BREAKING: Rangers’ Philippe Clement is under “serious scrutiny” after the “inevitable” verdict was dropped.
Keith Jackson thinks that following the Old Firm derby loss at Celtic, which all but guaranteed the Bhoys the league title, Rangers head coach Philippe Clement will be subject to “serious scrutiny.” With just two games left in the title race, Celtic led the Gers by six points after a 2-1 loss at Parkhead on May 11.
Jackson also believes that Clement will be closely watched because of his lack of individuality on the field and their inability to overcome their opponents. He penned this piece for the Daily Record on May 13, page 39: “Pressure? No, but there will be a close examination of [Clement]. It is difficult to discern what the Belgian wants out of his Rangers team. The rest will come inevitably if their play lacks a distinct style and they keep playing second fiddle to Celtic. Is Philippe Clement the most suitable manager to advance Rangers? In Glasgow, success and failure are separated by such thin margins.
Anything less than a trophy is seen as a failure for the Old Firm, and Clement has gone from looking good for a domestic triple crown to worrying that if Celtic wins a Scottish Premiership and Scottish FA Cup double, the Scottish League Cup they won earlier this season might be seen as a letdown. Now, the cup final on May 25th versus Celtic is even more crucial for the Gers – and Clement. A cup double would allay concerns that the Belgian cannot turn Rangers into a team capable of defeating opponents to the major trophies, especially since it would mean accomplishing something that Clement is still yet to do: winning an Old Firm derby.
Despite the general positive vibe around the 50-year-old’s time at Ibrox, his performance in the Old Firm rivalry has raised questions about his fit. Just one point out of a possible 12 has been earned from four league meetings with Celtic, with three losses and one draw—albeit the first one he wasn’t in control of. It’s hard to avoid concluding that those games cost the Gers the league title, especially with the Bhoys leading the table by six points.
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