The Scottish Premiership returns following the international break, and while the manager has been impressed with the group in his first four weeks in charge, he wants them to continue to step-up moving forward.
Sitting down with the media at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference, Clement said: “We must step up if we want to keep the same results, we have to step up, there is no other choice.
“I don't want players who are satisfied and think that that is their level, I think in this group with a lot of work and a lot of concentration they can still grow a lot as a team and as individuals.
“That is what they need to show now in these next five and a half weeks, and it is going to be game by game. I hope we can win 12 games, that is my goal every time, I hope we can win the next 40 games, I want to win every time. I know there will be bumps on the way and we just need to focus now first on Aberdeen, and I want the players to only be busy with that.”
With a number of players returning to the squad from injury, Clement gave an update as he highlighted the importance of everyone being ready heading into the run of 12 games in 37 days.
He continued: “I will touch wood, and I will talk now about who is out because it is a shorter list than who is back, and I hope to keep it that way. Nico Raskin is still out, and Ryan Jack is doubtful, he is not out yet, but he is doubtful. Kemar Roofe is starting to train with the team, he has done some full sessions and he had other days where he was working separately, and all the rest have trained normally.
“The important thing now is we go into the next series of games of 12 games in 37 days, so we are going to need a fit squad. We are going to need a large number of players to make a good rotation so that every second they are on the pitch they can go 100 per cent and they can go maximum because that is the kind of football we want to see with the high tempo.
“It is going to be really important to keep everybody fit and I told them this morning also when I looked in this auditorium almost all of them have played in these seven games, so it is five games more in the next set and they all need to show that they are ready.
“I am satisfied with the level of training, the focus, the concentration and the dedication so that needs to continue but I know also the first weeks with the new manager it is always a honeymoon. Everything is new and everybody is expecting the chance, and we start with a white page, now we need to see players who are not playing the first two or three games if they stay sharp.”
When asked if he can take anything from September’s defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox, Clement says he expects a different game as he comes up against Derek McInnes’ side for the first time.
He continued: “The past is the past and every game has its own story. There are other players available now on both sides. We need to focus on ourselves, if we would've won the last game 6-0 it would not have been a different preparation towards this game.
“It has been a really interesting first four weeks, I gave several challenges to the team and every time they have reacted really well. There were some challenges along the way also if I think for example our game at Ibrox against Hearts we came back in the last five minutes, so the team reacted really well in a mental way also and in a physical way to score these two goals in five minutes.
“There will be more games like that in the next couple of weeks where we need to be at our top and be strong in our head and our legs and together with good movement and with confidence.
“Everybody understands the story we want so we are totally focused on that with players, with staff, with everybody also in training with players to change a lot. If you always do the same with the same players it is easier, in this period we need to change so everybody needs to be ready to play with each other and creating this connection it is really important.”