Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been speaking to the media following his side’s 2-1 Scottish Premiership defeat at Celtic Park.
The Belgian boss praised his team for their performance on the day as some questionable refereeing contributed to a thoroughly disappointing day for Rangers.
But although bruised after losing the battle, the focus is very much on winning the war as Philippe Clement bites back in a revealing press conference.
The Rangers manager touches on the match before asking why his side were denied a clear penalty and why Celtic players on yellow cards were given so much protection in the Old Firm clash.
Philippe Clement’s post-Celtic Rangers press conference
Philippe, how would you assess that match today?
“I think this match is a good promotion for Scottish football, with two teams who want to win, two teams who attacked, two teams creating chances. Of course, I need to look in the first place to my side. I’m happy with what they showed today. They had more shots than Celtic today, so they had more shots than Celtic today but we didn’t take enough our moments and Celtic was more efficient on the day. Yeah, those are games who are in the balance like today. It could’ve been a draw, we could’ve won the game, and the circumstances were not on our side. I’m really disappointed that we didn’t get a penalty in the first half also. It’s a situation that’s very important in the game and if you go 1-1 into the dressing room it’s another story but despite that my team reacted. In the second half, also after the world-class goal, the 2-0, it’s a very good goal and you cannot do too many things about that. But we never stopped and even with 10 we kept on going and we created enough chances even with ten to score the goal with other chances also and we went until the end and everybody became nervous. So I see a team who’s growing, I see a squad who’s growing, with more and more resilience, with more and more mentality, with more and more quality also on the ball, and at the end if the circumstances don’t fall on your side you can lose points in these games.
Is the biggest frustration just chances that weren’t taken, not being clinical enough? Just thinking back to the first half there was one with Cyriel Dessers.
“No it’s not my biggest frustration because I see (Erling) Haaland and (Kylian) Mbappe missing chances like that, so that’s part of football. My biggest frustration is that if there is a clear handball, I don’t understand why it’s not a penalty given, because that’s a clear thing. So I am curious about that.”
Does it feel like an opportunity lost today? Was it there for you, do you think?
“No it’s not lost. Because lost is for me when you don’t show the quality, if you don’t do enough things to win points, then it’s lost. This is part of football. The decision about the penalty is not part part of football because that needs to be more clear. It’s a clear handball. So that’s another thing. But I am going to focus on my team and for me the most important thing is now on Tuesday to get the three points again and to build and to continue building what the team is doing now the last couple of weeks, the last couple of months. So I don’t think two months ago, they were ready with ten players to show this, or even with eleven to show this in Celtic Park so we will continue to work hard together with them.”
Did you seek an explanation from the referee at the end for the handball?
“No.”
It’s been communicated to us that Sima was offside – because it’s a clear handball – was that not communicated to you?
“No. It’s first there’s no communication towards me. Secondly, if that was the communication, I’m not a referee but I think the clear signal is then VAR, offside, that is the decision then everybody knows what happens. It was just *gestures play on*. So there was no communication about that in that moment, I don’t believe that. Because otherwise the signal of the referee is not correct. So there is a mistake. It’s clear for everybody. Ok, it is what it is. I make also mistakes, but it’s an expensive one today.”
When you were speaking to the referee after the game, what were you asking him about?
“I was asking why I got the yellow card.”
What did he say?
“Because I reacted too hard.”
At the fourth official?
“No, I reacted even not with the fourth official. I reacted on a ball that was clearly ours that was given on the other side and it was one small reaction, no swearing nothing, but OK. It was a day like that when the circumstances were not on our side, let’s say it like this and it is what it is.”
From what you’ve seen today of your own team and Celtic, do you still think you’ve the capabilities to go and win the title?
“I’m not busy talking about that, I told you guys we’re busy with a marathon. I’m busy with making the team better, I’m busy with myself, I’m not busy with other teams, how they’re performing. So I see a team, what they did today, they could not do that two months ago or even four five weeks ago, so we are going to keep on building and to make it better and better.”
Did you have any complaints about the red card that Leon (Balogun) got?
“No I didn’t see the images but I think it’s a red card, if he was the last man it’s a red card. Maybe we need to discuss then why no second yellow for a few tackles from players who had yellow on the other side but I don’t want to go too much on that. I’m focused on my team, I want to make them better, the circumstances were not on our side, that’s clear. We fought until the last second to get the game over the line, we were almost there even with ten, so those are things to build on.”
Do you think (Paolo) Bernardo should’ve been a second yellow card for the foul on..
“I’m not going to go into details about every action. I think you guys like to spit into things so it’s maybe not a good word, my English is not so good, or to go deep, no sorry for my English, but to go deep into every detail about everything or every word I say or other coaches or the players. So it’s interesting to see the evaluation of everybody about those circumstances. That’s finished, I’m disappointed that we don’t have three points or at least one point because for me my team really deserved it today and we’re going to work hard to get a lot of points the next couple of months.”
