Celtic title favourites over Rangers, Philippe Clement hasn’t won anything claims BBC pundit
Celtic are still title favourites and have better technical players than Rangers despite losing their lead at the top of the SPFL, according to Alan Stubbs.
The BBC pundit told Alison McConnell for PLZ Soccer on 20 February that Philippe Clement has done an impressive job of turning things around, but claimed he has yet to win anything yet despite the Viaplay Cup win in December.
He admitted the Hoops will be underdogs at Ibrox on 7 April but still thinks Brendan Rodgers’ men are more likely to win the title.
Stubbs said (2m 10s): “I think the Old Firm games that we have left are going to be so, so important in terms of how this title goes. Celtic will be going into the Old Firm game at Ibrox, realistically, as underdogs because Rangers have all the momentum right now.
“Do I think this Rangers team is much better than Celtic? I don’t.”
He went on (3m 30s): “The response that Philippe Clement has got from his players in terms of not just results but how they’ve bought into his style of management, you can’t say it’s not been impressive, he’s done a really good job up to now, without winning anything.
“So we must state that fact, and I think the crucial matches that Rangers are going to be judged on are going to be upcoming. We might be having this conversation in four to six weeks time and we could be saying something different.
“But it’s right in saying Philippe Clement has really turned this group of Rangers players around to a strong-looking team. I don’t think technically they are as good as the Celtic team but in terms of getting results and finding a way to win I think he’s done that better.”
On the title race he said: “I would still slightly put Celtic just favourites, only because they’ve got a group of players that have been there and done it. But in terms of momentum Rangers are certainly on front foot and looks like a team right now that’s striving forward and could potentially win the league.”
Rangers top of SPFL but Celtic title favourites?
It’s certainly true that going two points clear at the top of the table doesn’t constitute a trophy in itself, but the Light Blues are the only side to land an silverware yet this season.
The League Cup may be the third of the three domestic competitions but Clement has won 100% of the trophies on offer so far.
Confidence is understandably high after the Belgian increased the points swing to nine since he took over, turning a deficit of seven when he arrived to a first lead of the campaign following the 3-0 win over St Johnstone at the weekend.
Philippe Clement has taken Viaplay Cup to Ibrox
He will no doubt be focused more than anyone on Rangers not getting ahead of themselves, but momentum is very much at Ibrox currently.
Given Celtic are coming off a treble and this Gers squad was so far off the pace under Michael Beale perhaps it is no surprise that some will continue to dismiss the turnaround.
But Clement appears to be getting the most out of his players now when Rodgers isn’t, and that might be all is required to wrestle it across Glasgow this term.
In other Rangers news, the club could bank a “fortune” on one “supreme” ace’s sale.
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