Philippe Clement was speaking after Rangers' 2-1 defeat against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. A result which sees them fall nine points behind Jimmy Thelin's side.

Do you feel hard done by after that second-half?

I think we were the team in the second half going for the winning goal, getting the most time in the box of the two teams, but we were not clinical enough in that way to take the lead. And then on one of the spare moments that Aberdeen came in our box, they were lethal today. So that's disappointing. Also, knowing that we scored the goal and it is not allowed for a toenail offside, it could have been a different result also out of that. But yeah, we need to work hard to get these results and to get these results over the line. That's our task to do with all squad.

You're now nine points behind the top two, how big a gap even this early in the season is that going to be to call back?

Yeah, it's a big gap, but if you're focused on the gap, you're not focused on taking the points. So when I stepped in last season, there was also a big gap at that moment and we came back all the way, but not succeeded at the end of the road. So it was a story of game by game, giving the maximum to get the three points and going game by game. So that's what we need to do again.

Can your team do that again before they come back?

Yes, of course. But we don't need to focus on the other teams. We don't have any control on how many points they take. It's about us making better performances, growing as a team. I think today was one of the better games until now of this season of the squad. You see players making steps and getting better, but we need still to grow and we need to get better to have more consistency in our results. And all credit also to Aberdeen, what they are doing, like they showed also in Celtic Park. But you need also that piece of luck in these moments also with the offside, otherwise it's 2-2 and there's a totally different perception, like it was in Celtic Park after 2-2. So I saw a lot of good things in the second half where we had the domination, where we were creating the chances, where we were a lot of times in the box. But we need to work really hard on being more clinical in this last part of the field.

What would you say to the fans who don't share your belief that Rangers can still be champions? Yeah, that we're going to work hard like we did last season also, to continue working really hard with the squad and day by day, game by game, to go full for that. Last year it was possible, so this year it's also possible.

How frustrated were you that when you got back to 1-1 and you had a bit of momentum, you made that tactical change at half-time, that the players weren't able to push forward and get the victory?

Yeah, you felt that we were taking the game totally in hand. We were creating the chances, there was good play, there were good things shown with the ball, without the ball, in the duels, pushing Aberdeen back in a way they have not been pushed back so many times this season. So there were a lot of positives, but at the end I know it's about results and we're really disappointed about that. To take the goal, I didn't see it yet, what just happened in that situation. But that's disappointing, to take a goal if they come much less in your box than we were in their box.

For you personally, with the pressure that's on and the noise outside of the club, Sunday is such a massive game now, is this one where you simply can't afford to lose?

We cannot afford to lose any game. Like today, we cannot afford to lose any game. That's what Rangers is about, that's what I am about also. I hate to lose, so I don't want to lose any game. So on Sunday we will stand up and work hard to qualify for this final of the Cup.

What is it you're seeing exactly from your squad that makes you believe you can pull back this nine-point gap?

Yeah, because this game, if things fall to your side, you can win this game or at least have a draw. We had enough chances, we pushed Aberdeen back in the second half, on their own half, in their own 16. So then it's about the last step to be more clinical in this final third, where we came a lot of times in good situations, but we need to be more clinical. Aberdeen missed their penalty and hit the post, they could argue the game should have been finished by half-time. Okay, but I said also we started well and after Aberdeen took over.

Read more:

'One of the better performances of the season' - Clement defends Aberdeen defeat

Aberdeen 2-1 Rangers instant analysis: Nightmare for Clement as gap grows to nine

Philippe, you've seen a lot of anger in the Rangers fans when the players went across after the game, can you understand that?

Yeah, totally, because they hate to lose, but as long as I'm manager somewhere, my players will always go to greet the fans and to show respect that they were here. So that's also an important thing. And to show that you have respect, that you're also really disappointed, and the dressing room is dead for the moment, that's normal, that's how it should be, and we're going to react now on Sunday again to get the victory and to go to this final.

Philippe, you're not looking at the table just now, you're nine points behind?

Yeah, you said me that's the second time.

You're third in the table but at Rangers it's unacceptable to be second. Is it acceptable to be in the position you are in?

No, it's the situation what it is now, and we lost too many points along the way. There's only one way to go forward and that's working hard and to becoming better with the squad. I don't know if you saw the numbers yesterday, that's been out of the club. Yeah, the players are out. Yeah, so there's been a big rebuild, 16 players out, a lot of experience out of the building, a lot of new players in, a lot of cutting down the wages, the wage bill, so there's a big project to be done and there is the necessary time for that to make this better and to get this experience for these young boys. If I see Conor Barron playing today, he makes really good steps last couple of months. If I see Kasanwirjo play today, he makes really good steps this month. If I see the way that Dujon Sterling came in after his injury of the last couple of months, I see a lot of positives also. You can only look at the result and the negativity. I can speak about Nico Raskin also today and about several players, but at the end, it's about the result. Yes, so we're going to work really hard to make them better again on Sunday and the next week and the next game and the next game and then good times will come back for the Rangers fans.