Philippe Clement insists Rangers’ season isn’t over forward of Thursday’s Outdated Agency conflict, whereas Brendan Rodgers has vowed Celtic won’t “soften up” regardless of their 14-point lead within the Scottish Premiership.
The most recent instalment of this fixture – reside on Sky Sports activities – comes weeks after the 2 met in a controversial League Cup ultimate which Celtic won on penalties.
Clement insists that defeat at Hampden Park proves Rangers can beat the champions, with the Scottish FA’s head of refereeing admitting afterwards they should have been awarded a penalty in extra-time when the rating was stage at 3-3.
Thursday 2nd January 2:00pm
Kick off 3:00pm
Nonetheless, if the Belgian is to mastermind a much-needed victory on this fixture, he might want to do it with out captain James Tavernier who has joined a growing injury list.
Clement: We should show they’ll beat Celtic
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Philippe Clement believes his group have confirmed they’ll tackle Celtic and insists their season isn’t over regardless of trailing their rivals by 14 factors forward of Thursday’s match
“We deserved to win [the last match against Celtic], we had the most effective possibilities and another circumstances additionally,” Clement informed Sky Sports activities Information.
“The group has proven that. It’s about displaying that once more and taking the three factors.”
When requested if some followers have been proper to suppose if the season was already over because of Celtic’s lead within the league, he added: “No, for certain [that is] not [the case].
“We’re going to battle for each sport and each outcome. That’s the responsibility of all people and in addition what all people needs.
“It’s a new squad, with a brand new long-term undertaking, with younger gamers getting higher. It’s about having the starvation and want to win each sport. That’s what this membership is about and that can by no means change.”
Rangers go into the sport having misplaced at St Mirren after which drawing in opposition to Motherwell, with Clement including: “All people who has seen the 2 video games in opposition to Motherwell and St Mirren – we have been the group who deserved to win these video games with the quantity of possibilities that we had.
“We must be extra scientific and environment friendly and the luck must drop greater than we had in these video games.”
Rodgers: Celtic won’t soften up
Brendan Rodgers has received 16 of his 20 Outdated Agency matches, dropping only one
The champions in the meantime are unbeaten of their final 27 league video games however Rodgers insists they’re taking nothing without any consideration in opposition to a Gers facet who’re coming below fireplace from their very own supporters.
“Hear, we are going to at all times assume the stress,” the Northern Irishman stated. “We put ourselves below stress in each sport to win and to win nicely. So nothing modifications on this side.
“We at all times keep in a humble option to put together for video games. Folks take a look at the hole, however that does not even come into it. We can not soften up, we won’t soften up.
“We carry out for the following sport as a result of we all know how a lot this sport means to folks.
“I went there final season, the primary sport, below stress and all of the issues. Now I am going there with 14 factors… however there isn’t any change for us, the mentality is to go and carry out and look to play our sport.
“That stress will at all times be there and particularly a sport at Ibrox with no supporters.”
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Celtic’s Paulo Bernardo seems to be forward to dealing with Rangers on January 2, reside on Sky Sports activities, and says the group are focusing on a good higher 2025 – regardless of solely dropping two video games this 12 months
After rising up in a Celtic-supporting household in Nation Antrim, Rodgers is aware of how a lot the fixture means to supporters whatever the context of the league desk.
“I perceive the sport – I understood it as a supporter – and I understood it from the primary sport I had as supervisor in September 2016,” he stated. “I’ve loved each single one in every of them. The build-ups to them are at all times nice.
“There’s at all times stress of some type. I hear the speak about a ‘lifeless rubber’. There’s by no means a Rangers-Celtic sport that is a lifeless rubber – not in my e-book.
“You wish to win each sport and also you wish to carry out at the easiest stage. For me, I like the event, I like the sport – it is an iconic sport and one which I at all times wish to win.”
Rodgers has typically received them, 16 in complete, and suffered just one defeat in 20 derbies. Victory on Thursday would imply he has loved a career-high 17 wins in opposition to each Aberdeen and the Gentle Blues, greater than in opposition to some other membership.
Watch the Outdated Agency conflict reside on Sky Sports activities Soccer and Principal Occasion from 2pm on Thursday January 2, kick-off 3pm.
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