When Philippe Clement spoke to the press following the draw with Dundee, you got the impression the Rangers manager was frustrated.
Criticised for claiming his team put in a much improved performance against the Dens Park side, the 0-0 draw has left Rangers’ title challenge hanging by a thread.
Heading into the final six fixtures of the season – including May’s Scottish Cup Final – one of Clement’s most trusted lieutenants in Cyriel Dessers has branded the run a ‘mini-league’.
But with more twists and turns bound to come in the weeks ahead, comments from the Rangers manager about the Dens Park pitch may well soon come into greater focus.
Clement takes shot at Dundee’s pitch
Speaking following the 2-0 Hampden victory over Hearts, Rangers manager Philippe Clement applauded his team.
But it’s not in the commendations that some Rangers fans might’ve picked up on the Belgian’s frustrations, with the Gers boss also taking the chance to criticise Dundee’s surface.
With that painful 0-0 draw consolidating a three point gap between Rangers and Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Clement has let rip at the controversial Dens Park surface.
Suggesting it had a sizeable outcome on the draw with Dundee, bookmark these comments for a later date should the Dens Park result prove crucial in the title race.
“It’s a very important thing because we had two knocks this week,” Clement told BBC Sportsound (live 21/04/24) when asked about the importance of the Scottish Cup win over Hearts.
“About Ross County I was totally not pleased about. Dundee, I think we missed some luck in that game and I think on a normal surface you have another kind of game like you see today, that we play better football then.
“We continue what we’ve been doing all these months that’s why we are where we are. We are in a title chase, we are in a cup final and we’re really hungry for more trophies.
“I think everybody in Scotland will be really happy that there’s a real excitement about that, that there’s a real challenge.”
Later, the Rangers manager took another swipe at the Dundee pitch and the fact Rangers were on the only team to play midweek before the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
The Belgian added: “Everything is still there but I only look at the next game and to perform there and it’s been a really difficult season in that way.
“With all the injuries that the team had and all the games that we played. We were also the only team who played after January in Europe also, for example.
“Today also we were the only team who played a game during the week before this cup semi-final.
“So you need to take all these things also in account. I had to rest Cyriel on Wednesday to get him fit for today.”
Asked about the difference between the Hearts game and the draw with Dundee, Clement added: “We showed our quality on the ball. I think this made the difference today.
“The players played a really good technical and tactical game to find the right spaces, to make the right attacks, to find also the right moments to attack.
“We were against Dundee too much in a rush, also because of the field it was difficult to play a good passing football so that was much better today so then you see the real face of this team.”
Could Rangers’ title hopes swing on Dens Park draw?
It’s clear that Philippe Clement is not happy with Dundee’s surface at Dens Park.
Rangers twice saw the match rescheduled – bringing Dundee’s call-offs this season to a remarkable five games – and it’s a situation which is hanging over the season.
Clement’s mantra that Rangers will ‘play teams in the car park’ was truly tested in the wake of the Dens Park fiasco but the situation is threatening to have a devastating impact on the season.
Not only did the initial call-off allow Celtic to come to Ibrox as Scottish Premiership leaders earlier in the month, but the interruption of the second call-off was noted in the wake of defeat to Ross County.
As Rangers appealed for the match to be moved, Dens Park passed a late pitch inspection and the game was played at the third time of asking.
But the surface remains a genuine issue at Dundee and it’s clear Philippe Clement believes it had a huge impact on Rangers’ visit there last week.
With the top of the Scottish Premiership very tight as things stand, there will be hell to pay if it’s the result against John Nelms’ dodgy Dundee which costs us the title.
