Philippe Clement reckons he’d be called ‘stupid’ if he didn’t listen to his sports scientists – ex-Rangers striker Kris Boyd reckons he is for doing so.
The pressure is mounting on Belgian manager Philippe Clement after the 2-2 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park, where Rangers had to come from two goals behind to earn a point.
With Rangers now winning only three away matches out of 11 this season, the club finds itself 14 points off runaway leaders Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Philippe Clement would be ‘stupid’ not to accept advice
Philippe Clement turned heads with his pre-match selection where he made seven changes to the Rangers team who lost 2-1 to St Mirren only three days ago.
Ahead of the match, Clement explained that he’d rested several players on the advice of sports scientists, including the likes of Hamza Igamane and Vaclav Cerny.
With Cyriel Dessers and Kieran Dowell putting in predictably abysmal performances at Fir Park, Clement brought both Igamane and Cerny on at half time and they changed the game.
But it was too little too late as Rangers pulled back to 2-2, took the foot off the gas and eventually accepted yet another dismal away result in Scotland.
Speaking at full-time, Philippe Clement responded to suggestions both players should’ve started the match by claiming he’d look ‘stupid’ if he didn’t listen to his sports science staff.
”You can say that in hindsight,” Clement told Sky Sports at full-time.
“If they were injured in the second half you would say I’m a stupid manager who doesn’t listen to his staff when players are on the edge.
”No. We know what we’ve been doing until now. They were also fresh so could make the difference in the second half.
”It’s worse if we would lose them for two months because you see how important they are for the team.
”I have took already quite some risks the last weeks in that way.
“But there is an end in taking risks because otherwise you become really foolish.”
Kris Boyd refutes Philippe Clement claim
This isn’t a suggestion which has been met positively by ex-Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who claims too much trust in Clement’s sports scientists will get the Belgian the sack.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, Kris Boyd claims that the data processing around fitness has too big a role to play in football and Clement needs to focus on results.
”I’ve got a bit of an issue with the whole thing in terms of sports science,” Boyd told Sky Sports.
”They run too many football clubs. We can only judge on where we were as players and by the way it’s got a lot better in terms of facilities.
”When I hear, he comes on fresh, Cerny and Igamane. It was 45 minutes. It’s doing absolutely nothing for you. They came on because you needed a result.
”The sports science won’t get sacked, the manager will get sacked.
“And the fans will be asking questions of the manager as to why he’s relying on them and they’ll be looking at this new leadership team at Rangers for decisions now, because it’s not good enough.
”I got to a team that got the UEFA Cup Final, Davie Weir was 38-years-old and played 61 games that year.
“Carlos Cuellar played 65, Barry Ferguson played 62.
”When Rangers got to the Europa League Final, Connor Goldson 61 games, James Tavernier 58, over seven players played 50 times.
”It’s not changed that much. Players want to play football. It’s an excuse that’s used to drop players.
”As a manager, you will lose your job off the back of these guys. They don’t care, as long as they’re alright.
“See if a new manager comes in, they will change whatever their thoughts on sports science is to suit the new manager. They’re only interested in themselves.
”So if Philippe Clement is going to lose his job off the back of sports science, and that is running Rangers Football Club at the moment, then that’s his issue.”
