Derek McInnes sent Rangers SOS as scramble for Danny Rohl succession plan sparks Hotline panic. The phones were red hot with the World Cup taking a back seat for some domestic matters.
Rangers' Pre-Season Plans in Jeopardy
Hearts boss Derek McInnes. The World Cup is officially underway, but it's the domestic talking points that have caught the attention of the Hotline punters. Rangers are in talks with Red Bull Salzburg over Danny Rohl, which could see the German boss swap Ibrox for Austria.
Lewis Fotheringham, Mount Ellen, has major concerns about where that leaves the club's pre-season plans, with Hearts boss Derek McInnes pitched as the solution. He said: "If Danny Rohl was to leave Rangers this summer, it wouldn't be the end of the world and he would go with my best wishes. However, your reporter Andy Newport raised a good point that all pre-season plans in terms of recruitment will be undone if we're on the hunt for a new boss unless it's Derek McInnes, for instance. I just hope the board have a plan for every eventuality."
Celtic Punishment Sparks Outrage
Celtic found out their punishment for the pitch invasion on the final day of the season against Hearts, with the SPFL dishing out a financial fine and suspended seat reduction. But Ian Smith, Carlisle, isn't satisfied with that: "In the Czech Republic, Slavia Prague were 3-2 up in the seventh minute of injury time and set to win the title. However their fans invaded the pitch before the full time whistle had blown. After an inquiry opponents Slavia were fined £370,00 and Sparta were awarded a 3-0 win. The exact same thing happened at Celtic Park against Hearts and the SFA have punished Celtic with a fine and no change to the result. What an absolute joke. This, along with the ludicrous VAR decisions which handed the title to Celtic have turned Scottish football into a laughing stock."
Craig Gordon's Comments Under Fire
Speaking of Hearts, goalkeeper Craig Gordon's comments on the conclusion of the season has continued to spark controversy, with Danny Gallacher, Croftfoot believing his Scotland spot could now be at risk: "One thing we know about Steve Clarke is that he won't stand any friction in his squad. If he has the slightest doubt that a player might not fit into his club side mentality then that player simply won't be in his squad. That's why I'm shocked at Craig Gordon coming out with his comments about his club side losing the league due to 'injustice', without explaining what 'injustice' he's referring to. He's disrespecting his employers at the World Cup, the SFA, and accusing two squad colleagues of having tainted league winners' medals. He should be sent on the next plane home, for disrupting Clarke's hard earned team spirit on the verge of their World Cup campaign."
World Cup Coverage and Roy Keane Backlash
It's always a talking point when the tournament rolls around, but less than 24 hours in the TV coverage of the World Cup is causing headaches for armchair fans. Robert Burns said: "How unfortunate the inventor of the time machine is no longer with us. His H.G. Wells moment always came every time the England international team kicked off. Within seconds he transported us all back to 1966." Roy Keane has also landed backlash for branding Scotland and Aston Villa hero John McGinn "a pub player". Peter Cooperwhite said: "I saw a few people making comments about Roy Keane saying John McGinn is a pub player - I take it that the Irish players are amateurs as they didn't make World Cup? Also he was a great player in his day, but as a punter he has a knack where the brain and mouth don't work in tandem."
Club Spats Continue
And with international football taking centre stage, surely we can now put club football spats to the side for now? Right? Well, not quite. Alan Flett sparked a storm with his comments the other day about Rangers' success in Europe, and Scott McAdam, Glasgow isn't letting it go just yet. He said: "Just a reminder for the Hotline village idiot Alan Flett. How have Rangers got on in Europe the last few years and how many titles have you won in last 15 years? I rest my case. So why don't you do us all a favour and take those emails you send in here and send them to people who actually care about that personal anti Celtic stuff your obsessed with."
