Philippe Clement doing himself no favours with comments about Rangers fans

Rangers fans won't be best pleased after what Philippe Clement said about their reaction to him substituting Connor Barron against Hearts.

In the post-match press conference after the 1-0 win at Ibrox, Clement claimed that fans "don't know" all his reasons for making his decisions in games.

The Light Blues may have secured a valuable three points in the Scottish Premiership, but their second-half performance – particularly in the absence of Barron – left a lot to be desired.

In quotes reported by The Rangers Review (10 November), Clement said: "I understand fans are fans and they don't know all the facts.

"It's also my job to manage (Barron) – that he doesn't get injuries, that he doesn't get overused. 

"I understand that fans don't understand every detail about that. They want to see their best players of the last couple of weeks, all the time.

"But it's also my job to see that they can stay on the pitch. I think the fans would be more disappointed if he was injured at the end."

Rangers fans will be ready to turn on Philippe Clement at Ibrox

If Clement was aiming to appease a frustrated fanbase who had been bored stiff by a largely dismal display against the Jam Tarts, his post-match comments on Barron would have done the exact opposite.

Telling fans what they do and don't know is never a smart move for any manager, let alone one coming under increasing pressure to get his new-look Gers side performing consistently.

Making a fast start and opening the scoring inside six minutes at Ibrox on Sunday, Cyriel Dessers' goal was as good as things got for the home crowd, with very little created to add to their advantage.

It was Hearts who arguably went closest to snatching points as the game went on, hitting the post straight after the restart in the second half and taking near-total control once Barron was withdrawn.

The three points are arguably the only positive fans will take from their viewing, and if Clement wants to get the crowd back onside, he must steer clear from making impudent comments in the future.

In other Rangers news, Michael Stewart was left baffled by what referee Matthew MacDermid did just before full-time at Ibrox.

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