GLASGOW, Jan 10 — Rangers’ fading Scottish Premiership title hopes suffered another blow on yesterday with a 1-1 draw at Dundee but manager Philippe Clement insisted club bosses are “200 percent” behind him.
Second-placed Rangers are trailing leaders Celtic, who beat Dundee United 2-0 on Wednesday, by 15 points.
Ranger have managed just three wins in 11 away league games this term, a dismal streak that will almost certainly leave them in Celtic’s wake in the title race.
When asked if the Rangers board were still behind him 100 per cent, Clement said: “Yes, 200 per cent.
“We have talks every day about everything, about January, about next season, about everything.
“Yes, of course the fans are unhappy. We are also unhappy, all of us are unhappy, to lose these three points.”
Despite beating Old Firm rivals Celtic 3-0 recently, Rangers can forget about ending their Glasgow neighbours’ run of three successive titles.
They fell behind in the sixth minute when Oluwaseun Adewumi took advantage of poor defending to fire the hosts ahead.
Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny levelled in the 34th minute with the visitors’ first shot on target.
But on a freezing night on Tayside there was no surge of improvement from the inconsistent Ibrox outfit.
There was more ammunition for those who believe Clement should be sacked as his team were booed off at the final whistle.
Following the 3-3 draw at Hibernian last weekend, Clement again had to use a squad decimated by injuries and suspension.
Jack Butland, James Tavernier, Leon Balogun, Neraysho Kasanwirjo, John Souttar and Dujon Sterling were missing through various ailments, while midfielder Nico Raskin was suspended.
French defender Clinton Nsiala, the 20-year-old defender signed from AC Milan in the summer, made his first Rangers start in defence.
But Nsiala was as slack as the rest of the Rangers defence when Dundee snatched the lead.
When Scott Tiffoney’s shot was blocked, Josh Mulligan moved quickly to pick out Adewumi and the 19-year-old's shot from eight yards beat keeper Liam Kelly.
Rangers hit back when Hamza Igamane set up Cerny inside the Dundee area and the Czech Republic winger drilled home for his 11th goal this season.
But Clement’s men laboured in vain after the interval and with four minutes left, Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande struck the woodwork from 25 yards as the visitors endured one last dose of frustration. — AFP