I WASN’T exactly shocked and stunned to note that Philippe Clement has revealed he will be scarred mentally for life with the decision that prevented Rangers being awarded a controversial penalty-kick against Celtic last weekend.
The po-faced Belgian is straight from the school of exaggerated melodrama. He’s clearly a devotee of Shakespeare, nobody does tragedy better.
Last Sunday, he was playing the violin for the benefit of the hordes as he tried to deflect the fact Brendan Rodgers’ side had won the Premier Sports League Cup via the spot-kick shoot-out.
Clement did his best to bypass the actual two hours of football as he wanted to discuss the one that got away.
He told the media conference his mobile phone was crammed with messages concerning referee John Beaton’s decision to award the Ibrox club a free-kick just outside the box after the coming-together between Liam Scales and Vaclav Cerny early in extra-time.
SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES…Brendan Rodgers and Philippe Clement engulfed in the fall-out of the pyro displays at Hampden on Sunday.
You have to wonder how many folk outside the Govan persuasion have access to his private number. Probably none, I would hazard a guess.
VAR have since had their say which has added to Clement’s considerable woes and, speaking once again to the press, he bleated: “I had a lot of questions and texts. But not only me, also all the foreign players. I had some players in Monaco who sent me messages about that action.
“Yes, all of Europe has been talking about it.
“This moment is going to stay a scar. I had a few moments like it in my career and this will stay one.”
I’ve got a couple of words of advice for the forlorn gaffer.
One: You need to get out more, Phil.
Two: Get used to it.
Was it really only a year ago when the same Philippe Clement was praising VAR to the heavens?
Mind you, that was in the aftermath of two extremely dodgy calls late in games when there were interventions to award his team penalty-kicks against Hearts at Ibrox – trailing 1-0 at the time – and Aberdeen at Pittodrie – trailing 1-0 at the time.
Get over it, Phil, and make sure your violin is in the vicinity on January 2 when You Know Who are in town.
ALEX GORDON
