Rangers wind up merchant gets savage Celtic retort over bizarre Champions League barb – Hotline
Daizen Maeda has never been a slouch when it comes to delivering for Celtic. But one Hotline punter reckons he’s so fast off the mark this season that he could be moonlighting as a takeaway food delivery driver at half time too.
The Celtic forward helped gobble up Raith in Saturday's Scottish Cup clash with a hat trick to make it six goals in a week, 21 for the season and 50 for the Hoops in total. Maeda is suspended for the visit of Bayern but Charles Maxwell emailed: “Nicolas Khun has been great this season but player of the year must go to Daizen Maeda. Left wing, right wing or through the middle, he’s a perpetual motion machine. Is it true he does deliveries for Just Eats at half time?”
Meanwhile David Bryce, Troon, said: “Daizen Maeda is a modern day Celtic hero. His work rate and pressing is immense however he is now turning into an exceptional footballer, whether he’s on the wing or through the middle. Celtic are truly blessed to have him. He could play for most top clubs in Europe, he’s that good.”
Kenny Wilson, Moffat, said: “Another routine win for the champions and once again Maeda putting in another great performance showing he is going to be a huge miss for Wednesday night. Good to see another big crowd and Raith will get a deserved big pay day out of it. A bit of a tougher test to come this week against a top team and while I don’t believe we can get through let’s hope we put up a good show and have a go at them.”
Celtic look to be hitting top form ahead of Bayern. And William Hutchison, Aberdeen, called with a couple of points: “First to Hotline regular Chris Lowe who called Arne Engels 'pen-gels', didn't he see that brilliant strike v Dundee? Second point, I agree with Rodgers about the morons who might not listen to him about the smoke bombs and pyro. Well they bloody well better and if they fail then other Celtic fans can't blame UEFA if we get the ban. Blame the ones who disobey.”
Michael Emonds, Northampton, said: “Chris Lowe says Celtic faced cannon fodder in the Champions League, how poor does that make Rangers when they couldn’t qualify to play as cannon fodder? He slags off Matt O’Riley’s form in England but doesn’t mention he was literally kicked off the park on his debut, his time will come.
"So you don’t rate Engels? That will bite you on the bum by May, and that remark about Idah ‘no laughing at the back now’… I remember last May when the young man had the whole Celtic end laughing as the Rangers fans made their way to the Hampden exit.”
Rangers boss Philippe Clement says he is still haunted by the memory of that last gasp Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic last May. But Eddie Easson, Ballingry, said: “So Phil the lip is still hurting after last year’s cup final. Get a grip your team lost it because they weren’t good enough end of story. There is more bad news on the horizon because if he fails to win a trophy this season he will be gone. It’s not rocket science. His board didn’t back him in January - the hint was there.”
Scott Arfield marked his emotional return to Falkirk with a sensational hat trick in the 5-2 win over Partick Thistle and Rangers fan Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach, said: “Scott Arfield back at the Bairns with a hat-trick, he’s just another free gift missed by Rangers and a mistake-ridden Nils Koppen. Along with fan favourite big Niko Katic. Both are better than most of the dross picking up wages. Arfield is a real Rangers man, who never let the side down, not only have they struggled but paid big time since letting him go.”
Finally, after Willie Collum admitted Nick Walsh was wrong to send of Mohamed Diomande against Dundee United in his latest VAR Review update, Peter Cooperwhite emailed: “It seems to be a normal thing now regards to VAR Willie Collum comes out and apologies for wrong decisions from games that have passed by a few weeks later. Why? And why do we need VAR now anyway? Two wrongs never make a right, they say.”
