The Belgian hopes to go all the way and win the Scottish Cup this season after dropping out in agonizing circumstances last May.
Philippe Clement is not the type of person who dwell on disappointment.
When the Rangers’ manager receives a body blow, it is not in his nature to stay down for long. However, it is tough for the Belgian not to be reminded of May 25 last year during Scottish Cup weekend. The Old Firm final was tied at 0-0 in injury time before Jack Butland’s blunder allowed Adam Idah to win the trophy for Celtic. It was agony for Clement and his team, who had already blown a Premiership lead to award their opponents another title. Especially given that Gers felt they had broken the tie earlier against Brendan Rodgers’ side with an Abdallah Sima shot that was controversially ruled out.
Clement is not bitter. But he says that, despite moving on to oversee a new project at Ibrox this season, the last-gasp setback still stings. And it’s probably one of the reasons he’s so eager to win the Scottish Cup this year. He’s preparing for a last-16 tie against Championship side Queen’s Park tonight, but he can’t help but contemplate what may have happened nine months ago.
When asked how long it took to recover from the loss, Clement responded, “It’s still there since we didn’t win the trophy. How long has it stayed? Look, this was a game where we were really near.
“We scored the first goal, but it was disallowed. We can still discuss that. But when it’s over, you must press a button in your skull.
“You have to anticipate and prepare for a new season. As staff or athletes, we cannot spend our lives as fans. We can’t be sick about it for days and then remain sick about it.
“We can’t focus on it since you won’t be ready for the following job. Of course, it remains in the back of your mind and in your body. However, you must look ahead and push yourself to achieve the next goal. That was the case during the summer.
Immediately following the final, Clement met his players on the Hampden ground and told them to come back stronger. However, he probably did not expect seven of his 20-man team to be released in the summer as the club made significant cuts.
That abrupt change of direction only served to underscore to Clement the importance of not dwelling on the past. In the future, he wants more stability at Ibrox, implying that Celtic’s squad continuity has been a major factor for their recent domestic success. Clement stated, “I advised the players to utilize that feeling (after the final) as motivation for this season.
“However, many of the guys in the circle were gone just a few weeks later. It’s difficult to use that as motivation while dealing with a new group of players. And that’s exactly what we need at this club: more consistency in the roster so we can create something. You cannot start from scratch every time.
“I’ll make a comparison to a house. You begin with foundations, like we had to do this season. However, building two storeys and then removing them and starting over from the foundation is not a suitable technique to build a house.
“That’s really essential. We need to construct something immediately with players who can share these experiences. You need these connections, timings, and verbal and nonverbal communication to understand one another.
“Each individual player needs to understand their role, and we must all work together to progress forward. Of course, you require a core and solidity. You also need consistency to build every season.
“Some clubs have done it exceptionally well, and they reap the benefits. It’s an important component of football.
“At any club where I’ve been successful in the past, it was always after two or three years as a team. Not with all eleven on the first team, but with seven or eight. That’s such a key aspect that can’t be under- estimated.”
With Rangers lagging in the Premiership table, a Scottish Cup victory in May could be critical for Clement and his young side. They’re expected to defeat Queen’s Park with fairly ease today and go to the quarterfinal.
However, he will not take Callum Davidson’s side lightly. Especially after Monaco suffered a shock cup defeat to lower-league rivals Rodez in France two years before.
Clement, who won the Belgian Cup four times with Genk and Club Brugge, said: “What I remember about that is that I brought in too many young players to give them a chance. And the senior players did not perform to their full potential or assist the younger players.
“The other team was completely efficient and had the time of their lives.” So cup competitions are always perilous, and you have to strike a delicate balance.
“Is this a warning to us about Queen’s Park?” No, it only happened once like that. I’ve played in a variety of cup games with Monaco and other teams. However, it is something that occurs every season in all leagues.
“We are very ambitious for this game, and we value Queen’s Park.” We will prepare for them in the same way as we did against Manchester United and Tottenham in Europe.”
