Clement Dismisses Excuses for Rangers’ Gruelling Schedule

Rangers are set to play 11 matches within a 36-day period across all competitions, commencing on Boxing Day. Manager Philippe Clement acknowledges that this demanding festive schedule is not ideal for high-quality football, but he has stated that he will not tolerate any excuses from his players regarding the fixture congestion. The Ibrox club faces 11 fixtures between now and the conclusion of January, participating in the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup, and Europa League. With no winter break this season, Clement indicated that he would need to implement squad rotation to sustain both performance and fitness levels in the coming weeks, beginning with the match against St Mirren on 26 December. “This is the first time in the history of football that this has happened so we need to have a squad that’s physically and mentally ready for that,” Clement said. He continued, “The more you complain about it, the more excuses you have, and I don’t want to give excuses to the team because they all want to play football, they all want to win things.” Clement likened the situation to “running a marathon but only wanting to run 20 miles,” adding, “Those are the rules, that’s what was decided. Is it good for football? I don’t think so and everybody agrees with that but we need to focus on ourselves and be ready.” The manager also suggested a potential benefit from the situation: “And in that way it can be an advantage for our group of players that there needs to be a rotation. It means everybody has to be on their toes, ready to show themselves as there is more opportunity to get chances.” However, he acknowledged the challenge: “But then you need the depth in your squad to keep the same quality and that’s going to be the challenge for us in the next few weeks.” The Belgian coach foresees a “big challenge” when his team visits Paisley on Thursday and stressed the importance of winning individual duels against Stephen Robinson’s side. Rangers recently climbed to second place in the league, surpassing Aberdeen, following a victory against Dundee. Meanwhile, St Mirren, often referred to as the Buddies, secured a 2-1 win over Ross County and currently occupies sixth position. “We know St Mirren is a big challenge,” Clement added. “It’s a team with lots of physicality and a manager who always prepares his team really well.” He further elaborated, “We know it’s going to be a tough battle and we’ll need to compete to win and then you can show your football quality. If you don’t win your duels, you’ll get into trouble.” Clement asserted that the physical nature of Scotland’s top division is not unique within Europe, noting his familiarity with this aspect of the game from his previous managerial roles in Belgium and France. The former Club Brugge and Monaco boss also expressed confidence that his midfield trio, comprising Nicolas Raskin, Mohamed Diomande, and Connor Barron, will progressively enhance their physicality as the season unfolds. “Don’t forget that Raskin was injured for eight to nine months so it’s impossible to be at your best after that long out right away,” he said. He further explained, “Diomande is here less than a year. He had to adapt to things. Barron knows the league but is still a young player who can still grow, that’s normal.” Clement concluded by emphasizing the importance of midfield battles: “The three of them are in the midfield and it’s important to win the duels, it’s important in Scotland.” He challenged the perception of Scottish football’s unique physicality, stating, “People always say this about Scotland but the Belgian league is also the same, in the French league it was the same. It’s not as if you don’t have physicality there.” He added, “You need it in every league. I think in every good league it’s a big part of football, an important part of football.”