Clement asserted that Celtic had an advantage over his younger Rangers team because of their more experienced starting eleven. A closer examination of the facts, however, refutes his assertions.
“Look at the age difference of Celtic and our starting eleven,” he said to Sky Sports.
We followed Clement’s instructions and had a look.
Rangers’ team average age, at 27.9, is essentially the same as Celtic’s, at 28.0, indicating a very slight difference. In addition, Celtic’s starting lineups for the day revealed an average age of 27.0 compared to Rangers’ 26.0, meaning that there was just a one-year advantage for Celtic. This difference is scarcely noteworthy enough to determine such a major result in a high-stakes game.
It appears that Clement is trying to divert attention away from more serious problems with the team’s performance by using age as a key factor in the derby outcome. The significant 3-0 scoreline is more indicative of player talent and tactical execution than the little age difference. His comments seem to have backfired, bringing attention to a non-issue, even though they may have been intended to deflect criticism.
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