Brendan Rodgers has expressed sympathy for Philippe Clement’s challenging position at Rangers following another defeat in Scotland’s premier fixture.
Rodgers’ Celtic side demonstrated their dominance with a 3-0 victory at Parkhead, extending their lead over Rangers to five points.
Goals from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi gave Celtic a comfortable 2-0 lead by halftime, with Callum McGregor sealing the win with a superb long-range effort 15 minutes from time.
Clement, the Belgian coach of Rangers, has yet to secure a victory in his five matches against Celtic, managing only a 3-3 draw at Ibrox in April.
Rangers’ season has been marred by difficulties both on and off the pitch. The need to relocate home games to Hampden Park due to essential repairs at Ibrox has cast a shadow over their campaign.
Additionally, Clement’s side faced a disappointing exit to Dynamo Kyiv in Champions League qualifying and now faces a challenging Europa League group stage, featuring Manchester United, Lyon, and Tottenham.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, former Liverpool and Leicester manager Rodgers conveyed his understanding of Clement’s predicament.
“You always have to show respect. I thought Rangers started well in the game, and I do respect Philippe (Clement) massively,” said Rodgers.
“He is having to work through a difficult challenge with not being at the stadium and having some other issues.”
Rodgers praised his own team’s performance, noting their strong start to the season.
“But for us, we go into every game with that humility of knowing that we have to work. But to get to this point after a long pre-season, we have started so well and with a real good intensity.
“There always has to be more to come. But I think you can see the levels the players are at and the mentality they have. We are in a really good place, but it is so early in the season and there is a lot more growth to come.”