Philippe Clement’s tenure at Rangers has quickly soured following yet another humbling defeat in the Old Firm derby.
Celtic’s 3-0 victory at Parkhead has left Clement under fire, with the Belgian manager still searching for his first win over Brendan Rodgers’ side.
The defeat also widened the gap between the two clubs to five points, adding to the growing discontent among the Rangers faithful.
Clement, in his post-match analysis, sought to explain the loss by pointing to several mitigating factors.
He stressed the positive aspects of Rangers’ early performance and highlighted the challenges posed by the relative youth and inexperience of his squad compared to Celtic’s more seasoned lineup. He also cited Celtic’s superior spending power as a key factor in the outcome.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Clement said:
“We know we are at the start of something. 16 players left the club. We have a lot of new guys, a lot of young guys. Look also at the age difference between the starting XI of Celtic and ours.
“So we know we have a lot of things to work on but we also see the potential that is there. In the first ten minutes we saw that, more in the second half. We need to continue working on that in the next weeks and months to be better in January to take the win there.”
Clement continued: “Celtic played today also with a team that’s been together for more than one year together. Some guys for two, three, four years. It’s normal they have more automaticity.
“Also when they bring the new ones in that they paid a lot of money for, it’s not the same, even now. So we know we have a way to go but we’re going to work hard on that.”
However, Clement’s explanations didn’t sit well with everyone. Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd was particularly critical of the manager’s comments, dismissing the significance of the age difference between the squads and expressing his frustration with what he sees as a growing list of excuses from the manager.
Boyd, who has been vocal in his support of the team, didn’t mince his words when assessing Clement’s post-match remarks.
“One of the key things that jumps out at me there is average age. Celtic’s average age today was 27. Rangers’ was 26. It’s nothing to do with age,” Boyd remarked, cutting through Clement’s arithmetic.
Boyd went on to voice his disappointment with Clement’s recent shift in tone, contrasting it with the optimism and authority the Belgian exuded when he first took over from Michael Beale.
“I’m fed up with excuses. Philippe Clement arrived here and he was a breath of fresh air for me. Positive thinking, a strong leader was how he came across. But recently, I don’t like it,” Boyd said.
Reflecting on Rangers’ performance, Boyd pointed out the futility of focusing on isolated moments of promise.
“You had a good ten minutes. There’s another 80 minutes. The worrying thing for me is that Rangers absolutely capitulated after Celtic scored that goal that was offside. Capitulated.”
Boyd also touched on the broader issues within the club, including the transfer dealings and wage cuts that have left the team in its current state.
“It’s clear as day what’s happened in terms of the players that have come in. The transfer fees will be spent over a period of time and the wages will be nowhere near the level of what Barisic, Goldson, Lundstram, Cantwell, Ryan Jack and Sima were all on. So they’ve trimmed the wage bill. But they’re not any better than what’s left.”
He didn’t shy away from pointing out the long-term mismanagement that has plagued the club since their last league title.
“It had to happen because of the mismanagement after Rangers won the league. There’s people getting away with it from back then.”
Boyd concluded with a stark reminder of the pressures Clement faces.
“It will take time, but you don’t get time. You win games of football. 2 January is the next Old Firm game. Can Rangers go on a run between now and then without losing another game in Scotland? Yes, because they should and then all of a sudden everybody is saying ‘oh Rangers are coming, they’re back, they’re going to challenge!’ Then Celtic come to Ibrox, win comfortably and then it’s not working again.”
As Clement faces mounting criticism, the next few months will be crucial for his future at Ibrox.