Treachery claims demean more than Rangers as a managerial craftsman shifts balance of power – Hugh Keevins

Rangers have parked their tank on Celtic’s lawn and Philippe Clement could fire the first round of ammunition on Sunday if Aberdeen are defeated in the Viaplay Cup Final and the first major trophy of the season goes to Ibrox.

A domestic treble could then begin to look arguably like a possibility for the Belgian. And after Rangers’ win over Real Betis to secure a place in the last sixteen of the Europa League, the manager is entitled to think that result in Seville topped an inconsequential home win for Celtic over Feyenoord in the Champions League on the way to Europe’s exit door.

So, when it comes to the business of giving credit where it is due, any debate over the outcome at Hampden on Sunday has to be pitched at a higher level than penalty kicks awarded to, or not conceded by, Rangers. A topic of conversation which demeans Aberdeen at the same time after their victory over a Bundesliga side, Eintracht Frankfurt, while departing the Europa Conference League in midweek.

Every now and then we feel the need to loosen the lid on the pressure cooker within Scottish football. My old sparring partner, Scott Brown, bless him, performed that function by publicly stating there was no way Barry Robson’s side would get a penalty in the cup final.

All that stuff stimulates conversation and re-inforces supporters’ belief in dishonest referees who are under orders from the game’s ruling bodies to indulge in match fixing. That’s not sensationalism. It is the only interpretation possible of the theory that there is institutionalised bias within our game.

It is a grievance eagerly nursed by the fans who need to cling to the idea of a global conspiracy in order to help them through times of stress and strain. Rangers fans must have a