A lot has been made of the end of Philippe Clement’s time at Monaco. The former Belgian international was sacked after a poor end last seasons Ligue 1 campaign. The season before though, he guided them to a 3rd places finish and had them 2nd for most of last season.
Unfortunately though, a poor run to end the season seen them slip to 6th place and miss out on a European spot. Due to this, Clement was relieved of his duties.
How did he get to Monaco though? What did he achieve that impressed those in the principality so much that they brought him in?
This article will look at his time and success in Belgium, beginning with his spell at Waasland-Beveren.
Waasland-Beveren
In his first permanent managerial role, Clement only lasted just over five months. That’s because he guided his side to 9 wins in 22 games and had them in 7th place.
This was beyond expectations for the Beveren based side. His management style on and off the pitch impressed those at bigger Belgian sides.
This mean that, after only being hired in July, he was head hunted by Genk in December as the man to replace Albert Stuivenberg. Stuivenberg left Genk in 9th place in the Belgian Pro League, way below their expectations. This led their board to after Philippe Clement and they got their man.
- Matches – 22
- Wins – 9
- Draws – 5
- Losses – 8
- Win Rate – 40.9%
Genk
Going from Waasland-Beveren to Genk was the equivalent of moving from a bottom half Scottish Premiership team to one of the OF. The expectations are much higher and after taking over them in 9th place, he guided them to 5th and got to the Belgian Cup Final.
Unfortunately they lost the final to Standard Liège but considering how they started the season, this was considered a success and he would be given the summer to get his own team together.
After having time to put his own stamp on the team, he won the Belgian Pro League in his first full season with Genk. Losing only 5 of 40 matches and ending with a 60% win rate. This was Genk’s first league title in 8 years, a fantastic achievement from Clement.
During his spell at Genk he was heavily involved in the development of the likes of Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere. After the success of that season, he then moved on to Club Brugge.
- Matches – 82
- Wins – 47
- Draws – 21
- Losses – 14
- Win Rate – 57.3%
Club Brugge
In his first season in Brugge, Philippe Clement would win the Belgian Pro League title again. This was the COVID-19 season but they had only lost once all season and were 15 points ahead when they were awarded the title.
They finished with a 72% win rate but unfortunately lost in the Belgian Cup Final, Antwerp got the better of Clement this time round.
The next season, he made it three Pro League titles in a row for him personally. This time Brugge went into the Championship Play-Offs 16 points clear. Unfortunately, they would only win 1/6 Play-Off games and ended level on points with Genk.
Due to their regular season finish though, they won the title. This season also gave him his third Belgian Cup Final loss, Standard got the better of him for a second time.
In his final six months in Brugge, he had them in 2nd place before leaving for AS Monaco. He had a 52% win rate when leaving in January and they went on to win the title after the play-offs.
- Matches – 129
- Wins – 71
- Draws – 33
- Losses – 25
- Win Rate – 55%
Conclusion
It’s easy to see why AS Monaco went for Philippe Clement. Three titles in a row with two different clubs is an impressive feat for any manager.
One thing that does stick out though, is some poor runs towards the end of the season. He’s experienced this at both Club Brugge and Monaco.
Also the fact he lost three cup finals in Belgium isn’t something that should he ignored. That being side, the three league titles and style of his management are huge draws and pluses for getting him in at Ibrox.
He’s a manager who will command respect, demand high standards and get the team playing football the right way.
How do you feel about Philippe Clement? Is he the man for you?
ICYMI check out our article on what to expect of Clement does arrive at Ibrox here.
Check out Scotland’s Coefficient excellent graphic on his managerial career here.
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