Celtic prove to Philippe Clement he doesn’t need a magic stick at Rangers after all but a miracle – Keith Jackson

In fairness, he did warn the Rangers fans from day one.

In fact, Philippe Clement went to some lengths to make it perfectly clear he wouldn’t be able to conjure a way for Rangers out of the club’s current predicament, as the perennial runner-up in a two horse race.

“I’m not Harry Potter. I don’t have a magic stick." That’s how Clement put it in his own words when he was being uncloaked as Michael Beale’s successor. Well, here’s a new flash for the Big Belgian, as if he didn’t realise already.

He had better start raking around in the attic looking for that missing wand because right now it doesn’t feel like even a magic touch might be enough. He’s more likely to be in need of a miracle if he is not going to be the latest casualty of this never-ending war with the neighbours from across town.

Never mind being Harry Potter or any other kind of potter for that matter. With less than half a season left, Clement already needs snookers. In retrospect - and perhaps even some may have felt this way at the time - the initial reference to a fictional child wizard character was a sign Clement wasn’t entirely sure what he was just about to get himself involved in.

This isn’t Hogwarts. It’s Glasgow. Warts and all. And, just lately, to make matters even more difficult than it has been since the turn of the century, Celtic are spending 10 quidditch for every fiver Rangers can muster up for their manager to spend in the transfer market.

Which is why it would take a cold, dark heart not to at least feel a bit of empathy for Clement even if his own wonky decision making has contributed largely to the situation he now finds himself in. Clinging onto his position, as he is, against the considerable weight of public opinion.

Of course, at