Rangers boss to look into players' eyes before vital St Johnstone match as he identifies on-pitch 'coach'

Clement confident players will retain focus after celebrations green light

He won league titles at Brugge both as a player and manager but it is only now, at nearly 50, that Philippe Clement has come to understand that it’s vital to properly enjoy success.

He was certainly intent on doing that at Hampden following the League Cup final victory over Aberdeen. Frolicking with the supporters was not necessarily something many expected to see from Clement, whose reign prior to this weekend has been defined by straight-backed, no-nonsense stewardship. But on Sunday he threw off the shackles as well as the baseball cap he had worn in the first half of the 1-0 victory to protect his bald head from the elements.

He then gave his players the green light to enjoy a few drinks on Sunday night – indeed, he said he would enjoy a few drinks with them. But while stressing how important it is to salute such achievements – “I did not do that enough during my career,” he said – Clement knows that Wednesday’s Premiership clash against St Johnstone, one of Rangers’ two games in hand over current leaders Celtic, is the next biggest game of the season.

Rangers manager Phillipe Clement celebrates with the fans after Sunday's League Cup final victory over Aberdeen (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Rangers can cut the gap between them and their rivals to two points. The manager will look closely for any signs of loss of focus although he is confident the players will be in top condition. They have already posted evidence of their professionalism following Thursday’s night’s milestone win over Real Betis, which was Rangers’ first-ever victory over Spanish opposition in Spain.

"I will look into their eyes and see how they are around the club and how they are in training,” he said. “But I have a good feeling around that. They have confirmed it already several times in the last couple of weeks. Even on Sunday, after the historical win in Seville, and with all the travelling and everything, giving a performance like that with all the travelling, being dominant and creating the best chances and staying focused for 90 minutes. I do not have doubts it will be different in the next weeks.”

Someone central to Rangers’ aims this season is John Lundstram. The midfielder has already proved vital during the recent upturn in fortunes, when he has maintained a high level of performance despite a revolving door of midfield partners. Some believed the midfielder’s best days in a Rangers shirt were behind him. The Liverpudlian turns 30 in February and is out of contract at the end of the season. A new deal is near the top of Clement’s to-do-list in the new year.

“I do not know how many midfielders he has played with already – there’s been Nico (Raskin), Cifo (Cifuentes), Ryan (Jack) and Tom (Lawrence) and now Dujon (Sterling) and they are all performing well," he said. "It has something to do with Lunny, because his coaching is good and he helps the team. He is an intelligent guy who understands the story. The way I want to play football, and dominant football, you need to find spaces, but every game is different. It depends how the opponents play. You need players who understand what to do with and without the ball. He is one of the guys who understands that."