Philippe Clement reckons Rangers came up agains a top-six Premier League side at Celtic Park this afternoon.
Or at least that’s what the fawning Ibrox manager was suggesting as he threw stats at disgruntled fans following a 3-0 hammering at Parkhead.
We’re barely out of August and after the summer ‘rebuild’ Rangers supporters aren’t exactly brimming with confidence about the season ahead.
Already five points behind their Old Firm rivals, Rangers are also facing the daunting prospect of a Europa League campaign which will see them face Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Speaking following the spirit-sapping Celtic Park slaughtering, Philippe Clement reckons that ‘Brendan’s’ team is of a similar quality.
Philippe Clement: Celtic at level of best Europa League games
“You know at this level of games you need to be clinical,” Clement told Sky Sports. “And we need to be more clinical.
“So that’s one of our working points for the next weeks and months.
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“There’s not one fan more demanding than me about results and wanting to win.
“And we came here wanting to win, not only to defend. So we’re going to work hard the next weeks and months to do that in January then but in the meantime we’re going to be focused on the two cups, on the other league games against the other opponents and our Europa League games.
“And these games are also really interesting in that way because this is at the level of our best Europa League games.
“So taking the right conclusions out of it as a player, as a manager and everybody as a staff, we will only get better.
“Celtic played today also with a team that’s been more than one year together, some guys two, three, four players together.
“So it’s normal they have more automatism in that way.”
Asked about a gulf between the two sides: “I think if you score the first goal it’s a totally different game and we can play out of that.
“Celtic score the first goal, they can play out of that, and they score the second just before halftime and they’re for sure more comfortable in that way.”
Rangers manager losing supporters with Celtic shortcomings
Philippe Clement might be trying to speak in a level-headed manner but it’s not quite resonating with Rangers fans.
The under-pressure Gers manager is now five straight Old Firm games without a win and there is serious pressure mounting amongst the few supporters left who are yet to completely embrace the apathy around Ibr-, sorry, Hampden.
For those who have, who cares who’s in charge? Depressingly, it’s not just the same outcome, but it’s getting worse.
One of the biggest frustrations levelled at Philippe Clement, and everyone at Rangers in fairness, is the overindulgent ‘respect’ everyone inside Ibrox appears to have for Celtic.
The team and the manager metaphorically clap them off the pitch at every opportunity.
Off the park and on it Rangers cannot match Celtic in the level of performance or contempt and it’s showing as they continue to make a mockery of us at every level.
The disconnect between the Rangers boardroom, management and team with the club’s fans is depressingly obvious and bleakly, we’re not convinced Clement can turn it around in time to salvage his job.
The Belgian certainly won’t do it by gaslighting supporters over what was a 3-0 drubbing going on a 6-0 hammering. Celtic barely broke a sweat.
Suggesting Celtic are at the level of Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur is yet more fawning praise which conflicts with the suggestion Rangers were simply unlucky.
The Rangers manager was setting us all up for defeat heading into this game and his reaction come full-time has gone down like a lead balloon.
It’s about winning and if Clement is to go six games without a victory over the Parkhead side, the Belgian might not get sacked, but Rangers fans are just going to turn off.
You cannot take this acceptance of second best seriously, it’s not Rangers and the only language the club understands is empty seats.
It’s little wonder the support are increasingly despondent with a team and club who are miles off it in every department.