Michael Beale’s dismissal of Chris Sutton is the first time a Rangers manager has had a go directly at the infamous Celtic-leaning troll, it’s not before time either.

Ibrox Noise has had plenty of criticism to make of Beale’s comments since taking charge as Rangers manager, a lot less of it of his actual management itself which we find very impressive indeed.

But including and since the Thistle match Beale has held himself impeccably, and represented the club extremely well, and this rebuke is another example of that.

It’s high time someone from our club called Sutton out, willingly attacking back, and while we’re absolutely all for the dignified silence, the ex-Chelsea man (who Beale labels the worst-ever Stamford Bridge player) has had it all his own way for far too long, happily playing to the green-leaning galleries and getting away with slander without a hint of retort.

True, we banned him from the stadium for some comments, something which a tonne of Rangers fans actually opposed, but this is the first time we’ve outright responded to his slurs.

Now, what was it that got Beale so riled? It was Mr Sutton’s claim that we wouldn’t have done ‘that’ against Celtic.

And you know what? He’s absolutely bang on, but then his very comment implies that there’s a reason why we wouldn’t do that against Celtic, and by that very logic and nature forces his own concession that Rangers v Celtic is a very different match to any other in world football.

That el-clasico is the single club match that is arguably ‘bigger’ than Rangers v Celtic gives some idea of how huge the Old Firm actually is, globally, and for Sutton to try to use it as leverage against Beale is cheap and aimed at likes and retweets.

He didn’t mention Aberdeen, not Hearts, not even a bottom-feeding Scottish Premiership side, no, he used Celtic.

Which shows how different those matches are to any other in the world.

Would Rangers have shown that sportsmanship had it been later this month in the final. No, absolutely not. If there is one team we owe absolutely nothing to, it’s that lot. But Thistle? Why should it not have happened?

Sutton is just a troll, and we’re glad Beale gave him a little dig or two. See how he likes it.