Latest news with #Clement
Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Philippe Clement sees his Nico Raskin transfer prophecy ring true as Rangers star sees Premier League interest rise
Clement was sacked by Gers back in February but recently predicted that his former player is destined for big things down south Philippe Clement didn't get too much right in the final weeks of his Rangers tenure - but his transfer prophecy about Nicolas Raskin could have some weight to it. It comes off the back of recent reports that West-Midlands rivals Aston Villa have also been keeping tabs on Raskin, who is also said to have potential suitors abroad. The 24-year-old was a shining light in an otherwise dismal campaign for Gers last season, and his efforts have been rewarded with four caps for the Red Devils at senior international level. It remains to be seen if new owners San Francisco 49ers will opt to cash in on their prized asset - who still has two years remaining on his contract - this summer to give boss Russell Martin an additional boost to the £20million transfer kitty already laid down by the Ibrox hierarchy. And the recent surge of interest in the player from the big boys down south will have come as no surprise to Clement, who recently opened up on all things Rangers four months on from his sacking in Govan. Asked about Raskin, he said: "He's ready. I'm convinced Nico would fit perfectly in the Premier League. "I'm not saying he would be in a top six team now. But just below that, so he can calmly adapt to the level. "Make no mistake: Nico has a lot of room to grow. "He has to make the right choice now. And if he leaves and gets enough playing time at his new club, he will only get better. I would put my hand in the fire for that." Clement, who handed Raskin the captain's armband for an Old Firm clash with Celtic back in January, added: "He's a character. I worked with him intensively for a year at Rangers. Nico wants to know everything, gets into discussions and has his own opinion. But if you communicate and argue clearly, there's no problem at all. "I like players with an opinion. I didn't just give him the captain's armband for nothing. That way he could grow as a footballer and take on more responsibility. "He has good feet and plays energetic football, but the most important step Nico has taken is that he has become tactically stronger. That's why he was ready for the national team - something I said six months ago. I've talked to him about it a lot. "Nico was a firefighter. You know? He often went somewhere else to put out fires and that caused problems in his zone. He doesn't do that anymore. "I wasn't surprised when he played so well for Belgium on his debut. He's played a lot of European matches. Both with Standard Liege and Rangers. "When you play against teams like Manchester United, Spurs, Benfica or Real means it's nothing new for him to play against top players. "Playing for his country was a huge honour for him. Nico benefits from that - he's a born winner.'
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Kemar Roofe airs his Rangers truths in bombshell address as he calls out Clement for brutally snubbing him
For the first time he's spoken about how he was treated by Clement and the heartache at being left out of the 2024 Scottish Cup Final Four managers in four years. That wasn't the scenario Kemar Roofe envisaged when he got the call from Steven Gerrard to join Rangers in 2020. But that's how it panned out. After Gerrard's title win, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was next in the hot-seat. Despite getting to a European final, the Dutchman was replaced by Michael Beale. And finally, Roofe's final season was under Philippe Clement, who is now also out of a job. Roofe won every trophy in Scotland during his time at Rangers and is proud of what he achieved. But there is also a nagging feeling of what might have been, especially if Gerrard hadn't left for Aston Villa. Roofe also believes the club was wrong to get rid of Beale. And for the first time, he's spoken about how he was treated by Clement - and the heartache at being left out of the 2024 Scottish Cup Final by the Belgian. In part one of an exclusive interview with Record Sport, the former Rangers striker discussed his ex-gaffers - and why he expects Russell Martin to succeed with the backing of the San Francisco 49ers. Roofe loved his time at Ibrox but it ended on a sour note when Clement was in charge, after he was left in the stands at Hampden for that vital Old Firm clash. Roofe said: 'How was Clement with me? Yeah, interesting. 'It was difficult. He stopped wanting to use me because I wasn't going to be there the following season. 'I understood that he wanted to work with players he was going to work with. 'But not to the detriment of winning games for Rangers. 'Even if I wasn't going to be there the following year, I was still going to give 100 percent during my time. 'That's just my character but maybe he didn't understand my character. 'I still felt that I should have played a lot more games to help Rangers win more - especially in the Scottish Cup Final. 'It would have helped the manager so I don't understand it. 'It obviously hasn't helped him now. I genuinely felt if I'd played more I could have made a difference. 'He left me out of the final against Celtic at Hampden. I was fit to play but wasn't in the squad and had to sit in the stand. 'Earlier that season, I had a big moment when I scored the winner against Real Betis in Spain. 'That should have proved to him that I was still giving 100 percent. You'd think that would be the case. 'As a manager you need to know your players properly. 'But Clement obviously didn't know or understand me well enough.' Before Clement, Beale had taken over from van Bronckhorst at Ibrox. And despite injuries curtailing his impact on the team at that time, Roofe is adamant the Englishman should have been given more time to build something at Rangers. He said: 'It was frustrating because I hardly played under Michael due to injuries and I wanted to give him something back. 'He's one of the best coaches I've ever had. His coaching is top quality. 'And the way he wants to play football suits me so much. 'When you've got that, it's really enjoyable and you want to play. 'Michael deserved more time in the job. if he got that, he could have turned things around. 'Just because of his way of playing. It was very similar to Steven's and we'd had success with it. It was enjoyable to play in. 'We didn't have that enjoyment of football again. 'I even heard comments from fans saying how boring the games were after that. 'When you keep changing managers at a club, it's not good for continuity or rhythm. 'Everything gets thrown out the window. It becomes too chaotic.' In Roofe's first season at Ibrox, he'd been Gers' top scorer as they won the title under Gerrard. Which was exactly what the manager had targeted when he enticed the striker to Ibrox. Roofe said: 'I was in Belgium with Anderlecht and got a call out of the blue from the manager, Vincent Kompany, saying Rangers had put a bid in and it had been accepted. 'As soon as Steven rang me - with his legendary status - he got my attention. 'I knew how big Rangers were. 'When I was at Leeds, I played alongside Stuart Dallas and Liam Cooper. 'They were big Rangers fans so they'd always go on about the club. 'Steven just spoke about wanting to win the title and playing European football. 'He believed in me and liked my style. When someone of that stature speaks well of you, it gives you ultimate confidence. 'That first season was strange due to Covid. Because there were no fans, it didn't feel like being a footballer. 'You felt more like a machine. You turned up every day to do your job and win. 'Then you'd go home, isolate, before getting up to do the same again. 'But we achieved what we had to achieve that season. The main focus was always winning the league. 'When I spoke to Steven about the aims, it was that we HAD to win the title. 'As much as I wanted to win the Europa League or go as far as we could - it wasn't ever as important as winning the league. 'And after doing it, I realised how important it was and why it was so important to supporters. 'To be part of that team who did 55, and to be top scorer, is a good feeling. We'll always be remembered for that. 'And people forget we were invincible that season as well too." Gerrard's departure the following season to Villa stunned everyone at Ibrox. Roofe is adamant that if the Rangers hierarchy had backed their manager more at that time - the club could have enjoyed more success. Instead, they allowed Celtic to dominate Scottish football again. Roofe said: "The ideal situation would have been Steven staying and making a few positive additions to the squad. 'If we'd have done that, I feel we could have kept growing. 'But that wasn't the case. We weren't able to grow from the season before because the gaffer left and we didn't really get players in to help. 'It was the perfect chance for the club to kick on but we didn't do it. 'We'd won the title and did well in the Europa League. In any business, when you do well you invest to kick on. 'But we didn't do that. A lot of players left, were sold or - contract-wise - weren't in a positive place. 'That affected us the next season. If I could go back, I'd love us to have invested in the squad and had a massive push. 'That's what Celtic have been able to do since then.' Rangers now have Martin in charge after Clement's exit. But it's Rangers' new American owners - and the influence of the 49ers - which Roofe believes can help the club get back to the top. He said: 'I think good times are ahead for Rangers under Russell. 'They've got owners in there now who are ambitious and won't mess about. 'They'll want Rangers back in the Champions League and respected again around the world. 'So they'll want quick results. I've seen what the 49ers have done at Leeds and they've been massive in their success. 'I've spoken to people involved at the 49ers and everything I've heard is positive. 'But at Rangers, it only comes down to one thing - you have to win. 'Before I got there, there was no silverware. And it's the same now. 'They have to get back to winning ways.' ** Kemar Roofe has launched his own Player Journal at **
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
I played for Rangers and PSG under one infamous Ibrox boss and now I am managing a team in France's seventh tier
Jeremy Clement spent a season with Gers in 2006/07 after arriving from Lyon in a £1million deal Paul Le Guen's ill-fated six month stint as manager of Rangers is one that fans of an Ibrox persuasion have tried hard to erase from their memory over the years. And as it turned out, one of the players that the Frenchman brought with him from Ligue 1 didn't last much longer. After taking up the reins in Govan from Alex McLeish in the summer of 2006, the infamous boss moved quickly to sign Jeremy Clement in a £1milion deal. The midfielder was a part of Le Guen's Lyon side that romped to the league title in 2005, the fourth of seven consecutive Ligue 1 crowns won by the club before rivals Marseille and now Pars-Saint-Germain established themselves as the most dominant force in France. However, much like his manager, Clement's spell in Glasgow was far from successful. The playmaker started the majority of his 23 appearances for the Light Blues but was sent packing back to France for £1.8m in the following January, linking up with Le Guen for a third time at PSG just weeks after he had been given the boot at Ibrox. Clement went on to win more silverware in the French capital, helping the club capture the now-defunct Coupe de la Ligue in 2008. After spells with Saint Etienne, AS Nancy Lorraine and minnows FC Bourgoin-Jallieu, the 40-year-old hung up his boots in 2020 to pursue a career as a manager with the latter. Clement held the role for two years before it was mutually decided not to renew his contract at the end of the 2021/22 season. But nearly three years on, the Gers flop is back in coaching after landing the job at amateur club FC Allobroges-Asafia in France's SEVENTH tier. Clement's experiences in the dugout next season will be a world away from some of the big nights he had during his playing career at Ibrox, the Parc des Princes and Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Speaking about his brief Rangers tenure back in 2020, the ex midfielder said: "I wanted to progress as a player so I decided to leave Lyon. "I had opportunities to sign for clubs in France, but I wanted to sign for a manager who knew what I could do, like Paul Le Guen, so I chose Rangers. "Rangers was a great adventure for me. It was my first experience abroad and a big change for me. "The country was beautiful, I met my future wife and Rangers are a legendary club, so I regard it as a great time for me. "I returned to France and went on to play for PSG, St Etienne and Nancy. I've had a great career. "Now I will take my coaching badges at Bourgoin-Jallieu and hope to become a manager one day when football returns to normal."
Edmonton Journal
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Blue Jays' winning road trip tainted by a troublesome series sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies
Article content Add it up and it equated into an ugly three-game sweep by the Phillies, who won Sunday's series finale, 11-4, at Citizens Bank Park where the homeside outscored the visitors by a combined 22-6. The following are three takeaways from a horrific loss that dropped the Jays' record to 38-33 as Toronto returns home after going 5-4 on the road, a stretch that saw Ernie Clement record 13 hits, a game that would also see Clement strikeout for the first time in two weeks when former teammate Jordan Romano rang him up to end the eighth inning 1. Wheeler and dealer The Jays caught a break when Philly was in town for a three-game set by avoiding Zack Wheeler, the staff ace, because the veteran right-hander had been placed on the paternity list. No such luck for the Blue Jays on Father's Day. In the opening two games of the series, the Jays were vexed by two left-handers in Ranger Suarez, who held Toronto scoreless in seven innings, and Cristopher Sanchez, who gave up two runs in seven innings.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Philippe Clement in astonishing Rangers blame game as flop boss calls out two players over title collapse
Philippe Clement has pinned a huge part of Rangers' title collapse in his first season in charge at Ibrox on John Lundstram and Borna Barisic. Although not naming either of the duo, he admitted that two players who were out of contract were distracted by trying to sort out their next career move during the tense run-in. Advertisement The Light Blues hauled themselves back into a title race they seemed to be well out of when Clement replaced Michael Beale at Ibrox in October 2023. READ MORE: Rangers transfer news as Russell Martin 'eyes' ambitious Ramsdale reunion and Poku interest escalates READ MORE: Celtic book medical for striker as Kyogo set for emotional homecoming – transfer bulletin But they managed to get back into it and even hit top spot in the league at one stage before falling away spectacularly towards the end. They lost at Ross County and drew against Dundee at Dens Park with a defeat at Celtic Park in the final derby of the season. Advertisement Rangers eventually finished eight points behind their rivals. The contracts of Lundstram and Barisic were both ticking towards expiring and they ended up joining Turkish side Trabzonspor. John Lundstram applauds Borna Barisic (left) Clement, in an interview with BBC Scotland, said it wasn't an ideal situation - and one the club should always be looking to avoid. Barisic was hooked early in the 3-2 defeat in Dingwall and the Croatian defender didn't featured at Dens Park. And they were both left out of the XI for the Scottish Cup final against Celtic at the end of the season, with Lundstram coming on for the final minute. Clement said: 'There are some stories if you look back. Indeed, in the first season nobody in Scotland expected Rangers to come back in be in a title race when we arrived in October. Advertisement 'The players did it but in the end we lost the game at Ross County and three days later dropped points at Dundee. 'If I look back, two players who were not good in those two games they left at the end of the season on a free transfer. 'They were at that moment busy also talking with other teams with their agents, about their future and all those things. 'Probably, and maybe, it had an affect on them. Did they not want to become Rangers? For sure not. They wanted to become champions and give everything. 'But the situation to be at the end of the contract at that moment of the season was also not a good one. Advertisement 'You need to see as a club that it's about stability and consistency that you don't come in these situations too much in the important moments of the season. Rangers' John Lundstram -Credit:SNS Group 'You want everything to be clear so players can focus solely on football and I think it played a part in that end of the season in those two games where the shift was made in the championship.' 'It's a pity we couldn't win the championship coming out of a situation where nobody thought we could win it. The Belgian admitted that league loss was his biggest regret, with the Premier Sports Cup win over Aberdeen at Hampden his proudest. He was axed this season, with Russell Martin named permanent successor last week. He said: '(My) most proud (moment) - because all that matters is winning things - would be winning the league cup and biggest regret would be being close for the title in that first season and not getting it over the line, and also the two cup finals where were very close.'
