Jack Butland has stressed Philippe Clement’s new Rangers fitness regime isn’t a punishment for past shortcomings.
And the stopper has also provided an insight into how the squad reacted to the higher standards now being driven at the club in a post-Michael Beale era. Clement described the fitness and injury issues he inherited upon becoming Ibrox boss as the ‘biggest puzzle’ in his career to date. He’s had to deal with a raft of key players sitting on the sidelines at different times so far but the Belgian has already stressed that he knows why things were the way they were in regards to player fitness before he was hired in Govan.
The squad are now at the mercy of Clement’s stringent fitness standards but Butland insists no player is being punished – it is merely just to get everyone, first-team player or fringe star, up to the standards needed to represent a club like Rangers.
At his news conference on Wednesday, Butland stated: “He’s (Clement) bringing everybody in.” I believe that the outdated notion of running absurd distances might occasionally feel like a kind of punishment to people. He’s made it plain that doing extra running isn’t meant to be punishing; rather, it’s meant to bring you up to speed with the boys who are achieving those numbers every week, so when the time comes for him to check in on them—which he will—you won’t be a yard off and will meet the standards.
“I believe his explanation of it was, ‘no, you’re running to get up to the actual level we need you to play for this club,’ rather than, ‘you’re running because you’re not playing,’ or ‘you’re running because you’re not fit enough.'” And the guys are cool with that since, in the end, it benefits everyone.
It indicates to those individuals that they are prepared. I believe that’s where it is now for the team and club as a whole, as all 25 players are prepared to perform when needed.”
