One step forward, two steps back: Rangers and Philippe Clement stuck in a familiar pattern

The Belgian took over a bedraggled Ibrox outfit following the sacking of Michael Beale last October and transformed them into title contenders only to collapse in the final run-in when the chance came to overtake Celtic. His position then came under intense scrutiny after a terrible start to the current William Hill Premiership campaign - blamed on a major summer rebuild - saw them cut adrift in third place as even Aberdeen outperformed them.

Progress appeared to have been made in recent weeks with fans appearing happier with results and performances - even applauding the team for their efforts despite losing the Premier Sports Cup final to Celtic on penalties. Celtic's draw at Dundee United before Christmas had also provided the slenderest glimmer of hope, allowing Rangers to reduce the gap to nine points as they moved above Aberdeen into second place, with the chance to go to within six points of the top if they could win their next three matches, culminating in the Old Firm fixture at Ibrox on January 2.

However, just as shoots of recovery were sprouting, the damaging Boxing Day defeat at St Mirren has sent Rangers and Clement tumbling back to square one, 12 points behind Celtic, with immense pressure now placed on the year-ending trip to Motherwell on Sunday and the derby that follows in the opening fixture of 2025 four days later.

It is an all too familiar recurring pattern for Rangers. Playmaker Ianis Hagi knows that another slip-up at Fir Park will not be tolerated as he recognised the need for a more lively performance than the one he and his teammates conjured up in a dismal first-half showing at St Mirren.

“We just need to be all-around more dynamic and understand that this time of the year is really important for this football club," the Romanian international said. "Hopefully we can get the three points and move on.

“For us it’s just one game at a time. We understand the position we’re in in the league, we understand the points difference, but there is still plenty of football to be played. Hopefully games like the one against St Mirren will make us understand what it takes to win games at this time of the year and we move on.

“I think everybody knows it was a game of two different halves. At this time of the year when you play away from home, it’s not enough just to play one half with the standards we have at Rangers. We all know that so it wasn’t good enough. We dominated the full second half. We were more dynamic and we were showing more of our attributes, let’s say.

“We were enjoying the game and were unlucky not to get more than one goal, we had plenty of big chances to get the second and the third. But we don’t kill the game and that’s part of football. At the end of the day, these types of games turn out like that when you don’t kill the game. There’s always that last chance that the opposition has and this time we just weren’t ready enough to defend that last ball.”

Hagi knows Rangers have to deliver for the Gers fans who left Paisley dejected after another away disappointment. The Light Blues have only won three of their eight away games in the league, which has proved costly.

The former Genk player said: “Yeah 100 per cent, that’s who we play for, for the fans, for the history of this club, and for protecting the image of this club. Obviously we’re not happy with how it ended the other night and hopefully we get back on track on Sunday.”

It will be the last game of 2024 for Rangers and Hagi, who, after returning from a loan spell at Alaves and playing in the Euros for Romania, was frozen out at the start of the season due to a contract issue that was eventually resolved, while also being left out of Clement’s European squad.

He said: “Yeah it’s been a roller coaster of emotions. Probably that’s the best sentence for it. But at the moment I’m really enjoying my football. I really feel like what’s ahead of me is really exciting and hopefully I can help the team every game and bring my qualities and my creativity on a daily basis for this football club.”

Motherwell, who are facing the prospect of back-to-back Old Firm matches, will look to take the positives from their first-half display in the 4-0 defeat at Celtic Park on Boxing Day as they effectively contained the defending champions until conceding a soft penalty on the stroke of half-time before losing their way after the interval.

“We have to move on and get ready for the tough game that’s coming on Sunday,” centre-back Shane Blaney said. “It’s no secret how tough on paper the run is over Christmas, but it’s something we have to turn on its head and hopefully get a couple of positive results.

“Of course it’s tough getting the two back-to-back, but it’s something that we have to embrace and we have to be ready for. We’re definitely fit enough and able for it. We’re non-stop training, so there’s no excuses on that side of things. We’ll be into Sunday ready to go, we’ll be fresh.”

Blaney does not expect Rangers' defeat at St Mirren to have any influence on the match at Fir Park.

“We expect the best version of Rangers,” he said. “Obviously people will say they lost, but it means nothing. They’ve been in a really good run of form, I think it’s one loss in 11.

“They’ve been flying, and the standard of their team is very good, there’s no denying it. So we’ll expect them to be chomping at the bit to get back to winning ways on Sunday, and we have to stop that.”