As Rangers crashed out of the Champions League, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there would be some sympathy regarding the fact Scottish football won’t have a seat at Europe’s top table this year.
After all, the pedigree of the national game goes backwards every year one of the nation’s clubs don’t crack the nut of qualification for the tournament.
But as the Gers toiled, the usual suspects came out firing as Rangers’ detractors had a field day to add insult to injury in the 24 hours proceeding the 2-1 defeat to Malmo.
Michael Stewart, Graham Spiers, Tom English, just about anyone at the Daily Record; the list could go on.
All dissenting voices in the Scottish sports media who certainly didn’t miss their opportunity to kick the Ibrox side as the players abjectly collapsed to the Ibrox turf.
It’s to be expected, of course – just like the clattering of rival keyboards or the thumbing of phone screens – as the screw is turned on a currently underperforming Rangers side.
Rangers fans too have taken a painful slash which may well take the entire season to scar over.
But whilst plenty of the fall-out coverage is to be expected, for the first time perhaps we’re seeing the backlash of a controversial Ibrox press policy snapping back at the club.
Rangers have come under increasing fire this pre-season due to a press policy which sees newspapers and agencies forced to pay to enter the Ibrox press room.
This has given some an extra justification to gut the club when the chance presents itself, that schadenfreude now blended with a commercial and philosophical dispute.
At the same time, there have been whispers on online forums and social media regarding the suitability of fan media to properly host an inquest on nights such as that against Malmo.
Plenty of Rangers fans want answers and there is some conjecture over whether this set-up helps them to get it, even if those conducting interviews have the club’s best wishes at heart.
Others take the view that Rangers are perhaps still working out the kinks but the notion fan media won’t grill the club is without any real foundation and, to put it mildly, disrespectful.
All of this comes in a week after new signing John Lundstram accidentally leaked details of positive Covid-19 cases which were initially kept in house [Glasgow Times].
This is news some fans believe they’d have rather been informed of; something which may well have given colour to the disruption and poor form in early season.
Whilst there’s little doubt the landscape of Scottish football reortage at Ibrox needs to change, the fall-out of the Malmo result for the first time puts into perspective the depth of the trenches the press started digging but Rangers are helping to widen.
Pundits who once had a joyful glee at any Rangers failings now have financial and personal justification beyond the footballing to voice their grievances and a wider energy to carry it.
If Rangers thought the immense scrutiny of failure was bad previously, if the fall-out to Malmo proves anything, those voices are now more determined than ever to turn up the heat.
Whatever your thoughts on the policy, bruised egos and scorched Earth must give way to real change in Scottish football reportage.
