Brendan Rodgers and Philippe Clement on th touchline at the 2024 Scottish Cup Final. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: It’s big news across the country that the Rangers manager Philippe Clement has departed. What are your thoughts on that? How do you see it?
Brendan Rodgers: “Like it is for any manager, I’m always disappointed when a manager loses his job. Philippe has been in there for the period of time that he has. I’m disappointed for him as a coach. I think we all know the conditions up here. You have to be winning and show that consistency to win. I’m always sad when another manager loses his job. Philippe has shown previously, coming into theRangers, that he’s a very good manager. He’s won titles. He’s not just a good coach, he’s a winning coach and has won. Like I say, we know the conditions up here. There’s relentless pressure on you to win at Celtic and (the)Rangers. Expectation is there and that doesn’t stop on a daily basis. You have to then come out and be a consistent winner.”
Ross County interim manager Don Cowie looks towards Rangers manager Philippe Clement as the final whistle sounds. Clement did not shake hands with Cowie at full-time Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
Q: It’s obviously a symbiotic relationship, the pressure in Glasgow. When one is up, the other one isn’t up. That’s the way it is, isn’t it? Is it a measure of the consistency and high level you guys have shown over this period? That pressure has gone to the other end of the city?
Brendan Rodgers: “I think it’s also how we’ve dealt with the pressure. I think that’s been key to it. I think we didn’t get off to the best of starts in the last season when I came in. Certainly in terms of consistency and performance level. I think when Philippe came in, obviously, they had that bounce and had a really good run.
“Then once we started to find our feet and get our rhythm, then I think how we dealt with pressure, we dealt with it really, really well. From that moment, we’ve continued to grow and improve. It’s a great credit to the players and how they’ve coped with that and how they’ve consistently performed.”
theRangers manager Philippe Clement and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers embrace on the final whistle after the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Celtic FC at Ibrox Stadium on April 07, 2024. The match ended in a 3-3 victory for Clement. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Q: You came up against Philippe and his team on a number of occasions during this time here. How did you find him? Did you have much interaction with him? Do you have much interaction with your other old firm manager?
Brendan Rodgers: “You don’t really know that. That’s the honest answer. I think that you actually play enough times. You come up against each other quite a lot, of course. But in terms of the interaction, there isn’t so much. I’ve seen his work outside of (the)Rangers as well. They need to look at that and his CV to show that (the)Rangers employed a very good manager. That’s what they felt at the time and that’s why they gave him the job.”
