GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 18: A general view during the pre-season friendly match between Rangers and Newcastle at Ibrox Stadium on July 18, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
After finishing tied for first place in the Premiership with Celtic, Philippe Clement is confident that Rangers can win the championship.
Last night at Ibrox, his team overcame Aberdeen 2-1 in what could prove to be a pivotal night in the title race come playoff time.
Bojan Miovski, a prolific forward for the Dons, cancelled out Rabbi Matondo’s early opener, but Todd Cantwell sealed the victory for the home team in the second half.
In October, when Clement succeeded Michael Beale, Celtic led their fiercest Glasgow rivals by seven points. Following their victory last night, they are now tied for points, with the champions leading only on goal differential.
This evening, Brendan Rodgers’ team will go to Edinburgh to play Hibernian, with the goal of leading by three points after having played one extra game than Rangers.
Though the Scottish Cup and Europa League are still up for grabs, Clement is fully confident in his squad to win both of those competitions.
When asked if Rangers could top the tree in May, he said to the BBC, “I really think so.” If this squad continues doing what they are doing, I think they will go very far.
“We can have a really fantastic season in three tournaments if they stay together, don’t get along, and focus on the team instead of themselves. Not for one competition, but for three, we’re still in the fight.
It’s a major victory, of course. Let’s call it a game where the odds are stacked against you and fortune is not on your side. We play excellent football, completely dominate the first half, and they have one excellent opportunity to shoot directly at goal right before halftime.
A few months ago, a similar incident would have raised suspicions in the minds of the supporters as well as friction inside the team. That is no longer the case, so everyone continues to say on the field that if we continue doing what we have been doing for weeks and months, we will be very near to three points.
That is also improving. Winning games like that is essential because, in the end, with ten players and the other situations, you need to stick together like the squad did. If we start earning those points toward the end of the season, it could be quite significant because those are the games in which you often lose points.”
