Philippe Clement praised Rangers’ new signing Vaclav Cerny for his stunning goal against Motherwell at Hampden.
Philippe Clement has assured fans that Czech winger Vaclav Cerny has more to show. However, with the crucial Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night, Clement has yet to decide if Cerny will start. Cerny impressed for 55 minutes in Rangers’ 2-1 Premiership win over Motherwell. Clement is carefully managing Cerny’s fitness, but he acknowledges that Cerny will be an important player for the team this season.
Following the victory over Motherwell, the manager said: “That’s why we bought Vaclav – not only his goal but his combination play, his assist and his defensive work. He’s an experienced player who can help the team a lot in the way we want to play. So it’s positive for him today, and he scored a good goal – but that’s what we expected from him.”
“That’s why we put in a lot of effort to get him here. And, of course, there’s more to come from him. I had to take him off after 55 minutes. Physically, he has to take more steps after a four week holiday. But we are a club who is competing in the league and Europe.
“For him, it’s about being fresh every minute. Today, it was 55. Is he ready to start on Tuesday? That’s a good question. I have to see on Sunday how he reacts and I’ll speak with him.”
“I can’t make decisions just for Tuesday. It would be crazy just to think about Tuesday and then have a player out for a long time. I can only make the decision in the next couple of days, not now. I have an idea in my head but I need to be ready to adapt, like I’ve been doing for eight months here already.”
Clement’s team secured their first league victory against Stuart Kettlewell’s side, despite an equalizer from an own goal by Rangers’ new Dutch defender, Robin Propper, in the first half at Hampden. To advance to the Champions League play-off round, they must enhance their performance in their midweek match against the Ukrainians.
Clement fully understands the challenge ahead, with the tie level at 1-1 after the first leg in Poland. He said, “We need a very big performance on Tuesday night, comparable to the one in Lublin.”
“We will need good efficiency. We won’t get 19 shots like today or nine on target. So we’ll need to be really efficient because they’re a team that has shown a lot of quality.”
“We need to be on top of our game and to have everybody at their best level. Then we need 50,000 fans behind us to push us through difficult moments.”
“It’s been crucial at Ibrox and now it’s important at Hampden also. The fans are a little further away from the pitch here, and it’s different. So I hope they shout a little bit harder on Tuesday because it gives so much energy to my team.”
Cerny’s goal gave Rangers the lead against Motherwell after Propper’s own goal had leveled the score following Cyriel Dessers’ opening goal. Rangers played well in the first half but couldn’t secure the win after the break. Clement relied on a fantastic save by Jack Butland to stop a late equalizer from Zach Robinson.
The Belgian manager was satisfied with his team’s performance in their new setting. He commented: “There were many positive aspects today. We began the match strongly with good football, but you need a bit of luck to score early.”
“One moment across our box became the worst scenario. One defender touched the ball (John Souttar), then another (Propper) touched it, and it’s in the corner of our goal.”
“It was really lucky for us, but it didn’t create any doubt in my team. The only thing we missed today was a third or fourth goal, which we deserved.”
“It was always going to be an adaptation for us at Hampden, so it’s important to start with a win and have this feeling. Also, there was a connection with the fans, and I just wish we could have given them that third or fourth goal. We tried but didn’t succeed, and we had to be more efficient.”
Another of Clement’s summer recruits, Connor Barron, delivered a standout performance in the center of Rangers’ midfield. His manager said: “Connor is a young lad who wasn’t playing all the time at Aberdeen.”
“He’s taken big steps but is so hungry and determined to play for this shirt. We’re seeing him grow every week, and we don’t want just players from all over the world – we want really good Scottish players here, too.
“He’s going to be the future of Rangers and a very important player.”
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