Alious
Chris Sutton didn’t hold back in his criticism of Rangers following their dramatic 2-2 comeback against Aberdeen, blasting the team’s full-time celebrations as a “pathetic” display of desperation.
Rangers clawed back from a two-goal deficit at Pittodrie on 13 April, salvaging a point thanks to late strikes from Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi—the latter scoring mere moments before the final whistle. The match had its share of chaos, with winger Ross McCausland receiving a second yellow card in the first half, leaving the visitors down to 10 men for over 50 minutes.
Despite being under intense pressure and with a crucial Europa League fixture against Athletic Bilbao just days away, Barry Ferguson’s side fought back admirably. Their spirited comeback was met with exuberant celebrations from players and staff alike, a response Sutton found difficult to justify.
Speaking on *Sky Sports Football* (13 April, 2:20 pm), the outspoken pundit questioned the significance of the result given Rangers’ dire league situation. “Important in what respect?” he asked. “They’ve drawn the game. The title race is absolutely over.”
With Celtic sitting 15 points clear and just five games remaining, Sutton saw no merit in Rangers reacting with such emotion to a draw. “Celebrating that goal at the end—it’s desperate stuff, isn’t it? It just tells you where Rangers are at. It’s absolutely pathetic,” he added.
Even when fellow pundit Kris Boyd defended the team’s emotional reaction, citing the circumstances—down to ten men and trailing by two goals—Sutton remained unconvinced. “How low is the bar, really?” he retorted.
For Barry Ferguson, though, the focus remains firmly on Europe. With Celtic all but crowned champions, he used the Aberdeen match to rotate his squad heavily, making nine changes to preserve energy for Thursday’s second leg in Spain. Rangers head into that tie level with Athletic Bilbao after holding them to a 0-0 draw in Glasgow, even after Robin Propper’s early red card.
While the domestic title may be out of reach, Rangers are still clinging to hope of a European upset. But if Sutton’s assessment is anything to go by, the emotional state of the squad—and their reaction to a draw—might point to a team grasping at straws rather than chasing glory.
Alious
