Brendan Rodgers spoke a year ago about facing five Rangers managers and each time the Ibrox team were coming.
By Friday, he might have to nudge that number up to six. Rodgers has wiped the floor with permanent Rangers managers during his two spells at Celtic. He’s thrust most of them out the door and Philippe Clement could easily be his next victim within the next few days.
Rodgers has ruled the roost in Glasgow over a couple of terms with Mark Warburton first to be dismissed on the back of suffering to Rodgers. Pedro Caixinha and his dogs and caravans were next. Graeme Murty barely counts given that he was a caretaker. Steven Gerrard did at least actually win a game against the Celtic manager, but he didn’t win the battle and only got his title when Rodgers had departed for Leicester. Michael Beale was a fleeting opponent and now it’s Clement who is being battered.
If he delivers another boot to the Belgian on Thursday, Rodgers will be onto his next challenger from across the city because, contract or no contract, I don’t see how Clement can survive yet another Old Firm reverse. Any time he puts some credit in the bank, he always finds a way to empty his account.
On that day Rodgers spoke, Clement had faced Rodgers for the first time. Celtic weren’t in great form, whereas his team were flying. Rodgers won. Since then, it’s been an endless cycle and Clement can’t bridge the gap. The Belgian does some good stuff, then completely fluffs it.
That April game at Ibrox last season. Rangers had a chance to make a serious surge towards the title. He draws 3-3 at home, does a lap of honour and talks of moral victories. May, Celtic Park, the last chance to salvage the title race after letting it slip. Defeated.
Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. Rodgers’ team not firing, yet they still win it at the death through Adam Idah. September in the East End. Scudded. Back to Hampden just under a fortnight ago. Whatever the nonsense and statements, silly talk about replays and credit for the performance, it was defeat. Again.
Listen, I understand that Clement was on the backfoot when he took the role and that Rodgers had a head start on him in terms of personnel. But you can’t go seven games against Celtic without a win. Especially, not when your team is chucking in performances like they did in Paisley on Thursday night.
The events of the past fortnight are just typical of what’s happening with Clement. Rangers gave themselves yet another dose of hope at Hampden 13 days ago. Having completely messed up to fall 11 points behind the league, they came close to the trophy.
Celtic then dropped points at Tannadice and had a virus sweeping through the camp. It’s down to nine points. Rangers are winning games and eyeing the chance to reduce the deficit to six at the very worst on Thursday on their own patch.
Instead? They toss in a complete howler against St Mirren and it’s minus 12 again. Any goodwill Clement was starting to build-up just zapped in 90 minutes. I don’t think it’s being hyper-critical to suggest Celtic have not been at their sizzling best in the past month or so.
Rangers, on the other hand, had been getting petals thrown at them. And yet Rodgers’ team have still increased their lead at the top in that period. I didn’t get the sudden warmth towards the recent Rangers work. They were hardly spellbinding. They hadn’t cracked it.
Celtic barely got out of third gear at Hampden. Rangers were at their full pelt. And still Rodgers won and Clement lost. That just sums it up. I’ll be honest, I’m not really seeing the Belgian as the long-term answer at Ibrox because I think he’s burned too many bridges with the fans.
From a man who spoke a lot of sense in the beginning and appeared to have a calming influence and authoritative manner, he began to make crass and daft statements at the back end of last season when the title was slipping away and there’s been more this term.
Rodgers hasn’t done him any favours. Celtic’s form in terms of results is absolutely superb. To be after Christmas having dropped just four points all season is an outstanding effort. They usually find ways to win games when they are not their best, they have the first trophy and they are on the brink of qualification to the next stage of the Champions League.
That European run is crucial because, as I said after the first Old Firm game of this season when Celtic dismantled Rangers, simply beating the team from across the city was not going to be enough to satisfy all supporters. That’s because the Ibrox team looked so poor and, mini-revivals or not, the bottom line is that has not changed.
Clement is just going around in circles. He’s not getting anywhere and I can’t see that changing in the medium or long term future. How much blame you want to apportion to him and how much to the state of the club he’s working in is down to personal choice.
But that St Mirren defeat has, in my eyes, just edged the Belgian even closer to the cliff edge. Rodgers could be about to push him off into the abyss. Then he can begin planning for the next one who is supposedly coming for him.