Philippe Clement NEEDS to beat Celtic or he faces disastrous scenario during uncomfortable summer - Chris Sutton

Brendan Rodgers really wants to win this Scottish Cup Final. So does Philippe Clement. But the difference between the pair is that the Belgian really NEEDS it.

Let's get it right, there is no such thing as cushioned disappointment if you lose a major final against your biggest rivals at Hampden. I know. I’ve been through it. The last time the teams met in this showpiece 22 years ago. It stings, regardless of what else has happened in the season beforehand. But, when I assess the potential fall-out from this encounter, I can’t help but feel it’s just about added gains for Rodgers, whereas Clement has much more to lose.

The Celtic manager has been riding the wave in the past few days. Winning the Premiership title is the one that matters in Scotland. For so many reasons. Straight away, being the champions gives the No.1 tag and, in any country, that title comes ahead of any other success in the cup competitions. The fact it also provides automatic qualification again into the group stages of the Champions League just adds to the prize, especially with the new format next term which gives more guaranteed games and more cash.

That provides Rodgers with more to spend in the summer as he looks to build the squad and, at the same time, it has kept that money away from Ibrox. Clement needs to make quality signings and the additional funds from reaching the group stages would have been crucial. Of course, Rangers might still get there. But you can’t guarantee it now and that means you can’t really budget for it. Not if you are being sensible, anyway.

So, in that respect, Rodgers has already won the big battle. With that Premiership trophy tucked away, there is less stress on the final for Celtic's boss. Of course he’s desperate