Childish Rangers need put in their place over embarrassing SPFL row but one fan fires back – Hotline

Unbridled euphoria and harmony swept over the Hotline as Steve Clarke's warriors united a nation with their Nations League heroics against Ukraine. Well, almost.

Ryan Porteous was singled out for special praise – to the tune of £156million, in fact – after his full international debut silenced some discontented pre-match rumblings over his selection. Neil Renton, Edinburgh, said: "What a performance from Ryan Porteous against Ukraine, proving his critics wrong and the fact he’s the best Scottish centre half just now. If Harry Maguire was bought for £78million, Porto must be worth double that."

And a patriotic Stephen Johnstone, Ardentinny, added: "Scotland's defence stood as solid as the Dumbarton Rock and the front men gave us a Krakow of a game against Ukraine. Steve Clarke 's men got pot luck with a draw and now Scotland has a Euro 2024 playoff safety net but hopefully will not need it as this present squad are as good as the Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalgleish and Joe Jordan era. Euro 2024 greatness is a formality under Stevie Clarke."

But enough of that positivity, here's Alan Flett, who emailed: "Those who believe Clarke has taken Scotland forward are deluded. We are no better than we were under previous managers, such as Walter Smith, Alex McLeish and Gordon Strachan. But unlike Clarke, they didn’t have the Nations League to bail them out of their failed qualifying campaigns. International football has become irrelevant anyway and I don’t understand why anyone would get excited about it."

And with our buzz over Scotland's rise now well and truly killed, let's see what else today's Hotline has to offer. Ah yes, the new Sky Sports TV deal, Rangers ' opposition to which did not impress Lance Little, Erskine.