Classless Celtic Boss gives Rangers Parkhead fuel amid scant confidence they can light fire
04/05/2024 21:00
It's been as much a whirlwind season for Brendan Rodgers and Celtic as it has been for Rangers.
Michael Beale's disastrous start to the campaign looked to have handed the Northern Irish manager a handy reprieve on a difficult restart to life at Parkhead.
But Philippe Clement's second half resurgence saw Rangers inexplicably both grab the title advantage and then blow it in an excruciating five-game Scottish Premiership run.
Between fan protests, stuttering football, failed transfers and cocky rhetoric, Rangers really did have the chance to nail Brendan Rodgers to the wall this season and – as several in this team have done all too often – blew it in extraordinary fashion.
Whilst it's not quite over yet, going by the Celtic manager's latest comments, it appears he certainly believes it is.
Rodgers: Celtic ready to have fun v Rangers
Speaking after Celtic's 3-0 hammering of Hearts, Rodgers is in confident mood heading into a season-defining Old Firm clash with Rangers next weekend.
The Parkhead side's lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership has been extended to six points and if Rangers fail to beat Kilmarnock at Ibrox then the title can be wrapped up in front of their own fans.
It's a sickening prospect for Rangers supporters and has heaped the pressure on the troublesome visit of Derek McInnes' Killie side.
Rangers aren't helped, as they never are, with a series of devastating injury problems.
But it's the comments about the visit of Rangers which will stand out to Ibrox supporters, with Brendan Rodgers objectively displaying a distinct lack of class to gloat before a ball has even been kicked next weekend.
The game, it appears, is already won and more than that, the green and white bunting has already been looked out.
"80% of it now is mental," said Rodgers. "Physically in the main they're in a good place, really good place.
"This stage of the season it's all mentality and mentally you can see we're in a really good place.
"But take nothing for granted, keep our composure, got a lot of work to do in the week, get our plan ready, and then next Saturday we'll have a bit of fun then."
Can Rangers team pull off Celtic Park upset?
Now for Rangers teams of a bygone era, there is no Celtic manager who would dare utter such a cocky line about having a bit of fun at our expense before even kicking a ball.
But it appears Brendan Rodgers is so confident that this Rangers team will collapse at Parkhead he can talk with such blasé arrogance.
And why shouldn't he be so confident?
Excusing the fact that such a line is unbecoming and unprofessional at any level of football – underneath his Turkish smile Rodgers has all the decorum of a reversing dumptruck without any tires on – this Rangers team have brought it on themselves.
When the going has got tough, this Rangers team don't so much get going as they run for the exits.
Forget the clash with Celtic at Parkhead for a moment.
The visit of Kilmarnock has got drab 0-0 draw with about four missed chances and a late Jack Butland wonder save written all over it.
But should this Rangers side manage to haul themselves into that Parkhead Old Firm with the chance of drawing level at the top of the Scottish Premiership, do you really have confidence in the team to go out and deliver?
For Graeme Souness, Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch or any of the multitude of proper Rangers players in between, Brendan Rodgers' comments would've set himself up for one almighty fail.
But for Philippe Clement's team of chicken-livered bottle merchants, they're viewed as fair game for such a ribbing.
There is scant confidence amongst the Rangers supporters that this team genuinely has what it takes to walk into Parkhead and rescue our title tilt against the backdrop of 60k bloodthirsty enemies.
There's a distinct feeling that as Celtic fans party next weekend we'll be left, once again, drowning our sorrows.
But as several of the Rangers select pull up a stool in the last chance saloon, will they walk out the front door with their heads held high or be unceremoniously laughed out on their behinds?
Forget what we say, what Brendan Rodgers says, or what anyone else says for that matter.
It's entirely up to them.
