Michael Beale and Todd Cantwell FULL pre-match press conference | PSV Eindhoven v Rangers (Agg 2-2)

last year

Rangers boss Michael Beale and midfielder Todd Cantwell on PSV and Champions League qualification.

@UEFA 2023

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Transcript

00:00 Is Kieran Dow still missing?

00:23 The only one that is missing is Kieran Dow who has still got this slight problem with

00:27 his knee but it's not a big problem, this game was just too soon for him.

00:32 In terms of what this match means to yourself as a manager, you've only just been in the

00:35 job a matter of months, what would it mean to take your team into the Champions League

00:39 if you can get a result tomorrow night?

00:41 Obviously it would be huge, it would be huge for the club and the fans first and foremost

00:46 and this group of players that are desperate to play in that competition again.

00:50 Naturally for me and the staff that's the aim and the aim coming into pre-season we

00:57 have a huge test in front of us to see that be a reality.

01:00 There's been a lot of commentary from the Dutch side, some of the pundits over here

01:04 seem to be writing your team off, how do you react to that?

01:07 What sort of message do you take from that and send to your players?

01:11 It's fine, listen we expect it, the other team needs to be confident, they're in their

01:14 home stadium and the first game was a draw, we don't read too much into that, we know

01:19 that we have to perform, I feel better than we performed last week if we want to go through.

01:24 This team is due a big performance so it's there, the opportunity for us is clear.

01:29 How do you strike the balance between going for this game and attacking the spaces and

01:36 recognising how strong PSV might be in the early stages and trying to keep the game tight

01:41 for a while?

01:42 How do you strike that balance with your team selection tomorrow?

01:45 The team selection won't be too far from last week, there won't be too many surprises but

01:50 across our squad we do have a variety of options in the final third.

01:54 We need to be better with the ball this week, I think we created chances regardless last

01:58 week from the small amount of possession we have compared to normal.

02:03 But going away in Europe you know you're going to need to be strong defensively first and

02:08 then you have to take your opportunities when they come.

02:11 I believe this is a game where both teams will have opportunities and it's the team

02:16 that's the most decisive that will go through.

02:20 How big of an incentive is it for you to play in this competition?

02:27 I don't think there's any secret, it's every player's dream to play in the Champions League.

02:33 We had a little taste of it, we've had the play-offs now and we're looking forward to

02:37 tomorrow night.

02:38 PSV have been trying to play down the significance of last year's tie, but I just wonder if you

02:45 were to score first or take the lead at any point, do you think that might unnerve them?

02:49 I think their crowd will be behind them just like ours was at Ibrox, that can do one or

02:53 two things.

02:54 I felt last week at times we were a little bit emotional in the game so it can unnerve

02:59 you as much as it can be a big help.

03:01 I think the coaches have changed for both teams and there wasn't many players last week

03:06 who were playing who were involved in those games but I'm sure everybody is aware of what

03:10 happened and the motivation for this game is equal as last year.

03:17 I don't see it being any bigger on both sides.

03:19 I think there's been a lot read into that but the group of players that are going out

03:23 there, the prize of getting to the Champions League is enough.

03:26 You seemed very calm just now, are you able to be clear-headed about the tie or is it

03:30 exciting as well for you?

03:32 No, it's a hugely exciting week if you're a Rangers player and you're a Rangers follower

03:36 and I'm no different as the coach.

03:40 The two games we've got coming up now in the next four or five days is what it's all about,

03:44 playing for this club.

03:45 If you can't enjoy it and you can't seize the opportunities in front of you then you

03:50 probably don't deserve to be at our club.

03:52 This is a huge moment, it's important that we give this game everything.

03:56 It's a final if you like in that sense.

03:58 Last year the team got a hostile welcome when the bosses arrived, a bit of a delay

04:04 for the team.

04:05 Gio was really unhappy about it.

04:06 Have you been given assurances by PSV or UEFA that that won't happen again?

04:10 There's been talks in the background about that.

04:12 There was a problem with one of the buses but we think that was just on that night so

04:16 we don't envisage any issues.

04:18 PSV have been playing in Europe for many a year, it's a high-quality club so we trust

04:23 on their organisation for sure.

04:24 Do you think there's more pressure on PSV given that they're at home in the second

04:30 leg?

04:31 Do they have a home game to win to go into the Champions League group stage?

04:35 They'll be supremely confident of that I'm sure, we have to be the fawn in the side.

04:40 How valuable has the last week been in terms of a good weekend performance and getting

04:48 the squad gelled up a bit better?

04:49 Do you feel you're in a stronger position now than you were even just last week for

04:52 the first leg?

04:53 Obviously we have about 14 or 15 players moving on this summer and nine new players coming

04:59 in.

05:00 The more games you play you think your team will get stronger.

05:04 So it was a good victory at the weekend, it was a clean sheet, it was a step in the right

05:07 direction in the league and I was pleased with that.

05:10 I'm sat here now without any injuries and everyone in a good place mentally.

05:15 I think it was the right thing that we played.

05:17 I think it's to our advantage that we played at the weekend.

05:20 You were talking about the Champions League being a dream for every player.

05:24 I wonder, given your career trajectory, when you were linked to a lot of big clubs earlier

05:28 in your career, did you ever think the chance might have passed by for you to become a Champions

05:32 League player?

05:33 No, I don't think so.

05:35 As a player you've got to believe in yourself, believe in your abilities.

05:39 For me, I would speak for most players in the changing room, you want to play in these

05:44 competitions.

05:45 So yeah, it's just an excitement for me.

05:47 Your commitment to Rangers has been obvious since you arrived.

05:50 Do you think those difficult seasons you had have almost given you, not to make up for

05:54 lost time, but given you that extra bit of impetus to make sure you maximise the opportunity

05:58 you have at Rangers?

05:59 Yeah, definitely.

06:00 You certainly want to maximise the opportunities that you get.

06:04 You shouldn't take any for granted.

06:06 You're right, every game at Rangers is a big game, an important game.

06:10 I think as a player it's your responsibility to show that.

06:12 The players last year, the scenes in the celebration in the dressing room, everyone

06:21 saw those pictures.

06:22 I just wonder what the boys in the dressing room have said to you about that night and

06:25 how they felt and what impact has that had on yourself?

06:28 Yeah, that's the past.

06:29 So we don't want to focus on that, that's what happened last year.

06:32 We can leave other people to think about what happened before for us.

06:36 That changes nothing tomorrow night.

06:37 It doesn't matter who won last year, tomorrow night.

06:39 It matters about who wins tomorrow.

06:41 So for us there is no focus on what's happened before.

06:44 Is the game, the way the game panned out last week, you didn't have all that much possession,

06:49 does that just reinforce the idea that when big chances come tomorrow night you're really

06:53 going to have to take them?

06:54 Yeah, no definitely.

06:55 In this competition you're going to play against good teams, you're going to play against teams

06:58 that have the ball.

06:59 It's important that we then show that we've got another side to us, which is we can be

07:04 in good shape and we can hurt on the counter.

07:05 I think we showed that last week.

07:08 I think all good teams have both to their capabilities, playing with the ball and obviously

07:12 being a danger without it.

07:28 Yeah.

07:29 Yeah.

07:30 Yeah.

07:35 Yeah.

07:41 Yeah.

07:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Michael Beale and Todd Cantwell FULL pre-match press conference | PSV Eindhoven v Rangers (Agg 2-2)

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