Chris Sutton, conspiracies, VAR and talking about referees must mean it’s Old Firm week for Rangers.
This week’s Scottish Cup semi-final carries extra weight given that the league is done and the winners are all but guaranteed success, barring a major upset against Falkirk or Inverness.
A treble for Ange Postecoglu or the start of a new dawn for Michael Beale is on the line.
The Gers gaffer has endured a torrid time in the cup competitions in his two spells at the club, zero wins from ten attempts is not Rangers form.
What also stacks the weight of expectation on Beale’s shoulders is that he is yet to come out on top against his Aussie counterpart.
A draw that should have been a win, a tactical disaster and a self-inflicted defeat leaves Beale with a lot to do to prove that he is the man for the fans to throw their support unequivocally behind.
The build up will be its usual mix of promises of heart and determination, of righting wrongs, but what about the fans?
Why has Chris Sutton irked Rangers fan media outlets?
Very rarely do both sides of the Old Firm agree on anything, never mind work together, but this is exactly what The Overlap has done.
Founded by Gary Neville, the podcast has a massive following as one of the most popular in football, a reputation built on interviews with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Roy Keane.
For something completely different though, fan podcast outlets were asked to attend a question and answer session with our own Ally McCoist and Chris Sutton, who has never been Rangers’ most balanced observer.
Rangers have been very fan media heavy in recent seasons, frequently using Heart and Hand and Four Lads Had a Dream to get messages out to the support.
They have also been given media access through official and commercial means.
This time though, the “big two” of Rangers fan media has decided not to represent the club, choosing to boycott the event for one reason and one reason only – Sutton.
Rather than taking the chance to have a go back at someone who issues various outlets to constantly mock or have a go at our club, they have, disappointingly, decided to sit this one out.
David Edgar of Heart and Hand replying to one fan on Twitter with:
“It’s not the House of Commons mate, it’s a banter podcast. I don’t want to sit with the guy having a laugh so I didn’t. And frankly ‘because I didn’t want to’ is more than enough justification.”
Whilst Stevie Clifford of Four Lads Had a Dream referred to an incident on Radio Clyde in 2016 as his justification for not engaging with the former Celt:
“It’s not for me. I have nothing to say to him, his treatment of Derek Johnstone for one, so would be disingenuous to share a show with him regardless People are free to think differently, I’ll stick to doing my own thing”
This is Ibrox were in attendance at the recording though as they set about looking to fight our corner and give the controversial pundit both barrels.
As well as the chance to take aim at Sutton, is there ever a reason to turn down an afternoon with Super Ally that is acceptable?
Not for me.
