Tom Lawrence’s stunning strike secured Rangers a victory over Hibernian, but the Ibrox faithful were far from satisfied.
Despite the 1-0 win, the general mood among supporters was one of disappointment at the overall performance.
Philippe Clement’s side failed to carry over the momentum from their midweek European triumph in Malmo, leaving many fans frustrated by the lacklustre display.
Gordon Hendry from Ochiltree summed up the sentiments of many: “Like most Rangers fans, I was glad to hear the final whistle.
“Perhaps the team were suffering from a European night hangover, which is about the only excuse I can make for this performance. Unlike Celtic on Saturday, we were dreadful and were fortunate to come away with three points.”
Echoing the discontent, Jamie Thompson from Yoker added: “As a supporter, it’s painful to watch these Rangers players. The same boring style, unable to pass the ball, unable to attack teams—the football is poor.
“This is Clement’s style, and fans hate it. I can’t see this team winning anything. Rangers supporters will turn on these players and Clement.”
Meanwhile, across the city, Celtic supporters were in a far more jubilant mood after their emphatic 6-0 victory over St Johnstone. Next up for the Bhoys is Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, and confidence is running high among the fans.
Paul McCormack from Coatbridge was full of praise for his side: “What a performance. Three contenders for Goal of the Season, a hunger, drive, and determination from minute one for more and more. Celtic have gears no other club in the league has.”
Kenny Wilson from Moffat chimed in: “Another superb performance from Celtic and yet another clean sheet. The passing and movement are first class, but the energy and hunger are just incredible—summed up by Daizen Maeda running 50 yards to stop an attack when we were 6-0 up. He is so important to the team.
“Some quality goals yet again, but you’ll struggle to see a better one this season than the sixth. On to Dortmund, which is a whole new level. We couldn’t go into it more confident, but it will be a huge ask all the same.”
Stephen Mulhearn from Dumbarton added: “After witnessing Celtic’s scintillating performance, Ange Postecoglou’s mantra of ‘we never stop’ has been taken to yet another level under Brendan Rodgers.
“He has a selection headache for Tuesday, though. Paulo Bernardo looks much improved since his return, and I expect Reo Hatate again to be on the bench in Dortmund.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be the Hotline without a few jibes. Gary Stevenson from Newarthill couldn’t resist:
“I was going to say Celtic have a tough challenge against Borussia Dortmund, but then I remembered that when Rangers beat Dortmund, Celtic fans said they were the worst side in Germany—and that was when Jude Bellingham was in the team. Should be another easy night.”
Alan Flett added: “Celtic fans keep referring to the Europa League as the Diddy league. Funny, they weren’t calling it that back in 2003 when they got to the Final. As I recall, they even released a DVD of the glorious failure in Seville, which they all lapped up.”
Elsewhere, Aberdeen are riding high after their 12th consecutive win, this time over Dundee. Hugh McKirdy said:
“We’ve developed the ability to win games without being at our best, and that’s a great trait to have. To be fair, Dundee deserved something from the match. It’s also nice to see attendances creeping up in the SPL.”
Charles Maxwell echoed that sentiment:
“Aberdeen look a completely different animal this season. Jimmy Thelin has woken a sleeping giant. I wonder if a few Rangers fans will be cheering on Celtic in a fortnight to help their second spot target.”
Finally, on the subject of alcohol potentially returning to Scottish grounds, Robert Burns quipped:
“Great idea to bring it back. You’d have to be tattybongoed to watch the mince served up on Scottish pitches these days.”