We Didn't Make this World Mark. But We Have to Live in it

It would be fascinating to know what Mark Warburton really thinks about life in the West of Scotland. He's already expressed his dismay about being questioned over job security while the season's still in its infancy. And that was before Rangers shipped five goals at Celtic Park on Saturday.

Apropos that result, there can't have been any matches during the manager's time at Brentford that ended with some of his team's supporters ripping out the home club's fixtures and fittings from the walls with their bare hands in disgust over the final result.

Like I say, his private thoughts on his adopted home would make for compelling istening, viewing or reading. But perhaps he's already said too much as it is.

Warburton's contention, expressed after the Old Firm game was over, is that there is no gulf between Celtic and Rangers and that his players will be better for the comprehensive beating they took from Brendan Rodgers' team at the weekend.

But he's got a job on his hands proving both of those opinions are accurate. And he's going to need help from his employers to back up what he's stated.

The received wisdom is that Celtic's principal shareholder Dermot Desmond took exception to a high fiving show of delight from the Ibrox directors after Rangers had eliminated Ronny Deila's team from the Scottish Cup last season.

The Irishman decided there and then that Deila's time was up and instigated the search that led him to Rodgers as his managerial replacement, paying him money that could easily be described as astronomical by Scottish standards.

Celtic had been drifting under the Norwegian and have now re-focused in a significant way.

Desmond has been putting money into Celtic for twenty-two years, and with few signs of gratitude from the fans along the way. Regardless of that, Dermot has sorted the club out and Rodgers has repaid him with the fortune made from qualification for the Champions League group stages.

The spotlight now turns on Rangers' chairman Dave King.

Saturday's game was every bit the pivotal moment that Celtic's defeat from Rangers at Hampden was last season.

Warburton is now being openly criticised by pundits and punters alike over the calibre of his signings and his own tactical decisions.

Celtic's game against Barcelona in the Nou Camp stadium tomorrow night symbolises the financial disparity which exists between the clubs, and a gulf which threatens to perpetuate the five time champions domination of the domestic game.

Rodgers therefore bears a strong resemblance to Warburton's worst nightmare. He has been left holding a particularly noisy baby at Ibrox and the rumbling noises are getting louder.

If the Rangers supporters only consolation is to hope that Celtic take a series of beatings from Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Europe then it's a fairly flimsy form of revenge for living in their rivals' shadow.

No gulf between the sides? Warburton could have fooled the majority of the crowd at Celtic Park.

Better for the experience of losing five goals to Celtic? When wanton destruction of other people's property is how the fans give vent to their frustrations over a team's performance there had better be substantial improvement on an immediate basis.

Or else.

This is, if the manager didn't appreciate it before, an unforgiving environment.

Last season was his free pass, winning a lower league that didn't contain Celtic. Now it's serious business and the change the manager made when Celtic had a 3 - 1 lead on Saturday, putting on an attack minded player and ignoring the concept of damage limitation, suggested Warburton may not have fully appreciated the environment he is now in.

When 3 - 1 becomes 5 - 1 it is the equivalent of making a rod for your own back.

We know it's mad in this part of the world. We understand that tolerance and patience are un-recognised concepts for the more febrile fans.

But we didn't make this world. It's simply the one we live in.

Any minute now there'll be a campaign along for King to get his money out. If Warburton doesn't beat Ross County at Ibrox on Saturday there'll be ructions.

No Rangers manager loses a handful of goals to Celtic and enters a period of sober reflection. Not when Rodgers team have an early, imperious look about them in the Premiership.

And there's no point in looking at Aberdeen and hoping they'll do you a favour by keeping Celtic occupied. They're six points adrift of the defending champions already and Celtic have played a game less than the Pittodrie side.

Squeaky bum time is here now and it's not even Halloween yet.

Welcome to Scotland.

Scotland, meanwhile, would be infintely better off without those who were guilty of displaying effigies of dolls hanging by the neck during the derby on Saturday.

It was an affront to decency at Celtic's end of the ground and absolute proof that when it comes to apportioning blame for these match day embarrassments there is no moral high ground for one side to take over the other.

The city of Glasgow staged a major football match and an outdoor classical concert within two miles of each other in the East End on Saturday, like great cities are able to do.

What a tragedy the lasting images from the weekend will be of destruction and tasteless behaviour.