• The impact the Ibrox absence has had this term
  • Assessing his own form in recent weeks
  • Looking to add more goals and assists to his game

Tom Lawrence has spoken to the media ahead of the visit of Dundee. Here is what he had to say.

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How much are you looking forward to getting back to Ibrox?

Yeah, looking forward to it a lot.  I think not playing there you realise how much we do miss it. So yeah, just looking forward to it now.

Has it been a bigger deal than you thought it would be?

I wouldn’t say it's been massive. You go into a game and you want to win the games, whether it's at Hampden or away. But you do miss Ibrox a lot, yeah.

It will be the first experience for some of the team?

I think the new boys will know what to expect. They've seen enough of the fans, so far. We just want them to play how they play, week in, week out and just embrace the fans, really.

Can this be a kick-start for the season?

Hopefully, we need to put a run together. Like I say, you can't get too far ahead of yourself and it’s game by game.

How have your performances been so far?

There's room for improvement, don't get me wrong. Like I say, I feel like I'm coming into good form now. I want to make that continue. 

Is it time for you to cement your place in the team?

Look, every game you want to play, we have a competitive squad, so the manager has a lot of demands to make it. But all I can do is stay fit and keep playing well. It puts the gaffer in a difficult position.

What did that win last week do for everyone here? 

Look, it was a long international break and we wanted to put on a performance and get three points. I thought we played well, it should have been more. But yeah, it's big for everyone.  When you win a game, the confidence flows throughout the team. 

Is there a bit of rejuvenation amongst the squad?

I hope so. Like I said, going back to Ibrox hopefully this is just a small step in the long run of games now.

What does knockout football do for the squad?

I mean, we take it the same as any other game. We go to win every other game and it will be the same for this one. Obviously, it's in a different competition, but we've got to look forward to it.

What do you expect from Dundee?

They're a good team. We know every time we play them it's going to be a tough battle. We have a certain way of playing and we have to play our game as well as we can. 

Is your performance last week the kind of influence you want to have on a game?

Wherever I play, it is not always No.10. I drop deep when we're playing midfield as well. But yeah, I want to have that influence on the game. I felt like I had a good variety in that game. I dropped deep, got on the ball and got it higher up as well. So yeah, that's the influence I want and I should have scored more last week as well.

Have you set any targets for goals?

I think I'm one off last year, aren't I? But yeah, last year I was sticky with injuries. In and I got an injury, in and I got an injury. This year I'm full pre-season. I feel in good shape. I want to add more goals to my tally and more assists and just help the team get three points every week. 

Are there any changes in your role this season?

Certain aspects tactically have changed. We set up a little bit different going forward. A little bit more freedom to get on the ball, like you've seen in the last game. A bit more rotation, I'd say. It's nice to have that and my numbers have to have that in them as well if I get that freedom.