Crushing defeat for Celtic in the Champions League at the hands of Borussia Dortmund remains the hot Hotline topic. Brendan Rodgers’ team were thumped in Germany with the fall-out hefty.
Hotline correspondents are back and forth with comments as the rights and wrongs of the 90 minutes in the Signal Iduna Park and viewpoints contrast. John Bruce said: “When Liverpool, holders of the Champions League trophy at the time, beat Rangers 7-1, it was described as a humiliation, a thrashing and Rangers being destroyed. Meanwhile, Celtic’s defeat to Dortmund has been described as a night to forget, a blow for Celtic and a marvellous win for Dortmund. What’s the difference?”
Alan Flett said: “As a club, Celtic are a laughing stock. They revel in routine 6-0 wins over the likes of St Johnstone, but attempt to cover up their many European embarrassments by taking cheap shots at Rangers.”
Stephen Mulhern, Dumbarton, said: “I read Callum McGregor say it’s not all gloom and doom to lose 7-1, but Celtic fans are shellshocked at how we capitulated in the first half. I for one can’t wait for Sunday to come around to, hopefully, reboot our season. And the only consolation from the Champions League fixtures was fancied potential-winners Bayern, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid also lost, which puts sticking plasters over Celtic’s result to a certain extent.”
His previous call annoyed Chris Lowe, Yoker, who said: “Stephen Mulhearn likened the Celtic result to Rangers’ drubbing off Liverpool. Big, big difference as Rangers had James Sands and Leon King at centre-back following injuries to key players with the game 1-1 at half-time. We are constantly told Celtic have a team worth £200 million plus, despite their laughable European record spanning decades. How many points have Celtic taken on the road in the Champions League?”
But Gordon Ashley, Ayr, said: “We will take criticism from Rangers fans when they can firstly qualify for the Champions League and, secondly, get there without finishing as the worst-team ever and only British club ever to finish on zero. It’s three points we expected to lose and the champions will still make the playoffs.”
Scott Gowers, Edinburgh, said: “Once again a Scottish club creates a new Champions League unwanted record. Celtic, after all their praise after match one, crumbled and dropped from second in the league to 20th. Such a record breaking drop tells two stories.
“Firstly the Champions League is outwith Scottish clubs and secondly that UEFA need to go back to equality. Only champions should get into the Champions League. Equality is fairer than money making.”
Rab Hunter, Dumfries, said: “The criticism of Celtic has been excessive and unfair, particularly when you take into account the fact that they had to play Dortmund without the assistance of their most effective individuals from the last few seasons. Walsh, Robertson, Clancy and Muir to name just a few.”
David Bryce, Troon, said: “Celtic’s worst two players in Europe are always McGregor and Greg Taylor. It’s an absolute disgrace that the board doesn’t even try to sign upgrades. They are continually woeful in Europe.”
Philip Borland added: “Can you please stop saying that Celtic got spooked by Dortmund. They didn’t get spooked, they got hammered and humiliated by them. Celtic need to realise that Europa League is all they are going to be good enough for.”
Meanwhile, Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach, talked of Rangers and said: “It’s taken player power to bring Ianis Hagi in from the cold, he’s a player who can win games. Hagi’s refused to go away and wouldn’t give up, poorly treated, but his behaviour was exemplary in the way he conducted himself. The real villains are Philippe Clement and a mean board who created this mess.”