Sterling - “I don’t know if the belief is there…”

[Spit the dog]

I think Clement has badly managed this interview and actually his last one as well.

 

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

I think Clement has badly managed this interview and actually his last one as well.

Managing interviews badly I don't care about, his management of the team the past few games is a bit more concerning.

 

[Kaybo]

They've absolutely scunnered me, our support falls for the same shit every season.
On Wednesday night I didn't even get angry watching that garbage, just a performance we have seen over and over.
We were told to back the team as our support would drive them on only to be hit with this fkn nonsense.

I was exactly the same, watched it right through and didn’t get angry, I just accepted that this is the usual from our team nowadays when it comes to the crunch. My uncle said he went to his bed after 60 mins, he couldn’t be bothered anymore.
If any of the players, management or board read comments on here please please realise this is what this does to the support, it is genuinely soul destroying. Rangers players should not chuck it ever but to do it season after season is unforgivable.
I’m going on Sunday, but in all honesty I couldn’t care less one way or another, that’s where I’m at and that’s for a Scottish cup semi final.

 

[Angus Young]

It was Clement coming out with the interview that was out of order, not Sterling.

Sterling is being thrown under the bus by committing the sin of telling the obvious truth.

 

[Spit the dog]

Managing interviews badly I don't care about, his management of the team the past few games is a bit more concerning.

Goes hand in glove.

 

[Georanger33]

I was exactly the same, watched it right through and didn’t get angry, I just accepted that this is the usual from our team nowadays when it comes to the crunch. My uncle said he went to his bed after 60 mins, he couldn’t be bothered anymore.
If any of the players, management or board read comments on here please please realise this is what this does to the support, it is genuinely soul destroying. Rangers players should not chuck it ever but to do it season after season is unforgivable.
I’m going on Sunday, but in all honesty I couldn’t care less one way or another, that’s where I’m at and that’s for a Scottish cup semi final.

Struggling to get up for this cup game too, after the last 2 performances. Team have broke me.

 

[albert_left_peg]

A bit off topic but watching Man City documentary on Netflix and how Pep tore into the team after they lost to Southampton, he mentioned Sport and life is all about body language - he absolutely annihilated them about lack of desire, fight and hunger, and basically said unless they show it, the academy is ready.

I truly hope this was Big Phil’s true message behind close doors.

Our team should be hungry, they should be starving - but when you watch our performances they are not, they are is no desire or belief.

Sterling shows hunger and fight when he plays but the rest? Well most look like they are just going through the motions, the captain included.

 

[barcelonabear]

I want sterling in midfield and the team built around that solid base but I must say if one of our ‘leaders’ said that they would be getting slaughtered. And I’m someone who wants the core leaders gone asap

 

[Albus]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1781310805528441104

Does he say he knows we can NOT count on Dijon?
Try playing him to his strengths not at fucking left back because you can't manage a Barisic into giving a %^*&.

This is the first time I've felt a bit of dislike for our Manager.

 

[cooprfc]

A bit off topic but watching Man City documentary on Netflix and how Pep tore into the team after they lost to Southampton, he mentioned Sport and life is all about body language - he absolutely annihilated them about lack of desire, fight and hunger, and basically said unless they show it, the academy is ready.

I truly hope this was Big Phil’s true message behind close doors.

Our team should be hungry, they should be starving - but when you watch our performances they are not, they are is no desire or belief.

Sterling shows hunger and fight when he plays but the rest? Well most look like they are just going through the motions, the captain included.

See this is the thing- look how Pep acted there. Did he act like that in public? Nope.

That's what some are failing to grasp. Phil will be absolutely livid in private as will a number of the players. The public message is always calmer to keep outside noise and headlines away.

It shows how far entrenched people have become in their views that they are perhaps choosing not to recognise this.

This is how football is at every club.

 

[ICA_86]

I think Clement has badly managed this interview and actually his last one as well.

Very badly, in all honesty.

 

[Nescafe_loyal]

Does he say he knows we can NOT count on Dijon?
Try playing him to his strengths not at fucking left back because you can't manage a Barisic into giving a %^*&.

This is the first time I've felt a bit of dislike for our Manager.

Don't like this interview at all. Sterling handled his interview like a man and was honest and mature.

 

[paphosranger]

Lets be honest, the manager comes off as a twat in that interview. Not just the celtic dyke comparison.

 

[brain]

"We go again. We'll learn from this. We need to be better"

"It's not good enough. Playing like we're not in a title race. I question the mindset. Fans deserve better. They follow us everywhere".

I paraphrase of course but which quote do you think reflects the mood of our support more? The captain or the young lad that plays everywhere and anywhere and has the heart of a lion?

Get a grip. Tavernier is being criticised on this very thread for saying very similar in previous season, and he was crucified for it at the time by the way. Almost word for the word the same as Sterling. Our manager has just reprimanded Sterling for being too open. Tav is Captain and obviously has to be on script with the manager in that position. He literally can't win with some of our fans!

 

[Jock Battle Fever Wallace]

I

Get a grip. Tavernier is being criticised on this very thread for saying very similar in previous season, and he was crucified for it at the time by the way. Almost word for the word the same as Sterling. Our manager has just reprimanded Sterling for being too open. Tav is Captain and obviously has to be on script with the manager in that position. He literally can't win with some of our fans!

I agree with the part where you said Tav 'can't win'. Therein lies the problem with the man.

 

[alza75]

I think Clement has badly managed this interview and actually his last one as well.

Clement coming out and slating sterling for speaking the truth is a massive boo boo..... Wouldn't be surprised to see him dropped again tomorrow for that imposter barisic.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

Be mad to drop Sterling.

 

[punk]

I was exactly the same, watched it right through and didn’t get angry, I just accepted that this is the usual from our team nowadays when it comes to the crunch. My uncle said he went to his bed after 60 mins, he couldn’t be bothered anymore.
If any of the players, management or board read comments on here please please realise this is what this does to the support, it is genuinely soul destroying. Rangers players should not chuck it ever but to do it season after season is unforgivable.
I’m going on Sunday, but in all honesty I couldn’t care less one way or another, that’s where I’m at and that’s for a Scottish cup semi final.

I have been like this for the past few seasons, mate, i love Rangers but apathy set in a long time ago

 

[stillAlwaysblue]

I wont be at the game but could that fans have a banner for Sterling or give him a shout to show PC that we think Sterling is correct.
IF STerling does not play we should make our feelings known.

 

[cooprfc]

I wont be at the game but could that fans have a banner for Sterling or give him a shout to show PC that we think Sterling is correct.
IF STerling does not play we should make our feelings known.

But not everyone will.

As I've said above, I love his honesty. But I also recognise that Clement might not be pleased at that message getting out and creating noise.

What's being said in the dressing room.os different from the public message being put out. It always is at every club.

 

[Albertz78]

A bit off topic but watching Man City documentary on Netflix and how Pep tore into the team after they lost to Southampton, he mentioned Sport and life is all about body language - he absolutely annihilated them about lack of desire, fight and hunger, and basically said unless they show it, the academy is ready.

I truly hope this was Big Phil’s true message behind close doors.

Our team should be hungry, they should be starving - but when you watch our performances they are not, they are is no desire or belief.

Sterling shows hunger and fight when he plays but the rest? Well most look like they are just going through the motions, the captain included.

I hope he can remotivate this team but the Monaco messages are starting to worry me. The interviews, his delusional patter….anyone trying to defend that “I got a reaction” from the Ross county game to the Dundee game has their head in the sand.

We understand about the importance of keeping things in house, don’t wash your dirty laundry in public etc but to outright lie to the supporters who follow you everywhere (whether it was to the media or us is neither here nor there, the media platform is where we get to here from the gaffer and players).

Then again, is he lying or does he actually believe that Dundee performance was a suitable reaction to getting beat off RC for the first time in our history at such a Pivotal moment in the season???

 

[Albertz78]

Could you show us this quote, or did you just make that up?

 

[ronadamus_prime]

I hope he can remotivate this team but the Monaco messages are starting to worry me. The interviews, his delusional patter….anyone trying to defend that “I got a reaction” from the Ross county game to the Dundee game has their head in the sand.

We understand about the importance of keeping things in house, don’t wash your dirty laundry in public etc but to outright lie to the supporters who follow you everywhere (whether it was to the media or us is neither here nor there, the media platform is where we get to here from the gaffer and players).

Then again, is he lying or does he actually believe that Dundee performance was a suitable reaction to getting beat off RC for the first time in our history at such a Pivotal moment in the season???

This thread has just been in a constant state of rage since Wednesday night. I seriously don't know where people get the energy for it.

As for the gaffers time at Monaco, we don't know what caused it to go wrong there, but a big part of things coming apart at the seams there was the sale of his best players. Lost his key midfielder, and 2 of his starting centre halves, basically.

For the record, managers lie to the supporters all the time, and it's fairly daft to think otherwise. Clear to see, though, that the tide is turning on Clement and people are splitting into factions over it. Nobody quite does implosions like us. I get that people are mad because of our recent run of form, and because of this squad's history of choking in the big moments, but I don't see how taking sides and in fighting or bickering is going to improve things.

Sterling clearly spoke a little too candidly for the manager's liking. Which is completely fair, by the way, as much as we agree with Sterling's words on the matter. There's a reason that senior pros don't say the things that Dujon has said, and we're watching it unfold now on this thread. All it's done is add a layer of pressure to an already highly pressurised situation.

Honestly makes me despair.

 

[Kentbear]

Be mad to drop Sterling.

That will not happen.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

Clement needs to get the EPL references to f*ck. A few times he's done it now.

 

[artificialintoleranz]

How this has changed within a matter of weeks is baffling. Something must have happened behind the scenes.

I don't think it is anything other than bottle. The leadership group just doesn't have it.

 

[SDF]

Clement needs to get the EPL references to f*ck. A few times he's done it now.

His various comments in the past fortnight just seem bizarre and completely out of character compared to how switched on and rational he seemed in the six months previous.

 

[Pacman]

I can only imagine how frustrating it is to play football with Dessers as your main striker. He simply does not possess a first touch, the ball bounces off him every single time. For the players this must be a nightmare. It’s completely fucked our play not having a striker who can take it in.

Not just dessers, although your completely correct about him.

Co commentator on wed pointed out numerous times that our front 4 were offering absolutely zero movement.

There's nothing for anyone with the ball to do but pass it amongst the backline

 

[Bleedsroyalblue]

It didn't though. 19/20 yes, our form collapsed after Christmas, when one of the players you are picking on, Tavernier, was injured. Consensus at the time was that his injury was a huge reason for our loss of form. 21/22, we were dropping points all over from day 1. Malmo papped us out of the CL in August. Gerrard had lost it and we all knew it at the time. It wasn't a player mentality thing, the whole thing just went wrong and that started with Gerrard. It wasn't a collapse comparable to this to this one. 22/23, again, we were dropping points from the beginning. It wasn't a collapse, they hammered us 4-0 in September and were simply a far better team with better players and manager. And again, an injury to one of the players you are choosing to pick on was the number one reason for us dropping points (Goldson). We only dropped points in 1 single game outside the old firms that Goldson played in, and it was due to a red that wasn't a red to Lundstram at Easter Road.

You are massively oversimplifying this collapse under Clement if you think you can pin it on the mentality of only 3 players based on shoddy comparisons to previous seasons. Our tactics are a mess, we have been riddled with injuries and we look knackered. We don't have real quality players. There are lots of reasons for it but it certainly isn't the simplistic one you and most on this forum have gone with.

This bit is interesting. Post winter break 19/20 we played 10 league games, Tavernier played in 5 of them. We dropped more points in the 5 he played (losses to Kilmarnock and Hamilton and draw to St Johnstone) than in the 5 he didn't (loss to Hearts and draw to Aberdeen).

 

[Pacman]

I can understand what clement is saying. It was a little naive of Sterling to come out and give the press a headline. His point being that Van Dijk could’ve done the same recently and called out players but he used his experience and media training and didn’t call out his team mates.

I get us as fans like to hear stuff like that when it’s not going well but his teammates probably had something to say to him.

Sterling hasn't called out his teammates. He's understated, if anything, the obvious.

We've been utter shite the last few games

 

[Pacman]

The comments from the manager are a bit of an alarm bell that he doesn’t appreciate the mood of the fanbase or the nature of the job at the minute.Not as much of an alarm bell as picking the wrong team 3 games running - but worrying nonetheless.

I thought that after the OF 3-3, he rotated the squad and was happy with a point. That was 3 points dropped not 2

 

[Mallaig Thrillman]

Could you show us this quote, or did you just make that up?

He's paraphrasing (somewhat inaccurately) Tav's programme notes in which he said,

"Whenever anybody puts a bit of pressure on us in Scotland or gets in our face it seems to affect us too much.

"At the start of the season teams dropped off us and we were scoring four or five goals, but now they smell blood straight away and put us under pressure.

"We are not good enough domestically to react to that."

A fairly damning assessment of his own mental toughness and that of the players around him, some of whom continue to be regular picks to this day.

I can't remember another club captain of any team making such an admission and have actively followed the game for >50 years. He told others how to beat us.

 

[ibroxpark]

Quite h

A bit off topic but watching Man City documentary on Netflix and how Pep tore into the team after they lost to Southampton, he mentioned Sport and life is all about body language - he absolutely annihilated them about lack of desire, fight and hunger, and basically said unless they show it, the academy is ready.

I truly hope this was Big Phil’s true message behind close doors.

Our team should be hungry, they should be starving - but when you watch our performances they are not, they are is no desire or belief.

Sterling shows hunger and fight when he plays but the rest? Well most look like they are just going through the motions, the captain included.

Quite frankly they’d be aswell putting a couple of the B team midfielders in there tomorrow

 

[ronadamus_prime]

His various comments in the past fortnight just seem bizarre and completely out of character compared to how switched on and rational he seemed in the six months previous.

The supporters heads are completely gone though, seems as though we're actively looking for signs and behaviour because we need a better answer than it's a dip in form, injuries to key players and fitness issues catching up with us.

We were all basically announcing that Rodgers had lost the plot a few months ago, and they were going to implode because of the things he was saying in the press. Yet here we are a few months later and things have completely shifted. It's almost as if these press conferences are completely meaningless and don't really give the support the first clue about what is going on behind the scenes.

 

[SDF]

All he was doing was referencing how a more experienced and media-savvy player approached a post-match interview in a pressure situation. A perfectly reasonable point given the question he was asked

Can't help but think folks are making a mountain out of a molehill with this

Liverpool defender Van Dijk slams Holland teammates: Outrageous; just awful - Tribal Football

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk turned on his Holland teammates after their 2-2 draw with Montenegro.The result leaves their World Cup qualifying hopes in th

www.tribalfootball.com

"We were wide open" - Van Dijk criticises "individual mistakes"

There wasn't just one player at fault vs. Atalanta.

www.thisisanfield.com

Virgil van Dijk slams Liverpool teammates in damning post-match interview after Man Utd

Virgil van Dijk pulled no punches in his post-match interview following Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Man United.

www.sportbible.com

 

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

He's paraphrasing (somewhat inaccurately) Tav's programme notes in which he said,

"Whenever anybody puts a bit of pressure on us in Scotland or gets in our face it seems to affect us too much.

"At the start of the season teams dropped off us and we were scoring four or five goals, but now they smell blood straight away and put us under pressure.

"We are not good enough domestically to react to that."

A fairly damning assessment of his own mental toughness and that of the players around him, some of whom continue to be regular picks to this day.

I can't remember another club captain of any team making such an admission and have actively followed the game for >50 years. He told others how to beat us.

I know what the programme notes said.
The poster was a liar, ironically a word he used in his post.

 

[ronadamus_prime]

Liverpool defender Van Dijk slams Holland teammates: Outrageous; just awful - Tribal Football

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk turned on his Holland teammates after their 2-2 draw with Montenegro.The result leaves their World Cup qualifying hopes in th

www.tribalfootball.com

"We were wide open" - Van Dijk criticises "individual mistakes"

There wasn't just one player at fault vs. Atalanta.

www.thisisanfield.com

Virgil van Dijk slams Liverpool teammates in damning post-match interview after Man Utd

Virgil van Dijk pulled no punches in his post-match interview following Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Man United.

www.sportbible.com

He was referencing a specific interview, which took place on Thursday night, after the Atalanta game. He wasn't doing an overall comparison.

 

[SDF]

The supporters heads are completely gone though, seems as though we're actively looking for signs and behaviour because we need a better answer than it's a dip in form, injuries to key players and fitness issues catching up with us.

We were all basically announcing that Rodgers had lost the plot a few months ago, and they were going to implode because of the things he was saying in the press. Yet here we are a few months later and things have completely shifted. It's almost as if these press conferences are completely meaningless and don't really give the support the first clue about what is going on behind the scenes.

Rodgers has always been a weird one TBF. He's capable of being charming and smarmy in equal measure.

I'm not questioning whether the manager is losing it or questioning his leadership skills and this isn't about wanting him sacked or anything stupid like that. I just think that given how level headed and calm he's been about everything that's been thrown his way since he walked in the door that the last two weeks seems a complete 180 to me in terms of his comments.

It's been a surprise to me, that's all.

 

[ronadamus_prime]

Rodgers has always been a weird one TBF. He's equally capable of being charming and smarmy in equal measure.

I'm not questioning whether the manager is losing it or questioning his leadership skills and this isn't about wanting him sacked or anything stupid like that. I just think that given how level headed and calm he's been about everything that's been thrown his way since he walked in the door that the last two weeks seems a complete 180 to me in terms of his comments.

It's been a surprise to me, that's all.

It's not really surprised me. Nothing compares to Glasgow, when you're not doing well. It got to Gerrard and I didn't think it ever would, given his stature at Liverpool.

There's maybe a handful of jobs in world football that come close in terms of pressure, Barca and Real, a few others maybe.

 

[cooprfc]

I think we also need to remember, with regards comments straight after a game, that people can be a bit emotional or startled by what's went on just minutes before.

Look at some of the threads and takes on here immediately after a game.

As I've said above, I've coached and managed a good bit lower down the pyramid and had to do some social media interviews and a couple of interviews with the Sunday papers straight after games and they ask you questions about the game that sometimes you haven't even thought about immediately after as you're still trying to process what went on. Takes a good while for your brain to settle after taking charge of a game. Not every thought you have is immediately rational or accurate which is another reason people reach for fairly stock answers. Can only imagine what it's like with much bigger pressure and after a shattering game like the couple we've had in the last week.

 

[douzpwa]

Pardon the punt

Sterling is right on the money!

 

[Pacman]

He was referencing a specific interview, which took place on Thursday night, after the Atalanta game. He wasn't doing an overall comparison.

It's not very savvy when you know it's gonna be picked apart and dissected though.

People in here were claiming Clement would be unhappy with sterling airing dirty linen in public.

The manager has done the same. He could've body swerved the question

 

[BrooklynBlue]

Our previous manager tended to tell us one thing when we saw the opposite on the field.

Clement did similar on Wednesday.

It’s deflating to revisit the team throwing away an opportunity but I don’t think many want to be told Dens was a good performance and reaction to Dingwall. We all watched it.

An acknowledgement of what we saw would have been a little more reassuring than trying to deflect.

 

[Albertz78]

This thread has just been in a constant state of rage since Wednesday night. I seriously don't know where people get the energy for it.

As for the gaffers time at Monaco, we don't know what caused it to go wrong there, but a big part of things coming apart at the seams there was the sale of his best players. Lost his key midfielder, and 2 of his starting centre halves, basically.

For the record, managers lie to the supporters all the time, and it's fairly daft to think otherwise. Clear to see, though, that the tide is turning on Clement and people are splitting into factions over it. Nobody quite does implosions like us. I get that people are mad because of our recent run of form, and because of this squad's history of choking in the big moments, but I don't see how taking sides and in fighting or bickering is going to improve things.

Sterling clearly spoke a little too candidly for the manager's liking. Which is completely fair, by the way, as much as we agree with Sterling's words on the matter. There's a reason that senior pros don't say the things that Dujon has said, and we're watching it unfold now on this thread. All it's done is add a layer of pressure to an already highly pressurised situation.

Honestly makes me despair.

Implosion, think it’s daft to call it that, we have just witnessed an alarming run of results, 2 wins in 8 games. Supporters who aren’t alarmed at what they’re watching are the ones I find acting a little strangely.

Two of the worst performances back to back I’ve seen in my life. The worst first half performance against them the game before when if we had just approached it the right way and started the right players we would have beaten them (reason I can say this is because once we made the most obvious changes we literally bossed the second half and scored four good goals, yes 4) the league would be in the bag as they wouldn’t have had the increased pressure they put themselves under going into the last two games.

BTW if your so conditioned on managers lying to supporters all the time, why then were you one of those so upset when Gerrard done it prior to leaving?

 

[alza75]

Could you show us this quote, or did you just make that up?

The quote from Tav was inab league program way the season before we won 55.. Could have been against Hamilton, but not 100 % sure.

 

[alza75]

I say otherwise. Because im not someone who peddles Celtic nonsense.

Tell me mate, what was it about Ross County and Dundee away that spooked our players in terms of fans? Those well known hotbeds of atmosphere. Known the world over for their noise!

We won the league a few years ago because we were the best team by absolute miles and since then we've downgraded. The very next season we went to Belgrade and Dortmund and won ties.....but aye two men and a sheep at Ross County terrify our players.

Debate the team all you like but don't peddle Tim lies and say whoever doesn't agree is a liar. Whoever doesn't agree isn't a liar- they are people who arent complete and utter morons.

Anyone saying we only won the league because there was no fans is a moron who should go watch another sport. Idiocy and, as usual, ignoring any evidence to the contrary to suit their point.

We've now reached the point where we are pathetically downplaying our own achievements from the past as a way of having digs at our own club. Self loathing nonsense.

Some people are now downplaying the actual footballing ability part of teams now and placing far too much emphasis on basically every other aspect possible.

Teams with better footballers win more games. The most important thing any team needs is good footballers.

Only read first paragraph..I'm not saying the hostile crowd at the last two games spooked our players. I was just saying what Tav said in a match day program... As for the last two shit performances it is just down to most the players being 1, shite and 2, past it.

 

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

The quote from Tav was inab league program way the season before we won 55.. Could have been against Hamilton, but not 100 % sure.

We know the quote but he never mentioned anything about crowds, maybe read the actual quotes?

 

[ibroxbound]

The quote from Tav was inab league program way the season before we won 55.. Could have been against Hamilton, but not 100 % sure.

I believe it was March 2020 v Dundee Utd

 

[ibroxbound]

We know the quote but he never mentioned anything about crowds, maybe read the actual quotes?

Regardless of that,it was still a poor thing to say, especially in a match programme.

 

[brain]

This bit is interesting. Post winter break 19/20 we played 10 league games, Tavernier played in 5 of them. We dropped more points in the 5 he played (losses to Kilmarnock and Hamilton and draw to St Johnstone) than in the 5 he didn't (loss to Hearts and draw to Aberdeen).

The collapse happened when he was injured though, that's the point. There was near enough consensus that his injury was a key reason for it. We were in a rut by the time he returned and couldn’t turn it around. Point is that you can't blame his mentality for the dramatic loss of form that season.