Kris Boyd has heavily criticized Philippe Clement for his refereeing apology after Rangers once again squandered a valuable points-scoring opportunity on the road against Hibernian.
After putting in an admirable performance against Celtic at Ibrox, consistency was the name of the game for the Belgian manager as he bids to get back into the Scottish Premiership title race. It looked like Clement’s ambitions might come true when Hamza Igamane’s double propelled the Light Blues to a 2-0 lead. Although Martin Boyle reduced the deficit just before half-time, Rangers appeared to be in control of the match.
However, the balance shifted after the break when Ianis Hagi was involved in a collision with Josh Campbell in the box, prompting referee John Beaton to award a penalty. Supported by video referee Kevin Clancy, Boyle equalized from the penalty spot. The talented Igamane restored Rangers’ lead but Rocky Bushiri scored a late equalizer in a thrilling encounter at Easter Road.
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After the final whistle, Clement was furious with the referee’s decision to award Hibernian a penalty, demanding clarification on the call. Yet Boyd was unwavering in his criticism, telling Sky Sports: “Philippe Clement can get as angry as he wants – his team took the lead back and then couldn’t finish the game. C It’s like we’re stuck in rehearsal; Rangers weren’t good enough away Yes, the incidents may seem minor, but it was clever play from Campbell that caused the error. Beaton has made his decision, it will never be reversed.
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Boyd then addressed the team’s inconsistency, saying: “David Gray might see it as a penalty, while Clement doesn’t. The fact is that Rangers regained the advantage and did not fail to manage the match. When Clément talks about his team’s lack of composure, he dismisses Cerny who had given everything, but perhaps he should have called on Rabbi Matondo instead. Why move Connor Barron to the middle. on the ground and move Diomandé back onto the flank, which promotes a more defensive posture? Four road wins in 15 outings is simply not acceptable.
Former Celtic star Neil Lennon also gave his opinion, saying: “If you score three away goals, especially as Rangers or Celtic, you should come away with points. It’s that simple.
Attempting to refocus Boyd, host Eilidh Barbour noted: “They almost won the game…” But Boyd reiterated: “It almost doesn’t count.” It’s the same thing again: no more excuses, no more reproaches to the referee. In the end, Rangers took a 3-2 lead and once again failed to close out the match. That’s four wins out of 15, and all their problems can’t exist. blamed on the arbitrator.
At the same time, Lennon expressed sympathy for the Ibrox boss, placing the blame on the struggling players: “I look at the manager’s position, and is it really his fault today? He had selected the right team and they started well. They could have easily been 3-0 or 4-0. He played well, but once they were 3-2, the players had to stand up and make it happen. let them score points. not done enough to achieve it Boyd is right about away performances – four wins are not enough. They managed to win last Thursday, but couldn’t follow through. This inconsistency is a real problem for this team. .
