Hotline Callers Clash Over Arne Engels and Midfield Value
The Daily Record Sports Hotline turned into a Rangers and Celtic slanging match this week, with fans using the international break to debate Arne Engels Celtic form. Caller Alan Flett kicked things off by comparing Engels unfavourably with Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin, who impressed for Belgium at the World Cup.
Stephen Mulhern, you really do talk utter nonsense! Raskin was the best Belgian player at the World Cup, whilst £25million man Arne Engels couldn’t even make their squad. Aye, Raskin is really overrated! At least you have the balls to front up, unlike your fellow chuckle brothers, Ashley and McAdam. The silence from those two clowns over the last fortnight has been deafening.
Stephen Mulhern from Dumbarton answered Flett directly and turned his attention to Alan Hutton’s earlier claim that no Celtic player would make Rangers’ starting eleven.
Alan Hutton might have a point that on present form no Rangers player would get into the Celtic side. But I find it amusing that when Celtic were flying prior to the Champions League exit he never bothered to mention that no Rangers players would nail down a place in the Celtic side. Celtic are a wounded animal right now, and I’m convinced these comments will come back to haunt him.
Primary Source Attribution & Official Details
The Daily Record Sports Hotline runs throughout each international break, giving Celtic and Rangers supporters space to answer pundits and rival fans in print.
Hutton’s original comment, made to Record Sport, argued that current form meant none of Celtic’s players merited a place in the Rangers side. Other callers used the same page to raise separate grievances. Gary Stevenson from Newtonhill took aim at former Rangers defender Connor Goldson over his recent comments about leaving Ibrox in 2024.
It’s funny how many ex players crawl out of their holes to get press coverage when either of the Old Firm are doing well. Connor Goldson is the latest, a good player who tried to hold Rangers to ransom for more money. His attempt failed and he moved on and hasn’t been heard of since. Now he wants to tell anyone interested that it was he that was treated badly.
Rab from Dumfries then switched focus to refereeing standards, questioning the SFA’s decision to disallow an early Laurent Mendy goal for Hearts against Kilmarnock for handball.
Once again the SFA attempt to defend the indefensible! Can they please advise exactly where in the rule book it states an own goal can be disallowed due to an accidental handball because I can’t find it, or is this just another on-the-spot made up rule? The actual ruling for such an incident was clearly spelt out down south when an identical situation arose, so are the SFA finally confirming what many have thought for long enough, that we have different rules, particularly for certain teams?
Squad Impact & Tactical Context
Flett’s jab at Engels lands on a sore point for supporters. We reported on concerns over Celtic’s midfield lack of strength against Rangers before this month’s derby, and the same worry runs through the Arne Engels Celtic debate now playing out on the Hotline pages.
Mulhern’s own words about Celtic being “a wounded animal” capture the mood after the recent derby defeat. That result has left both sets of fans picking over midfield battles, with Engels the focal point for Celtic supporters and Raskin held up by Rangers ones.
Stevenson and Rab’s separate points show the row went well beyond one player. Old transfer grievances and refereeing calls were just as prominent as the Engels and Raskin comparison, and callers on both sides used those issues to needle their rivals.
What Happens Next / Upcoming Timeline
The debate looks set to rumble on. Engels and Raskin are both due back at their clubs once the international break ends, with Celtic and Rangers preparing to return to Premiership action.
The Hotline itself keeps running throughout the window, giving supporters another outlet to argue over derby form, refereeing calls and old transfer sagas until domestic fixtures resume.
