Philippe Clement admits Rangers have still got a job on their hands to reach the Europa League knock-outs after their Old Trafford heartbreak.
The Belgian’s brave side looked to have snatched a precious point at the Theatre of Dreams after Cyriel Dessers equalised with just two minutes remaining. But it was ripped away when Man United skipper Bruno Fernandes fired a stoppage-time winner just moments later to follow up on Jack Butland’s calamitous OG opener.
The result leaves Gers sitting 13th in the league phase table – three points outside of the top eight slots for a bye through to the last 16. As things stand, they are well placed to reach next month’s play-off rounds but Clement admits the required top 24 finish is not sealed yet. The Ibrox boss – whose side finish their league campaign against compatriots Union Saint-Gilloise next week – said: “To get in top eight we need to do a big effort against Union and we need luck with the other results.
“To be in top 24, which was the ambition before starting, that we are very close to – but not there yet. So it’s about focusing on getting points against Union and doing the things we have to do for this club and to be ambitious in every game to go full for the victory.”
It was United who got the win last night but Clement couldn’t hide the pride he felt for his players, especially kids Bailey Rice and Curtis Findlay who were flung in as Leon Balogun, Connor Barron and Vaclav Cerny became his latest injury concerns.
He said: “I just spoke to everybody in the dressing room, they’re disappointed that we lost after playing that kind of game. I’m very proud of what the team did today.
“They stuck to the plan, followed the tactics all the way, even with really young players coming on the pitch. We had to make two changes at half-time, putting players in positions that they normally don’t play.
“There were so many circumstances, but the team stayed compact, they stayed well-organised and they stayed brave on the ball because we created enough chances. I think in the first half we had the best chances to take the lead and in the second half we went behind when Manchester was playing better than us.
“But we didn’t stop having the belief and we continued playing and going for this goal, which we made in a really good way. So then it’s really disappointing to take the second goal at the end.
“But for Bailey and Curtis, it a huge, huge experience for them. They’re only 18 years old, they never played at the highest level to come on this pitch and also to be brave.
“So a lot of congratulations to them. They’re both very talented players for the future of Rangers.
“They’re not ready yet to be starting XI all the time but they have the right mentality and will become starting XI players for the future I think.”
Dessers is a player who divides the Ibrox support but they were united to a man in their acclaim as he climbed off the bench to rifle home the equaliser. And his boss confessed he was gutted it counted for nothing.
“He did really well and he showed again his great mentality, what he showed for every second that I’ve been in the building,” he said. “I never saw a different Cyril in any circumstances.
“So of course you know you score a very good goal and then you see that it’s not the decisive one, otherwise he would have been the hero.”
Dessers was almost the hero – but Butland took the blame for United’s opener after punching a corner into his own net. But Clement refused to point the finger, saying: “Jack saved us also a few times in the second half, so that’s the life of a goalkeeper.
“So I’m not going to be focused solely on that. I think there are so many positive points, what the team did also with the ball, playing at Manchester United in the circumstances that we are in at the moment. And to be that brave on the ball also and creating that much, I think it’s a very positive sign.”
Clement arrived without eight of his key men because of injury, suspension and ineligibility. And he’s now got a fresh fret after losing Barron and Balogun at the break, with Cerny limping off during the second half.
“Yeah but what can I do if players get tackled and they get injuries? Those are things I don’t have any control over, so we need to work really hard with the medical department to get the players back.”