GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Celtic's Daizen Maeda celebrates after scoring to make it 1-0 during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park, on September 01, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Chris Sutton believes that the sting has been taken out of the Glasgow Derby due to the mess that Phil Clement’s side are in.
Last season Celtic came out on top four times and drew the other match but each win was just by a single goal.
Last Sunday the hoops cruised to a routine 3-0 victory with most pundits outside of a small bubble admitting that the margin of victory could have been more emphatic.
Other than Matt O’Riley Brendan Rodgers has last season’s squad to call on, a year wiser and more experienced with a couple of additions made before the transfer window closed.
Across the city Clement has been involved in a major clear out. Five players left at the end of their contracts with a one out one in policy adopted to the rebuild.
Last week Celtic discovered their Champions League opponents with expectations that a further £40m could be raised before the end of the year, for Clement there was a tough Europa League to content with on Thursday nights with no confirmation that Ibrox will be available
That all builds up to quite a gulf, writing in the Daily Record Sutton didn’t try to pretend and talk up a rivalry that appears to have become very predictable.
Watching the game against Philippe Clement’s side, it is obvious they are in a mess.
I’d never, ever take the outcome of an Old Firm match for granted. I’ve been involved in enough of them to know that strange things can happen. But, as I made my way into the match last weekend, I sensed a lack of edge amongst the punters.
I’m not going to go overboard and suggest it had a testimonial feel, but let’s just say there was a relaxed, almost party, atmosphere amongst them before the game had even started. It was as if the fans didn’t have any solitary doubt their heroes were going to win and the ensuing 90 minutes proved them absolutely correct.
Clement’s team were bang average and, in truth, Rangers are in a complete mess both on and off the park. That’s not just me saying that, it’s a large number of their own Ibrox faithful.
If Celtic beat Hearts next Saturday it will open up an eight point gap over Clement’s side who travel to third placed Dundee United the following day.
A seven point gap created by defeats to Kilmarnock, Celtic and Aberdeen cost Micky Beale his job a year ago, if Clement finds his side eight points adrift in September the pressure and tension will be cranked up on the Belgian.

Also from the daily Record we have a ‘ gushing ‘ tale from Andy Newport who tells the yarn of how Clem- ohn’s number 2 backs his boss unconditionally to overcome the animosity and adversity flooding out from furious theRangers fans as he has experienced this incompetence on previous occasions .You see , big Phil and he have been in this movie before . They have experience of being berated and castigated in the street from irate fans demanding better from them . Big Andy goes out of his way to mention how the two coaches are great pals and how big Pip is on the case and success and harmony will follow ,follow on .Not so much Newport ,but more like ‘old ground ‘ .
The Daily Record are Pathological Liars Valentines…
Hope ya found it on a bus and don’t financially buy it !