An open letter (of sorts) to Chris Sutton

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An open letter (of sorts) to Chris Sutton

If there is one thing guaranteed in life, it is the latest mouthing off nonsense from Chris Sutton.

Ok, yes, he is a Celtic man through and through and he will always be biased against Rangers and our players – we all remember the omen of things to come when he accused Dunfermline of lying down all those years ago and did not even have the balls to apologise himself, instead having a spokesman read out a pathetic statement on his behalf.

But now that the boy has gone firmly into the media, he is even making himself unpopular among his own with his tabloid approach to punditry.

We get it – every pundit has a right to opinion. It is what they are paid for, and yours truly is only too well aware of the arrogance of those TV personalities who think their opinion is fact and douse their comments with patronisation in face of alternative views.

But Sutton is evidently trying to fill the gap left by his BT Sport predecessor, and Talk Sport firee – Stan Collymore.

Collymore never played for Celtic, and barely even knows Scottish football, but decided to plant his flag firmly in Hoopland and that is his call. Unfortunately his conduct left much to be desired and Ibrox Noise helped to get him ousted from BT, before Talk Sport followed suit and likewise ditched him.

While Sutton has not gone as far as Collymore, he is on a dangerous path. His infamous grilling of Pedro Caixinha following the County win was uncomfortable, disrespectful, unfair and simply unacceptable. Sutton was given a fair answer to his question of whether the Portuguese believed he had the best squad in the country.

Caixinha’s conduct during this tense encounter was his best performance in the media yet, and he kept his cool while being interrogated. His answer? To always believe his squad is the best. Pure psychology – to trust his players, whoever they are, because they are all in this together. He pointed out even if he was Ross County manager, he would say the same.

Sutton, looking for a reaction and clearly trolling, continued to bait, by saying ‘so you don’t believe you have the best squad’.



This is just not on. Sorry, but it is not. Caixinha had justified his comment, fully explained it, but just like he did with Mark Warburton, Sutton allowed his biases and personal vendetta get in the way of rational questioning.

Does Pedro have the best squad? Of course not, we know this. But Sutton, being given a fair answer and a full explanation, decided to violate his right as a pundit and turn the interview into a borderline political grilling.

We all remember how Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn got slaughtered equally by Paxman. How he twisted their words to try to get them to bite or look stupid. In his case, that was his job. How good he is at it any more is another question, but the purpose was fine.

But that is politics. This was a football manager giving his time to appear on national TV and some upstart with an agenda would not accept his responses.

Sutton has previous for all this – we have tried to avoid attacking his commentary and punditry because we prefer to focus on our club rather than the pundits obsessed with it.

But sometimes you have to make a stand, and point out to these individuals that no one appointed them judge and jury to Rangers or what we stand for – and no one gave Chris Sutton the right to harass our manager on live TV with zero intervention from anyone.

Sutton does occasionally have nuggets of fairness. Lots was made about how he pushed for Forrester to be red carded last season – and how he would not let it go. Less was probably made about how he did exactly the same with a County player against Rangers. So the guy, while perilously close to gutter journalism and pure trolling, has got moments where he can almost be balanced.

But all too often his punditry career has been blighted by emotional nonsense with bias and irrational and unfair motivations pushing his views.

And it is about time he either cut it out, or was cut out himself.

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16 COMMENTS

  1. Here here, agree 100%. I was dismayed with his actions but even more with the lack of action from his fellow commentators ex Rangers men. bin the lot of them.

  2. Love to have seen him torture Alec Ferguson or Walter Smith like that, Both would have left him without a name.

  3. Don't forget he has only been favourable towards Celtic for 12 months for two years in the Deila years he slaughtered everyone to do with them from the board, to coaches, to players.

    I do think he means what he says, I don't think he makes it up but he does ham it up for the money and the media gigs

    Criticism helps improvement and inspection, far better that than silent sycophants like Chris Jack and many others If people are frauds like Craig Whyte it's best they're challenged and called out than lauded as billionaires and saviours.

    You have to ask who have caused more damage to Rangers. Sutton causes Rangers no damage if anything he makes them more determined. The true enemies in the media are always closer to home.

  4. I would not read his stuff, but, now and again it`s in front of me.Anything coming from this fairly good player but even better diver.I always consider the source and treat it with the contempt it deserves. `Nuff said !!

  5. this guy shouldnt even be allowed to make comments about Rangers…he is/was a celtic scum…..will NEVER change.

  6. I totally agree look we are better than a bitter self opionated individual who can't see beyond his own importance he no longer plays but feels he is qaulfI'd to criticise our club if he was that good why isn't he managing a club we should let him share his opinion with who he wants to .This opinion shoUld not matter to our club or any of our supporters however I think we should show how strong we and treat his comments with contempt no one will ever change Sutton he obviously fears us so he feels he must lash out with his self opinionated comments.We must get behind our club and that means accepting Pedro and support his decisions we may not always agree let's stop the negativity and give the players P.m.a giving them the winning mentality .

  7. He Sutton gets paid to do what is doing winding us up it is just a very good job for him nothing more or else.

  8. Sutton he should of got a snorkel and flippers for his Christmas, he was the biggest diver in the game. B.t. Should bin him this guy should not be on the TV.

  9. We should try to ignore the potato head (not easy I know) because(like Lennon) he thrives on publicity. Give him enough rope and eventually his employers will hang him out to dry. It may be the referees who stick it to him but we should pay him no attention, which would annoy him intensely. Mon the Gers

  10. Alec Beveridge5 September 2017 at 01:24
    "We should try to ignore the potato head (not easy I know) because(like Lennon) he thrives on publicity. Give him enough rope and eventually his employers will hang him out to dry. It may be the referees who stick it to him but we should pay him no attention, which would annoy him intensely. Mon the Gers" AGREED MATE BUT THIS LOT JUST CANT STOP DOING THE TAIGS WORK FOR THEM

  11. This man is not even worth the words in our Blog , He is not very intelligent or knowledgeable , the Rotten Mob will be found out very shortly , Brenda plays only one way and when that plan doesn't work he's F**ked …Ask Mourinho …We have to focus on what we are doing , that includes the shocking way we are treated when we venture into the Transfer Market in Scotland… Onwards Still waiting to see in Pedro's signings can deliver especially Penna. Trying to be Optimistic …

  12. He is obviously being allowed by BT SPORTS to do this, when he does the same job for BBC he is no where near as imflammitary!! 100% agree with the article and it was great to see Pedro rise above it all and pit him firmly in his place!!!

  13. Its alright saying ''let's rise above it'' We are better than that'' etc.'' We have been silent for too long''
    The press and the media have been bad mouthing everything about our club and fans for years whilst turning a blind to anything negative about septic and the scum who follow them witness the shop attack in Sunderland. Hardly got a mention and while the sun gave it big licks it was to blame the EDL "English Thugs'' No more Mr nice guy, it's time to get the finger out and complain as I did when I e-mailed the sun to tell them I was joining the ranks of Liverpool fans by never buying their cowardly rag again. It's time to tell Bt Sports in our thousands that we do not want to hear the opinions of this blatantly biased and spiteful so called pundit. So come on do what the other lot do. Make yourself heard!

  14. Chris Mutton obviously has a beef with our great club. The poor wee lamb isn't very clever and BT Sport should get shot of the bore.

    • Nice use of words Richard, but you forgot to mention that though he thinks he doesn't mince his words he just talks a load of tripe. Not worth getting into a stew about. Mon the Gers

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