Is it fair for fans to judge Giovanni van Bronckhorst on Rangers’ Champions League campaign?
DAVID McCARTHY: The Champions League was a debacle and damaging for the manager but he will be judged on what Rangers do domestically and it has to be said that an improvement is needed if he is to be there for the long haul.
SCOTT BURNS: The reality is you are judged on every result at a top club. Rangers got an almost impossible group but within that the performances should have been better. Other teams with lesser resources have progressed, although they did get more favourable groups.
MICHAEL GANNON: It’s a little harsh. Van Bronckhorst is up against the big guns with a pea shooter but the displays were still not good enough. He’ll be judged on domestic form and – Aberdeen apart – it has been pretty turgid. He needs serious momentum to turn this around.
What does Ange Postecoglou need to do to make Celtic more credible on the big stage?
DAVID: The kind of striker who would put away the chances created costs north of £50m, so that's not going to happen. Which means they'll keep relying on Kyogo and Giakoumakis, who are excellent but not at that level. With that in mind, they have to be a little more pragmatic in their approach and if he can find the right balance, Celtic can do better in the Champions League.
SCOTT: It is not rocket science. Ange’s teams play some great stuff but they struggled for an end product in the Champions League. They simply need to be better in both boxes. It is whether Ange can make his teams more pragmatic at times.
MICHAEL: Forget about just taking chances. Celtic need to learn to manage games better and stop conceding poor goals. You can’t lose 2.5 goals a game and expect to do anything regardless of how many chances you create.
Are the Old Firm better off not just taking part in the Europa League?
DAVID: No. The more you play Champions League the more you adapt to. Yes, there will be skelpings along the way but it's a price worth paying.
SCOTT: No, because that is a very defeatist outlook. They need to strive to get better and hopefully this year’s experiences, no matter, how painful will make Celtic and Rangers stronger. The hope is next time they will be better equipped for the Champions League.
MICHAEL: No. As painful as this season has been, the benefits of being there are clear. The cash can be reinvested and the club can develop. In theory, that means they should be better each year and you always want to be in with the best.
There were two Premiership games last night, are you a fan of Friday night football?
DAVID: Only when I'm not working at them! I don't mind the concept and if it brings in more cash, then fine. But Saturday, 3pm, is the time I prefer to watch my football.
SCOTT: Yes, if it can be done geographically. We have seen some big crowds and it might open up a Sky television slot going forward. I do think it is a bit harsh asking Hibs to travel to Pittodrie on a Friday night and vice versa. Common sense must come into play.
MICHAEL: It’s okay now and again but there are some of us old timers who pine for the days when football was played at 3pm on a Saturday.
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