7 Rangers presser takeaways as Clement talks Benfica, Cantwell blow, Hearts wall

7 Rangers presser takeaways as Clement talks Benfica, Cantwell blow, Hearts wall

Hours after Rangers was drawn to play Benfica in the Europa League, Philippe Clement addressed the media and shared his thoughts.

However, there’s also the minor issue of a 12-game unbeaten club visiting Ibrox tomorrow. The Portuguese champions will face a different test from Hearts, but the manager of the Gers is extremely focused on winning both the Premiership and Europe.

Todd Cantwell won’t be available for the Gers manager to manage tomorrow or for a few more weeks, but he will have one veteran player returning for the match at Ibrox. Having faced Steven Naismith’s team three times previously, he is aware of what to anticipate and anticipates a challenging afternoon.

Cantwell Blow/Roofe Back

“Todd Cantwell will be out for a few weeks, which is disappointing for both him and the team because he was in excellent form, but that is football.” We’ve dealt with these issues in recent months, so it’s now up to other players to step up and do what’s best for the club. Kemar Roofe has trained with the group a few times, and we don’t have many offensive players, so he will be on the roster for tomorrow. It can be essential at the conclusion of the game to have him in with his goal-scoring abilities and experience.

Benfica’s reaction

“It’s a tremendously interesting challenge since we have such a great staff. I believe this will be the first game in which we are underdogs; that is the reality. However, this does not preclude us from qualifying. We trust in our abilities, and I believe that with the current mentality in this squad, we can beat anyone. But we need to be at our best, and you need to be lucky in important moments during the game. European nights are vital for the club’s reputation, but you must be realistic and consider your budget, squad worth, and compare them. In that way, Benfica are quite ahead of us but I think there’s a really special story developing here in the building and there’s a lot of motivation and hunger and desire. With that we can do really amazing things.”

Not underdogs in Celtic Park defeat?

“No, generally. In every game we’ve played thus far. I do not regard us as underdogs versus Celtic. For me, we’re two clubs battling at the same level, which is different from Benfica.”

Experience of reaching the final

There are some. Some not, I believe. I don’t think the entire group went that far in Europe. However, some people have prior experience, which is beneficial because they understand what it is. They’re also in excellent form and provide strong leadership in the locker room. Those are also the players who have been pushing the story in a really positive way.”

The Hearts and Shankland Test

“We’re playing for the fourth time already. I’ve played 25 or 26 games, and this is my fourth against Hearts, so it’s already special. It is a high-quality team that is well-organised and relies on a key player to score goals. He has scored more than 50% of their goals. It is the league’s third best defence, demonstrating that they are well-organised and are not afraid to wait for their opportunities. Our goal is to break through the wall, be dominating without being naive, and avoid transitions and set pieces, as they are very strong.

It’s necessary (to keep Shankland quiet). Like I said, he’s scored more than 50 per cent of their goals so that’s a lot of points if you see all season. But it’s not only to be focused on him and not the rest because then there will be other guys that make the difference. We never focus on one player. I played with my team last season against Messi, Neymar and Mbappe but we were not focused on only them. It is my philosophy to focus on ourselves.”

Being on top does not change anything.

Responded with “do you accept it’s a different pressure?” – “No. I began playing in a first team when I was 17 years old and have had the opportunity to play on a number of championship-winning teams. So I’ve been in that situation many times. It is not about looking at others. It’s not about looking ahead or back; it’s about looking at yourself. So we’ll continue doing what we’ve been doing. We’re not concerned with looking backward. As if we hadn’t been thinking about the future a few weeks ago. I don’t feel pressure in this group; instead, I feel motivation, hunger, desire, and high-quality training.”

Not giving St Johnstone a shot

“It’s critical because allowing shots, chances, and goals gives opponents hope and confidence. It is one of the most important aspects of football that I would like to see. I want to see a dominant, attacking team that stays within our structure and doesn’t give away easy opportunities. That is a struggle with so many players attacking, but the players understand the story and are getting better at it. I know we’ll get shot at. I don’t expect to have a game tomorrow where we don’t get shots on goal; that’s not feasible against a side like Hearts.”

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