Ibrox’s Whingeing About The Belgian’s “Disrespect” Is The Act Of A Pitiful Club.

What a pathetic, contemptible press conference they had at Ibrox today, full of blubbering bitchery about the Belgians and their after-match celebrations. Ibrox really plays the victim card for all its worth, don’t they? And their demands for “respect” sound ridiculous when delivered by a club which doesn’t have the least bit of it for anyone else.

USG were playing in Europe for the first time in 50 years. The Ibrox club was, if you believed their own hysterical hype, fresh out of a European final where they had established themselves as a top continental side. (No laughing in the back.)

Knowing this, and believing their own bullshit, they expected what? The Belgians to do a quaint wee walk around the pitch at the end of the game applauding their own fans? I repeat, and without the need for hyperbole; they were in their first European game in fifty years and had beaten a European finalist. Some would say they were entitled to party.

But as usual, Ibrox cannot see beyond its own self-centeredness. Their players had been brought crashing down to Earth. They had turned up expecting an easy night and instead were played off the park, and that must hurt, the same as having your delusions shattered must hurt, but to demand respect when everyone else knows it has to be earned?

That’s just shameless self-pity and misplaced arrogance.

Read this wallowing codswallop in The Daily Record.

“USG lapped up their fans’ adulation after Teddy Teuma and Dante Vanzeir goals put them in the driving seat to win the tie. Their players linked arms at full-time and saluted the jubilant home fans as the Light Blues trudged up the tunnel following a damaging night in Belgium. The outcome stung Rangers, as did the post-match scenes, with Lundstram vowing to use them as a form of motivation ahead of the return meeting.”

Honest to God, isn’t that dire? Isn’t that just the most wretched thing you’ve ever read? It “stung” them? Watching people take a well-deserved lap of honour? Are these grown men or children having a tantrum?

Does that club not realise how bad it looks when it pulls this sort of thing?

What’s worse is that it actually pushed the Belgians to explain their behaviour, as if they had done something wrong on the night. Their manager had this to say.

“”I think after the win we were happy. When my players win in training or in games they are happy that they have won. This is our culture. It’s not disrespect for the opponent. Not at all. We were happy for us and the efforts we made and we celebrated together but the respect we have for Rangers is very, very big, I can tell you this.”

I’ll bet that respect is a lot less now that their club has behaved in such a chickenshit fashion. It will be even less again when they go to Ibrox tomorrow and knock these swaggering idiots out.