Leon Balogun previews Rangers first leg Europa league quarter final with Athletic Club

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Leon Balogun previews Rangers first leg Europa league quarter final with Athletic Club  09/04/2025  uefa25  Rangers - Athletic Club, Europa Legaue quarter final first leg

Transcript

00:00Middle seat.

00:02I thought you were talking about staying in.

00:07So, let's see if there's any questions.

00:11Where's the...?

00:13That's new to me.

00:1417 years of football, I never had to do this.

00:17Buenos dias to the Spanish colleagues over here.

00:20That's just for my questions.

00:22Guys, we're getting started, okay?

00:24Can I mute them?

00:25Bye.

00:26If you can have the microphone before you start.

00:28Keith, can you start with yourself, please?

00:30Hi, Leon.

00:31The manager has just said that he's had a lot of conversations

00:35with the players since Saturday and he said he's happy,

00:39he's pleased with what he's heard in response to his criticism.

00:43Has there been some harsh words behind the scenes?

00:48I think it was just a very straightforward and honest conversation

00:51which needed to be held,

00:53because we all know that recent performances,

00:57domestically especially,

00:58haven't been good enough.

00:59I mean, if you lose five on the spin at Ibrox,

01:02at this club,

01:03it's not something you should be able to accept.

01:07So, yeah, it was very open,

01:10no filter,

01:12but with a very positive outcome in the end.

01:15Do you, as a player,

01:18do you feel that that conversation needed to take place for you to move forward?

01:23Probably.

01:24If you see what has come off of it,

01:26I'm sure you understand I cannot give you any nitty-gritty there,

01:30but if you see how the conversation went and how honest and straightforward it was

01:38and what we started to talk about,

01:40there were definitely some things that needed to be said,

01:43that needed to be heard and, like I said,

01:45it led to a positive outcome as a group.

01:47For you watching on Saturday,

01:51obviously you didn't play,

01:52how difficult was that,

01:54not just to watch the performance,

01:55but I suppose to see the stands emptying as well after about an hour?

02:00I mean, it's a tough one.

02:03It's not my right to tell people how to support us.

02:09I think they've been outstanding,

02:12they are outstanding the majority of the time.

02:16If you look at our season,

02:18you can probably show some empathy.

02:21Would I like to see something different

02:23and for most of them to stay until the final whistle?

02:27Yes.

02:28Can I understand their frustration and their disappointment?

02:31Definitely.

02:32So, it's hard for me to really,

02:35I wouldn't judge on it,

02:37but obviously it's tough

02:39because they can give you so much

02:41and at the same time I think everybody also understands

02:45what it means to the fans in that moment

02:47when they decide to take that option.

02:50So, it's on us to turn things around.

02:53Leon, I spoke to the manager about the performance on Saturday

02:59and one of the things I highlighted with him and asked him if he agreed was

03:02the players being brave on the ball, on and off the ball,

03:06just making ourselves available, taking the ball, etc.

03:09I don't want to say hiding, but sometimes when things aren't going well,

03:13you take the easy pass or you do the easy thing instead of trying to break lines,

03:17instead of trying to do that.

03:18How do you, as a group, become brave and trust yourself and get that?

03:24Do you know what I'm trying to ask?

03:26How do you discover that when you look at the performance on Sunday?

03:30There was a lot of that in the game.

03:33So, how do you fix that ahead of tomorrow night?

03:35How do we fix to be braver? Is that what you're asking?

03:39How do we become brave on the ball and, like you said, do not hide?

03:44I think we need to live through those difficult moments,

03:47but also remember that we do have the quality to do it

03:51because I think we've shown it more than enough this season,

03:54despite the ups and downs.

03:56It's just about repetition and it's about upping your own standard,

04:01holding yourself accountable first and foremost.

04:03Remember or know that you can do better.

04:06One or another might need a bit of a ruffle,

04:13another one just needs maybe a night to sleep over it and then just shake it off.

04:19But it's about going out there and do it again,

04:22and that's the beauty of playing at the club like Rangers,

04:26that you have the next game always a few days later.

04:29And I think it's a very good game tomorrow to show that you can do a lot better

04:33and write a good test.

04:38There's been a lot of hurdles this season.

04:40It seems as if it's one step forward, two steps back a lot of the time with this team.

04:43You mentioned the honest conversations.

04:46Why should fans believe that these honest conversations will fix it

04:50when there have been so much irregularities throughout the season?

04:54Again, I can't dictate on someone's behaviour or on their thoughts or their decision-making.

05:00It's on us, like I said before, to make them believe.

05:04And I think that's pretty much my answer.

05:06We have to prove it.

05:07I said it's on us.

05:08We have to turn things around.

05:10And the only way to do that is to follow words with action.

05:14Frizo?

05:16Leon, you mentioned the five defeats in a row at Ibrox,

05:20which has never happened before in Rangers history.

05:22Is there a problem playing at Ibrox for this group of players?

05:25I think you would have to ask each player individually.

05:32Again, you look at performances here that we had in the past

05:36and then you might think it's hard to say that.

05:40You can't really put your finger on it.

05:42I think that overall we just lack consistency this season.

05:47I can't say if it's down to the fact that it's Ibrox.

05:54I'd like not to think so, just based on my own experience here.

05:57Yes, I've been in some tough games,

05:59but overall it's a joy to be here to play in front of 50,000 every single game.

06:03So I would like to think that this is not a problem,

06:05it's more a problem of consistency.

06:07It just makes it worse that it happens to be this season.

06:12At Ibrox we seem to struggle more than ever.

06:14Do you think you owe the fans then a big home performance?

06:18I think I've said that before,

06:20and a few questions that have been asked before.

06:22There are things to make up for, definitely.

06:25As much as there have been things this season where we gave back to them,

06:31but we need to give them more of those moments.

06:34That's, I think, undisputable.

06:37Leon, a lot has been made this season about Rangers' domestic form compared to European form.

06:44Can you, as players, put your finger on why you've saved some of your best performances for Europe?

06:50I can't, to be very honest.

06:52I think if we could, then we would have fixed it by now.

06:57What hurts a bit is that you obviously hear that people are saying that we only turn up for those big games.

07:06And at the moment, there's some truth in it, and that hurts, and that must hurt every single one of us.

07:12And again, it comes down to turning things around.

07:15But then again, it's probably not tomorrow's game where we can prove that.

07:20But it's the domestic games, like last weekend, where we have to show that.

07:25Leon, in forward areas, Bobo are assigned to excel in 1v1 situations.

07:30They try to put defenders in their positions.

07:32Does that change anything with regards to your game plan?

07:35And do you feel that's the strongest part of your own game?

07:37I'm really sorry.

07:38Can you just repeat the first part?

07:39Because I was trying to find you.

07:41Bobo are assigned to in forward areas, certainly excel in 1v1 situations.

07:45That's what they try to put defenders in.

07:47Does that change anything in your preparation, your game plan?

07:50And would you say that's the strongest part of your own game?

07:52I think it's a very big part of any defender's game.

07:57And it's definitely going to be a challenge tomorrow.

08:00They've got some really good quality up there.

08:03But this is what you embrace.

08:06Again, it's a very special game.

08:08It's the quarter-final of the Europa League.

08:10So that itself makes it massive already.

08:14But personally, I don't prepare any different.

08:18I just try to have a nice afternoon to wind down a bit.

08:23And then obviously you look at the players.

08:25There's not too much to look at.

08:27Not because there's not enough to see, but because it's pretty much known.

08:32But then it's just preparing for the game.

08:36It's the quarter-final.

08:37Like I said before, it's massive.

08:39They are special.

08:41And a lot of things can happen in these games.

08:43They're not worn off, but sort off because the occasion is that big.

08:47And then again, it's about bravery and backing yourself.

08:51Believing in yourself.

08:52Reminding yourself what you're capable of.

08:54And then enjoy it really.

08:57Do you want any more detail on the individual players per se?

09:01Would you look at an individual more detailed in their tendencies and where they want to come in the field?

09:06Not really, no.

09:07We've got all the tools from our club's analysts who are amazing.

09:12That's for every game though.

09:13So you look at their clips.

09:15If there's something that stands out, they point it out.

09:19But other than that, I think as a professional footballer you should be able to identify the strong points of the opposition.

09:27So looking at the clips should be enough normally.

09:29And then obviously tomorrow is going to be a lot about the collective as well.

09:33Leon, it's a kind of related question.

09:35But Nico Williams is obviously a player that a lot of people are talking about.

09:38You will have watched him, I guess.

09:40Are you excited about taking on a player like that?

09:42Of course.

09:43Yes, definitely.

09:45It's going to be a big challenge.

09:48But I think it's a big challenge for any player in the world who plays against him these days.

09:52And I think it's a privilege to be able to play against these type of players.

09:58I remember when we went all the way to Seville three years ago,

10:04I was desperate to play against Haaland, but he wasn't fit for the games.

10:08In hindsight, maybe it was better that he didn't play, we don't know.

10:11But I think this is the type of mindset you need to have.

10:14Yes, they are really good players or more than really good, world-class some of them.

10:19But those are the games, those are the type of matches that you dream of when you're a young boy.

10:26So we should just embrace it and be joyful about it and make sure that we have something to take joy out of it as well.

10:34Last couple, Martin, please.

10:36Leon, given what's been happening domestically, given the sort of nature of questions you're getting now

10:42and the manager got before, is it fair to say, or what is the mood in the dressing room now?

10:47Is it fair to say it's not a happy place?

10:50It definitely wasn't a happy place after Sunday, but we were all pretty clear on the fact that now we are in a quarter-final.

10:59It is separate from what's happening domestically, that's a fact.

11:04And we have to focus on that and there's a lot to look forward to.

11:08There's a massive opportunity for the players, for the club.

11:11So, to me, the last two days were pretty positive.

11:17I mean, everybody is aware of the domestical side of it, but we can focus on that after tomorrow night again.

11:24OK, guys. Thanks very much, everyone. Thank you.

11:31Good luck. Thank you.

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