How damaging is the fallout between the Rangers boardroom and Club 1872 to success on the park?
Andy Newport: So long as the protests don’t spill over on to the pitch again like it did at Dens, there’s no reason for a boardroom split with the punters to affect what goes on in Gio van Bronckhorst ’s camp.
Craig Swan: Not at all. Players don’t give a monkey’s what is going on outside the dressing room.
Fraser Wilson: There’s never a good time for disharmony but this could barely have arrived at a worse juncture. GVB will do all he can to shield his Rangers players from distractions but should there be more scenes like at Dundee it may start to take its toll on the field.
John Hartson reckons Celtic should hand back their 700 ticket allocation for Ibrox – do you agree?
AN: No. This season’s derbies have lacked a key ingredient with away supports locked out. While 700 tickets is a good start, the sooner we’re back to the old full allocations, the better the games will be as a spectacle.
CS: No. There are more than 700 Celtic fans desperate to go to the game, so why deny them?
FW: It’s paltry but it’s a start. At least it gets some away support back into the fixture. This summer is the time for both sides to sit down and thrash out an agreement to get back towards the old visiting numbers. I won’t hold my breath though.
A dodgy penalty robbed Scotland of seven wins on spin but what did we learn from Poland draw?
AN: That Steve Clarke’s team are looking more and more comfortable against top-level opposition. Seven games undefeated is no mean feat in international football and it’s exactly the type of form we’ll need for Ukraine semi.
CS: That Nathan Patterson is an outstanding prospect for right-back for the next 10 years and the team overall is getting better.
FW: That honesty and staying on your feet gets you nowhere in modern football. Seriously though, it seemed like none of the fluency that characterised the excellent run of six wins had gone. Patterson was excellent.
Gareth Bale fired Wales into the play-off final but – should we get there – would you fancy Scotland?
AN: Yes, but it’s unlikely to be a comfortable affair with the Real Madrid ace capable of pouncing at any moment. Scotland look a stronger all-round team but Bale is a game-changer all by himself.
CS: It’d be some game. A real 50-50 affair. But, yes, Scotland are on the up and could do it.
FW: I’d be jumping behind the couch every time Wales got a set-piece within 40 yards of goal. But other than that I truly believe Scotland have the better team. There’s much to do before we get to that point though.
