Vaclav Cerny admits to sweating over his missed chances against Malmo and Lyon. As a new father, he isn’t getting much rest but is hopeful for peace of mind after scoring twice against St Johnstone.
Cerny’s loan at Gers has been a rollercoaster. He wowed fans with a goal in his first start against Motherwell but has frustrated them by missing key chances. He missed a clear shot in Sweden, and although the team won 2-0 against Malmo, his failure to score against Lyon led to a damaging 4-1 defeat at Ibrox.
Cerny is busy at home supporting his partner, Denisa Kokorova, as they care for their six-month-old daughter, Ella.
However, he confesses that his sleep has been interrupted by recurring memories of those missed chances.
After his brace for the Saints, he noted that Sunday was a mental challenge and admitted waking up at night over his missed chances. He added that scoring two goals benefits a striker after tough times.
“So I’m very glad I could do that on Sunday. I think when you win 2-0 and you score two goals, that’s major for the team, and that’s obviously what matters the most. It’s a clean sheet, it’s a 2-0 win, and that’s all that matters. Will I sleep easier tonight? I don’t know, the baby decides!”
Cerny was crucial in advancing Gers as the Saints tried to limit space. His skillful turn and left-footed finish created the breakthrough.
After the break, he boosted Rangers’ lead with a pass from Ianis Hagi, maneuvering past Lewis Neilson for a precise right-footed shot that secured the win.
Cerny knows it would have been easy for Clement to bench him after his Lyon mistake but values his manager’s support after their honest conversation.
He said: “Yeah we had a long talk and he helped me a lot, I’m not going to deny that. For me, it’s all about giving this trust he has in me back, but also back to the guys, because in the past weeks I’ve missed big chances.
“I still try to play my best game I can to give it to the team, but obviously, I’m here to be decisive, assist goals, and I know that.
“It’s been tough for me, but I think this is the best answer possible. So, appreciation from my side, for the trust and everything from the gaffer, and let’s go from here.”
Cerny is still adjusting to the distinct levels of pressure that come with playing at Ibrox.
The former Ajax star displayed his frustrations during last week’s victory over Hibs when he reacted angrily to the fans in the West Enclosure after they booed his choice not to take on his full-back.
He ignored the online criticism by deactivating his Instagram account last week after facing another wave of social media backlash due to his miss against Lyon.
However, he doesn’t blame the Ibrox fans for their high expectations.
“As I said, it’s been tough for someone like me, who is always willing to give my all, and sometimes I show it too much, as we all saw [against Hibs],” he explained. But that’s just me. I want to do as best as I can every single time and once you guys get to know me a bit better, you will see that.
“This was my bad reaction, it’s alright, it’s in the past, but it’s because I want to help as much as I can. From my side, I have no message for the supporters. They have all the rights, but from my point of view, to support.
“I think I will speak for everyone, we all want to give our best every single time, and I think sometimes we don’t realise it.
“It’s our job to do the football part, but believe me, we all want to give our all every single time.”
Cerny has been in Glasgow for just 10 weeks, but he isn’t using that as an excuse.
“Trying to settle in to a new city is tough but in the end, I don’t care if anybody understands or not, it’s part of the game, and it’s your choice to join the club, and it’s your job to be ready as soon as possible,” he said.
“I wasn’t struggling in the beginning, obviously, and so that’s on me, all of that.
“But in the end, you’ve got a family; you need to settle in.
“It’s not only you playing football, that’s not important now, but in the end, it’s about how you react to things, and I think Sunday was a good reaction, and I want to build on this.
“I’ve scored three goals now, but it could have been six already.
“I’m just showing you how I’m thinking, so I always demand the best from me, and those two chances I’ve missed were big ones, and I know that.
“But it’s in the past, so it’s three now, and let’s go on.”
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