BBC Sport journalist shares what Philippe Clement will like about Rangers players after ‘huge’ win v Hearts
Rangers manager Philippe Clement will like that his players did not give up against Hearts, according to BBC Sport journalist Kheredine Idessane.
The Gers were losing 1-0 right up until the 89th minute of their Scottish Premiership encounter on Sunday (29 October).
But a penalty from James Tavernier and a header from Danilo four minutes later secured a 2-1 win for the hosts at Ibrox.
“This is a huge win for Rangers, regardless of the performance level which manager Philippe Clement will know needs to be much better,” Idessane wrote for BBC Sport. “What he’ll like is his side’s willingness to keep pressing, keep going forward and not settle for defeat or even just a point.
“The home fans were far from happy for long, long spells of the match but celebrated loudly on the final whistle as Celtic’s lead at the top went from eight points on 89 minutes to five on full time. For a new manager at Ibrox, it’s results that matter, certainly in the short term. And this was a big one.”
Massive
The Rangers players really didn’t give up against Hearts, with that determination perhaps missing under Clement’s predecessor Michael Beale.
The squad looked bereft of confidence under the former boss, with poor displays and indeed poor recruitment leading to his dismissal earlier this month.
Perhaps it is just the new manager bounce under Clement that has the Gers going strong, but the man in the dugout will be keen for his players to keep the good results coming.
The boss defeated Hibernian 4-0 in his first match in charge, before clinching a Europa League point away to Sparta Prague.
It has been quite the introduction to the Gers for Clement, with his club’s busy schedule continuing against Dundee on Wednesday (1 October).
That Scottish Premiership test is immediately followed by another meeting with Hearts, this time in the Scottish League Cup semi-final next Sunday (5 October), with the Edinburgh club desperate to get revenge after the dramatic events at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, the Gers have avoided a multi-million Hollywood “assault” after a club chief revealed a Scottish Professional Football League snub.