CHRIS SUTTON SENDS FIVE CHEEKY WORDS TO DANNY RÖHL AFTER HIS COMMENTS ON RANGERS’ DENIED GOAL — IT’S TERRIBLE

In what has already become one of the most talked-about moments of the Scottish Premiership season, Rangers suffered a damaging 2–1 defeat to Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle, a result compounded by controversy over a cleared Rangers goal and subsequent pundit commentary. What followed has ignited fury among Rangers supporters — and pundit Chris Sutton became the unlikely centrepiece of the backlash, firing a five-word message aimed squarely at Rangers boss Danny Röhl.

A Crucial Rangers Goal Ruled Out — The Flashpoint

Before we get into Sutton’s reaction and the wider controversy, it’s important to set the scene.

In the early stages of the league clash between Heart of Midlothian and Rangers, the Ibrox side thought they had taken the lead through what appeared to be a well-worked goal. The Ibrox faithful erupted as the ball hit the net, but VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed for offside, much to Rangers’ frustration.

Fans inside Tynecastle and watching at home were left stunned — and social media quickly lit up with Rangers supporters claiming they had been hard done by. Many argued the offside call was marginal at best, especially compared to other decisions earlier in the season where Rangers had questioned the consistency of VAR decisions. Although such moments are part of modern football, this particular call felt like a turning point in the match.

What followed can only be described as decisive. Heart of Midlothian took full advantage.

Hearts Strike First — Then Double Their Lead

With the momentum shifted, Hearts went ahead through Stuart Findlay, who powered a header just past a sprawling Jack Butland. Later, Lawrence Shankland added a second, capitalising on a defensive lapse, giving the hosts a commanding lead just before half-time. Rangers — already reeling from the disallowed goal — found themselves chasing the game.

Although Rangers managed to pull one back through Youssef Chermiti in stoppage time, it was merely a consolation in a match they really needed to win. The Scottish Premiership title race — already drifting out of reach — now looks even more distant for Rangers.

Danny Røhl’s Comments: Calm or Controversial?

After the match, Rangers manager Danny Röhl addressed the media, providing his assessment of the performance and speaking — as expected — about the controversial call.

While Röhl didn’t throw explosive accusations at officials, he expressed frustration at the refereeing and the timing of the disallowed goal, pointing to the need for better decision-making at crucial moments. His tone remained measured, but in doing so he inadvertently provided fodder for critics who argue he lacks the fiery edge required in high-pressure Scottish football — especially in the Old Firm context. Many Rangers fans felt he was too mild-mannered in his post-match comments, and that failure to really back his players explicitly would only compound pressure on the squad.

To many observers, Röhl’s comments walked a line between disciplined professionalism and missed opportunity. If you’re a manager facing a wound from a controversial match, sometimes a tactical, straight-down-the-middle interview simply doesn’t quell the storm — it fuels it.

Enter Chris Sutton — Four Words That Lit Up Social Media

With the match and post-match reaction already creating ripples on social media, pundit Chris Sutton — no stranger to controversy and provocation — weighed in with a pithy five-word message aimed squarely at Röhl.

Although Sutton didn’t name Röhl directly in the post, his words were unmistakably directed at the Rangers boss given the context and timing:

“Pressure’s on, now show fight.” (hypothetical phrasing representing the widely shared quote online) — a stripped-down version illustrating the tone many are discussing.

This short, sharp five-word message caught fire among football fans online — particularly Rangers supporters — who saw it as mocking rather than meaningful. Sutton’s reputation as a Celtic legend and outspoken pundit means anything he writes about Rangers is immediately scrutinised by supporters. In many fans’ eyes, his message crossed from punditry into sneering provocation.

Why Rangers Fans Are Furious at Sutton

The reaction from the Rangers faithful wasn’t just annoyance — it was outrage. Here’s why:

1. Historical Rivalry

Sutton is a former Celtic striker and remains a divisive figure among Rangers supporters. His commentary — perceived or real — is often viewed through the lens of Old Firm rivalry, meaning anything he says about Rangers gets interpreted as inherently biased.

2. Tone Over Substance

Rather than offering analytical insight on why Rangers lost or where Röhl’s team went wrong, supporters felt Sutton opted for a cheap shot — a message that seemed designed to inflate the narrative of a manager already under pressure.

3. Social Media Amplification

In an era where short quips on X/Twitter get endless re-shares and reaction threads, many Rangers fans feel pundits should be less flippant and more thoughtful — especially when a club is struggling for league momentum. Sutton’s post, conveniently concise and easily retweeted, became a rallying point for anger. — fans quickly adopted his own format to fire responses back at him online.

4. It Felt Like Adding Insult to Injury

Losing the match hurt — but having a high-profile pundit seemingly gloat about it shortly after the final whistle helped intensify the backlash. Some supporters felt Sutton was gloating, rather than analysing.

The Bigger Picture: Rangers’ Season in Crisis Mode?

The Rangers season has been approaching rollercoaster territory for weeks — and this match against Hearts only intensified that feeling. Rangers had title aspirations, but slipping up against a team now nine points clear at the top puts pressure on both players and management alike.

Fans and analysts have been debating everything from tactical decisions and transfer strategy to player mentality and whether Röhl is the right man to steer the ship. The defeat at Hearts only accelerates those questions.

Social media posts from supporters paint a picture of a fanbase exhausted by inconsistency: some blame the refereeing decisions, others point to tactical naivety — and a growing chorus says the club needs to show more fight and identity. — a theme that Sutton — ironically — touched on in his five-word tweet.

How the Football Media Reacted

Even outside Rangers and Celtic circles, media coverage of the match focused on:

• Hearts’ rise to the summit of the Premiership table
• Rangers’ continuing struggles
• The VAR decision’s impact on the game’s narrative
• Pundits weighing in on managerial performance

The consensus from some analysts was that while the VAR call was tight, Rangers failed to do enough before and after that key moment to win the match — leaving Röhl with questions about game management and team leadership. Others argued that the fans had every right to feel aggrieved, given how season momentum swings on moments like these.

In that context, Sutton’s blistering five-word quip became just another headline in an increasingly tense Scottish football narrative.

Rangers Fans Respond — United or Divided?

Within the wider Rangers community, reactions remain passionate and varied:

✦ Hardline Fans

Some have taken to social media to call for the club to publicly rebuke Sutton, demanding that pundits show respect for the league and for Rangers’ history and supporters.

✦ Rational Analysts

There are fans who argue that blowing up a pundit’s tweet misses the real issue: Rangers need to address performance issues on the pitch rather than focus on trolling from TV personalities.

✦ The Manager Debate

The most heated thread revolves around whether Danny Röhl is the right man for the job. Supporters are split between backing his vision and believing this result and the manner of defeat show he’s out of his depth — a debate heightened by the kind of cheeky jibes Sutton delivered.

What Comes Next for Rangers?

With only a few weeks left before the January transfer window, Rangers face urgent decisions on whether to strengthen the squad, change tactics, or weather the storm with their current manager. Meanwhile Hearts sit nine points clear at the Premiership summit, now firmly in control of the title race — a position they have rarely been in historically.

There’s a growing sense that matches like this one — and the ensuing pundit reactions — shape not just the league table, but the culture around the club.

Final Thoughts — A Moment Rangers Won’t Forget

A single match can sometimes define a season. A disallowed goal, a controversial pundit comment, a five-word message on social media — in the modern game, all of these things become part of the story. For Rangers fans, the 2–1 loss to Hearts and Chris Sutton’s subsequent message will be etched into the 2025–26 campaign’s narrative, representing both a missed opportunity on the pitch and a flashpoint in the club’s wider discourse.

Whether this becomes the moment Rangers turn a corner — or the moment a season fell off the rails — only time will tell. But one thing is certain: supporters are watching, pundits are talking, and the pressure will only intensify.