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Given how scarily bad both Old Firm sides have been so far this season it’s fitting that the next derby encounter is a couple of days after Halloween. The big question is, who’s going to be spooked by the big occasion at Hampden? Who’s going to get stage fright when the first whistle blows? And who will be left looking like ghosts by the end of it? Celtic’s interim gaffer Martin O’Neill is dressed up as the wily old fox who has seen and done it all before. And he’s up against the fresh-faced young pretender in Rangers boss Danny Rohl . It might not be pretty to look at on the pitch, given these two teams’ form. But like any good horror movie, you simply won’t be able to keep your eyes off it on Sunda y. That was the Hotline verdict from both sides ahead of the eagerly-anticipated Premier Sports Cup semi-final. First up, John Davidson from Rothesay said: “This is going to be the beginning of a new era within the great Glasgow divide. It’s the master v the apprentice with O’Neill v Rohl and the outcome of this game will make or break one of their seasons.” Stephen Johnstone, Ardentinny , said: “Rangers are on a Rohl after making it two in a row against Hibs on Wednesday night. While Celtic blew the Bairns away in O’Neill’s first game back. It’s game on again at the top of our game but I think Celtic have that winning hunger back under O’Neill and Shaun Maloney.” Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach said: “Can Rohl turn Rangers’ season around? After the first two back-to-back league wins, it looks promising. But the proof will be in the pudding on Sunday. Compared to the last Old Firm game which was poor, this one will be an end-to-end, attacking encounter. Hopefully it will go down as a classic because it’s been a disappointing season for both of them so far this season.” Peter Cooperwhite, Glasgow said: “So O’Neill has done a pit stop and changed the Honda Civic for a juggernaut? The proof will be on Sunday against Rangers or in the Europa League when we see if the transformers turn up - or they’ve switched back to that Honda.” David Thomson, Milngavie said: “Sunday is when we’ll find out if Rohl is the real deal for Rangers. He’s got off to a good start with two wins in the league but this will be a different ball game. His tactics have been spot on so far and I think he’ll have something up his sleeve for O’Neill and Celtic at Hampden.” There’s still some debris flying about in the aftermath of Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation and subsequent character assassination from Dermot Desmond. Some Celtic fans are pleased Rodgers has left the building. While those on the other side of the city believe no top manager will want the job the Northern Irishman left behind. Paul Price, Glasgow said: “I’d like to point out to Celtic fans that had it not been for Desmond’s timely intervention in accepting Rodgers’ resignation and bringing in O’Neill to steady the ship we’d be going into Sunday’s semi-final with a lot of apprehension. “Now we can look forward to a revitalised Celtic team playing proper football rather than the dross we were having to watch previously. I have slated Desmond in the past for falling asleep at the wheel but now I’d like to thank him for stepping up to the plate when it mattered.” Alan Flett, Glasgow said: “Who do Celtic think they are? Some of the names being thrown into the ring as their potential new manager are laughable. What manager is going to join a club with no ambition other than to be better than Rangers? “What manager is going to accept a job knowing they’ll have to work with whichever players are given to him? Celtic think they’re a superstore when in reality, they’re a corner shop.” It wouldn’t be an Old Firm build up without some refereeing conspiracy theories. Good luck to poor Nick Walsh at Hampden on Sunday - he’s going to need it. Steve Macleod, Wokingham said: “It’ll be another victory for Celtic’s long-term conditioning of Scottish officials. Rangers players are 50 percent more likely to get a booking for a foul this season than Celtic’s. And hey presto - Connor Barron is now out of the semi-final. Can they never play fair?” Thankfully, it’s not only Old Firm fans who complain about decisions and VAR. St Mirren were on the wrong end of a stinker against Hearts in midweek, which might have cost them two points. While Dundee are still raging they didn’t get a penalty in their defeat to Falkirk last weekend. But Bairns fan William Laing from Falkirk says: “When is Steven Presley going to stop moaning about the non-penalty incident last week? The referee and VAR didn’t give it on the day so stop whining about it for a week.” Steady William, if whining wasn’t part of Scottish football I’d be out of a job and there’d be no Record Sport Hotline . Now that is a scary thought.
