Transfers, loan exits, the small matter of Hibs: here’s every word from Big Phil’s latest Q&A

Prior to the match against Hibernian, Rangers manager Philippe Clement was back in front of the media for a press conference.

The Gers go into Easter Road with the knowledge that a win will close the five-point difference at the top of the Scottish Premiership and intensify competition for the championship.

In addition to facing the customary January questioning over the team’s transfer activities, the Belgian manager was remaining reticent regarding a potential agreement for Mohamed Diomande.

Here is all that was said at the most recent pre-game news conference by Rangers manager Philippe Clement as he discusses business before the league resumes play.

Philippe Clement press conference – Hibernian v Rangers

Philippe, hi. Good to see you again.

Good afternoon, thank you. The same.

In terms of working with the squad you have or maybe adding to it, how close are you to bringing anyone else in?

Oh, that question again. Haha. Yeah, what I said the last time. What is close? What is far? The first second that somebody is in this building and signs a contract I will tell all of you.

The rest, it’s talk. You never know how close you are or how far you are. Everybody is working really hard on that way and I think there are things that are interesting that are possible but we will see at the end.”

Are you able to clear up just where you’re at with (Mohamed) Diomande and how close that is?

No I don’t speak about any rumours because there’s been, how many? 50 names already the last couple of weeks? I can’t say we were not interested in all those players.

So if you start to talk about one rumour, you need to talk about the other rumour, and then I’m only busy with that and not making trainings any more or looking at players or talking with players or talk with my own players,

so I’m doing a different job. So I never do that, that’s the best way.”

Hibernian are the opposition this midweek. That was your first game in charge when you played against Hibs. How much has your team developed from then to now do you feel?

“I think it’s for everybody clear that the team made good steps forward but it doesn’t mean anything towards the game.

I know we had a good win in that game although the difference between the two teams was not as big as the result was at the end of the game, we need to be honest about that.

We know it’s a team that plays really good football.

It’s a team who makes good combination with fast wingers who have a good individual action.

They have players in front and in the midfield who can score goals, so we need to play a good game there.

But I know the squad is getting better than it was that moment but that doesn’t mean it’s the same if Manchester City wins a

game 6-0, the next game they play against the same team doesn’t mean that they’re going to win 6-0.

So this 4-0 that we won at home is for me a long time ago. We were that day efficient, we were good, but we need to repeat that again tomorrow.”

Do you feel that the way that they play, you can take advantage of that? Because the way they try and play out from the back.

“No, since it’s challenging to play against. They carry it out well. You see an idea and a well-defined structure.

That is something that only a few teams in Scotland do.

This team is one of them. Thus, in the past several weeks, we have demonstrated our strengths against teams that play on the low block and advance a lot of balls.

Since this is a completely different kind of game, it will be interesting to watch how we respond.

Philippe, could you provide an update on Abdallah Sima’s injury?

“No not yet. And it’s not that I want to keep things away from you guys.

I expect to have more news today, latest tomorrow, from my medical staff and I always listen to them and not towards other people.

So ask me this question after the game and I will give another assessment about that.

I will have the information; let’s say 99% sure. If I have the information clearly I will give it also.”

Just on that, is there any indication if it’s short term, long term?

It will be long-term. That’s why I want to have also the right information.

Obviously you’ve had your injuries this season, it’s another difficult one to take for you?

Yes, but as I’ve always stated. I would like to see the half-full glass. I refuse to leave out of sympathy and disappointment.

Yes, that has been the case, but the group and the team have also demonstrated that they always rally around the team when something goes wrong and that other players step up to fill in, and in that sense,

there have been a lot of really wonderful surprises. Thus, we will pursue that as well as look for other answers and surprises.

One of those players obviously you lost Danilo last month, at the time you were saying that trying to get a striker in was a priority. Is there any progress on that front?

“It’s the same as the first question. So I’m not speaking about positions or what we want.

There are also strikers in the building. Fabio showed already good things, Cyriel if you’re going to look at the statistics that he has for the moment he’s in a good way also.

So we will see what targets we will take in the transfer market and what the possibilities are.”

Philippe you have seven games in February. Would you be content and confident if you don’t manage to add to your squad?

“No, because it was not the idea of the club so I’m confident that we will do the things that we all are aligned on.”

In terms of Sima, will he rehab here or will he go back to his parent club?

“Yes that’s things to discuss. If we have the good assessment about injury and what to do.

That’s why I want to give the information when I have it and not too early.

Of course from the first moment we were contacted we directly contacted Brighton and we’re working together in that way.”

Leon King spoke yesterday, obviously you’ve brought Alex Lowry back from Hearts…

“No I didn’t bring him back.”

So he’s still on loan at Hearts, Lowry?

“Well, but I didn’t get him back.” Hearts stated that they intended to let go of him after the following six months.

In order for Alex to receive minutes, it is evident that we want him to go on loan once more.

That is the strategy for him because it will be challenging for him to gain experience and minutes in the current team.

However, there was a clear plan in place for him to gain experience, gain strength, and gain minutes over the course of a year.

to make a good appraisal in the summer after returning in a positive manner. That’s what we’re attempting to accomplish right now,

and we’ll see which teams are interested and where would be the best for him to go in the way we want to play and in the way he can develop, in the best

Would that likely to be not in Scotland do you think?

“I don’t know, I don’t know. It depends on the possibilities.

But it’s a story between Alex, the club and then finding another team. With the club, I mean myself also, of course.”

Philippe I wanted to talk to you about Nils Koppen obviously he’s just started here, a lot of his work will be done around transfers. How has it been working with him and is it him leading the search for new players? Is it the two of you in a tandem? How has it been working this month?

“Yeah, it’s been really busy. So if I get a message or a call my wife already knows who it is.

But it’s good it’s Nils and not somebody else, so that’s a positive thing.

It’s been good, he’s super determined, hard-working, day and night, together will all his team because it’s the same as with me, eh?

OK I am always the spokesman about everything but I don’t do everything myself in this building.

I have a great staff doing a lot of things for me, it’s the same with Nils.

He’s happy also about the people who are in the building, how they are helping, with all the scouts and analysts and everybody.

And we are discussing all the developments between us but always together with the board also.

With Creag, with James, with the chairman, with the other members of the board, with the investors, in the moment it comes to decision making so it’s with everybody together.

But there’s a lot of contact and that’s also what I like.

I like to be involved, I like to know everything’s what’s going on, it is going in a positive way, or is it becoming difficult and why?

I like to have all the information, like I want also all the information about the players here. I like to have a lot of information that I can make the right decisions.”

You said to earlier to Jane that you wouldn’t be content if you didn’t make any more signings. Obviously the club are looking to bring in another player, perhaps other players. You’ve already brought in one player that was on loan and I know you don’t want to speak on names but Diomande has been linked for around £4m. You spoke last week, ‘you’ve got to be smart with your money, this isn’t the richest club in the world, you have to be smart and clever’, in terms of the budget is there only say £4-5m available, it might all go on one player, and then it’ll have to be loans?

“Haha, you know already I am never going to respond to that question.

It’s clear we have these discussions with the board, with the investors, what is possible what is not possible, when we come with names and we make decisions around that.

Everybody is very ambitious to let the team grow, to make the team better and to make the right transfers.

Is it for short term to help the team the next six months? Is it for long-term also to get an investment back in long-term?

For players to come in and to have impact but who can grow also and are part of the club that you can sell afterwards.

That’s also things to take in account so there are always a lot of things to take in account and we discuss about all these things.

That’s why there are short nights in January and I’m always happy it’s February.”

Philippe you gave Robby McCrorie his first start of the season at the weekend, he says he’s looking for more gametime. If he going to be your Scottish Cup goalkeeper this season or where do you see him getting his minutes?

“No it depends of his performances. It depends what he is doing in training.

And then we will make decisions what is best for the group, for the club.”

So you will keep him here you won’t be looking to put him out on loan?

“No, how can you put now with nine days go a player on loan if you don’t have another goalkeeper in?

That was never the plan. It was clearly discussed with Robby before the winter break also so he will be here and he did good things.

I gave him also the chance to play this game. I don’t have to do that.

And also the games against Hertha and Copenhagen to get the minutes.

So he’s ready and we will go on like that the next six months.

The next six months and then we can make a new evaluation because I see your surprised, he’s longer than six months contract.

And then we can make a new evaluation but he’s going to be here until the end of the season, for sure.”

How’s the rest of the squad fitness-wise ahead of the game tomorrow night?

“The same as the cup game. Ben (Davies) is still not available.

Kieran Dowell had his operation, everything went well, so that’s positive also that the operation went well. And Kemar and Dani are also still out.”

Any timescales on Ben Davies you said you hoped to have him back last week?

“No, for the moment not. It’s shorter term, the three others guys are longer term, and Abda also.

But Ben is more short term but I cannot put a timescale on that.”

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