It’s all about the players, the club, and the supporters.
As things are about to heat up in the Viaplay Cup decider between their Rangers and Aberdeen clubs, you could have put on the kettle for Philippe Clement and Barry Robson to deflect attention from themselves with such corny pre-cup final comments.
The sophisticated Belgian and his modest counterpart are partially correct. Digging into the match-up with an intensity that goes beyond the two Glasgow titans’ rivalry is like drilling to the centre of the planet since there are so many intriguing layers to it. The Ibrox club will have the chance to add to their 27 victories from 2011 at the end of the first domestic competition of the season. They have won more titles than any other team in Scottish football. Just as it presents Aberdeen with the opportunity to bring an end to an almost ten-year drought for trophies, the three-earn League Cup trophy was the nation’s final trophy to be decorated in red and white back in 2014.
It doesn’t matter that this is a finale with extravagance to heighten the suspense. Such an occasion, contested by two teams coming off of impressive results in continental competition, has rarely occurred in recent memory. Rangers defeated Real Betis 3-2 on Thursday night to secure a spot in the Europa League’s round of 16, marking their first victory over a home team in Spain. Shortly after Aberdeen’s first European victory over a team from one of the traditional major five nations in forty-nine years, they defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0. Unfortunately, the victory came too late to keep Aberdeen in the Conference League.
Despite all of these delicious components, the Viaplay Cup final’s significance for the two guys in the technical department serves as the main meal. That is not how Clement wants to see the confrontation. However, wouldn’t he? He finds it inconceivable that the incredible turnaround he has brought about in his eight weeks in charge—which might see his team surpass a struggling Celtic by the end of the season in a title race that seemed lost after taking over a depleted squad from the ousted Michael Beale—could be jeopardised at Hampden. If he is unable to extend his winning streak as manager to 14 games on Sunday afternoon, it will all be for nothing. He has the opportunity to make history by being the first new Rangers manager to win a trophy as soon as possible, since Alex McLeish did so 21 years ago.
The former Aberdeen captain used a League Cup victory as a springboard to win five successive domestic titles. Clement’s evaluation of the game is crucial, to say the least. The big former defender stretched himself to the limit to declare with audacity that he knew what he would do with the Ibrox squad in the long run. He declared, “I know we are going to win trophies.” “I am certain of it; I am not in doubt about that. However, there is no assurance for the future. That’s not to say that whatever occurs will have no bearing on the remainder of the season. There are those who claim that this game will determine the season. No.
“I want my guys to focus on the game, not on noise or perception. That’s what journalists do, and it matters since it’s our line of work and the reason football fans argue about whether players are better than others. However, I want my guys to avoid the commotion. They must put their all into it and have faith in themselves. Nobody, in my opinion, is ever at their best every day. People can experience terrible luck or a bad day; this also applies to gamers. I’m looking for players who don’t back down and always give it their all. If they make a mistake, they ought to respond right away with assurance and positivity.
Clement might be speaking of Aberdeen, who under Robson have been the season’s biggest surprises. With performances against Frankfurt and extended periods in their two European matches against PAOK, no team has been closer to denying the Belgian a home defeat than they were at Pittodrie three weeks prior – Rangers needed a penalty in the 94th minute to salvage a 1-1 draw. As a result, throughout his ten months in charge, Robson’s record versus the team’s fiercest opponents is two victories, one draw, and one loss. During Beale’s disastrous 10-month term, one of the victories—a 3-1 one around Ibrox at the end of September—administered the last rights.
Robson is currently faced with a crossroads. He has the chance to become the first Aberdonian in complete control of team matters to win a trophy for the club; Jocky Scott achieved this feat in 1990–91 while serving as co-manager alongside the more outgoing Alex Smith during the cup double-winning campaign. The 45-year-old remarked, “It’s why I understand the fans more.” Since I am one of them, they are a demanding group. I can therefore relate to the supporters better. I am a manager, so even if some other managers would walk in and say, “Wow,” I know them and what they are. I grew raised in Inverurie and was born in Aberdeen. I am aware of the significance it has for each and every resident.Right now, that is not even on my mind.
To win over a team that his accordion-style strategy of squeezing play out of possession to draw opponents in while attempting to break swiftly on the counter has proven problematic for, he may need to privately assess the alternatives. The attention will soon turn to Robson’s part in Aberdeen’s unsatisfactory 10th place in the Premiership, despite having the third-biggest budget in the nation, if he fails to secure a special place in the club’s history and arrange for just the third open-top bus parade down Union Street in the previous 33 years. At Hampden, managerial credibility is definitely on the line in addition to the bauble at stake.
