Scottish Premiership: Rangers 1 Dundee United 1
Philippe Clement finds himself under scrutiny yet again after Rangers struggled to a 1-1 draw with Dundee United at Ibrox in another Premiership setback.
On a day which saw the Scottish fixtures list badly affected by snow and rain of Storm Bert, the Taysiders were held up by traffic problems on their way to Govan which put the kick-off back 45 minutes initially before it turned out to be 55 minutes of waiting for the hardy punters.
Unmarked Tannadice striker Sam Dalby still put the visitors ahead in the 36th minute with a header and frustrated Gers fans booed their side off at the interval.
Rangers had lacked pace, purpose and conviction in the first half, but they got back on level terms in the 66th minute through winger Vaclav Cerny, but even eight added minutes could not bring about a winner for the home side as Jim Goodwin’s men held out.
The improved second-half performance, however, will do little to persuade the many Clement sceptics that he is the man to take the club forward, although they gained a point on second-placed Aberdeen and are now eight behind the Dons.
The international break had brought more injury problems for the Belgian boss, with defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo out for an extended period after the Feyenoord loanee injured his knee playing for Netherlands Under-21s against England.
Dujon Sterling replaced captain James Tavernier at right-back, with Robin Propper taking over from Leon Balogun in the centre of defence.
United, who had asked for the kick-off to be pushed back further than 45 minutes, made two changes.
Goodwin brought in Kai Fotheringham and Glenn Middleton for Emmanuel Adegboyega and Jort van der Sande, who were both on the bench.
United started the day three points behind Rangers, having played a game more, but with one win in four games.
Goodwin wanted his side to “create some nervous tension” among the Ibrox crowd and they were helped in that task by another tentative start by the home side.
United goalkeeper Jack Walton made decent saves from drives from Cerny and midfielder Nicolas Raskin before an even better save from Nedim Bajrami’s curling shot, pushing the ball behind for a corner which came to nothing.
The home fans soon had more to moan about when Dalby, on loan from Wrexham, headed a cross from Vicko Sevelj past Gers keeper Jack Butland in the 36th minute, with a long VAR check confirming the goal, his fifth in six games.
Rangers defender John Souttar’s block from Fotheringham’s shot prevented a second goal for the visitors just before the break and, although Propper had the ball in the United net moments later, referee Don Robertson blew for an earlier Connor Barron handball, his decision backed up by VAR.
For the start of the second half striker Danilo took over from the anonymous Cyriel Dessers, with midfielder Ianis Hagi on for the equally ineffective Mohamed Diomande.
However, United captain David Babunski headed wide of the target four minutes after the restart to puncture any optimism the substitutions may have had.
In the 55th minute Danilo missed the target from eight yards from a Cerny cutback before the Czech Republic international flashed a powerful drive from the edge of the box just past a post.
However, Wolfsburg loanee Cerny was more accurate with his next effort, playing a one-two with Danilo inside the box and curving the ball past Walton and into the far corner of the net from eight yards for his seventh goal of the season.
The Ibrox side pushed with more menace.
Walton saved at the feet of Danilo before Cerny had ball in the net but was clearly yards offside.
Rangers came close to snatching a second in the 86th minute when Walton parried a long-distance drive from Hagi before Danilo’s follow-up shot was blocked and then the United keeper made a desperate save at close range from Propper.
Walton made a fine save from Gers substitute Hamza Igamane in added time, but, yet again, Rangers came up short, their fans vented their disapproval and their beleaguered boss limps on.
