Philippe Clement: Managerial Pressure Eased Despite Winless Streak

Philippe Clement, manager of Rangers, finds himself in the unusual position where two significant matches without a win have, counter-intuitively, reduced the pressure on him. Weeks prior, it was widely speculated that securing victory in Sunday’s League Cup final was imperative for the Belgian coach, especially as it coincided with the official commencement of new chief executive Patrick Stewart’s tenure. However, Clement’s team has since garnered praise, following last week’s Europa League draw against Tottenham with another commendable performance in their penalty shootout defeat to Celtic at Hampden. Typically, a loss to their fierce city rivals would trigger considerable internal examination, particularly given Clement’s inability to defeat Celtic in six previous encounters and his team’s third-place standing in the league, trailing both the reigning champions and Aberdeen. Nevertheless, on this occasion, attention has largely centered on a penalty wrongly denied by the match officials and a subsequent save during the penalty shoot-out. From a statistical perspective, the upcoming match against Dundee should offer Rangers a chance to resume their positive trajectory, following the conclusion of their nine-game unbeaten streak on Sunday. Although Tony Docherty’s team holds a respectable seventh position, they have secured only one victory in their last 11 away league fixtures, suffering six defeats. This away form is particularly disadvantageous when facing a team that remains undefeated at home domestically this season, and across seven overall home matches since Lyon’s Europa League visit. Furthermore, Dundee has not secured a win against Rangers in 14 consecutive meetings, dating back to a 2-1 victory at Dens Park in November 2017, and has experienced defeat in their last 18 visits to Ibrox. While matches involving Dundee have generated the highest number of goals in the Premiership this season, and Rangers’ games have seen the fewest, Clement’s squad is anticipated to be confident in increasing their goal tally, having scored 31 times in the most recent eight clashes between the two clubs.