Rangers manager Philippe Clement has explained an accident is to blame for the 45 minute delay ahead of the Scottish Premiership clash with Dundee.
Speaking in a post-match press conference, Philippe Clement explained that the Rangers team bus was forced to drive for two hours due to issues on the road into Dens Park.
Rangers had been stationed in St Andrews ahead of the game against Dundee but due to an accident the club’s players were made to wait on reaching the city.
As a result, the kick off time was moved from 19:45GMT to 20:30GMT but the delay to proceedings was only the start on a dramatic night for Philippe Clement’s side.
“We leave always early so that we are at in the stadium at least one and a half hours before the game, normally one hour 45,” Philippe Clement told the post-match press conference.
“We don’t take any risks. Our kitman also comes before us so they will tell us if there’s trouble on the roads. He got here within 20 minutes and it took us more than two hours because of an accident.
“We drove more than two hours because of an accident. That’s life. You cannot control that. You need to stay calm and focused. All the players did that. There was no stress or something on the bus.
“We came here and had a talk with the coaches of Dundee and went to start with the referee about when to start. Everything was really correct.
“The players were ready and after going inside again it was the same thing. It doesn’t mean because you have five minutes in the dressing room that you lose your focus.
“They need to be winners so whatever circumstances, whatever hour of the day, whatever pitch, whatever weather, we are everywhere to win games. That’s the mentality I want to see.”
Philippe Clement and Rangers overcome double delay v Dundee
The second delay referred to here by Philippe Clement involved Rangers supporters lighting pyrotechnics behind the goal ahead of the win over Dundee.
Setting off the fire alarm in the stadium as clouds of smoke bellowed onto the pitch, referee Kevin Clancy was once again forced to halt proceedings after only two minutes.
Causing another ten minute delay, Rangers boss Philippe Clement explained after the match that the incident disrupted his side’s “rhythm” and pleaded with fans to show their support in a different way.
“I hope not that the club face sanctions,” said Clement. “You come here in the warm-up, the stand is full, everybody is chanting, supporting the players, giving a lot of energy, already in the warm up.
“Those are very important things. We feel also the dynamic between fans and players is changing and it’s because of both sides.
“The supporters are positive to the players, the players are doing the right things on the pitch.
“Those things we need to continue doing and not the pyro things because going inside is not a good thing.
“We started the game bright, directly with good pressing from Danilo and you put pressure on Dundee, and you can break the rhythm of the team like that.
“It was good the team started bright again, but I think everybody will understand that it’s really good to have this support, all these songs and all this energy – I love it – but keep the fire outside of the stadium.”
Rangers ran out 5-0 winners over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership clash at Dens Park.
Despite the delay to proceedings, goals from Ryan Jack, Danilo, Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and James Tavernier capped an impressive display from Philippe Clement’s side.
