As Celtic continue their march towards another Premiership title, their rivals across the city are left searching for a new manager.
In truth, it’s surprising that Rangers took this long to part ways with Philippe Clement, as Celtic have consistently outshone their rivals ever since his appointment in 2023.
Clement initially aimed to halt Celtic’s dominance, but ultimately, he found himself up against another wave of superiority under Brendan Rodgers, with more dominance expected in the coming months.
Celtic fans have certainly relished the situation, as those at Ibrox never stood a chance, and it’s always been amusing to watch them stumble.
On Saturday, despite Celtic’s loss to Hibernian, the champions still managed to extend their lead at the top of the table—on goal difference—after Rangers were defeated by St Mirren.
That loss marked the end of Clement’s tenure, with just one trophy to his name. He will now watch from afar as Celtic push for a Treble.
Kris Boyd slams sacked Rangers manager Philippe Clement for ‘celebrating’ draw against Celtic:
Clement only managed to defeat Rodgers once—in their most recent encounter—with many viewing that result and performance as a stroke of luck for Rangers.
However, there’s another incident that seemed to particularly irk Kris Boyd: Clement’s actions during a match against Celtic last season.
The former striker criticized Clement for ‘celebrating’ a 3-3 draw against Celtic at Ibrox in the Premiership, suggesting that this was the beginning of the end for the Belgian manager, as he told Sky Sports News (24/02/25 at 09:25 am).
“I don’t think there is any surprise (that Clement has been sacked) and if there is any, then it’s why it has taken so long to happen,” said Boyd.
“It was one of the worst performances (against St Mirren) since he arrived. In terms of the progression and where the club was going, it’s no real surprise. The performances, for me, anyway, have been getting worse throughout time.”
On when it started to go wrong for Clement: “I think last year when you look back to, March-April time, Rangers lost at home to Motherwell.
“Then, just after that, the 3-3 with Celtic. If you look back now, there were signs there. Celebrating, more or less, drawing with Celtic in a must-win game. I don’t think it’s something you do as a Rangers manager.”
Clement’s laughable comments post-Rangers and Celtic’s draw last April:
Clement’s reaction after that draw against Celtic highlighted not only the gap in quality between the two clubs but also the difference in mentality.
Remarkably, Clement told Sky Sports at the time that it was a ‘moral’ victory for his team.
“I’m happy about the reaction, they showed personality and at the end, we are the moral winners of this fight, of this game… with a lot of passion, everything these supporters want, everything this club wants,” claimed Clement.
“Everything this club is about, they showed in the second half.”
From a Celtic perspective, it’s hard not to laugh, and fans can now look forward to more entertainment in the months ahead.
Celtic are well-positioned to secure the Treble, adding to their record-breaking tally of 119 trophies—more than any other club in Scottish football history.
