Kevin Thomson believes Rangers will be driving Celtic after winning the cup and the Old Firm.
If Rangers defeat Celtic then win the via Cup the following month, Philippe Clement will buy himself even more time.
Kevin Thomson, who has been pleased with Clement’s honest remarks that have accompanied an undefeated start to his Ibrox reign, says as much. The Light Blues had an opportunity to take advantage of their rivals’ error against Motherwell on Saturday, but they were only able to match the 1-1 draw at Pittodrie. James Tavernier’s penalty in stoppage time was all that separated them from the spoils.
Thomson is aware of how difficult it will still be to contain Celtic. First and foremost, victory over Aberdeen in the Via play Cup final is imperative. If Clement accomplishes that and then wins the Old Firm derby at Parkhead, he will have a lot of momentum to start building the team in January and challenge the league leaders in the second half of the season.
“Listen, I still think Celtic are going to be a tough nut to crack, but the fact that there are three Old Firms left to play and Rangers are only five points behind (should they win their game against St Johnstone) gives them a chance,” Thomson said in an interview with Safebettingsites.com. Considering that Rangers fired their manager earlier. They have to win the cup, which would put them in a good position, but they still have other games to win at that time.
“I believe the new manager has an advantage in that he has earned some leeway. Clearly, this is Michael’s squad. They signed a lot of players in the summer and underwent a significant rebuild.
“I know that even when you inherit someone else’s team, things can turn against managers quickly, but I believe he’s off to a decent start, and the fans have taken to him right away and given him some leeway.” I believe it will buy him a little more time if they win the cup final. I’m not suggesting they’ll go on and defeat Celtic in the league.
“He might have arrived and not received the desired outcomes, and in only a few weeks, he would already be experiencing pressure due to the underwhelming performance of the squad. However, that hasn’t happened, and based on the way he’s conducted himself, I believe he’s bought himself a little bit of extra time.
“I believe that time will tell; the fact is that if you finish second, you’re a failure. “It’s a difficult cycle to break – but you have to have belief that you can turn the tide.” They are chasing a very good Celtic team led by a very excellent manager who have been over the course and distance many times. The team boasts plenty of regular winners.
Both what Clement has said off the field and what he has accomplished on it have impressed Thomson. “I like the early signs for Clement, I like his interviews, I like how relatable and direct he is, and I like the way he speaks and presents himself,” he continued. He doesn’t seem to take you on a small joy ride when addressing the media, in my opinion.
“It feels like he answers your questions honestly and concisely, without trying to pull a face, which I believe has happened in the past. In the past, I believe that people were beginning to see through it, and even more so when the results weren’t showing up.
