Philippe Clement last night criticized the mentality of his stuttering Rangers team after a dismal 2-1 defeat to St Mirren that left them trailing leaders Celtic by 12 points.
A run of four consecutive wins was halted when St Mirren claimed their first home league victory over the Ibrox side since Christmas 2011.
A furious Clement tore through his players at half-time after a woeful 45 minutes in which St Mirren took the lead with a penalty awarded after a mistake by Jack Butland.
Nico Raskin and Danilo came into action at half-time, with the Brazilian drawing the visitors level before St Mirren claimed fifth place in the Premiership and sparked scenes of joy thanks to a goal in the third of six added minutes from the substitute Caolan Boyd. Munce.
“They didn't give it their all in the first half,” Clement said angrily. 'That's clear. We lost the game there, that's why I was so angry at half-time.
'We played well below our level in every sense, with the ball, without the ball, in duels, in movements, in everything.
Philippe Clement is alone with his thoughts as he contemplates defeat in Paisley.
Caolan Boyd-Munce leads celebrations as St Mirren savor sizeable scalp
Northern Ireland's Boyd-Munce watches his perfectly weighted shot seal victory
“So I made two changes, but it's not about the two guys, it's about the whole team.” Maybe I could have made eight or nine changes.
“In the second half you see the football you want to see, you see the intensity you want to see, you see the duels you want to see, you see the opportunities you want to see.
“It's not a tactical question because there were no big tactical changes in the second half. It's about quality, intensity. And that's the frustrating part, if you see the consistency over the last two months.
'You have to give credit to St Mirren, for how they throw their bodies in front of us on the goal line or in the box, preventing these things. But we ourselves lost the game in the first half for not showing the level we had to show.
“They showed it in the second half. They showed in the second half that they can do it.
“They also showed it during the two months with a lot of games and a lot of games against really good opponents. So, it's there.
Jack Butland concedes a first-half penalty after a rash challenge on Saints forward Greg Kiltie
Oisin Smyth keeps his cool to convert from the penalty spot to put Stephen Robinson's men ahead.
“But we can't play like we did in the first half. That's below par.
“He is below the level of everyone on the team. And that is not the mentality that can be accepted at Rangers.”
The loss of central defender Leon Balogun to a calf or Achilles problem added to Clement's woes.
With John Souttar and Neraysho Kasanwirjo already absent, the Nigerian defender will undergo assessments today but is now a major doubt for the clash against Celtic on January 2.
“I don't know what the situation will be with León,” Clement said. “But it's never a good sign when a player comes out in the first half.
“I had other things to talk about at half-time and also after the game.
'So, I didn't ask that because I know the doctor will say he needs to do an evaluation tomorrow. We will focus on that tomorrow.”
Balogun limped off with a leg injury and will likely miss the New Year Old Firm derby
Buddies boss Robinson punches the air before insisting his team deserved the win.
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson claimed his team deserved a huge three points for their reaction to Rangers' equaliser.
With the Ibrox side pushing hard for a winner, the Saints boss launched three substitutes – Jonah Ayunga, 17-year-old Evan Mooney and Boyd-Munce – and they all combined for the winning goal.
“The team's response to equalizing and being under pressure shows the character of the team,” Robinson said.
“We were excellent in the first half, they were better in the first 15 minutes of the second, as expected.” But our response meant we deserved to win.
“We were brave with two centre-forwards and a special mention goes to the three substitutes in goal and the youngster (Callum) Penman. We were not afraid to face 1-1. We really believe in them.
'We felt we needed to make changes to stem the tide. We switched to a three in midfield and were more aggressive.
“It's hard to single out anyone because, for a guy, they were excellent.”