PHILIPPE Clement says he can see his team growing ‘month by month’ as they prepare for Sunday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
It’s a huge match in the Scottish Premiership, and since the teams last faced each other back in December, Clement has been happy with the progress made by his side.
Speaking to the media at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference, he said: “It is always a big game. It is a six-point game, and we have another one in a few weeks also, but it is not yet a decisive game.
“I am happy with what I have seen about my team since the last Old Firm. We have had 11 games, we took 30 points out of 33 and we could have taken more points in the Motherwell game so it could've been better than that.
“We scored more goals than Celtic in that period and conceded less goals so that is really good consistency, but it is not a guarantee for anything.
“I love it, I am not nervous, I am excited, and I am looking forward to it. This is something you need to embrace not to be nervous about. These are great afternoons and I have a lot of confidence in my squad and our fans.
“We know we will be playing against a good team who will compete and there will be a lot of quality from both sides. These are the things you want for your players, and it is the only way to grow as a player, to have challenges, to have tough games, and to play against good opponents.”
On team news, Clement says a decision on Ridvan’s fitness will be made ahead of the game as the left-back recovers from injury.
He continued: “I am not sure yet on Ridvan, so we are going to see tomorrow or Sunday to make a decision on that. Everybody else is available who was available in the last game so the only three players out are Ryan Jack, Danilo and Oscar Cortes.
“Ridvan has been training but not enough with the team for the moment to be sure that he is in the squad, but he has been training. We work really hard on our structure, discipline, our tasks, on our confidence and it is also about building this month after month with new experiences.
“The more experiences they have together on the pitch the better they will get, and it is another good challenge in that way. It is about building consistency in a group of players, not in 11 players but in 28 and this consistency to do this job every day.”
Clement says he wants his side to be focused to control the outcome of the game on Sunday.
He continued: “I like my mathematics, statistics and all those things but I know football is something else, football is emotion, changing of scenarios and not one season has been the same.
“I have now been in football for more than 30 years and I have seen so many twists and changes. I have been lucky that a lot of times it went my way but a few times also not so that is football.
"You have to control what you can control and that is our own performance so I don't want mathematicians in my dressing room, I want players, and I want passionate players who give their best every day for their team and that is what I have been seeing in the last couple of months and we will continue that way whatever is the result.”