sharing the captain’s leadership responsibilities among themselves and how a conversation he had with the Rangers captain upon joining the team had a crucial role in the team’s incredible comeback.
“I am satisfied with Tav; he was the first player I spoke with. It is typical to speak with the captain first when you enter a building and realise there is a fire. I wanted to find out how to put out the fire 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 content, and there is a split leadership group with multiple players shouldering accountability.
“It is impossible to talk about a beginning since it was the beginning when I compare how they are performing now to how they were four months ago. Plenty of opportunity exists for advancement. It’s evident that, during the past few 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 feel as though they are part of a really unique story, and it’s a pretty significant thing.
