Rangers manager Philippe Clement has insisted that his team’s season is not over, despite trailing Celtic by 14 points in the Scottish Premiership. Clement’s comments come ahead of Thursday’s Old Firm clash at Ibrox, where Rangers will be looking to close the gap on their rivals.
Clement believes that his team has shown they can compete with Celtic, citing their recent League Cup final defeat as an example. He also pointed out that Rangers had the best chances in that game and were denied a penalty in extra-time. The Rangers manager is eager to build on that performance and is confident that his team can cause an upset against Celtic.
“We deserved to win [the last match against Celtic], we had the best chances and some other circumstances also,” Clement told Sky Sports News. “The team has shown that. It is about showing that again and taking the three points.”
Clement acknowledged that his team has been struggling with injuries, including the loss of captain James Tavernier. However, he remains optimistic about his team’s chances and has called on his players to show their hunger and desire to win.
“Everybody who has seen the two games against Motherwell and St Mirren – we were the team who deserved to win these games with the amount of chances that we had,” Clement said. “We need to be more clinical and efficient and the luck needs to drop more than we had in those games.”
Meanwhile, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has vowed that his team will not “soften up” despite their comfortable lead in the league. Rodgers knows that the Old Firm clash is always a high-pressure game, regardless of the league table.
“Listen, we will always assume the pressure,” Rodgers said. “We put ourselves under pressure in every game to win and to win well. So nothing changes in this aspect. We always stay in a humble way to prepare for games. People look at the gap, but that doesn’t even come into it. We cannot soften up, we will not soften up.”
Rodgers has a strong record in Old Firm clashes, with 16 wins and only one defeat in 20 matches. He is looking to extend that record on Thursday and has warned his players not to take the game lightly.
“I understand the game – I understood it as a supporter – and I understood it from the first game I had as manager in September 2016,” Rodgers said. “I’ve enjoyed every single one of them. The build-ups to them are always great. There’s always pressure of some sort. I hear the talk about a ‘dead rubber’. There is never a Rangers-Celtic game that’s a dead rubber – not in my book.”
The Old Firm clash is always a highly anticipated match, and this Thursday’s game promises to be no exception. With Rangers looking to close the gap on Celtic and the champions seeking to extend their lead, the stage is set for a thrilling encounter.
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event, with coverage starting at 2 pm on Thursday, January 2. Kick-off is at 3 pm. Celtic’s Paulo Bernardo has looked ahead to the match, saying that the team is targeting an even better 2025, despite only losing two games this year.
The match promises to be an intense and closely contested encounter, with both teams eager to make a statement. Rangers will be looking to cause an upset and close the gap on Celtic, while the champions will be seeking to extend their lead and maintain their dominance in the Scottish Premiership.
