Celtic travel the short distance to Ibrox this afternoon to face Rangers knowing their opponents are in chaos.
Brendan Rodgers’ record against the Light Blues is terrific and the Irishman will want to add to his tally of victories from 3pm today.
Rival boss Philippe Clement, meanwhile, is in dire straits with his side sitting a monumental 14 points behind Celts with New Year’s Day only just in the rearview mirror.
A win for the Hoops would take it to 17 and an insurmountable gap with some Rangers pundits already accepting the league is over.
But it won’t just be the Scottish Premiership title “race” which ends at 5pm today should Rodgers land three points.
No, Chris Sutton reckons Clement’s career as Gers manager will also be finished.
The Belgian has never won a Glasgow derby and it’s difficult to see him doing so today with so many injuries also adding to his problems.
James Tavernier will miss the derby while Jack Butland has also been ruled out due to a “leg bleed” which saw him rushed to hospital on Hogmanay.
And yet, regardless of which squad members were available for the Light Blues, for Rodgers and his own players, it’s all about Celtic and the runaway league leaders focusing on themselves.
That’s why Sutton believes Celts – if they are at it – could play a big part in Clement being axed within the next 24 hours.
Sutton says a Rangers loss to Celtic will be ‘curtains’ for Clement
“Is it hard to see past Celtic? Yeah I think so,” Sutton told Sky Sports.
“Let’s get it right, this could be Philippe Clement’s last dance as Rangers manager.
“If they lose I suspect it could get ugly in here but it’s a depleted Rangers going into the game.
“There’s barely a defender fit, Jack Butland’s going to miss the game so it’s backs to the wall.
“They’ve got to come out with a ferocious display and hope Celtic aren’t at their best today.”
Philippe Clement’s miserable record for Rangers vs Celtic
| Philippe Clement’s record vs Celtic as Rangers manager |
| Matches played: 6 |
| Wins: 0 |
| Draws: 1 (Not including Premier Sports Cup Final) |
| Defeats: 5 |
| Goals scored: 8 |
| Goals conceded: 14 |
Asked if it really was that “stark” a situation for Clement, Sutton was honest.
“Yeah, absolutely. What is it, 14 point gap? It can’t keep being a project at Rangers and going through a transitional period.
“Europe has saved him, the performances in Europe have been good, but losing to Celtic in the cup final where Celtic weren’t at their best, it was important for him to get a trophy in the bag and he didn’t do that.
“The pressure is building.
“Essentially it’ll be the supporters who get Clement out and if their team gets dispatched today on their own patch, by their rivals, I suspect it could be curtains.”
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