Philippe Clement 'happy' Neil Lennon has motivated his Rangers players after Celtic mentality comparison

Rangers boss responds to comments made by former Celtic manager

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has responded to comments made by former Celtic boss Neil Lennon. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has declared himself “happy” with Neil Lennon questioning his players’ mentality because it will only “help motivate” them.

The Ibrox side will seek to move within five points of leaders Celtic when they face Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday evening, the encounter one of the two games-in-hand they have over their title rivals. But the Parkhead club’s icon Lennon insists overhauling Brendan Rodgers’ men to win the league will require a change of personnel in the Rangers team.

An assertion he bases on his belief that - even with the renaissance under the Belgian that has earned them League Cup success, progress to the Europa League last 16 and brought a 19-game sequence in which their only defeat came in the recent derby - the current Ibrox squad “still haven't got that mentality yet of squashing that hold that Celtic have over them….and to do that they need to bring in either players of better quality or better mentality."

Asked how he would respond to the Northern Irishman’s comments, made on PLZ Soccer, the Rangers manager said: “That I am happy that people outside of the club help to motivate my players. I now need to put less time into that myself. I think the players have shown a lot of mentality in the last couple of months.

“Even [in the loss] at Celtic Park with ten players, they did that. So we cannot speak about mentality in that way until now. We just need to confirm that in the next six months.”