Rangers Manager Frustrated After Dropping Points in Dundee Draw

Derek McInnes, manager of Rangers, expressed his disappointment after his team conceded a late equalizer, resulting in a draw against Dundee at Dens Park. McInnes likened the feeling of conceding to a balloon popping, as his side lost crucial points from a winning position.

Dundee initially took the lead through Bradley Fink, but Rangers responded with two impressive goals from Badredine Bouanani and Nico Raskin, which put them seemingly in control of the match. However, a defensive misstep by Dan Neil allowed Callum Jones to score the equalizer for Dundee, securing a point for the home team.

McInnes acknowledged that Dundee may have shaded the first half, describing their front two as a handful. He noted that his team struggled to contain them initially and pointed to Dujon Sterling's mistake that led to Dundee's first goal as avoidable. "I just thought we were a bit sleepy and a bit not ready to deal with it," McInnes stated.

Despite the setback of conceding, McInnes felt his team was in a strong position after Raskin's goal, which he described as high-quality. "The disappointment is that we had the game there, we were dominant. We had the game by the scruff of the neck," he said. He observed that Dundee was struggling to advance from their own half before the equalizer.

After Dundee leveled the score, McInnes felt his players failed to regain their earlier momentum. "We never really got back to that same level," he continued. "Although we did have enough balls in their box to score. We should be scoring."

He elaborated on the mental impact of conceding, stating, "It kills your momentum, first of all, because football’s not just a physical game, but mentally." He also noted that the equalizer gave Dundee renewed belief.

Despite not returning to their previous level of dominance, McInnes believed his team remained the more likely to win. "We still had opportunities. We still made them defend," he added.

Dundee manager Steven Pressley, however, felt his players were deserving of the point. He characterized the match as a "game of two halves," praising his team's "outstanding and very dominant performance" in the first half where they limited Rangers' chances and created their own.

Pressley also highlighted his team's courage and ability to "ride our luck at times" against a strong opponent. He noted that Dundee became the first club to take a point from Rangers in eight games, a feat he felt his players should be proud of.

Bouanani scored a leveller for Rangers just before halftime, his first goal for the club. Meanwhile, Jones's equalizer came after Neil's stumble, capitalizing on the defensive error.