'I still believe': Philippe Clement not losing hope despite title setback

Philippe Clement still believes his side can be Premiership champions despite trailing Celtic by three points with five games to go.

Rangers were held to a goalless draw against Dundee at Dens Park on Wednesday and now have only one win from their last five league games.

The manager insists that the performance was much better than Sunday’s defeat to Ross County, which he calls the worst of his time at the club, but they failed to breakdown Tony Docherty’s side.

The game, which was played at the third time of asking after the Dens Park pitch was twice ruled unplayable, was the final fixture ahead of the split.

Rangers still face a trip to Celtic Park next month as well as a difficult away game against Hearts in their last five games, but Clement is adamant they can still turn their season around.

He said: “I still believe that.

“I still believe that (we can win the title), I was only person in Glasgow who believed we could back in October, we are now six months later and if we win all our games then there is a really big possibility for that.

“I think that is a really big step forward, I believe in these players and this group because I have seen what they have done already this season so they can do it again.”

“It would be concerning if it was the same performance as Sunday, but that wasn’t the case there was a lot of things much better and that was needed because Sunday was our worst performance in six months.

“It’s a pity we didn’t get the result, but now it’s about standing up and being ready for the next game. If we keep on pushing then the results will come.

“I’ve always said, even when we were winning the games, that I will look (at the league table) at the end of the season, but we maybe need to win all five games to win the title, but we have had runs like that already so it is about game by game and focusing on that.

“So we still have our own fate in our hands, of course it is frustrating because you want to win and you see a team that does everything to win and you deserve it also.

“There was only team who deserved to win this evening, in terms of possession and chances, so it is always frustrating if you don’t win the points from that situation.”

Tony Docherty strongly disagreed with Clement’s assertion that only one team deserved to win the game.

“I thought it was, again, a really fantastic performance by the team,” said the Dundee boss, who revealed skipper Joe Shaughnessy will have a scan on a knee injury which saw him limp off early in the first half.

“I thought we went toe to toe with a really good Rangers team which has a huge motivation in the title race.

“But who had the more motivation in that game there?

“I thought my players served up a fantastic performance out of possession and in possession.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with them because I thought their focus going into the last two games was outstanding.

“And I thought we got our rewards tonight.”