Hacks shortlist Clement but ignore Rodgers for their Manager of the Year

Maybe you’ll want that to happen just a little bit more when we tell you that the Scottish football writers (the hacks not the fan media) have shortlisted the Belgian waffle Philippe Clement for Manager of the Year and not Brendan Rodgers.

Fair enough he came in with theRangers trailing in the league, won a few games in hand and got the benefit of Celtic’s mid-December wobble when we lost to Kilmarnock and then Hearts. He had the chance to make a real impact in his first Glasgow Derby on 30 December but it was the same old story and the three points remained in Paradise.

Then he did get his nose in front. Indeed by the next Glasgow Derby at Ibrox a win by Clement’s side would have taken the title outwith Celtic’s control. Could Clement get his first win over Celtic with the backing of 50,000 of their own fans and no away support? Well, no but he did claim it was a 3-3 victory.

That was followed by a defeat at Ross County – the first time ever that the Dingwall side beat a Rangers outfit – and then another two points were spilled at Dens Park.

Three crucial games at the business end of the title race and Clement picked up two points from nine as Brendan Rodgers moved his side through the gears and in to pole position, having been unbeaten in Glasgow Derby matches this season.

Add two more to that and the double is his, while Clement will be left licking his wounds with the vital Champions League money heading to Paradise and not Ibrox and with just the League Cup to show for this efforts, with Michael Beale sharing the credit for that.

The (mainstream media) football writers have named their four man short-list and Clement is joined by Derek McInnes (Kilmarnock) and Tony Docherty (Dundee) for making the top six and by Falkirk boss John McGlynn for his Invincible league campaign. Surely even the hacks will give their award to McGlynn as a real winner, with a proper achievement.

Brendan Rodgers won’t be too bothered about missing out and he’s had his own issues with the hacks this season. He’s more interested in re-uniting the Celtic family, especially the supporters who perhaps weren’t all that happy to see him returning to the club to replace Ange Postecoglou.

On the day he returned to Celtic Park last June Brendan sent a message to those disgruntled supporters on the steps at the front of Celtic Park. He said that he’d see them here in May to celebrate the title win.

And with the dramas of this season, some thinking that theRangers were going to beat us to the big prize, it will make this title win all the more sweeter for the Celtic family if the Bhoys get it over the line, as most of us believe that they will.

Both Clement and Rodgers had to work with players that were signed by others this season. In the summer both can look to re-shape their squads in their own image and we’ll see a real contest. However for Clement he will have to wait to the end of the year before he gets a chance to face Celtic at Ibrox (barring a league cup meeting).

Before them he’ll have two trips to Celtic park and a Cup Final at Hampden. If he fails to win any of these three matches he’ll be lucky to make it to the New Year Glasgow Derby. How many of their managers has Brendan seen off with his wonderful record against theRangers?