Rangers manager Phillippe Clement may have questioned the mettle of his men in the first half Wednesday night after they fell behind at Kilmarnock. However, they did something their rivals across the city had largely failed to achieve, at least until Sunday at Fir Park, and that’s respond mid-match.
The Full Scottish
Clement described his players as being “like Bambi on ice” in the first half. However, for ’Gers, the second half display at Rugby Park shows exactly why the 2023-24 team isn’t likely to be the author of its own undoing, as they have in the past. Celtic may have a better squad, top to bottom, though that’s debatable, but the Ibrox side clearly have the “mentality”—to use one of Brendan Rodgers’ favorite words—to stay in the race.
Which makes the run-in of 11 fixtures so enticing, particularly for neutrals. It’s not exactly a bold prediction to suggest that the two remaining Glasgow derbies will likely decide the title race, but it seems unlikely that, under Clement, Rangers will drop points elsewhere.
Rodgers “Good Girl’ Comment Questioned
Meanwhile, speaking of Rodgers’ words, much was made of them this week when he angrily dismissed BBC Radio reporter Jane Lewis with the admonition “good girl” following his side’s 3-1 victory at Motherwell on Sunday, one which they followed up with a 7-1 pasting of Dundee on Wednesday to keep pace with Rangers.
We’d like to think Rodgers isn’t a misogynist—and, to be fair, Lewis dismissed such claims herself this week—but it’s hardly a good look for a manager who, as recently as 10 days ago, was under a considerable amount of fire from his own supporters and the media.
As a veteran of more than 700 matches as a bench boss, the Irishman should know better and have more control over his temper (the BBC’s history with both of Glasgow’s big two aside) after making what was, at best, a condescending remark in response to a fair, if redundant, question. He needs to be better than that.
Finally, Rodgers’ counterpart at Aberdeen, Neil Warnock, has never been a loss for words, and he is feeling the heat of Scottish football this week as his side find themselves just above the relegation places.