DISMAL in Dingwall. DIRE at Dens
Title is slipping away from Rangers as slump continues
DISMAL in Dingwall, dire in Dundee, an escape act on the scale of Dunkirk might not be enough to save Rangers now.
Philippe Clement described Sunday’s defeat to Ross County as the poorest performance of his Ibrox tenure. There were times when this performance threatened to plumb new depths.
Booed from the Dens Park pitch by an irate travelling support behind the goal, this is a Rangers team dicing with title implosion.
Three points behind Celtic with five games to play, a run of two wins in eight games could hardly be described as the form of champions. On nights like this, the failure to sign another centreforward in January begins to look like a misjudgment. Kemar Roofe’s first Rangers start since a 2-0 win over St Johnstone on December 20 was an act of desperation from Clement.
After missing big opportunities in Dingwall, trust in Cyriel Dessers is diminishing fast. Even so, it came as no surprise when Roofe — with barely any game time to his name — made way for the Nigeria international after 56 minutes.
It matters little what Clement tries. At the very worst moment of the season, his team are devoid of shape, imagination or ideas. Resorting to long-ball football in search of a goal, the dearth of creativity or clinical finishing has handed the title initiative to a Celtic side now odds-on to retain their league crown for a third straight season. It’s far from impossible that the Parkhead side will drop points in the run-in, yet the reality is this. Three more wins — culminating in a home victory over Rangers on May 11 — would pretty much seal it.
Kudos to Dundee. After securing top-six football with a goalless draw in Aberdeen, the Dark Blues headed into this game with a new target. Qualifying for Europe through their league finish for the first time since 1973 would offer further evidence that, in one area of the club at least, the management is sound.
In Luke McCowan, the home team had the game’s best player. Mo Sylla, the combative midfielder, was another fine performer.
A point closer to fifth-placed St Mirren, a disciplined, dogged performance offered further hope of continental football on a night when giving any Rangers player pass marks was no easy task.
Everyone knew the background to this much-delayed game. Postponed twice due to a waterlogged pitch, the Dens Park DJ had given some thought to his pre-match playlist.
Branded ‘unprofessional and negligent’ by Rangers for their failure to get the first two games on, the soundtrack was waterthemed all the way. Waterfront from Simple Minds, Raintown by Deacon Blue, Nightswimming by REM and Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage proved, not for the first time, that these guys are never as funny as they think they are.
They were nearly laughing after 44 seconds. Midfielder Malachi Boateng smacked a low shot inches wide of Jack Butland’s right-hand post as Rangers diced with another calamitous Celticstyle start.
The early momentum was disrupted by the loss of their captain. Joe Shaughnessy tumbled to the ground after losing a 50-50 challenge with Roofe and limped off.
Antonio Portales was still finding his bearings, settling into the game, when Todd Cantwell’s perfectly-weighted pass split the reshaped defence and sent Abdallah Sima through on goal. A low strike was blocked by the legs of keeper Jon McCracken.
An early goal might have seen Rangers impose themselves. Adapting to the loss of their skipper, Dundee players were everywhere. McCowan and Scott Tiffoney found dangerous pockets of space. In midfield, the imposing duo of Boateng and Sylla were like a couple of nightclub bouncers employing a policy of ‘not tonight lads’.
This could have been an even more uncomfortable night for Rangers if the home team’s ‘goal’ after 21 minutes had stood. After the trauma of Dingwall, it would have placed further seeds of doubt in fragile minds.
Lyall Cameron won a free-kick 25 yards from goal and, when the excellent McCowan curled it round the wall, Butland had to throw himself to his right to scramble it away. Tiffoney forced the Rangers keeper into a second save before Amadou Bakayoko forced the ball into the net from an offside position.
After a ropey start, Rangers had their chances. A James Tavernier free-kick from 30 yards was pushed round the post by McCracken. The skipper took the resulting corner and, in hindsight, Connor Goldson will feel his downward header should have nestled in the net. Blocking with his legs, McCracken smothered at the second attempt.
For all their possession, Rangers found the Dark Blues a tough nut to crack. Tom Lawrence dribbled through the home defence before lashing over the crossbar during five minutes of added time at the end of the half.
With Dundee’s early verve and energy fading, Tony Docherty’s side could console themselves with the knowledge that, the last time they played one of the Old Firm, they were 6-0 down at half-time.
This was a big second half for Rangers now. Potentially titledefining. Imbued with more urgency, Clement’s patience nonetheless ran out after 56 minutes. Fabio Silva’s demeanour as he left the fray betrayed unhappiness with his removal. Yet the arrival of Dessers, Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo in a triple substitution reflected the urgency of the situation. They needed something from somewhere quickly.
It took a big save from McCracken to prevent Dessers having quite the impact. With 17 minutes to play — and Rangers badly lacking inspiration — the striker gathered the ball in a oneon-one situation and cut inside on to his weaker left foot. A shot heading for the postage-stamp corner was turned round the post by Dundee’s goalkeeper. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Heading into the final 10 minutes, Clement went to his bench once again and called on Northern Irish attacker Ross McCausland. Replacing Sima, it felt like a final throw of the dice. Dundee had conceded 20 goals in the final 15 minutes of Premiership games this season, more than any other team in the league. But not this time.
DUNDEE (3-5-2): McCracken 7; Shaughnessy 1 (Portales 9), McGhee 7, Lamie 7; Dodgson 7, Cameron 7, McCOWAN 8, Boateng 7, Sylla 7; Bakayoko 4.5 (Main 63), Tiffoney 5.5 (Costelloe 63).
Booked: Dodgson. Manager: Tony Docherty 7. RANGERS (4-3-3): Butland 7; Tavernier 6, Goldson 6, Souttar 6, Sterling 6.5; Lundstrum 4.5, Lawrence 4.5, Cantwell 4 (Dowell 56); Sima 5 (McCausland 79), Roofe 3 (Dessers 56), Fabio Silva 4 (Matondo 56). Booked: None. Manager: Philippe Clement 5. Referee: Don Robertson 7. Attendance: 9,010.