Success in Europe for Scottish teams should evoke widespread joy and optimism.
But that’s not how a daily call-in based on turf wars, spats and festering recriminations works, you see. If Celtic, Rangers and Hearts thriving in Europe cannot unite then nothing will. Philippe Clement was giddy after his side’s 4-0 pasting of FCSB but he’s been told not to get too excited yet. Jim McClean, Rothesay, said: “Rangers supporters shouldn’t get carried away, that was the worst European team to come to Ibrox for years.”
And that was echoed by another unimpressed observer. James Brown, Glasgow, said: “FCSB were easily one of the worst teams I have seen in a long time but I heard nothing from Pundits McCoist, McInnes and Hutton about that. Dessers is the biggest wean since Morelos. He and Butland should have been booked for feigning injury.”
James Logan, Glasgow, said: “I notice that the terrible trio of Messrs. Lowe, Flett and Stevenson were all very quiet after Celtic’s great result in Italy. Muppet of the week must be Gary Stevenson who suggested the Atalanta scoreboard needed adjusting as it only went up to nine.”
But Celtic’s gutsy draw has been seized upon with many of their detractors ruing their newly-found defensive stubbornness. Alan Flett emailed: “It’s time that Celtic were banned from playing in Europe altogether. A lucky draw vs the diddy league champions and they’re celebrating like wildfire, whilst their 7-1 thrashings are swept under the carpet. They commit GBH on Scottish football on a yearly basis and it must be stopped.”
And it was similar from another Celtic cynic. Graham Roberts, Edinburgh, said: “The Celtic fans really are like no other fans. They’ve ridiculed Rangers for playing in the so called European diddy league. Then out of the blue they scrape a result against the diddy league holders and suddenly it’s become one of their greatest ever away European performances. You cant have it both ways guys. Keep up the comedy gold. Next we’ll be hearing Real Madrid are running scared of them.”
And Alec Morrison, Glasgow, made it a hat-trick. Adding: “Yes it was a great result for Celtic vs Atalanta but what’s with all the “great” display caper? 22 shots, only 6 on target with 4 blocked shots, Atalanta’s finishing saved from another embarrassing result. The first half alone they should’ve been four down but if they want to get carried away with being truly over run then bash on.”
Gary Stevenson, Newtonhill, said: “Just when you think that you have heard everything, The usual suspects rush in to compare Celtic’s backs to the wall 0-0 draw with Atalanta to The Lisbon Lions. The same team who were slaughtered 7-1 by a German side that they declared the Worst ever when Rangers beat them 4-2. They haven’t won an away leg in 10 years yet still they are in denial. Rogers said that they were Spooked in Dortmund. No Brendan you were Battered and Embarrassing and lucky that it was only seven. It was great to watch both Hearts and Rangers play attacking football in Europe. So much better than watching Celtic playing backs to the wall football. I do understand however after a 7-1 tonking in Dortmund.
A Hotline regular has been told his vision for Rangers was wrong. Scott Gowers, Edinburgh, said: “Jimmy Mac, Glasgow doesn’t think youth should get a chance at Ibrox but I disagree. Give the youth a chance now rather than them going out on loan then sold for pittance. The current Rangers squad is toiling and our youth have some fight in them, why not give some of them a chance?. They can’t take Rangers any further down than the current c*** (oop’s sorry crop).
“But what an amazing week for Scottish football and the coefficient, Celtic’s excellent defensive performance against Atalanta getting a well deserved point, Hearts played out their skin and now have a real chance of qualifying then Rangers romp against a team that had 100 per cent record in the group. Well done to all of Scotland’s European representatives this week and let’s hope it continues for our coefficient.”
Rab Hunter, Dumfries, wasn’t having the man in the middle at Tynecastle. He said: “The refereeing display at the European game at Tynecastle was so baffling, pedantic and inconsistent I initially thought Nick Walsh had been brought through to Edinburgh early simply to wind the Hearts support up even further before his main event on Sunday. Wonder how that will go?”