Philippe Clement names the 4 Rangers standard bearers as he makes relentless demand of Ibrox stars

Rangers manager Philippe ClementRangers manager Philippe Clement
Rangers manager Philippe Clement | Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.
Rangers marched past Hibs and into the last four of the cup competition.

Philippe Clement wants more players up to the three-games-a-week speed he demands after Rangers beat Hibs in a feisty Scottish Cup quarter-final.

The Light Blues made it into the semi-final stage of the competition they won in 2022 with a 2-0 win at Easter Road. They opened the scoring in the first half after James Tavernier's missed penalty was bundled into the net by John Lundstram.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A serious injury to Martin Boyle delayed the end of the first half, before tempers flared in the second. Hibs had two red cards, one for a second booking after Jordan Obita's tackle on Rabbi Matondo, and Nathan Moriah-Welsh was given a straight dismissal for a lunge on John Lundstram.

Fabio Silva's goal soon after wrapped things up. There is more injury trouble for the Belgian boss ahead of Thursday's Europa League round of 16 tie with Benfica, after Ryan Jack, Dujon Sterling and Ross McCausland all picked up fresh injuries before and during proceedings. That tie is poised at 2-2.

They join Aberdeen, Celtic and either of Morton or Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final shake-up. Speaking post-match, the boss named four stars who are currently hitting his demand of being able to play every few days without exception.

He said: "I think it's clear if you look now and four months ago there is a huge change. You see in all the stats of the team there is a huge change but we are not there yet where I want them to be.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"For that I need the preparation, what they missed clearly. Still people are falling out, coming back and others falling out. There are only a few players who are really ready for what I want. That is a competitive team that's there every three days with that intensity.

"We have a few. Connor Goldson, John Souttar, John Lundstram, James Tavernier are proving that. There are a few players growing in that way. I want the total squad to be ready for that but for that you need more training that I cannot do at the moment because we have all these games.

"The most important thing is the solidarity. Everybody is working hard for the team in whatever position and doing the job there. That is why we get these results."

He added on the game: "It was a hard place to come to. After a massive European night that cost us a lot of energy. They had all week to prepare this game and in really good form the last couple of games. We played a really mature game."

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice