‘I thought’ – Brendan Rodgers delivers strong Rangers verdict after Celtic win | OneFootball

Rangers produced a fantastic performance against Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup final at Hampden Park despite losing 5-4 on penalties.

Fresh from the spirited 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Ibrox, the Gers gave everything on the pitch and pushed Celtic to the absolute limits in a breathtaking final.

Philippe Clement has not won in six Old Firm matches, but the Gers boss will be very proud of this performance from his players.

In the end, Rangers suffered a painful defeat. They worked incredibly hard to overcome all the challenges, and they took the game to penalties after the match ended 3-3 in extra time.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers also admitted that Rangers played really well and that his side had to show character to come back.

“I thought Rangers played well in the first half and we had to show heart to come back,” said Rodgers after the game, as quoted by BBC Sports.

“Over the last few weeks Philippe Clement has changed it a bit so it didn’t surprise us. When you’re a big club you want to be on the front foot and press and Rangers did that.”

Rangers are showing improvement under Philippe Clement

The defeat will hurt Rangers, but they are showing gradual improvement under Clement.

Back-to-back high-voltage games have shown that there is quality on the side, and the Bears can challenge any top side if they work according to the plans.

Rangers came up with a clear strategy to nullify Kyogo Furuhashi’s threat, and they were successful in keeping him quiet.

Likewise, they brought great energy to the midfield and kept on pressing until the end. At the same time, they took their chances, but some of their decision-making could have been better.

Clement can now convince the fans that Rangers players are beginning to respond to his system and plans and that the club is heading in the right direction.