Rangers to Premier League exit claim on Philippe Clement from controversial journalist slammed
Derek Ferguson has branded claims that Philippe Clement could be moved to leave Rangers over dissatisfaction with football in Scotland “absolute nonsense”.
Hugh Keevins had previously warned that the Belgian’s “love” for the Light Blues might not be enough to prevent him following Ange Postecoglou to the Premier League over his “dislike” for issues such as overly aggressive tackling and the controversial failure of Dundee’s pitch.
Clement was unimpressed that Rangers twice had their trip to Dens Park postponed due to a waterlogged playing surface, with the match ending in a goalless draw at the third attempt, and has complained that Ross McCausland had been “kicked off the pitch” against Motherwell.
But Ferguson, while admitting that he likes and respects the “controversial” Keevins, believes his views on a potential Rangers departure for the Ibrox boss are “way off”, as he bemoaned the loss of the physical side of the Scottish game.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News the ex-Gers midfielder said: “I know Hugh, I’ve worked with him a couple of times, he can be pretty controversial.
“It’s nonsense, absolute nonsense, my God, put on the telly, you watch games abroad or down in England… no, no, I don’t see it. Listen, I think we’re going the other way, I think we’re getting a bit soft, so we are, up here.
“I hate that we’ve lost that side of the game because of the VAR and obviously the guys that get into these tackles it’s slowed down and looks worse than what it is.
“No, we’re in a contact sport, it’s part of the game. You can bully the opposition, outmuscle them, that is part of football. If you’re getting bullied and out-battled you’ve got to find another way. It’s part and parcel.
“I’ve always enjoyed that side of the game. I think it’s important that we don’t lose it. I watch a lot of Italian football and sometimes they go down a bit easy but there’s a real physicality to the game. I don’t want us to lose that. Philippe Clement, I think the type of player that he was he enjoyed that.
“So Hugh Keevins, a lot of respect for him, I love Hugh, honestly. Believe it or not, I think he is a Celtic man, or he sways in that direction. I do respect him but I think he’s way off with that.”
Is the Rangers boss set for a long Ibrox stay?
If Clement does follow Postecoglou to the Premier League it will surely be because he has impressed enough to get an offer that he can’t refuse.
The 50-year-old won’t have taken the Rangers job blind and while the issues he has highlighted are no-doubt ones that he is unhappy with it likely won’t be the difference between him deciding to stay or go in the future.
After cycling through Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale in such a short time it would be a bonus just for the decision on leaving Ibrox to even be in the manager’s hands this time around, even if Steven Gerrard’s untimely departure to the English top flight started the decline which Clement is now looking to rebuild from.
In other Rangers news, an exit-bound Light Blues player doesn’t want to be at Ibrox any more as he and a teammate are now phoning in their performances.
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