Celtic accused of ‘mischief-making’ at Rangers expense as official statement released
Celtic have been accused of possibly stirring the pot at the expense of Rangers amid an official statement that has been released.
Rangers’ struggles have been well documented this season, with last weekend’s Scottish Cup humiliation at the hands of Queen’s Park still very much fresh in the memory.
Philippe Clement somehow survived the Rangers sack after that hugely embarrassing loss, with the Europa League the only thing keeping the campaign vaguely interesting.
What makes all this so tough to take from the Gers’ perspective is that Celtic already have one trophy in the bag this season and are on course to add two more domestically.
There is also the small matter of the Champions League, in which they trail Bayern Munich 2-1 in their knockout-round playoff tie ahead of next week’s second leg in Bavaria.
Celtic release financial accounts
A day after Rangers‘ loss to Queen’s Park, undoubtedly the low point of the season, Celtic put out their financial accounts for the year.
And in the view of journalist Hugh Keevins, writing in his column for the Daily Record [15 February], the timing of the statement going out may have been deliberate.
“It may have been coincidence or plain old mischief-making, but, 24 hours after Rangers’ impoverished performance in the cup, Celtic announced their latest financial figures,” he said.
“Rolling in it. Minted. More money than a horse has excrement. Use any of the above to describe the balance sheet.”
Rangers now only have Europa League to fight for
It is hard to ascertain exactly what a good season would be for Rangers from this point on. Winning the Europa League, for one.
Even reaching the final and losing may not be enough to paper over the cracks of an abysmal domestic campaign, though.
Clement is a man on borrowed time, perhaps helped by financial reasons forcing the Rangers board’s hands, with a cup exit to lower-league opposition seemingly not enough to cost him his job.
Rangers and Clement will now be praying for a favourable draw in their first knockout-round tie in the Europa League.
That competition is all supporters now have to focus on, with league fixtures between now and then – starting with Sunday’s trip to Tynecastle to face Hearts – nothing more than a sideshow.
That is the brutal reality, and one supporters have already now resigned themselves to facing.