Philippe Clement revealed Rangers failed to heed his half-time warning before slipping to a historic defeat to Ross County which dented their cinch Premiership title hopes.
Staggies skipper Jack Baldwin scored an own goal after 15 minutes of a first half in which the home side could have netted at least twice against a below-par Gers outfit.
County then scored two quick-fire second-half goals through Simon Murray and George Harmon before Josh Sims added a stunning third and the hosts survived a late penalty from Gers skipper James Tavernier to win 3-2.
It was the Dingwall club’s first victory over Rangers after 20 defeats and four draws in 24 previous meetings.
The result left the Light Blues four points behind leaders Celtic with a game in hand against Dundee on Wednesday night, while second-bottom County moved to within a point of 10th-placed St Johnstone as they go into the split.
Clement said: “We threw away the points today. We didn’t start well enough in the first half on the ball and in the duels.
“We had chances but we were not lethal with the chances we had in the first half, a few of which were clear ones.
“You come into half-time in a good way 1-0 ahead and I warned the players it was not good enough in the first half and I wanted to see more second half and keep the clean sheet, but then you concede two goals in five minutes or something like that and start to chase the game.
“That makes it more difficult and you give energy to the opponent who get more energy and put their bodies in front of the ball all over the pitch to make a decisive duel.
“In the last half hour, I saw the urgency and I wanted to see that 90 minutes long, not 30 minutes long.
“There were too many mistakes made in our defensive part which is not usual from our team.
“There were some strange goals to concede and we didn’t score enough with the opportunities we had.
“In the end we give a lot of energy to our opponent and all credit to Ross County who defended with a big heart until the end. We need to see the opposition team don’t get so much energy by being better with and without the ball.”
County boss Don Cowie believes his players “took real belief from what was happening on the pitch” to get a “big win.”
He said: “Even though we conceded the goal we had created a couple of really good chances.
“We weren’t clinical enough and didn’t take them. But you sense it as a player. You realise what’s happening. And they built from that.
“The message at half-time was that we had done really well and we were disappointed to be behind. It was about coming out fast and being positive and they certainly did that.
“At the end of the game it got a bit nervy and that is natural.
“They got the penalty. But I saw a group of players putting their bodies on the line to make sure we got the three points and that was very pleasing.”
Clement explained why he did not shake hands with Cowie immediately after the game – he waited until they met at post-match media duties.
The Gers boss said: “I went inside directly. I wanted to prepare really well what I had to say to the team. Nothing towards him, a lot of credit for him and what he has been doing here.”
Cowie said: “He apologised that he didn’t shake my hand, which I have got no problem with.
“It is a game that he probably expects to come up and win and he is in a pressured situation in terms of fighting for the league title. I had 10 minutes with him prior to the game and he was very respectful. No issues there with me.”
Postecoglou hails 'fantastic' youngster Moore after late Vissel Kobe winner
Ange Postecoglou saluted "fantastic" Mikey Moore, after the teenager struck a late winner in Tottenham's J-League World Challenge clash with Vissel Kobe.
The 16-year-old was the hero with his 88th-minute strike sealing a 3-2 victory at the Japan National Stadium in what was Spurs' first match in their preseason tour of the Far East.
Academy graduate Moore became Tottenham's youngest Premier League player when, aged 16 years and 277 days, he made his senior debut against Manchester City in the penultimate game of last season.
And Postecoglou insists the England youth international, who has scored 10 goals in 12 appearances at under-17 level, is deserving of his first-team opportunities.
"Mikey has been fantastic since we brought him in," he told reporters during his post-match press conference. "He's earned his spot on the roster at the moment; he did at the end of last year.
"He got a run with the first team because we could see in training that he was handling himself really well, and that's followed through into pre-season training.
"He's been good in all the games; he probably should have had three tonight, but he did take his goal well by being in the right areas.
"All we can do is keep allowing him to develop. We have to remember that, last year, he had some injuries, and he is only 16.
"I think the future with a lot of our young guys looks pretty promising, but it's our responsibility to make sure they realise their potential and continue to work hard at their game."
Spurs made it three wins from three during preseason, following their 5-1 and 2-0 victories over Hearts and Queens Park Rangers respectively.
"I thought it was a good game," Postecoglou added. "The conditions did make it difficult for both teams, and we've had a hard week of training.
"Credit to the boys. I thought we played some decent football, and they put in as much effort as they humanly could out there.
"You want to provide some sort of entertainment for the supporters who made a great turnout tonight, not just Spurs supporters, but football supporters in general. It's always nice to give back in that way and, overall, I was pleased."
Lindstrom joins Everton on loan from Napoli
Everton have completed the loan signing of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli, the club confirmed on Friday.
Lindstrom will join the Toffees for the 2024-25 season with the deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.
The 24-year-old becomes the fourth addition at Goodison Park following the arrivals of Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison.
Lindstrom arrives after a difficult season with Napoli, playing just 416 minutes in 22 league appearances for the Serie A side.
The Denmark international arrived in Naples from Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 14 goals in 80 appearances, helping the German side lift the Europa League in the 2021-22 season.
“I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton," Lindstrom said in his first interview with the club.
"This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit.
“I actually heard of Everton’s interest a while ago – not only from now but previously. England is very similar to Denmark so I will feel at home quickly.
“I’ve spoken to the manager. It sounds as though he likes the way I play football and I can be a good fit for the team with my speed, so now I want to deliver."
The search for another attacking option out wide had been the priority at Everton, having seen Arnaut Danjuma return to Villarreal following the completion of his loan deal, and the sale of Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa.
Everton managed 40 goals last season, the second worst in the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United (35), and Dyche believes Lindstrom has a lot to offer in the final third.
"Jesper is a player with very good ability who can operate in a number of different attacking roles, which will benefit us heading into the new season," said Dyche.
"He joins us with a range of different experiences. He is hungry and eager to succeed with us, and that's a strong starting point as we look to add more productivity to our attack."
Maguire labels England criticism 'ridiculous' following Euro 2024 display
Harry Maguire has defended his England team-mates after their performance at Euro 2024, labelling the criticism as "a bit ridiculous".
England reached back-to-back European Championship finals but suffered the same outcome in Berlin as they did at Wembley three years ago.
The defeat against Spain saw Gareth Southgate become the first head coach in the history of the tournament to end up on the losing side in two finals.
Southgate called time on his eight-year tenure in charge of the Three Lions two days after the tournament ended, winning 59.8% of his 102 games in charge.
Despite this, underwhelming performances in Germany saw cups thrown towards the former England head coach as supporters jeered the players.
Southgate came under fire for his defensive approach, though only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) have overseen more England goals than his 213.
However, Maguire has come to the defence of his team-mates.
“Yes, performances might not have been amazing but it is tournament football," Maguire told BBC Sport.
"It is not as expansive. There are far less risks taken. You can’t afford to make mistakes or get caught going out in a full press. You saw throughout the tournament there were not many high-scoring wins.
“I just don’t know what the media or fans expected of this team. Was it to go and beat Serbia 4-0 in the first game and then beat Denmark 3-0? Did they think it was just going to be a walk in the park?”
Under Southgate's stewardship, England reached more major tournament finals in four attempts (two) than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros (one).
Maguire played 63 times during Southgate's time in charge, a total only bettered by Harry Kane (81), Kyle Walker (70), Jordan Pickford and John Stones (both 68).
Maguire was forced to miss the tournament having picked up an injury in May, forcing him to miss Manchester United's FA Cup success against Manchester City.
Euro 2024 was the first major tournament he has missed during his international career, having become a mainstay in central defence alongside Stones.
Maguire's 17 appearances at major tournaments saw him keep seven clean sheets, but he insisted that missing out on Euro 2024 was difficult for him to comprehend.
"To miss out was tough," said Maguire.
“It has been really frustrating, working all season to get myself mentally and physically at the top of my game and be in a position to feel I could really make a difference for Manchester United and my country."
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