Philippe Clement tells Rangers critics they can still challenge Celtic and Aberdeen as he points to finances and makes performance claim
Under-fire Ibrox boss remains adamant his team can improve
Rangers manager Philippe Clement still retains faith that his team can mount a title challenge after falling nine points behind leaders Celtic and Aberdeen following a damaging 2-1 defeat by the Dons at Pittodrie.
In what was billed as a huge match for both teams pre-match, it was Aberdeen who maintained their incredible start to the season by clinching victory thanks to strikes from Nicky Devlin and Shayden Morris. Rangers did level in the second period through Nedim Bajrami, but the hosts also missed a first-half penalty from Jamie McGrath.
Third-placed Rangers remain on 19 points, but with champions Celtic defeating Dundee at Parkhead, them and Aberdeen have pulled away from the Ibrox side. Clement made reference to the seven-point gap Rangers managed to briefly overhaul in last season’s title race and remained steadfast in his belief that the team will improve.
Clement was asked if his team can claw back the gap between themselves and the top two. “Yes, of course,” was the response. “But we don't need to focus on the other teams. We don't have any control on how many points they take. It's about us making better performances, growing as a team. I think today was one of the better games until now of this season from the squad.
“It's a big gap, but if you're focused on the gap, you're not focused on taking the points. “So when I stepped in last season, there was also a big gap at that moment and we came back all the way, but not succeeded at the end of the road. So it was a story of game by game, giving the maximum to get the three points and going game by game. So that's what we need to do again.
“You see players making steps and getting better, but we need still to grow and we need to get better to have more consistency in our results. And all credit also to Aberdeen, what they are doing, like they showed also in Celtic Park. But you need also that piece of luck in these moments also with the offside, otherwise it's 2-2 and there's a totally different perception, like it was in Celtic Park after 2-2.
“So I saw a lot of good things in the second half where we had the domination, where we were creating the chances, where we were a lot of times in the box. But we need to work really hard on being more clinical in this last part of the field.”
Not all Rangers fans share Clement’s view that it can be turned around. The Belgian is under immense pressure now from a fuming fanbase. His message to the cynics was clear. “We're going to work hard like we did last season also, to continue working really hard with the squad and day by day, game by game, to go full for that,” he said. “Last year it was possible, so this year it's also possible.
“We were creating the chances, there was good play, there were good things shown with the ball, without the ball, in the duels, pushing Aberdeen back in a way they have not been pushed back so many times this season. So there were a lot of positives, but at the end I know it's about results and we're really disappointed about that. “
Clement’s next match is the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Motherwell and he was quizzed as to whether he must win that tie. He continued: “We cannot afford to lose any game. Like today, we cannot afford to lose any game. That's what Rangers is about, that's what I am about also. I hate to lose, so I don't want to lose any game. So on Sunday we will stand up and work hard to qualify for this final of the cup. What is it you're seeing exactly from your squad that makes you believe you can pull back this nine-point gap? Yeah, because this game, if things fall to your side, you can win this game or at least have a draw.
“We had enough chances, we pushed Aberdeen back in the second half, on their own half, in their own 16. So then it's about the last step to be more clinical in this final third, where we came a lot of times in good situations, but we need to be more clinical.”
The defeat came in the wake of Tuesday’s dire financial results, with a loss of £17 million posted by Rangers. “It's the situation,” added Clement, “and we lost too many points along the way. There's only one way to go forward and that's working hard and to becoming better with the squad.
“I don't know if you saw the numbers [finances] yesterday, that's been out of the club. There's been a big rebuild, 16 players out, a lot of experience out of the building, a lot of new players in, a lot of cutting down the wages, so there's a big project to be done and there is necessary time for that to make this better and to get this experience for these young boys.
“If I see Conor Barron playing today, he makes really good steps last couple of months. If I see Nana Kasanwirjo play today, he makes really good steps this month. If I see the way that Dujon Sterling came in after his injury of the last couple of months, I see a lot of positives also.
“You can only look at the result and the negativity. I can speak about Nicolas Raskin also today and about several players, but at the end, it's about the result. Yes, so we're going to work really hard to make them better again on Sunday and the next week and the next game and the next game and then good times will come back for the Rangers fans.”
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin maintained his mantra of taking it game-by-game despite having won 15 of the 16 matches he has presided over. They now face Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final on Saturday at Hampden.
“I think for us it's like, once again, for us it's a game about three points, and we take it game by game,” said Thelin. “I know, of course, we talked before about the history and all this kind of thing, that the fans have to enjoy today, but for us now it's to stay focused, and now we have another important game on Saturday.
“For us it's more about how we recover now, and get new energy, and be ready for the next challenge, and that's where we focus right now, and we don't think about the league or whatever, I think you know me with that. We have to learn, so that's the focus.
“You can't expect things, you have to fight for things, and that's why we talk about the team spirit, we have to find different ways sometimes. We also have an opponent on the other side, doing good things in the games they've played so far this season, and it's small things,
Thelin refuted the suggestion that recovery for Saturday will be difficult after such an energy-sapping game. “I'm optimistic and positive,” he said, “and I think if we talk to the players now, we just have to take responsibility and do what we can to do. We have to support our players, but they also need to enjoy tonight, and then tomorrow we start working for the next game, and it is what it is. We can't change it, that's why we have to adapt and do the best we can.”
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