Not beating Celtic is heinous Rangers crime and it's open season on Michael Beale if it continues – Hugh Keevins

“The Old Firm game will take care of itself.”

How many times have you heard that expression being used? And by how many people? But can anyone actually tell me what it means? If ever there was a fixture that demanded astute game management and meticulous attention to detail, it is any match involving Celtic and Rangers. It requires that absolutely nothing is left to chance – far less be left to “take care of itself”.

And never more so than at Hampden today in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. There’s so much going on around the tie it is as dizzying as it is mind-boggling. If Celtic lose, their supporters will say the Scottish Cup is a worthless bauble compared to the diamond-encrusted invite to pick up the Champions League riches that accompany the winning of the Premiership title.

That much takes care of itself. If Rangers are defeated this afternoon, the cup will become the Treble for Ange Postecoglou and the declaration of open season on Ibrox manager Michael Beale. That will take care of itself as well. The rest is negotiable. I was only two calls into the start of Old Firm “My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad” week last Monday when an Ibrox fan insisted a win for Celtic today constituted grounds for Beale’s automatic dismissal.

Gross misconduct would presumably be the reason for termination of contract. There being no crime more heinous than the inability of a Rangers manager to beat Celtic. Or vice versa. Rangers have, in recent weeks, lost chairman Douglas Park, head of recruitment Ross Wilson and announced the imminent departure of their managing director Stewart Robertson.

The fans crashed the world of corporate governance with their card protest against Wilson and Robertson at Motherwell a few weeks ago. They can