Philippe Clement answers Rangers red card question as he tells fans what REALLY matters about La Manga bootcamp

The Ibrox boss was handed his marching orders during the friendly with Hertha Berlin after a blast following a foul on Scott Wright.

According to Andy Newport in Spain, Philippe Clement was sent out in La Manga and forced to go for a lengthy, lonely walk.

The Rangers manager, nevertheless, is adamant that his players will be moving ahead as a cohesive unit following their sunny vacation in Spain. After Scott Wright was fouled during the kick-about match against the German second-tier team, the huge Belgian took aim at his linesman and was forced to sit on the naughty step by the extremely harsh local referee.

The Ibrox boss took his time digesting the call as he trudged back to the Gers dressing room, looking startled when the no-nonsense referee, who also sent down four yellow cards in a match that scarcely deserved that type of card count, pulled out the red. Clement refrained from providing extensive details regarding his remarks that led to his termination. However, he was more upbeat when discussing the advantages he believes the team’s workout in southern Spain this week will provide as they prepare for the second half of the season. The only letdown in the friendly match was Hertha captain Marc Oliver Kempf’s goal just before halftime, as the match ended in a narrow loss but Clement couldn’t be happier with his team’s efforts.

“What’s true is that the team has been working out extremely hard. A few fans stopped by to watch the squad train, and they were blown away by the level of energy. That’s what we constantly desire.

We felt a little bit lacking in freshness as a result, but it won’t be an issue because we will learn from this over the following few weeks. We have been practicing really hard up to this point, and the game was just one aspect of this week.

“I wanted to test how we could play with the majority of the ball and ourselves quite exhausted. We also had the best opportunity available. Well, the scoreline, but for the moment, that’s not what matters most to me.

“For me, the most important thing is that the team be together for the entire week, perform well, and be physically prepared to take the next steps in the coming weeks. We want to bring back veterans like Nico Raskin and bring in new players by giving them a sense of rhythm in the game.

The young lads’ integration with the team was also a positive development. However, I always want to prevail, and their goalie made some excellent saves.

In pursuit of some winter sun, Rangers had traveled to Spain. Although there was clear sky, the few hundred Scottish supporters who made it past the official corporate party were freezing and had to watch the game with their teeth chattering.

Given the efforts Clement’s had to make since coming on Wednesday, it was hardly surprising that the first half action was merely mediocre at best. They had been forced to work extremely hard, with double sessions meant to increase endurance in preparation for a demanding schedule of matches when they got back.

Clement made sure that as many players as possible got minutes by starting two different lineups in each half. His side will need to be as fit as possible because they have 15 games spread across three competitions in just 58 days.

Despite ongoing rumors of a possible transfer to Verona, Ridvan Yilmaz started the first half of the lineup, with Fabio Silva starting. As they began their comebacks from injuries, Nico Raskin and Rabbi Matondo were both in from the start. It was the Welshman who initially put German goalie Tjark Ernst to the test, cutting off the left wing before taking aim.

Michal Karbownik surged clear, leaving James Tavernier lagging and requiring a rescue from Leon Balogun. Berlin’s attempt to recover after being demoted from the Bundesliga the previous season hasn’t quite gone as planned; under Pal Dardai, the team is presently stuck in seventh position.

However, they displayed a great deal of threat on the counter and were on the verge of regaining possession when Todd Cantwell’s fresh-air swipe sent them rocketing ahead, necessitating yet another crucial intervention from Balogun. Linus Gechter, a defender for Hertha, did a commendable job of blocking a header from John Lundstram that appeared to be headed for the top corner.

However, it was the Berlin team who scored the lone goal right before the referee blew for halftime, when Kempf glanced home from a corner created by Marten Winkler. At the half, Clement changed up his squad, with Cyriel Dessers, Scott Wright, Jose Cifuentes, Jack Butland, and Connor Goldson adding some experience to the otherwise inexperienced group.

Berlin also made a string of changes but substitute Bilal Hussein took his time getting up to game speed as he repeatedly gave away possession. Wright was quickly onto his first stay pass but dragged wide, while Cifuentes blazed over after doing the same soon after.

Goldson held his hand up after being robbed by Derry Scherhant as he thanked Butland for coming to the rescue with a big save. Dessers was looking to impress following the arrival of fresh frontline competition in the shape of Silva but saw a stinging volley batted away by Ernst.

The German support team, who had traveled to the game, let off a rocket barrage, which was heard throughout the last few minutes of play. However, Cifuentes wasted yet another excellent opportunity after Dessers put him through on goal, so there were no late fireworks.