Chris Sutton has taken aim at Philippe Clement for his comments he made regarding budgets ahead of the Premier Sports Cup Final, dismissing the Rangers manager’s complaints as an excuse following Celtic’s dramatic penalty shootout victory.

Clement, in the lead-up to the final, bemoaned the financial disparity between Rangers and their Europa League opponents, Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic. However, Sutton, speaking on the It’s All Kicking Off Podcast, highlighted the inconsistency in Clement’s claims and pointed out Rangers’ relative financial superiority compared to the rest of the Scottish Premiership.

Sutton didn’t hold back, addressing the narrative Clement tried to spin about Rangers facing financially superior opponents:

“Big Phil talked last week about budgets, and Rangers were playing two teams with greater budgets, Tottenham and then Celtic.

“But he failed to mention that every other week in the Scottish Premier League, Rangers’ budget is considerably bigger than everybody else’s.”

Sutton’s remarks are grounded in reality. Rangers’ budget, while not on par with Celtic’s or top English clubs, is still substantially higher than most Scottish clubs. Yet, despite this financial edge, Rangers find themselves in third place, 11 points behind Celtic in the league and now without the League Cup.

Clement’s attempt to frame budgetary differences as a reason for Rangers’ shortcomings hasn’t gone down well, particularly after a final in which they competed fiercely but still came up short. Sutton’s rebuttal reflects the frustration of many who see Rangers failing to maximize their financial advantages within the league.

Rangers fans might sympathize with their manager’s frustrations, but the reality remains that Celtic have proven more effective in their recruitment, squad management, and ability to deliver when it matters most.