If the performance was not concerning enough, the comments under-fire Rangers boss Philippe Clement made following that defeat to Aberdeen did little for his dwindling popularity.
While launching an impassioned defence of his team – his claim that this was one of Rangers’ ‘better performances’ of the 2024/25 campaign a pretty remarkable self-burn – former Ibrox forward Gordon Dalziel could have been forgiven for wondering if his ears had deceived him as Philippe Clement opened up on the decision to drop one of his most in-form players.
Jefte, the impressive left-back enjoying a fine debut season in Glasgow, stuck on the sidelines. The Rangers supporters were left rather bemused to see Jefte starting on the bench following seven successive Scottish Premiership starts, and understandably so.
Clement explained that the call was made in order to keep Jefte fresh after so many minutes over previous months.
But surely there was a better time to rest the Brazilian than a trip to Premiership pacesetters Aberdeen? A game in which Rangers needed to win or risk falling nine points adrift at the top of the table.
Gordon Dalziel baffled as Philippe Clement drops Jefte for Rangers defeat
“I think the left-back position, you’ve got a boy there who has played every game – Jefte,” Dalziel argues. “He’s been good. And then he comes out and says because of the sports science [he is being left out].
“Listen, this is [Rangers’] biggest game of the season. You have got to play your players who are in form! The players who have been playing!
“This guy baffles me. I thought his team [selection] was wrong.”
“He should have just played the left-back,” agrees James McFadden. “I don’t think that’s right. It’s the biggest game of the season. You play your best players in their positions.”
The versatile Neraysho Kasanwirjo has impressed as a right-back and centre-half in recent weeks.
Rangers legend Barry Ferguson has been full of praise for the Feyenoord loanee, but the sight of Kasanwirjo helpless to prevent Nicky Devlin battering home Aberdeen’s opener at Pittodrie did little to justify one of the more contentious decisions of Clement’s campaign.
Clement explains Jefte omission and Neraysho Kasanwirjo involvement
“On Jefte, he played a lot of games and you saw the last game he started to get more tired,” the Belgian protests. “So we need to protect him in that way also.
“He never played so many minutes in a team before. He’s still young. We need to build his body in that way and he’s fresh to come in. And Nana [Kasanwirjo] played a good game again in the weekend and every time he played until now it was good.
“On the right side, central or on the left side. So I want to see that on the left side today and then we can see if one moment we put Jefte in or not.”
The summer signing from Fluminense is likely to return to Clement’s XI as Rangers travel to Motherwell in Sunday’s Scottish League Cup semi-final.
Looking to defend the trophy they won 13 months ago, another trophy at Hampden Park would go a long way to winning over the former Monaco boss’ growing throng of critics.
Though, with Aberdeen and Old Firm rivals Celtic going head-to-head in this weekend’s other last-four tie, Rangers’ performances against the top-of-the-table duo earlier in the campaign will fill few supporters with much confidence.
