Chris Sutton has launched an impassioned defence of Brendan Rodgers, Celtic and Scottish football.
The Record Sport columnist took issue with a Daily Mail column written by It's All Kicking Off podcast co-host Ian Ladyman last week, which questioned why Rodgers had returned to Celtic in order to simply try and replicate the achievements in his first spell before jumping ship to Leicester City. That got Sutton's goat, who accused his podcasting colleague of "elitism" and "patronising Scottish football fans".
Ladyman had pointed out that Celtic were thumped 6-0 by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, before walloping Aberdeen by the same scoreline on their return to domestic action at the weekend, to move 19 points clear of third placed St Mirren. He suggested that Celtic were "far too good" for the Scottish Premiership, but not good enough to mix it with the big boys at Europe's top table. But Sutton questioned why the continental failures of England’s big clubs were omitted, and pointed to Manchester City's dominance of the English Premier League in recent seasons as being no different to Celtic's north of the border.
"I think you're an excellent journalist but you've got this badly wrong. It's a really stupid argument here. Where do you want to go with this? Manchester City have won the Premier League for five out of the last six seasons.
"It was interesting in a European week that you chose to have a pop at Celtic. I saw your article and it was a pop at Celtic and a pop at Scottish football.
"In a week when Manchester United, who have spent over £400million, lose to the minnows of Copenhagen, you chose not to mention that. Newcastle United have spent a fortune and are bottom of their Champions League group, but you just went all in on Celtic and Scottish football.
"But the bottom line is Brendan Rodgers. You said something about him spending his most valuable years in Scotland. But how can you judge what Brendan's goals are with him taking on a particular job? That's not for you to judge.
"You can change your opinion on a certain job role and if Brendan is doing that, and has gone back into a difficult situation, then he's entitled to do that. That's not for you to judge. And your whole 'mediocre poverty' line on Scottish football, is it all about commercialism? Is it all about elitism?
"You're telling me, in your opinion, the Scottish league is poor. But this is where Scottish people get sick and tired of the likes of yourself. It's a misguided judgement.
"Scottish football, in terms of attendances, is the best supported league in Europe. So you can have your opinion on the standard of football, but the biggest and best barometer is that Scottish people don't care what you think because they go to the games week in, week out and they love their football.
"That's the biggest barometer, not having the most riches. That's elitism on your part. Brendan Rodgers may have a different view on what he wants to go back for. You can't judge that, it's speculative based on nothing."
Ladyman responded: "You could argue, they just want to go and watch some football and that's the best there is." And that further angered Sutton, who hit back: "Oh my god. That's insulting. That's just pathetic. I'm just being fair. I know what Scottish football is and so do people in Scotland. They don't want to be patronised by English journalists putting the boot in with speculative analysis and comments, which I think, are clearly wrong."
Ladyman then insisted he wanted a strong Scottish league, which saw Sutton turn the tables: "Do you want a strong English Premier League? manchester City have won it five out of the last six seasons. They've dominated, that's a bad thing then? Because Celtic have in Scotland and you've pulled them up on it."
Ladyman admitted that the self proclaimed best league in the world wasn't perfect, but that didn't alter his view on the game north of the border. he added: "I've said before that the standard at the bottom of the English premier League is not what it should be for the amount of money that they spend.
"I'm not afraid of criticising standards in the Premier League. But equally, I look at Scottish football and I'm not sure it was the right move for Brendan to go back.Your argument is passionate and there are nuggets in there that I can look at and learn from, but I won't move from my opinion that."
Sutton then went back to finances, saying: "It's not always about the money. It's about the product and supporters' bums on seats, supporting their local teams.
"Two of the clubs in Scotland are every bit as big, and the focus on Celtic and Rangers, as any club down south. In terms of TV money, we know what the biggest issues is; they get a couple of million. I know that wa sin your column, but that was about the only part which was accurate."
