Walter Smith's Old Firm blueprint may be just what Philippe Clement requires in Rangers' hour of need

WHEN you deliver enough silverware over the years to fill an old Spanish galleon, your contribution to the cause becomes cast in bronze.

On the morning of the Scottish Cup final, the late Walter Smith’s impact at Rangers will be recognised with the unveiling of a statue on a corner of the stadium between Edmiston House and the Copland Road stand.

Across two spells in charge, the man from Carmyle delivered 10 league titles, five Scottish Cups and six League Cups.

The second most decorated manager in the Ibrox club’s history, an acknowledgment of his achievements, following his untimely death in 2021, is entirely fitting.

For Rangers supporters, though, Smith’s legacy will always be viewed as more than those ultimate moments of triumph. It was his ability to dig out big results, often against the odds, that made them possible.

Trips across town in the 1990s were often preceded by the Rangers manager giving an injury update that sounded more like a roll call after a military advance.

A strange paradox often played out. When Smith could call upon a full quota of players, visits to Celtic Park frequently ended in defeat. When his side was badly hampered by injuries and suspensions, an away win was invariably the outcome.

‘Put it on my tombstone — Andy Goram broke my heart,’ Tommy Burns famously said after an extraordinary rearguard action by the keeper helped Smith’s side to a crucial 0-0 draw at Celtic Park en route to the title in 1996.

This ability to avoid defeat in the toughest game on the Scottish card was a cornerstone of the success Smith (right) and his players lapped up in those times.

In the storied nine-in-a-row era between 1988/89 and 1996/97, they registered at least one away league victory in Old Firm games per season (including the 1994-95 season when Celtic played at Hampden).

While the points gained through those derbies were no more than those on offer against other top-flight rivals, Smith, who took charge towards the end of 1990-91, knew the psychological importance of winning at Parkhead — both for his side and for Celtic.

Just as Rangers’ ability to regularly record triumphs in the east end of Glasgow was intrinsically linked to that long cycle of titles, a wretched run in recent years at Celtic Park has gone hand-in-hand with a barren era.

When Philippe Clement’s side were defeated 2-1 on December 30, they chalked up their fourth straight loss on Kerrydale Street.

Their last victory there, a 2-0 win, came in the Covid season of 2020-21 when there were no fans present.

The previous year, as Steven Gerrard and his charges celebrated a 2-1 victory at Parkhead in front of a pocket of visiting fans, the expectation was that they would go on and win the title. This was not how it played out.

Smith was actually the last Rangers manager to win at Celtic Park — under normal circumstances — and then close out a championship.

That was at the outset of 2010-11 when his team won 3-1 in the first derby of the season. In 17 subsequent games there, Rangers have won two, drawn four and lost 11.

What was once a happy hunting ground has lately become a place of great pain. Mark Warburton lost 5-1 there. Graeme Murty was hammered 5-0. Neither man lived to tell the tale.

Celtic’s record in away games in the corresponding period is a different story altogether with eight wins and three draws. There has been no bigger factor in their own era of dominance than their ownership of this famous fixture — wherever it’s been staged.

For Clement to stand a chance of preventing Celtic from winning a 12th title in 13 years, a defeat tomorrow is simply unthinkable.

Brendan Rodgers and his players wouldn’t yet be popping the champagne corks if they win. But a six-point gap and a superior goal difference with two games remaining would all but settle the issue.

A share of the spoils would keep Rangers afloat. Stick a few goals past Dundee on Tuesday and Celtic would travel to Rugby Park the following night with little room for error.

At the very least, the trophy engraver would be kept waiting for a few days yet. The helicopter would be put on standby.

The consensus, though, is that no less than a win will do for Clement’s side. While they’d still have to hold their nerve in the final two matches — perhaps having to prevail on goal difference — they would be imbued with a fresh sense of belief and purpose as they seek to get their noses over the line first.

A tall order becomes that little bit tougher with the knowledge that there will be no visiting fans present.

This scenario clearly worked against Rangers at Ibrox in September, but a lack of faith in Michael Beale at that point contributed to a mutinous atmosphere after Celtic scored the only goal of the game.

Given what’s on the line tomorrow, Clement’s side will have to go some way to flip that situation in their favour. With a win all but wrapping up the title, the target of the hostility for the home fans is unlikely to change across 90 minutes, no matter how the game maps out.

If only the absence of Rangers supporters was Clement’s sole concern. Connor Goldson is now out injured for the season — with Oscar Cortes and Danilo in the same boat.

While Clement is hopeful that Abdallah Sima and Rabbi Matondo can feature at some stage before the curtain comes down, Saturday may come too soon. There are also no assurances over Ryan Jack’s comeback date.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is preparing to disappoint players. After an injury-interrupted season, the Celtic manager believes the watching world will see the ‘best version’ of his side come Saturday. If he’s proven to be correct, a Rangers team with psychological scarring from recent visits to this venue could be in for a long afternoon.

This, though, is precisely what Clement signed up for in October. While he is due some credit for reducing the deficit to the league leaders from seven points to three under his watch, he wasn’t employed to close gaps. He’s there to overturn them.

And given Beale was shown the door after just seven league games, the Belgian has certainly had sufficient time to do just that.

With key visiting players missing and a partisan home crowd hoping to see their team close out the title, the odds are certainly stacked against Rangers. Once upon a time, however, that’s exactly how they liked it.