Over the years, rarely have we seen former players or managers have any negative to say about Celtic. They always end up describing their stint at Parkhead as one of the best times of their careers. The story is a bit different when it comes to the other team in Glasgow. Success has been much rarer for the Rangers, and so, the experiences are not always as positive either.
Philippe Clement is someone who was expected to take the club back to the top. He quickly won the League Cup after his arrival, replacing Mick Beale. And even though that is all they won that season, it was enough for the Rangers to hand the Belgian a long-term contract.
Throughout the 24/25 season, the Rangers would struggle, not even giving Celtic a competitive title race. Ultimately, when it became clear that they were set to finish trophyless, the club ended up sacking Clement in February, bringing in Barry Ferguson as interim head coach for the remainder of the campaign.
Now, Clement has shed some light on his departure and it looks like he did not agree with the decision to sack him. The Belgian told BBC Scotland (via Sky Scotland):
"It’s a pity that the story stopped, that the board didn’t have the patience or maybe listened too much to some fans."
Celtic fans laugh as Philippe Clement takes dig at Rangers
Of course, Celtic fans found Clement's comments amusing. One wrote accompanied by a series of laughing emojis: "Bring him back! 5 year deal."
If you ask us, it feels like Clement did not really understand the job expectations in Glasgow. There is little to no time to 'build' something. Results are needed, and immediately. Otherwise, it is hard to remain in the hot seat. Ask his successors, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beale, both of whom produced better and more consistent results than him and were still sacked.
One could argue that that is the flaw, which is why it does not seem to work out for any manager at Ibrox. There is a debate to be had there. But it is not something that Celtic fans will lose any sleep worrying about. Their focus will be on winning the treble next season, while also improving further in the Champions League, having reached the knockout phase in the 24/25 campaign, for the first time in over a decade.