You only get one chance to make a good first impression. As a man and a manager, Philippe Clement has certainly made the most of his opportunity at Ibrox.
On the pitch, the Belgian has delivered the League Cup and European progression and rekindled title aspirations that were on the verge of being extinguished. Off it, he has raised standards, boosted morale and fixed a fractured relationship between the supporters and the squad that he inherited from Michael Beale.
All of those factors have not been lost on Connor Goldson. The defender has, after all, seen and done so much during his Ibrox career and knows as well as anyone within the group what life is like when things are going well and what unfolds when events take a turn for the worse.
Clement has achieved so much in a short space of time, but the hard work is far from over. A training camp in La Manga this week has allowed everyone to take stock of where Rangers are and where they are heading. Goldson believes it is in the right direction.
“Really good,” Goldson said when asked about Clement’s impact at Ibrox. “He is clear and precise in everything he wants, he demands high standards in everything that we do and 100 per cent in everything that we do. I think he has gained the respect very quickly of the team in every area, tactically, the way he wants to play, discipline around the club, respect for other people and the way he wants you to train.
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“There are no easy days and there are no days where you are able to give, 60, 70, 80 per cent in training. I love that. It is the way that I am and it is something that this place has craved for a long time.
“The club needed someone to come in and say ‘It is my way or the high way’ and I think that is what he has done. He set his precedent very early and you can see in some team selections or decisions that he has made that it is his way or you are not going to play. That means that everyone is on board and everyone is pulling in the same direction.
“At the same time, he is a good man manager and a good people person, he speaks well and clearly. He is honest, which I think is the only thing you can ask for as a player. I think that is why he will get the best out of this club.”
The first months of Clement’s tenure were impressive but not perfect. A draw at Aberdeen and controversial Old Firm defeat rank as missed opportunities in the Premiership but Rangers remain very much in the race as they prepare for the second half of the season.
Games in hand against Hibernian and Ross County offer the prospect of whittling down Celtic’s advantage at the top of the table. Their Scottish Cup bid begins next weekend against Dumbarton and the Europa League is a shining light in the distance.
Clement’s side will face Hertha Berlin before returning to Glasgow in the coming days and the visit of FC Copenhagen will see preparations stepped up once again. Momentum has been built and the feelgood factor around Ibrox must now be maintained to keep Rangers on the right track.
“I really hope so,” Goldson said. “That is why I signed a contract, that is why I stayed here. The feeling of winning here is a feeling I don’t think you can get anywhere else and that is what I want to do and why I work so hard every day. One to be in the best condition that I can be and two to help this football club.
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“I know at the end of the season that is all you get judged on and I know every single weekend that is all you get judged on, the results and if you win a game of football. I hope so. I have still got two-and-a-half more years and I hope by the end of it there will be a lot more trophies.
“Work hard every day and we will see where the process takes us. That’s the only way to do it, the only way I know how to do it. If you look too far ahead it causes nerves and anxiety so there’s no point. Work hard every single day, bring your best self and what will happen will happen.
“The only thing we can do as a team is work our hardest every single day, listen to the manager and get his points as quickly as possible and see how we can develop. The better we develop the more wins and points we will get. Hopefully, at the end of the season, we end up in the big months with titles on the horizon. Work hard every day that’s all you can do.”
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