The Premiership title race roars into the final straight this weekend with Rangers ’ lunchtime trip to Motherwell on Saturday giving them the chance to narrow the gap on leaders Celtic to three points.
Win that and the pressure on Celtic ramps up a notch as they hit the road to Dingwall to face Ross County on Sunday.
After backfiring in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi final defeat to Rangers, will it be foot to the floor for the Hoops or are the wheels about to come off?
Eddie Easson, Ballingry, said: “Make no bones about it the pressure is on Celtic this weekend. They will know what to expect from Ross County - pack the defence and hope for a point. It’s all in Celtic’s hands. Beat them then it’s three home games out of the last four and it’s all over bar the shouting and it should be a title nobody expected.”
Gers fan John Stewart, Newton Mearns, might have been at the mind games as he said: “After watching Rangers put Celtic firmly in their place on Sunday it makes it all the more galling the way we handed them the league, with individual unforced errors against Hearts, Dundee United, Motherwell, Ross County and the two ridiculous goals gifted to Celtic at Ibrox.”
Robert McEwan, Mount Vernon, said: “Celtic lost the chance for another possible Treble but winning the Premiership title is going to be right up there. Okay Rangers were more powerful in the semi final. But winning the league is an incredible feat.”
The row over Bobby Madden’s performance in the semi final rumbles on.
John Bruce emailed: “Rangers fans will be the first to admit that on too many occasions we have been bullied by Celtic. On Sunday, when Rangers turned the tables and put it about what did the Celtic fans do? They went running to their mammies. Have they forgotten Scott Brown already? The player who got off with flying elbows and sly kicks off the ball for years?”
And Stuart McLeod, Stepps, said: “Celtic fans are still moaning about Bobby Madden on Sunday but Madden was only guilty of allowing the game to try and go and allow a proper blood and guts game. Celtic fans for years told us Scott Brown bossed the games because he wanted it more well this time it was the Rangers players.”
Over to Hibs now where owner Ron Gordon faced up to the media after sacking Shaun Maloney just 19 games into his first job. The Easter Road chief claimed a fear of relegation was behind the move.
But Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach, said: “Ron Gordon's statement is horse manure. There would be no managers left in the bottom half if all relegation-threatened owners did the same. From a neutral perspective it doesn’t make any sense. He fears relegation with a few games left so sacks the manager. That doesn't instil much confidence in the playing group if the owner thinks they'll go down but not if he sacks the manager! All very silly.”
Alex Westwater, Dunfermline, added: “So the incoming Hibs boss will have to work closely with the head of recruitment...who is also the chairman’s son? Oh dear, better not fall out then eh?”
And Stephen Johnstone, Ardentinny, said: “Hibs can hire and fire a manager all they want but if they want to waste valuable funds on needless appointments then they cannot be taken as serious challengers. They need to appoint someone with football management credibility, someone like Malky Mackay.”
Ex-Hibee Kevin Thomson’s name has also been mentioned but Sam Morton, Edinburgh, said: “According to Joe Cardle, Kevin Thomson's dream is to one day manage Rangers. That will really make his approval rating among the Hibs support soar! The squad he has at Kelty is Championship level, so it’s no surprise he’s won League Two at canter. Hibs are best looking elsewhere.”
Finally, and with VAR getting the green light from SPFL clubs earlier this week, not everybody is happy with the plans for it’s mid-season introduction.
Kevin Lord, Drylaw, said: “The bunglers can't even get that right, changing half way through a season so side's who may or may not have benefited in the first half, when the top six places are mostly decided could lose out on Euro spots because of the delay in introduction?”
And Ian K, Dunoon, blasted: “So now our glorious leaders have persuaded the clubs to vote in VAR halfway through a season, a system that has never functioned properly, causes more problems than it solves, is the reason for fans to stop attending matches in their droves, takes all the fun out of the game and is simply not fit for purpose, I could be talking about Neil Doncaster thinking about it!
"What our game needs is a properly run top flight of 16 teams with proper promotion and relegation and no plastic pitches. The teams simply know each other far too well so so many matches are drawn. VAR simply must mean Vehicle At Reception for Neil Doncaster to take him home to Yorkshire.”
