Celtic fans are turning up the heat on Dermot Desmond as Brendan Rodgers prepares to address his departure at an event next June. The Hotline phones were red hot as club football moved back into the headlines despite Scotland's Nations League fixtures.
Fans are still awaiting confirmation of Martin O'Neill's future after a three-game winless run before the Premiership went into cold storage, and now a former gaffer is coming back to Glasgow. Rodgers is to finally address his Celtic departure at an event next June, and punters think the Parkhead board are in for a shock.
Fans demand answers from Desmond
Michael Smith, Troon, said: "Are you worried, Dermot? Brendan hasn't had much to say for himself while out in Saudi but that's all going to chance soon. Desmond and the board had their say on how Brendan left. Now, he gets his chance and if things don't pick up on the pitch before things it could only make things worse."
Stuart Wilson, Glasgow, emailed: "I can't wait to hear Brendan Rodgers spill the beans over his Celtic exit. I have my fingers crossed that he's going to hammer the board publicly, and that's the least they deserve."
Rangers and Man City comparisons
Comparisons between Rangers' relegation to League Two and Manchester City's potential financial punishment have been thrown around, and things are only ramping up after former Ibrox owner David Murray weighed in. Tom Williams was sick of the noise around the two clubs: "When are fans of certain other clubs going to move on? Rangers and Man City are different cases. It's as simple as that. I'm only worrying about what is happening now."
James Johnston wasn't having it: "David Murray has some nerve criticising Man City's owners. My club has won just one title in 15 years and this frustrating period can be tracked back to the 'schemes' he employed during his time, and the fallout they caused in 2012."
Hutton's Celtic claims debated
Former Ibrox defender Alan Hutton told Record Sport that no Celtic players would get in Rangers' starting line-up, and it has got everyone talking. Hotline regular Paul Price dismissed Hutton's knowledge of the Scottish game earlier this week, but Alan Flett isn't having it.
He said: "At his peak, Hutton would of walked into almost any team. And what a stupid remark about how many trophies has he won. Are ex-players not allowed an opinion unless they've won X amount of trophies? His point about no Celtic players getting in the Rangers team was perfectly valid, and every Celtic fan I know agrees. Hutton went down south and proved he could hack it outside Scotland. Unlike messrs [Callum] McGregor and [Scott] Brown, who spent their entire careers in the comfort zone of the SPFL because nobody else wanted them."
After earning his first Germany call-up, Mika Baur's comments about his move to Celtic have raised the eyebrow of Stephen Mulhern, Dumbarton. He said: "Mika Baur has said that he didn't think joining Celtic was such a big step, and after watching him putting in such a poor performance in the last two Rangers games he'll surely know what to expect next time. German speaking Mark Fotheringham must take some responsibility for not giving him feedback on joining the biggest club in Scotland. And Baur better get his act together or another [Paulo] Bernardo scenario could be on the cards."
Scotland concerns grow
During the international break, a concerned member of the Tartan Army was already circling the panic button. After Sebastien Pocognoli's two-game winless streak in the Nations League, Andy McKenna, Wishaw, said ahead of this weekend's clash with North Macedonia: "I am getting worried. Ignoring the red card, at the back we now look weak. Steve Clarke got us to three tournaments with a solid foundation. I don't know if we should just rip that up for the sake of it. Only time will tell, but we don't want to miss out on an invite to our own party at Hampden when Euro 2028 comes up."
