The impact of an Old Firm result never ceases to amaze with Sunday’s Viaplay Cup Final producing a right royal stooshie on the Hotline.
The green half of Glasgow want to crown Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic players as the best of a generation after their 2-1 Hampden success. But it’s all out dethroning at Rangers with angry punters on the Hotline wanting shot of some of those in the Ibrox hierarchy as well as underperforming stars.
Gers fan Jimmy Mac, Glasgow, said: “Ross Wilson was brought to Rangers to get good players on the cheap and that has seriously backfired over the years, Wilson has cost the club millions with duds handed lengthy contracts and being paid untold fortunes. You then have an overinflated and overpaid squad with players not fit for purpose. Rangers have Douglas Park at the top since Dave King left but Park has a huge ego. Rangers need change at the top, until those player contracts expire millions are being given away at the cost of the team and club.”
In the green corner of the divide, David Bryce, Troon, said: “Celtic are a selling club. however. it is clear that we must build a team around Carter-Vickers, Hatate and Kyogo.
"Carter-Vickers is our best centre half since Paul Elliott, Hatate is our best midfielder since John Collins and Kyogo our most lethal striker since Henrik Larsson. These guys are pivotal to us going forward.”
Jake Curley, Edinburgh, was simple in his assessment: “Ange, with his brand of football and impact of the Japanese players he signed, must be the best Celtic manager since Big Jock Stein.”
Going back one permanent Hoops boss and Neil Lennon claimed this week that he may have made a mistake walking away from Celtic after his first spell in charge.
But Jimmy Murray, Edinburgh, said: “Who is Lennon trying to kid? This is the man that dragged the club into the gutter not once but twice. This is the man that caused the first ever referee strike in the UK. And this is the man that made Celtic the most hated club in Scotland. Two words: good riddance.”
Sticking with the managerial merry-go-round and Jim Goodwin hasn’t taken long to jump back on after taking the Dundee United job less than five weeks after being binned by Aberdeen. All of which should make his first match against the Dons on Saturday absolutely box office.
Neil Renton, Edinburgh, had a joke in store: “I’m disappointed that Dundee United didn’t go for my suggestion of Lorraine Kelly being installed as their new manager. Going by their conveyor belt mentality when it comes to gaffers she won’t have long to wait until Jim Goodwin is punted.”
Kenny Goff emailed on the situation: “Come on all at United, get all your acts together as we are the laughing stock of Scottish football. Something is completely wrong on the inside with the kind of players we have. We need to be United.”
Back in Goodwin's previous city, William Masson in Aberdeenshire had no hard feelings: “Only in the crazy world of Scottish football could Jim Goodwin come up against the team that sacked him in his first game. Disappointed it didn’t work out for him at the Dons and I wish him well - from Sunday morning onwards. Also condolences to the family of Allan McGraw, one of Scottish footballs great characters.”
Indeed, Scottish football lost another huge character this week with the sad passing of Morton legend McGraw. Last word to Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach, who emailed: “Sad to here of Allan McGraw's passing, one of the truly great goal scorers who played for Morton.
"Allan just couldn't stop scoring goals breaking all the records. Almost every week when you picked up the Sunday newspapers his name would be on the score sheet, an excellent player who played the game with sportsmanship. A legend at Morton.”
