PHIL DRAWS ENEMY LINE
Gers boss insists he’s not interested in Broonie sideshow when silverware and shot at the Treble is on the line
THIRTEEN years ago this week Scott Brown made himself public enemy No.1 with Rangers fans when he gave birth to ‘The Broonie’ on an explosive day at Ibrox.
Tonight at the same venue, in the same round of the same competition, the former Celtic skipper will return to the scene for the first time as a manager.
As coincidences go, the timing of Brown’s return to enemy territory is a pretty strong quirk of fate.
But if that 13th anniversary is to be any sort of omen then Philippe Clement is determined his Rangers players ensure it’s as unlucky as they come.
The sight of the Ayr gaffer strutting around arms aloft – like he did in front of El Hadji Diouf after scoring 10-man Celtic’s leveller in a 2-2 draw – is not on the agenda.
Any triumphant gestures are to be confined to those wearing light blue, insists the Belgian. He has no appetite for getting caught up in sideshows.
It might be difficult for the Ibrox loyal to resist having a pop at their nemesis who this week joked he “has a lot of love for Rangers”. But Clement has more important targets in his sights as he looks to keep a Treble dream alive with a Scottish Cup fifth-round victory.
When it was put to him that the man in the opposite dugout could make the tie extra spicy, he said: “I read that he loves Rangers... that can be really good between us also on the sidelines!
“I know him as he was a very good player. But I’m not busy with public enemies or things like that. We are busy with our team, the game, playing good football, winning games in a good way and qualifying. That’s the most important.
“So we have to be focused on that and not all the other things around us, as that has nothing to do with us.”
Clement is laser-focused as always. Not that he needed it, but his former club Monaco’s French Cup flop against thirdtier FC Rouen on Thursday served as a timely reminder his players simply can’t take their Championship opponents lightly this evening.
He also knows how it feels to be a giantkiller and the freedom that will afford Ayr at Ibrox.
His first major trophy as a player came with unfancied Genk in 1998 when they stormed to the final of the Belgian Cup and sent shockwaves through his homeland by thumping Club Brugge 4-0 in the final.
Clement said: “I was involved with a shock with a smaller team. My first trophy ever was with Genk against Club Brugge.
“I went to Genk when they were in the second division, we won promotion and then the next year we finished eighth. We qualified for Europe in the Intertoto Cup which was amazing as everyone expected us to be relegated right away.
“The next season we finished second and won the Belgian Cup by beating Brugge in the final, just two years after being in the second division.
“Brugge had finished that season as easy champions in the league and everyone expected them to win the final. But we won it 4-0.
“I remember the small but important details. Before the game there was a team picture. Brugge was with just the 11 players. But we took our photo with about 20 players and all the staff, everybody involved.
“That was the atmosphere and feeling in our group. It was just to have a great experience in the national stadium for the first time. It’s always challenging. It’s about showing quality, mentality and respect.
“The best example was Thursday night. Monaco went out against a second division side. These are not things I want to see happening here.”
Clement is well aware of the challenges ahead for his injuryhit squad. But he insists every competition will be treated with equal importance.
He said: “Yes, because at the end it’s about winning the trophies. Winning the Europa
League is more difficult than winning domestic competitions, that’s clear. There is more quality in the other European leagues.
“But every trophy we take this season will be very important to us because the club is full of history with a lot of trophies. But it’s not been regular in the last few years. Everybody is working really hard to get back to that situation where we are winning more regularly.”
Clement welcomes Ben Davies back into his squad but Tom Lawrence is rested for “precautionary” reasons.
I read that he loves Rangers... that can be really good between us on the sidelines! PHILIPPE CLEMENT ON WELCOMING SCOTT BROWN