As soon as the Rangers players arrived back to Auchenhowie, Philippe Clement promptly informed them that the cup festivities were finished, as reported by the Scottish Daily Mail.
While Clement was eager to celebrate his first cup win as Rangers manager, he made sure his players knew when it was time to concentrate, according to a report by journalist Brian Majoribanks in the newspaper’s print edition [19 December, page 63].
When they resumed training at Auchenhowie, the manager met the eyes of every player to see if they have the hunger needed to advance and challenge Celtic for the championship.
But when his Viaplay Cup-winning players returned for training ahead of tomorrow night’s home game against St Johnstone at Ibrox, the no-nonsense 49-year-old had a harsh message waiting for them.
“The Rangers team was informed upon their return to training that the celebration is over, as Clement looked into each player’s eyes to determine who has the will to advance to the next level of their shared journey, with so much on the line.”
It will be imperative that these Rangers players put their heads down and work hard in their training and game preparation going forward, maybe more than in the past. must gather their thoughts and return to the zone following the celebration of the cup win.
There’s always a chance of a trip up when playing St Johnstone in the SPFL, especially if overconfidence is allowed to seep in. Clement will make sure his team is as focussed on this match as they were before the encounter at Hampden Park on Sunday.
Rangers gained a chance as a result of Celtic’s error against Hearts, but the Ibrox team was also sharply reminded that they cannot afford to let up on their preparation for every match.
With two games remaining, Clement’s team has a great chance to take the lead and must make sure they don’t blow it. As a result, the margin between the top two has shrunk to only five points.
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