Rangers Face Deadline Decision on Dundee Fixture
Rangers manager Phillipe Clement has reiterated the club’s willingness to play their fixture against Dundee behind closed doors if necessary. Following the cancellation of the match for a second time due to an unplayable pitch at Dens Park, a deadline of Tuesday lunchtime has been set to make a final call on whether the rearranged game will take place next Wednesday night.
The Rangers squad was in St Andrews preparing for the match before a pitch inspection by referee Don Robertson deemed the playing surface unsuitable. Despite offering to play the match on Thursday of the same week, the suggestion was turned down by the SPFL.
Clement expressed his frustration at the disruption to the team’s schedule, especially at such a critical stage of the season. However, he made it clear to his players that they must maintain their focus regardless of the circumstances.
Adaptability and Determination
“The last thing that I hear now, the last information that I got, is that we will know Tuesday at 12 o’clock at the latest where we are going to play on Wednesday,” Clement stated. “Normally [that would be] in Dundee. If it is not possible it will need to be somewhere else. That we know now, Tuesday at 12 o’clock before we travel, we know what is going to happen.”
He emphasized the team’s mindset of being prepared to play under any conditions to secure the three points. “If they ask us to play on Mars, we go to Mars, we take the flight. To win the three points, that is our mindset of the whole group, me and all my players.”
Acknowledging the disadvantage of playing without their fans, Clement emphasized the need for adaptability. “But it is what it is. We need to adapt. Like when it was Covid, we didn’t like it also. But our mindset is that whatever decisions are made we go to win games. That is the mindset. No excuses around that.”
Rangers’ Strong Stance against Dundee
In response to the ongoing issues surrounding the fixture, Rangers released a statement criticizing Dundee for their failure to maintain the pitch and labeling the club as ‘unprofessional’, ‘negligent’, and ‘damaging’ to Scottish football. Clement supported this stance, highlighting the impact of the situation on the overall image of the game.
“This situation was clear a few weeks before, it’s been a problem for a long time apparently,” Clement remarked. “It’s, for us, the second time that the game has been postponed, it’s five games this season that have been postponed so that’s 30 percent of the home games that have been postponed this season.”
Expressing disappointment in the handling of the situation by Dundee, Clement emphasized the need for a resolution to prevent further disruptions. “It’s pointed at the club, they didn’t do the right things to have a decent football field and it’s happened several times already this season so that needs to be solved otherwise we cannot play the game.”
Impact on Players and Fans
Clement highlighted the negative impact of the fixture cancellations on both the players and the fans. He shared a poignant moment he witnessed at the hotel where a young boy was left in tears after the game was called off for the second time.
“There’s a lot of things around that, all the fans coming there from Wales, from England, from Northern Ireland, from all over the place the first time a few weeks ago and now again. This is really bad for the image of football in Scotland,” Clement expressed.
He emphasized the need for all parties involved to recognize the repercussions of such disruptions and to work towards preventing them in the future. “Everybody needs to realize that, and it needs to be avoided. It’s important to make the right decisions that this cannot happen anymore.”
As Rangers await a final decision on the rescheduled fixture against Dundee, Clement remains focused on preparing his team for upcoming matches while urging for a resolution to avoid similar situations in the future.