Danilo admits he’s never seen Philippe Clement so angry.
But the striker is adamant Rangers can answer to the manager’s mentality calls and deliver a strong response starting at Motherwell. Clement was fuming after his side’s Paisley flop. The Belgian slammed unacceptable mindset and ripped into his below-par unit halfway through the 2-1 defeat by St Mirren.
Clement didn’t hide his fury and, asked if it was the angriest he’d seen his gaffer, Danilo said: “Yeah, obviously it’s not our standard, the first half. So come in the dressing room, 1-0 behind, it’s not what we want, especially not at home as well. We know that Rangers is about winning, so we know it has to be this mentality. We tried to be our best.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work, but we move on thinking about the next one. That is going to be the important one. Just move on, trying to go for the next one.
“The good thing is the short period and we have the next game already, so we are going to have full focus on that one. We just have to be strong. And then I think we can bounce back. I think that’s what we showed as well last year. So that’s the situation we’re going to bounce back, I know 100 percent. It is just about us, this situation.”
Clement needs a strong recovery at Fir Park on Sunday and Danilo has wiped away any notion that the gruelling schedule is taking a toll. He said: “No I don’t think so. Because I think we are used to it, especially with this busy period. That’s what we want, as many games as possible, everybody be available in the squad. Then there’s a good thing that on Sunday we have another opportunity to show and then just be ready.”
Rangers head to Lanarskhire having won just three of their eight away games in the Premiership this term. Danilo isn’t sure of the problem as he said: “I don’t know. It’s just a situation that is just about us. So if it’s away, if it’s home, I think it’s just about us and show our qualities. If it’s not happen, just like working, then just day by day, and then just be ready for what’s coming. So I think that Sunday is a good opportunity to be ready.”
On a personal front, Danilo heads into the contest in a decent run of form. When he struck to equalise, Danilo admits he felt his team would go on and triumph and said: “Yeah, obviously when we scored, it’s become like a normal game again, 0-0.
“We were dominant afterwards, I think when we scored, then we were pushing them back and then we had some chances. So I thought we would get the three points. We know our quality and we knew that we could bounce back. That’s what we did. That’s what we showed, but then just unlucky to conceded a goal in the last minute.
“We knew that it would be a fight, we knew that it would be a tough, so, obviously, we prepared ourselves trying to be as good as possible. But sometimes it doesn’t work.”
Danilo’s counter from the bench against St Mirren was his fourth goal in his last five games. He said: “It’s been good for me since I came back, good numbers, start to help the team as much as I can.
“If I start, if I don’t start, I have to be the same mindset. This squad is helping me a lot with the mentality if I start if I don’t start as well. Try to help me as much as possible. That’s been great for me. So try to be positive, of course. With the situation, we just have to move on, myself as well, and be ready for what happens next.”