With his Man City style comeback talk, Clement has finally disappeared down the rabbit hole.

Last night marked the launch of our brand-new podcast. I mentioned before that we’d be returning once I ironed out a few kinks, and this joint venture with Video Celts and Read Celtic seemed too good an opportunity to turn down.

For now, it’ll be a weekly show, but we’ll monitor its impact, see what kind of numbers we get, and maybe expand it into something more regular. We’re even considering branching out into monologues and other formats in the future.

At the end of last night’s show, we introduced a light-hearted segment: the “Twat of the Week.” Naturally, I wanted to nominate Philippe Clement. The argument from the other hosts was that Clement could win this every week as long as he’s in the job at Ibrox, given how bizarre and detached from reality his comments are becoming.

As I said on the podcast, when you’re clinging to your job by your fingernails, surviving week to week, it’s probably not the best idea to keep digging your own hole.

Yet Clement’s Sunday press conference might have been his most extraordinary moment since his infamous “don’t mention the VAR” presser, complete with the funny walk. I’ve said before that this guy doesn’t handle pressure well and comes across as arrogant, but now I’m beginning to think there’s something else going on—maybe he’s just plain crazy.

Earlier today, I published a piece on his statement that “nothing gets decided in December.” It’s obvious nonsense because his future will almost certainly be decided this month amongst other things. I suppose he meant that titles and trophies aren’t handed out in December, but even that’s not entirely true—the League Cup will be decided in a matter of weeks.

But as daft as that statement was, his comments about their chances of making a comeback were even more ludicrous.

Clement suggested that his team could pull off a “Manchester City” by not only clawing their way back to win the title but also going on to claim a treble. I’m not exaggerating or misinterpreting him here. When you talk about staging a comeback like City and reference how they won the treble, you’re explicitly inviting the comparison.

If he stands up at the AGM later this week and repeats that statement, the Ibrox shareholders will laugh him out of the room. The fact he sat in front of the mainstream media and got away with it is astounding—even by the low standards of our sports journalism. It’s the kind of remark that suggests someone isn’t playing with a full deck.

Only someone utterly reckless—or utterly heedless of the damage they’re doing to themselves—could make such a statement. In the here and now, it’s absurd, but it also damages his long-term career prospects. The first leg of the treble, the League Cup final, will be decided in weeks, and to say they are not favourites in that match is the understatement of the year.

The obvious question is: does Clement actually believe what he’s saying?

If he does, then he’s deluded. If he doesn’t, then he’s playing the media and his own supporters for fools by spouting nonsense to deflect attention.

Neither scenario reflects well on him.

Even with Manchester City’s current form under some scrutiny and questions being asked about Pep Guardiola for the first time in ages, comparing this Ibrox side to that team is completely bonkers. It’s not the first time either; earlier in the season he was suggesting, whilst defending Dessers, that even Haaland misses chances … a comparison which didn’t help his player one bit.

But Clement knows as well as anyone that their fate this season hinges on two things: a vast, unforeseeable improvement in their form and an unprecedented collapse from Celtic.

The likelihood of both of those things happening simultaneously? Virtually zero. It’s not just improbable—it’s inconceivable.

We’re 11 points clear of them, and if anything, we look poised to extend that gap further. Celtic don’t look like a team about to implode, and his side don’t look capable of mounting a challenge. One of those things could radically change. Both of them won’t.

Clement’s comments reminded me of last season, when he briefly got their noses in front, and he was no longer boasting about closing the gap; a treble was being talked about then too. At the time, I said that might end up being the worst thing for him because it set expectations he couldn’t meet. Instead of being seen as a man who nearly pulled off a comeback, he’s remembered as the one who blew it spectacularly.

And while I credit Celtic more than I blame him—our title-winning run was extraordinary—he’s haunted by that perception. They finished last season eight points behind us, and they’re already 11 adrift this campaign. What started as a promising run for Clement has dissolved into utter ruin, yet he’s still talking about pulling off a similar miracle.

Not just a comeback, but a treble.

I think Clement needs to leave that job for his own good. Ibrox does weird things to people, and he’s on track to emerge as damaged as anyone who’s come before him. There’s only so much ridiculousness you can spout before you do irreparable harm to your career, and Clement is teetering dangerously close to that line.

The first episode of our re-launched podcast, The Trinity Tims, is live now. Please like, subscribe and share folks. We’re calling this one The Opening Goal.