Philippe Clement, Rangers’ Belgian manager, firmly believes that it is “a good thing” his side will face Celtic in the Premier Sports League Cup Final at Hampden on Sunday, December 15.
This highly anticipated encounter follows an arduous semi-final clash against Motherwell, where Rangers clawed their way back to secure a narrow 2-1 victory after trailing at half-time.
The semi-final result was a relief for Clement, who has been under increasing pressure as his side’s Premiership campaign has faltered.
After 10 league games, Rangers sit nine points adrift of Celtic and Aberdeen, a gap created by three losses and a single draw.
Adding to their woes, Rangers missed a lucrative Champions League opportunity, bowing out at the first qualifying hurdle against Kyiv Dinamo, a loss that included a 2-0 defeat at Ibrox in the decisive second leg.
Despite their struggles in the Premiership and Europe, Clement sees the final as a moment to reignite Rangers’ spirit.
Reflecting on the upcoming showdown with Celtic, he admitted:
“It’s a big challenge. The biggest in Scotland. That’s also a good thing. It’s the next step to take to win this Cup again.
“We had that amazing feeling together with the fans last season and we can battle for that again.”
In stark contrast to Rangers’ hard-fought win, Celtic cruised through their semi-final, thrashing Aberdeen 6-0 in a display of sheer dominance.
By half-time, the Parkhead side were already three goals up, with Daizen Maeda eventually securing a hat-trick. Further goals from Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Nicolas Kuhn showcased Celtic’s lethal form.
Their one-sided victory was a warning signal to Rangers, underscoring the magnitude of the challenge Clement’s team will face in December.
For Clement, the Motherwell game highlighted both strengths and areas of concern for his squad.
“It was probably the worst scenario that you can have,” he said, “starting the game well, creating chances and then on the first really dangerous ball in the box, you concede.”
Rangers initially looked promising but struggled to capitalise on their chances, with striker Cyriel Dessers missing two clear opportunities in the first half.
Their hopes seemed bleak when former Rangers man Andy Halliday scored for Motherwell midway through the opening period, pushing the Govan side onto the back foot.
However, the game turned on its head early in the second half when Dessers redeemed himself with a poacher’s finish to level the score, and Nedim Bajrami’s scrappy winner in the 81st minute ensured Rangers’ progression to the final.
Reflecting on his team’s resilience, Clement added: “This needs to be also a reference game for this new squad. To do what we’ve been doing a lot last season and it’s to dig in and in every situation, to keep our belief, to keep going, to keep fighting if we go behind.”
“I want to see every three days this mentality. That’s what we’ve been talking about, but talking is not enough. We need to do it on the pitch.”
Clement, addressing the Daily Record, explained that the pressure his team feels stems not from external expectations but from their own desire to succeed.
“We feel the pressure that we hate to lose, so the pressure is out of ourselves. We want to react. We want to be better. The group showed that. That’s an important thing.”
Underlining the need for consistent effort, he continued:
“I can talk about a lot of things, but it needs to happen. They need to feel it also. They can believe in these difficult moments to keep on pushing, to break open the wall of Motherwell with a lot of movement, with a lot of positive aggressivity when we lost the ball.”
Rangers’ attack indeed showed signs of determination and creativity, carving out multiple chances.
“It should have been more. That I want to see much more the next weeks and months,” Clement noted, keen for his side to build on this performance.
The Belgian also revealed his approach to calming his squad’s nerves during the break, saying:
“At half-time, I was calm because I felt that the team was really nervous. They needed the confidence to push to get this 10-15 percent more to get the win.”
His message appeared to resonate with the players, who returned to the field with renewed purpose and quality.
“That’s what they showed in the second-half. A lot of mentality, but a lot of quality also. You always need to find that balance. If it’s only mentality and you’re only fighting and don’t play good football, we will not reach our goals.
“So, we need to have this subtle balance between the two. That’s what they showed in the second-half. Players stood up. We scored two really good goals.
“That will create a lot of belief for the next couple of months.”
Yet, as the cup final looms, Clement knows Celtic will present an entirely different challenge. With their commanding performance against Aberdeen, the Parkhead side have reminded everyone of their power.
For Rangers, the opportunity to contest silverware offers a chance to make amends for recent setbacks and restore pride in what has been a stuttering campaign.
Come December, it will be a clash of determination and form at Hampden, and Clement will hope his Rangers side can rise to the occasion, matching Celtic’s prowess and seizing a pivotal win before Christmas.