Philippe Clement last night slammed the mentality of his stuttering Rangers side after a dismal 2-1 defeat to St Mirren left them trailing leaders Celtic by 12 points.
A run of four successive wins shuddered to a halt when St Mirren secured their first home league win over the Ibrox side since Christmas 2011.
A furious Clement went through his players at half-time after a woeful 45 minutes saw St Mirren claim the lead from a penalty conceded after a Jack Butland error.
Nico Raskin and Danilo were thrown into the fray at the break, with the Brazilian drawing the visitors level before St Mirren claimed fifth place in the Premiership and sparked scenes of joy thanks to a goal in the third of six added minutes from substitute Caolan Boyd-Munce.
‘They didn’t give (everything) in the first half,’ said an angry Clement. ‘That’s clear. We lost the game there, that’s why I was so angry at half-time.
‘We played far below our level in every sense, on the ball, without the ball, in the duels, in movements, in everything.
Philippe Clement is alone with his thoughts as he contemplates defeat in Paisley
Caolan Boyd-Munce leads the celebrations as St Mirren savour a sizeable scalp
Northern Irishman Boyd-Munce watches as his perfectly weighted shot seals victory
‘So, I made two changes but it’s not about the two guys, it was the whole team. I could have made eight or nine changes maybe.
‘In the second half you see the football you want to see, you see the intensity you want to see, you see the duels you want to see, you see the chances you want to see.
‘It’s not a tactical thing because there was no big change in tactics in the second half. It’s about quality, intensity. And that’s the frustrating part, if you see the consistency over the last two months.
‘Credit to St Mirren, how they throw their bodies in front of us on the goal line or in the box, preventing these things. But we lose the game ourselves in the first half with not showing the level that we need to show.
‘They showed it in the second half. They showed in the second half that they can do it.
‘They showed it also during the two months with a lot of games and a lot of games against really good opponents. So, it’s there.
Jack Butland concedes a first-half penalty after a rash challenge on Saints striker Greg Kiltie
Oisin Smyth keeps his cool to convert from the spot to put Stephen Robinson’s men ahead
‘But we cannot play like we played in the first half. That’s below level.
‘It’s below par for everybody in the team. And that’s not the mentality you can accept at Rangers.’
The loss of central defender Leon Balogun to a calf or Achilles problem added to Clement’s woes.
With John Souttar and Neraysho Kasanwirjo already missing, the Nigerian defender will undergo assessments today but is now a major doubt for the clash with Celtic on January 2.
‘I don’t know what the situation will be with Leon,’ said Clement. ‘But it’s never a good sign if a player comes off in the first half.
‘I had other things to speak about in half-time and after the game also.
‘So, I didn’t ask that one because I know the doctor will say he needs to make an assessment tomorrow. We will focus on that tomorrow.’
Balogun limped off with a leg injury and is now certain to miss the New Year Old Firm derby
Buddies boss Robinson punches the air before insisting his team merited their victory
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson claimed his side deserved a huge three points for their reaction to the Rangers equaliser.
With the Ibrox side pushing hard for a winner, the Saints boss threw on three substitutes — Jonah Ayunga, 17-year-old Evan Mooney and Boyd-Munce — and they all combined for the winning goal.
‘The team’s response to equalising and being under pressure shows the character of the squad,’ said Robinson.
‘We were excellent first half, they were better in the opening 15 minutes of the second — which is expected. But our response meant we deserved to win.
‘We were brave with two centre-forwards and special mention has to go to the three subs for the goal, and young (Callum) Penman. We had no fear throwing them on at 1-1. We have real belief in them.
‘We felt we needed to make changes to stop the tide. We changed to a three in midfield and were more aggressive.
‘It’s hard to single anyone out because to a man they were excellent.’
