Rangers Demonstrate Continuous Improvement Following Hard-Fought Victory Against St. Johnstone

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Philippe Clement expressed satisfaction with Rangers' progress following their narrow 1-0 victory over St. Johnstone. The win, secured by an own goal from former Rangers player Jason Holt, marked their first away triumph in the Scottish Premiership since September. This success followed a significant Europa League win against Nice, bringing them closer to the knockout stages.

Clement highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong defence, noting that they allowed only one shot on target for the second consecutive match. "At the end, it's also crucial to not concede chances," he stated. He emphasised that defensive strength is a team effort and praised the squad's overall improvement.

The manager acknowledged ongoing work needed in attack, particularly in decision-making and positioning in the final third. Despite this, he sees positive changes as mistakes are becoming less frequent. "It's still a work in progress," Clement admitted, but he remains optimistic about their trajectory.

Rangers' victory reduced their gap to league leaders Celtic to 11 points and placed them seven points behind Aberdeen. Aberdeen's 1-1 draw with Hearts saw them drop points again, extending their winless streak to three games. Leighton Clarkson scored for Aberdeen before Nicky Devlin's own goal levelled the match.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin remained hopeful despite recent setbacks. "You can see the players have the fight for each other," Thelin told BBC Scotland. He praised their effort and stressed the need to regain rhythm and team dynamics to prevent opponents from gaining momentum easily.

Aberdeen's Challenges

Thelin acknowledged his team's quality but recognised areas needing improvement. He pointed out that losing possession too easily allows opponents to capitalise on mistakes. Despite these challenges, he remains confident in his team's ability to bounce back.

Thelin highlighted recent achievements against Hibernian and Hearts as evidence of his team's potential. He aims to build on these performances and is determined to secure a positive result at Pittodrie in their next outing.