Philippe Clement’s comments after Rangers’ 3-0 loss to Celtic in the Glasgow derby have sparked some confusion.
Clement suggested that Celtic’s older starting eleven gave them an advantage over his younger Rangers side. However, a closer look at the facts contradicts his claims.
He told Sky Sports, “Look at the age difference of the starting eleven of Celtic and ours”.
Well, we did as Clement told us, and had a look.
The average age of Rangers’ squad, at 27.9, is almost identical to Celtic’s at 28.0, showing a negligible difference. Furthermore, the starting lineups on the day showed Celtic with an average age of 27.0 compared to Rangers’ 26.0, indicating only a one-year difference in favour of Celtic, which is hardly significant enough to dictate such a decisive outcome in a high-intensity match.
Clement’s attempt to use age as a significant factor in the derby outcome seems more like a diversion from deeper issues within the team’s performance. The substantial 3-0 scoreline reflects tactical execution and player performance more than the slight age disparity. His remarks, perhaps meant to deflect criticism, instead appear to have misfired, drawing attention to a non-issue.
