It’s funny what a difference a weekend can make in the world of a Rangers or Celtic fan.
Going into the most recent set of Scottish Premiership fixtures, it was all doom and gloom at Parkhead whilst there was sunshine and rainbows above Ibrox.
There was even an embarrassingly ill-time protest at Parkhead – against, well, against being utterly hopeless – prior to Ange Postecoglou’s first league win.
But after the Gers fell to their first defeat in 41 by losing 1-0 to Dundee United, and Celtic responded by hammering Dundee 6-0, it appears the Ten is back on.
It was the first weekend in a long time that our rivals had something tangible to sing about and it’s understandable that it’d be so celebrated.
Rangers fans themselves are no stranger to false dawns and attempts to gather momentum and in this instance, perhaps we can forgive our rivals.
But where these over-zealous celebrations cross into the realm of sarcastic baiting is in the decidedly bitter notion that the Gers team bottle it in front of crowds.
There is no substance to this argument – only a few months before the season was called in 19/20 Rangers dismantled Celtic in front of 60k of their own – but it is serving as a convenient ointment to 55 and the death of Terry Munro.
Rangers are in a moment where they need stability, this pre-season defined by players coming back late due to international duty, transfer and contract talk and an almost crippling obsession with the Champions League.
Any suggestion that the side who finished 25 points clear last season are on the verge of imminent collapse will be short-lived almost as quickly as the notion Celtic have completely transformed their fortunes.
It’s clear that the return of fans will be emotional in many respects for players, fans and clubs alike but making this sort of claim about Rangers without any genuine foundation doesn’t actually add anything to the conversation.
But rather it shows those peddling it as either a) bitter about the club’s league triumph, desperate to take the shine off it or b) a troll, sarcastically baiting Rangers fans for a reaction.
There are also plenty who are both. And not just on Twitter.
What is frustrating about the narrative is not the pot shots from the usual suspects, but rather the fact the prominence of this nonsense has fed into the mind of some Gers fans.
Of course it is going to be more intimidating with fans but Rangers have time and again entered the “lion’s den” and shown they can stand up to the test.
This early season blip stems from a number of factors and but for a nervous few, most Rangers fans are certainly not getting carried away with themselves.
And no matter how much our friends to the East are – or how much they lather the fans argument like moisturiser on the sores of 55 – that isn’t likely to change.
But it comes down to results on the pitch and should Rangers – in front of a capacity Ibrox – get their season up and running against Malmo, we expect there might be a few backtracking in the week’s to come.
Speaking of Malmo, Rangers fans have been gunning for Danish coach Jon Dahl Tomasson for comments he made about the club’s finances.
