Rangers manager Philippe Clement has bitten back at criticism over his team selection in the 2-2 Scottish Premiership draw with Motherwell.
Philippe Clement made seven changes from the Rangers team that fell to a 2-1 defeat to St Mirren, only for two of the changes in Kieran Dowell and Cyriel Dessers to be hooked at half-time.
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd criticised Philippe Clement for sticking with the advice of the club’s sports scientists and resting several key players in what was a must-win match.
With the pressure mounting on his shoulders, Philippe Clement faced the music at full-time and insists that he has to make tough decisions to manage injuries.
Philippe Clement on changes v Motherwell
“It’s really simple, guys, It’s really simple,” Clement told the press after the match.
“Ianis was sick. Ianis was normally starting today. Leon Balogun is injured. Jefte played almost the same amount of games that he played last season until now. Ridvan played, for me, a good game in that position.
“Vaclav played already double the amount of minutes that he played last season. He was saying also that he was dead tired yesterday.
“And the same with Hamza, who played almost the same amount of minutes as last season already in a short period.
“So, yes, I see also the difference when Vaclav and Hamza come in, in the second half, and they showed good quality.
“But I would be really a fool if I had started with them and after 60 minutes they both would have been injured for one or two months. Then I would be a fool.
“So, in that way, yes, I listen to my staff. I also listen to the players themselves in that way. And I’ve been pushing several players in these situations the last couple of weeks. But there is a limit on pushing them before you come to the injury thing.”
John Souttar victim of Rangers rotation
Philippe Clement also suggested after the match that over-exposure to the first team caused Rangers defender John Souttar to break down with injuries.
John Souttar, 28, has been amongst Rangers’ top performers this season and the centre-back is now sidelined after picking up an injury against Tottenham Hotspur.
Since Souttar came out the team, Rangers have gotten used to shipping goals and it’s clear Philippe Clement wanted to avoid a similar situation over these last two matches.
But with Rangers now slipping 14 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, it’s a monumental risk which quite simply has not paid off.
“So, John Souttar, you can say we’ve been pushing him until one moment and then he gets an injury also,” said Clement.
”So, it’s making these decisions together, as a staff together and also with the players.
“And we need, with this amount of game, more than 12, 13, 14 players. Otherwise, you cannot reach your goals. So, that’s what you expect from the other players.
“They don’t come to say that they’re too tired, but you see people, how they are. We test them also in different ways with the staff. So, you need a rotation. It’s not possible.
“There’s not one team in the world playing with their attacking players every time 90 minutes, every three days, for three, four months in a row. There’s not one team in the world doing that.
“So, we cannot do that also. Otherwise, we take the wrong decisions.
“Would I have loved to have started today with Vaclav and Hamza? Of course, yes. But I need to be smart in that way also not to lose them for the next couple of months.”
