FORMER Celtic goal hero Chris Sutton has labelled Philippe Clement “remarkably petty” after the Ibrox manager’s recent comments directed at Brendan Rodgers.
The Belgian was clearly irked by the Hoops gaffer’s remark that the champions were “going to have fun” when the Glasgow rivals meet in the fourth derby of the campaign at Parkhead on Saturday.
Clement, whose side are three points adrift with only three games to play, shot back: “We’re going to have fun also.”
There hasn’t been much joy in the three previous encounters for the Govan outfit with Celtic winning the first two and denied a hat-trick by a stoppage-time equaliser at Ibrox last month.
Now Rodgers’ men can just about wrap up the third successive title – and twelfth crown in 13 years – if they win in the east end of the city in four days time.
INTO THE LIONS’ DEN…Philippe Clement gets his first taste of the Glasgow derby as he emerges from the Parkhead tunnel alongside Brendan Rodgers on December 30 when Celtic won 2-1.
Sutton said: “I think Glasgow is getting to Big Phil, as it gets to everybody who plays or works in the city. It’s a goldfish bowl.
“It’s tense, but he also made a couple of reasonable points.
“He said they were behind when they came in by seven points and now it’s three, but they did have it in their hands. Rangers lost to Ross County and dropped points to Dundee.”
Sutton, speaking to the ‘It’s All Kicking Off Podcast’, added: “What was remarkably petty is that Philippe Clement said it was disrespectful towards his team and that he would never say that about an opponent.
“He then went out and did the interview with Sky and said that they were also going to have fun.
“You couldn’t quite make it up. It just adds a bit more spice to a game that doesn’t need any more spice.”
