STEPHEN McGOWAN: This is a cup final that Rangers boss Clement simply MUST win… or he faces a nerve-wracking summer

While Eric Cantona ruminated on trawlers and sardines, Ryan Giggs seemed as simple as ever. More cod and chips than cod philosophy.

However, in Amazon Prime’s new documentary series about Manchester United’s historic 1998/99 season, Giggsy cooks up the most powerful driver known to professional sportsman. The fear of failure.

“Disappointment is a much stronger emotion than victory,” reflects the Old Trafford wing wizard. “It lasts longer.”

Nobody talks about it now. But 12 months before Barcelona’s miracle in the Champions League final, Fergie’s United were second. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal had beaten their bitter rivals to a league and FA Cup double and that saw them turn the corner.

“It lasts all summer,” says Giggs. “Every day you think about it. Every day.’

If Celtic add the Scottish Cup to the league title at Hampden, Rangers will face one of these summers. They will be devoured by what could have been. Tortured by missed opportunities.

The Ibrox boss couldn’t always trust Tavernier and Goldson in big matches

John Lundstram also let his manager down by being sent off against Celtic.

The importance of this match for Philippe Clément cannot be overestimated. Win the cup and the story changes in an instant.

Rangers would end a roller coaster season with an acceptable trophy haul. Given the way they started the season, two out of three is not bad. The Belgian would end his three-match winless streak against Celtic.

Fans who are starting to wonder if he really is the answer would give him some breathing room to sign new players this summer. The mood would be joyful, optimistic and hopeful – and the Champions League qualifiers would feel a little more like an opportunity than a little less like an ordeal.

Lose to Celtic again and the confidence disappears. Clément would end the season with yet another defeat against the only team he must beat. Even Michael Beale won his fourth derby and, if this one ends the same way as the others, Clement will head to Parkhead for next season’s Old Firm league opener under immense pressure.

One more defeat and he would be back in the same film as Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beale. Fans fire SOS (Save Our Season) distress flares into the air in Govan before the end of September.

When Manchester United were second to Arsenal all those years ago, they started the following campaign with a 3-0 defeat to the Gunners in the Charity Shield. Players began to fight, bicker, and doubt themselves. Alex Ferguson never did it.

When Sir Furious looked around the Old Trafford dressing room, he saw strong, pragmatic and resilient characters like Peter Schmeichel, the Neville brothers, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Giggs and Andy Cole.

At the Christmas party, Keane gathered a divided team into a drunken group and ordered them to stop losing matches. And when Keano spoke, they listened.

Look around the Rangers dressing room and there is no Roy Keanes. Very few players Clement can trust to give him an eight out of 10 in a big must-win game or to go out with a bang.

Clément needs Cyriel Dessers to make a real impact against Celtic today

Todd Cantwell, above left, has been criticized for his excessive use of social media

Michael Beale won his fourth derby as Rangers boss and Clement must do the same

James Tavernier and Connor Goldson are the Devon Lochs of Scottish football. As soon as the finish line looms on the horizon, their legs seem to go away.

A red card at Parkhead the other week showed why John Lundstram cannot necessarily be trusted to keep his lead on a big occasion. Borna Barisic launches a nice cross but already has an eye on the exit.

Todd “TikTok” Cantwell spends his days reading social media instead of reading the room.

Cyriel Dessers has actually scored a very good total of 22 goals, but if he takes on Joe Hart in the last minute at Hampden today, he will either put it in the top corner for the goal of the season or he will go down. his own feet. There is no middleman.

There are three or four players that Clément can count on to show up for the games that really matter.

Goalkeeper Jack Butland has been denied a place in Gareth Southgate’s Euro squad. Dujon Sterling plays four or five positions, and the manager must wish he could play them all at once. Mohamed Diomandé looks like a player who will be worth a few pennies one day. And, unless new signing Jefte is the next Roberto Carlos, Ridvan Yilmaz should be first choice left-back next season. As long as he gets back into shape.

By Celtic standards this was a difficult campaign. Yet when the season gets tricky, Brendan Rodgers has a core of players he can trust. James Forrest has 23 winners’ medals, captain Callum McGregor has 21, Kyogo Furuhashi loves scoring a goal in a derby and Daizen Maeda is Tavernier’s worst nightmare. Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate will surely move on to bigger leagues, while Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are the proverbial Steady Eddies.

One of football’s oldest clichés is that when the Old Firm meet, form goes out the window. Lately, that hasn’t been the case.

Brendan Rodgers led 17 derbies and lost just one. In those 17 games, Celtic have scored 39 goals against their bitter rivals and conceded 12. In 1,530 minutes, they have only been behind 108 times. They have scored first in 11 of the last 12 meetings. And they are the bookies’ favorites to come out on top once again today.

To stand any chance, an injury-ravaged Rangers team needs a quick, aggressive and controlled start. They must confuse expectations with a performance that some of their own supporters doubt them to do.

For some, it will be their last appearance in the light blue jersey before the end of their contract. For others, it’s their last chance to prove they deserve a future at Ibrox.

Speaking on Thursday, Clement claimed talk of a major Rangers rebuild this summer had been exaggerated. Lose to Celtic today and they really won’t have a choice. He will have to gut a failing team to save his job.

Plastic makes no difference to the angry four

Falkirk, Hamilton, Queen of the South and Raith Rovers argue a proposed ban on artificial pitches in the Premiership is “grossly unfair”.

Claiming the proposals would “demotivate and deter” teams with high-profile ambitions, they want wealthier clubs to contribute to the cost of change. And nothing could be more unfair than that.

When Fir Park was a cow field, Motherwell spent £1.2 million bringing it up to standard.

Kilmarnock have agreed to provide a grass surface at Rugby Park at their own expense.

Even Dundee will have to spend money to make Dens Park playable. Or else.

Clubs with artificial pitches already spend their money on players rather than on ground staff and pitch maintenance. Why should they pocket an extra penny?

Each elite membership club applies a set of criteria before accepting members. And since the creation of the Scottish Premier League in 1975-76, the four angry clubs have systematically deviated from the most important criterion of all.

In those 49 seasons, Hamilton only spent 12 in the top flight. Falkirk last played there 14 years ago. The Beatles had just landed in America the last time Queen of the South mixed them in with the big boys. Raith last honored the elite in the year Tony Blair was elected by a landslide. And, after losing the play-off final home game to Ross County, they will have the chance to come back before Keir Starmer brings down the curtains at No.10.

It doesn’t seem to make any difference to these teams whether they’re playing on plastic, turf, or the far side of the moon. They don’t go up anyway.

Why is the SFA sending the wrong message?

You wouldn’t see Germany announce their Euro 2024 squad with a video featuring a hen, Antti Niemi, Frankie Boyle, Grado, Eilidh Barbour, the guy from View From the Terrace and a cast of fake fans that l normally found in a Virgo. Atlantic announcement.

In football there is always room for laughter and laughter. But the SFA is the last person who should be promoting the “no Scotland, no party” narrative.

Steve Clarke has real ambitions to reach the round of 16 of the Euro. For once, a major tournament could be something more than a two-week game.

The Germans, like England and France, are serious footballing nations with aspirations of winning the tournament.

Why are SFA advertisers spreading the message that Scotland is a nation of passionate market tourists, just happy to be there?