Here's what the manager had to say during his post-match press conference.
What did you make of the game overall?
It was a really good performance against a team I respect a lot. They’d won three out of the four games against the Old Firm this season. It’s a difficult team to break because they’re really organised with a lot of physicality, we had to be on our toes but we showed a lot of quality with three really good football goals, with good combination play and we could have scored more. A really positive afternoon. The challenge was that it was at the end of a really busy period. We had 11 games in 37 days, we had a lot of injured players - at one stage we had eleven players out. I had the feeling at some moments I was pulling an elastic band at its maximum and it could break at any moment. But the players played to their limits and over their limits at some moments. At the end if you can give this performance it means the team is growing a lot. I’m happy they can have a short break to recover, mentally and physically, before we start a hard month in January with a good training camp. I’ve told them I’m really proud of them because in eleven weeks a lot has happened. I’m proud of what they’re doing and that they’re growing. They need to relax now to make a strong re-start to the season. There are still a lot of challenges for us but we will have more time to grow and become better.
How did you assess Ridvan Yilmaz's performance?
I think it was the best performance I’ve seen from Ridvan so far. He’s also one of the players who are growing. But I have to say that about a lot of players if I compare it to 11 weeks ago how they played then and how they are playing now. I see a lot of players who are growing and that’s the road we need to take.
The reaction you wanted from Parkhead?
Yes because those are not easy things. I said it also in the opposite way after the win in Betis. Three days later we then had to be there again and performing under all the pressure to win a trophy after so many year. They showed resilience, concentration, ambition and today they showed that also. This is one of the dangerous games where you’d be disappointed not to win. It’s a few hours away from going on a break. It’s the festive time where all the family are around you having a good time with drinks, food and a good life. But they had to recover really fast and then perform. But they are doing that. They are on the right road. They understand my story, which is also important. This is that life is much better when you are ambitious every day. If you go in satisfied about what you did, then you go down. I see a team who wants to become better. I see a lot of players making this evolution. Now they can switch off. I told them in the dressing room they can switch off for a few days. Of course they need to do their programme. They cannot let their body to nothing for five or six days and then have a hard training camp, because then your at risk of injuries. But outside of that they really need to switch off and enjoy their time with their families.
How active will you be in the transfer window?
Very active every day, by looking at a lot of players together with people in the club. And then we will see what we can make happen. The things we want. We are not going to sign 10 players also.
Happy with Favio Silva's debut?
First I think it’s always great if a player does good things in training - and he did yesterday – to give him minutes at Ibrox. That’s a magical place to play the first time and he had to feel it also. Then you go also with that feeling into this break. It’s different to when you are on the bench all the time. He understands the story because we had a lot of talks before he came about football about how I see players playing. We spoke about several positions – not only one – where he can play. And how I see that. He could have gone to places where he could earn much more money, but he came for the football story and for the tradition of the club also and to win trophies because he is somebody who is really ambitious. It was good for him to get his first impression of things and in that 20 minutes, you didn’t have the feeling it was a player who didn’t know his teammates. So that is already a very positive thing because it is not easy as an attacking player to come into a new team where you don’t know the other guys or how to run and play or who gives decisive balls or who likes to dribble. You need to get a connection with them and you see already that he is a player who will suit the way we want to play football.
Great to have Nico Raskin back?
It’s important that we get players back and Nico worked really hard all this time to come back as fast as possible. It was a reward from my side to him that he could take a few minutes and get the feeling again of being on the pitch after all the hard work he has done. He could have taken one week to be ready for the training camp but he was hungry to be back as fast as possible. I am happy I could give him something back.
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