The declining Scotsman pitches to the Ibrox mob with Celtic in fear

As they desperately fight for an online future with print sales now measured in four figures The Scotsman has opted to go for the lowest common denominator that they avoided in their pomp as a national newspaper. 

With a readership that could fit inside the Toni Macaroni with seats to spare The Hootsmon has given up most pretences and is looking for clicks from the Ibrox/unionist market 

A daily diet of chucking stones at Celtic is on the menu with every option taken up to cast the club and especially supporters in a bad light. 

One of the best examples was published on Monday as they surveyed the possibility of Celtic requesting postponements for matches involving three or more internationalists. The sort of thing that Ally McCoist would use to enjoy some R and R whenever Arnold Peralta was called up for Honduras with an SPFL match coming up against Forfar. 

Lazily on Sunday The Hootsman had published quotes from Ange Postecoglou before the signing of three Japanese players including two current internationalists. Clearly that changes the prospect of postponing SPFL Premiership fixtures, going into three matches without four internationalists would be madness on Celtic’s behalf. 

Leading with the sub-headline of Celtic are likely to have to ask for postponements of three cinch Premiership fixtures if they hope to avoid facing Rangers on February 2 without a host of absent internationalists. 

The Scotsman ‘explains’:

It has emerged that the SPFL board would be unlikely to allow Celtic to be selective over which games they contested while they were without at least three senior internationals, and would accede to the postponement request only if the Parkhead club were also willing to re-arrange the away game against Hearts on January 26 and their fixture at home to Dundee United three days later.

Postecoglou stated this week it has been in his club’s “planning for a while” to deal with the loss of internationals across late January/early February. It may be that the knock-on effects of not playing Rangers – however understrengthed they might be for that derby – will be considered more problematic than taking the game on. 

If Celtic and Rangers emerged unscathed from their first league fixtures back in mid-January, wherein Postecoglou’s side will host Hibs on January 17 before Rangers are in Aberdeen the following evening, then Celtic knocking out the three games scheduled to follow would give the Ibrox club an opportunity to take a strangehold in the title race.  

While Celtic were inactive, their rivals would have the opportunity to open up a 12-point gap at the top of the table through taking full points from their home game against Livingston on January 26 and from a trip to Dingwall to take on Ross County three days later. Rangers are only expected to be without one player over this period, with Joe Aribo representing Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations. 

As a box ticking exercise to the mobs on Ibrox message boards that little exert covers every conspiracy for the hard of thinking. 

Once the Japanese and Australian squads are announced for the World Cup qualifiers at the end of January Celtic can make their request to the SPFL.

Meanwhile the better informed readership of Video Celts could fill the Toni Maccaroni several times a day with no subscriptions required and an audience that is independent of thought and growing steadily month on month. 

Throughout their history Celtic have never once failed to pay Income Tax on time or requested a postponement of a game against Gretna. In 2007 Gordon Strachan’s team played Shakhtar Donetsk, Hearts and AC Milan over seven days while Walter Smith rested his Euro warriors from facing Doctor Kenny Deuchar and his pals.