Expect any transfer business?
I think we frontloaded early in terms of recruitment. There might be a loan for one of the younger members of the squad, but unless I receive a phone call in the short term, then it won't be one that is drawn out late into the evening. I think with nine players coming into the squad, I think it's important that the squad is given time to settle down. We don't have any injuries at this moment in time, so the squad is looking healthy. The squad size has come down in size and in average age. We're okay, we're good to go. Naturally, every manager is going to sit here and say they want one more, but if we don't, we are happy with the squad moving forward.
Was the plan to be busy early in the window?
The board really supported the plan. James and I looked at the squad going into the summer. We had a number of players moving on, and an ageing squad in some areas, but the contract situation enabled us to refresh the squad in terms of age and rethink assets moving forward. We are sticking with that plan and onwards and upwards with this group of players.
Prepare new boys for Old Firm debut?
It's the one that they signed to play in. If you are signing for either of the clubs in Glasgow, this is the game you know that is first and foremost in your mind. I've got no issues with any of the players going into the game and being ready for it
Barisic fit?
Borna's fine. He had a scan, he should train tomorrow and be available for selection. The only one is whether Kieran Dowell makes it with a slight knock to his knee. That will be touch and go. Kemar Roofe and Tom Lawrence will come back into the squad. They're fine and trained very well this morning. They are both in a fantastic place.
Added options…
I think Kemar coming back last week was a bit of a shock for everyone outside to see him in the starting line-up, but he rewarded us with a goal, a goal that probably only Kemar scores in our squad. We know what he brings to our team as a leader but also as a focal point. If Kemar's fit and healthy moving forward then that is really good news for Rangers.
READ MORE: What went wrong for Rangers against PSV?
How is the squad after PSV?
We're bitterly disappointed, not only for ourselves but for our fans and the football club in general. You want to play and challenge yourself at the biggest level and I think in the home leg we did well in certain aspects of the game, we could have had a better result going over to Eindhoven. Big moments over the two legs we didn't execute well, and we didn't defend well enough. I think they are a very, very good team but the scoreline is regrettable. In both legs we conceded, certainly at 2-1 at home we conceded within three minutes and away within a minute.
We know that's not good enough. We really wanted to go and compete at that level, but it's not to be. Domestically we wanted to be in the League Cup going up to the international break and we are, we have a home draw, and we want to be top of the league, so we have a real aim this weekend that we can still reach by going into the break top of the league. That gives us a chance to have a reflection. A lot has changed since June until now and if we can go into the international break in a good place, then we set up the season.
Looking forward to Europa League?
It’s a competition we know well. The club budgets for us being in the Europa League and for being in it after Christmas. That’s the aim.
We wanted to play in the Champions League, I’m not going to walk away from the disappointment of not making it. Our schedule remains the same but we lose our Sundays until Christmas now because we’ll play Sundays.
I think we’re in a really interesting group and the aim is to get out of that group and be in the Europa League into the New Year.
Satisfied with the draw?
Well, we could have drawn Brighton or Sporting Lisbon I suppose, so looking at that way...listen Prague got an unbelievable result against Zagreb and that’s a rivalry in terms of we’ve played them before and we know them well.
For the fans to go back to Seville, playing Betis, will bring back nice fond memories on the competition and Limassol are a team we don’t know so well in terms of not playing them before.
Let’s see. what we know is that we’ll need our whole squad because we are playing three games a week all the way through to the Christmas break and it’s important to use the strength of the squad moving forward.
I think the squad is well balanced but I think the team has a lot to prove. I’ve got a lot to prove as a coach and there’s a lot of opportunity for us moving forward.
You said you wanted a left-sided CB and Kent replacement...hasn’t happened?
We went a long way down the road for a left-sided centre-back earlier in the window to provide competition for Ben Davies. We were priced out by a Premier League club who paid more than we were willing to pay. That was the Board and me. We thought the fee paid was outside the value of that player.
In terms of getting a dribbler for wide areas, we also wanted to see if someone from inside could take a step up and we got a bit step up from Rabbi Matondo and the return of fitness from Tom Lawrence, which gives me a lot of optimism.
By the time we get back from the international break, I think Tom will be ready to start and become a main player in our team again.
Ben Davies came into pre-season injured from an injury he got at the end of last season. He’s been fit for the last two weeks but I feel John Souttar has been playing well enough to keep him out of the team. I feel we have adequate players to get us to where we want to be.
Message for fans re Wednesday?
It’s expected when the scoreline was the way it is. A club of our stature should not accept that either.
We knew it would be tough. They are a very good team and we tried to find a way to stay with them and compete. In the home leg, we did that.
Message to angry fans after PSV?
No. it’s expected when the scoreline is the way it is. We don’t like that, a club of our stature and our size. We should never accept that either. There was reason for it in the game we were in. We knew it was going to be tough, I think they are an excellent team. They are a very, very good team and we tried to find a way to compete and stay with them as best as we could and in the home leg we did that.
I thought there were some difficulties for us in the game, everyone can see that and we need to improve. Thankfully we are not playing a team of that level week in, week out. They are a good team and the season will prove that.
We apologise to the fans for the margin of the result. It’s not nice, it’s not something that you ever like. We really wanted to take the fans and the club back to the Champions League.
What’s important now is that we show a big response in the coming weeks in the domestic games. The most important thing for me as the head coach is for us to be strong domestically in the cup competitions and the league. Europe is an extra. We want to punch above our weight and go as far as we can. But we need to get things right domestically and that’s my focus right now.
Right now the Europa League draw today gives some daylight from the clouds that have been hanging over us the last few days because that becomes very real on the schedule in front of us. There is optimism that we can get out of this group and get into the knockout phase again.
Does Sunday offer the perfect opportunity to bounce back?
Of course, it does. If we can go into the international break on the back of a win this weekend I think we are in a really good place. We will be able to assess this first period in terms of bringing in new players up to September. We will always want to improve in the way that we play, but as I say the last two league games we’ve had two cleans sheets, we’ve scored six goals, six different goalscorers, we’ve had the most shots in the league. So we are moving in the right direction.
I must pick the bones out of Wednesday night at the right time. It would be remiss of me to do that in between Wednesday and this huge game on Sunday. It’s important that we dust ourselves down and we show a big response as a team and as a club. It’s a great opportunity and the eyes of everybody will be on us for sure.
How vital to win the home games?
Listen our home form and our away form is going to be paramount. I think both teams have made quite a few changes. Us more, it is fair to say. More key players turning over. It’s important that this new group make their own history and their own legacy. The Old Firm games are going to be vitally important over the season if you look at the points total both teams have.
Since I came back into the club in November we have gone neck and neck and all the way through. We have fallen second best. This time the aim is to not fall second place and these games are vitally important. It is only the fourth league game of the season. There are 34 to go afterwards and I think there will be lots of twists and turns, certainly when we have been in European competitions and then coming into league games at the weekend.
But the importance of these games to this squad, and to the fans, going into the September international break, it will set a narrative for sure.
Important to manage the emotions esp new players?
It is important you play the 11 players you are playing against and not the occasion. It’s an old cliché but it is very much true. Both teams have shown signs of getting it together after a bit of change. One team will come out at the weekend in a better place than the other if there’s a winner. Our aim and our focus is on that. It’s important we put in a strong performance for our fans.
How big is Sunday’s game?
It’s important that you play the eleven players you are playing against and not the occasion. It is an old cliché or old wording in that but it is very much true. Both teams are showing signs of getting it together after a bit of change. One team will come out of it at the weekend if there is a winner, that is for sure. Our aim and our focus is on that and it is important that we put in a strong performance for our fans.
Used a lot of different combinations in attack, do you think that will change as the season progresses?
I think naturally things will settle down. With the League Cup being so early in the season, it was a natural moment to give people a chance to play so we made a lot of changes in that one. Kemar being fit, probably a little bit ahead of schedule and his form in training and his leadership qualities, I wanted him to play last week. There have been changes for different reasons. Over time you will see a much more settled team, for sure, and it is important that people make the shirt their own. You are right in that the positive point is that all the players have scored and contributed. They can all do more and I think over the season they will show more. I think defensively, as a team, certainly, there are areas we can improve on.
Rabbi Matondo back in Wales squad…
It shows how quickly things can change for a player. A lot of traffic moved out of his way in the summer, if you want, with Fashion and Ryan Kent going and that is predominantly the area that he wants to play in, it is where he had his whole junior career with Man City before moving across to Germany and his loan spell in Belgium. He was shifted around a little bit. He has had some consistency in terms of his training and the feedback he has had and, as I say, he can see that there is a real opportunity for him to play. I thought he had some really bright moments in Eindhoven on Wednesday and last weekend at Ross County as well. It is a reward for his focus going into pre-season and I have been delighted for him. There is no doubt that at 22, with the money he has moved for and the clubs he has played for, he is a talent. It has taken him longer than he would want and what everyone would have wanted for him to settle here at Rangers but in the last four or five weeks I think he has made giant strides in the right direction. We applaud that and we encourage him to keep going for sure.
Were you interested in Luis Palma?
Nothing between me and the player. It was very late into last season into early pre-season when someone from his club was pushing him around. We could have taken him on loan maybe with an obligation at the time but it wasn’t one that we were willing to do.
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