The gap between Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership widened to 14 points to cap off an excellent 2024 for the Parkhead side.
Celtic comfortably beat St Johnstone at Parkhead despite Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops starting lineup containing five changes from the team that beat Motherwell on Boxing Day.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor dropped out as Rodgers gave a start to Alex Valle, Paulo Bernardo, Hyunjun Yang and Alistair Johnston ahead of the Rangers game on the 2nd of January.
As Celtic were taking care of the Saints, Rangers struggled at Motherwell as Philippe Clement’s side had to fight back from 2-0 down to rescue a solitary point ahead of the Glasgow Derby.
With the big game less than three days away, the Rangers boss is under serious pressure as the gap to Celtic widens with each passing fixture.
Philippe Clement talks Celtic after Rangers flop at Motherwell
After dropping five points out of his last two games, Clement was asked how he could rectify Rangers’ form heading into the big derby game against Celtic.
Clement told Rangers TV [2m 35s], “That everybody looks really well in the mirror about what we can do better. Everybody, that’s players, staff, me, everybody.
“And to play back a game against Celtic like, like we did last time, and like we did the last couple of months, also several games.
“So we need players who show personality and look forward and show what they’ve been doing well the last couple of months and to be really ambitious in that to show that again.
“Looking backwards, will not change anything. And to be having pity for yourself or to be disappointed in it that way, it’s about reaction, it’s about personality.”
The big flaw in Philippe Clement urging Rangers to produce another Celtic performance
Whilst Rangers performed well in the League Cup final against Celtic, there is a massive flaw in the Ibrox boss’ thinking.
Despite Celtic playing so poorly, the Parkhead side still managed to score three goals against Clement’s team.
Rangers threw everything they had at Celtic inside Hampden and the Hoops still managed to beat them and win the first piece of silverware of the season.
And that has been a recurring theme over the Rangers boss’ tenure whenever he comes up against Celtic. The 3-3 draw at Hampden was exactly like the draw at Ibrox last season.
Celtic were not at their best on both games but still managed to score three goals. If Clement is looking for inspiration from games that his Rangers side still effectively failed to win, then there will only be one outcome on Thursday.
It won’t be the one Clement wants.
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