If Rangers manager Philippe Clement did not understand the pressure he was under going into the League Cup semi-final against Motherwell, he did at half-time.
The boos from the Rangers fans at Hampden were deafening as they went into the break a goal behind following a first-half display that started with promise but fizzled out after Andy Halliday scored past Jack Butland.
It could be argued a defeat would have spelled the end for Clement, whose side trail Celtic and Aberdeen by nine points after just 10 Premiership games.
It was an interval in which truths needed to be spoken, and failings fixed.
“We started the game well, and I felt some nervousness, some doubts in half-time because we conceded the goal,” Clement said post-match.
“We spoke about what went well, and to raise our tempo and our level in the second half to break the wall. That’s what they did.”
Goalkeeper Butland – who took the captain’s armband after James Tavernier was substituted – was keen to stress the collective nature of the half-time debrief.
“A lot of people spoke,” he said. “There’s a real desire to change things and do better.
“At this club we can’t give up. We need to keep pushing standards and making sure when we have disappointments, we bounce back.”
Bounce back they did after the interval as Cyriel Dessers’ 49th-minute equaliser swung the momentum Rangers’ way before Nedim Bajrami’s winner.
They dominated possession, pinned Motherwell in and would have scored more were it not for goalkeeper Aston Oxborough.
“Let’s give Clement a little bit of credit,” former Scotland winger Pat Nevin said on Sportsound.
“It wasn’t going well in the first half. The manager must have said something, because they looked more considered after the break.”
However, fans need to see high-quality performances – and wins – on a consistent basis if they are to move past the boos and have true faith in this team.
“In the end, Clement’s team played well,” Nevin said. “They were the better side but he can’t really over-celebrate it, because the Rangers fans are ready to turn on him.
“When the whistle went at half-time, it was the speed of the boos, they were waiting for it. That’s how disappointed a lot of the fans are at the moment.
“So he can’t get or sound too carried away.”
Clement, too, insisted this cannot be a one-off for Rangers and says words will only go so far to placate the fanbase.
“This needs to be also a reference game for this new squad,” he said. “To dig in and keep our belief, to keep on going, to keep on fighting and to break the wall if we go behind.
“This can be a massive game at the end of the season, to have this one as a reference. I want to see this mentality every three days.
“That’s what we’ve been talking about but talking is not enough. We need to do it on the pitch.”
Their first opportunity to match that reference point comes in Greece on Thursday night when they take on Olympiakos in the Europa League.
‘There’s not a great gulf between the sides’
For Motherwell, they once again showed their ability to punch above their weight, but will be disappointed not to capitalise on the promising situation they found themselves in.
A first cup final appearance since 2017 was up for grabs, but it slipped away and fans were frustrated by some in-game decisions.
Natural wing-back Johnny Koutroumbis was left on the bench, with Dan Casey shifting from centre-half instead, while Tony Watt was an unused substitute as they chased a late equaliser.
“I thought we put ourselves in a really good position,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said. “For us to get better, there’s going to have to be moments where there’s better quality.
“There’s not a great gulf between the clubs on the day. We know they are going to have lots of the ball, but one or two better decisions probably keeps that negative feeling when we’re one ahead.
“This doesn’t derail our start to the season. I’m proud as punch because the players put it all out there.”
Former Scotland striker Steven Thompson thought Kettlewell could have done more in search of a second goal, but praised the effort shown by the Motherwell players.
“Tactically he got it right up until a certain point,” he said. “When the second goal goes in you’ve got to throw caution to the wind.
“The Motherwell players can take a lot from the experience. They’re just a bit rushed on the ball. They can be proud, they emptied themselves out on the pitch.”
