It’s not unusual to wake up this morning with a sore head and a promise to make things better in the new year. But for Philippe Clement, his headache won’t have anything to do with having one too many bringing in the bells at a Hogmanay. Instead, it was being the visitor at an unwelcome party in the east end of Glasgow that would have left him contemplating how he can make improvements in 2024. Not on a personal level, but specifically with his Rangers side as he was given a reality check following a 2-1 derby defeat to Celtic in the final game of last year.
Kilmarnock will first foot the Light Blues at Ibrox on Tuesday as Rangers look to shrug off their Old Firm hangover with Derek McInnes looking to compound their misery by repeating his victory over his old club on the opening day of the season. That ensured a nightmare start to the campaign after so much pre-season hype under Michael Beale.
And it was because of such a horror start that Clement has been cut plenty of slack whenever there has been cause for criticism, albeit that hasn’t been too often given he was unbeaten before Saturday and picked up the Viaplay Cup with a win over Aberdeen at Hampden. But Saturday was a reminder of Rangers’ shortcomings and here, we look at some of the main issues that will be occupying Clement’s thoughts since full time at Parkhead.
The most glaring problem is that, in the main, this group of Rangers players lack the quality and desire to match Celtic. We feel like when we play against them they don’t deal with the intensity, said the Hoops captain Callum McGregor in a leaked video from his post-match interview, highlighting the lack of intensity in Rangers’ gameplay. It’s a concern for Clement, who acknowledges that not all the players in his squad have the hunger to win consistently.
Another recurring theme for the Light Blues is their inability to convert chances into goals, especially in derby games. While they consistently create opportunities, they fail to capitalize on them. This was evident in their recent defeat to Celtic, where they had a higher expected goals (xG) count but couldn’t convert them into goals. It’s an area that Clement will need to address in order for his team to be more competitive against their rivals.
Clement’s frustrations extended to the officiating as well, as he criticized the officials following the derby defeat. Rangers have had their fair share of penalties, but on this occasion, they were denied a penalty for an alleged handball. The inconsistency in officiating is a concern for Clement, who will want to ensure a level playing field throughout the season.
Undoubtedly, Brendan Rodgers has been a thorn in the side of Rangers managers in recent years, and Clement is no exception. Rodgers has a remarkable record against Rangers, losing just once in 15 derby encounters. It’s a statistic that Clement will be looking to overturn, as a victory against Celtic is crucial for their title aspirations.
While Clement hopes to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window, he can expect Celtic to be equally active. With key players returning from injury and potential new signings, Celtic will be looking to strengthen their squad and maintain their title challenge.
As Clement reflects on the lessons learned from the Old Firm defeat, he will be focused on addressing the quality and desire within his squad, improving their conversion rate, and adapting to the officiating in Scottish football. With the second half of the season ahead, Clement faces the challenge of rectifying these issues if Rangers are to mount a serious title challenge in 2024.
