Tom English can’t believe what he heard ahead of Rangers vs Celtic – ‘Good Lord’
Tom English did not like what he heard ahead of Rangers‘ Scottish Cup clash with Celtic on Sunday.
Danny Rohl’s side were looking to go one better than the last time the sides met on 1 March, when they faced off just a week later.
The Gers failed to cut the gap to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership as the Hoops produced a second-half comeback to draw 2-2, and they were hoping to get one over on their local rivals
The atmosphere was bound to be fiery, with 7,500 away supporters making the trip to Ibrox on 8 March.
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What was English offended by?
English was offended by a chant that the Rangers supporters were singing before kick-off, which involved the Pope and the IRA.
He called out the home supporters as the game kicked off, taking to his personal X account, he said: “Ready to go at Ibrox, where the Pope and the IRA are on the minds of a huge number of Rangers fans.
“Good Lord.”
His criticism is misplaced, though, as the visitors’ supporters also sing songs and chant that are not appropriate on a regular basis.
Why Rangers need to make atmosphere as hostile as possible
The atmosphere was always going to be tense, more so than usual, due to the number of visiting fans that were allowed to attend the contest.
Now, the Gers must make a statement on the pitch in the second half; rather than their fans singing songs in the stands, they need to show their rivals that they were lucky to take a point last time around.
They also need to get into the next round of the cup, at the Hoops’ expense, which could demoralise Martin O’Neill’s side as they chase down the league, just like the Bears.
Rohl’s side needs to take the momentum from the Celts that they gained after securing an unlikely point, and crush their opponent’s spirit and dreams of winning multiple trophies.
That could be vital heading into the final few weeks of the title race, and the G51 side needs to make the most of an opportunity to take O’Neill’s charges down a peg.
If they can, it could be a complete game-changer and kick-start their campaign, potentially taking them to league and cup success, if they can keep up their impressive form under Rohl.
After a slow end to the first half, it is crucial that Rohl fires his side up for the second.
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