Celtic fan smells Rangers panic beginning to boil over as Hotline reckons Rodgers has Clement on toast

Celtic and Rangers are counting down to Derby D-Day and the fans of both sides are struggling to contain their excitement. And their ire.

Saturday’s top-of-the-table encounter in Glasgow’s East End could be decisive in the title race. Rangers are three points behind the champions heading across the city and Gordon Hendry, Ochiltree, reckons that situation might be different if they’d snared the PFA Scotland Player of the Year in January. He said: “Once again, after watching Cyriel Dessers on Sunday, if we had signed Lawrence Shankland at that time then the title would likely be heading to Ibrox. Let’s hope our board takes note for next season regardless of who wins the title this season. Dessers is not the type of striker we need at Ibrox in the future and it won’t make a blind bit of difference to my opinion, even if he scores at Parkhead on Saturday.”

Scott McAdam, Partick, said: “Celtic can basically put the title to bed which I expect them to do. Rangers would never have won 4-1 if Kilmarnock had kept 11 men on the pitch, but we look a team that is hungry and we have a few players that will hurt Rangers. James Tavernier must be having nightmares about facing Daizen Maeda again.”

Dr Robert Pender expressed a wish on Monday's Hotline that all games were played at the same time during as title race, but Robert McEwan, Mount Vernon, countered: “Had to laugh. Rangers have played before Celtic umpteen times this season and twice again in the split.”

Sean Finnegan, Bathgate, said: “Isn’t it sad the way Rangers play football these days? It’s always the long lob into the box and hope for the obligatory penalty. Oh dear, how sad. Never mind.”

Eddie Easson, Ballingry, said: “Celtic have gone into the lion's den at Ibrox