craig

Nah, Fleck is ahead of him at LM and Wattie will keep Davis at RM. I dont think we will see much of Aaron this season to be honest, hope I am wrong though.

I think Wenger will play Arshavin and he could be the spark they need. I fancy the Goons to beat Spurs..... we all know why Jon fancies Spurs to win, so predictable Jon :devil:

That is hilarious. Gribz, I just wish Boruc would do it next week, a red card AND McGeady getting the slap he deserves !

Would be interested to see the stats for that to be honest. With so many goals from his appearances it would be interesting to see how manyhave been scored when he is not in the team in the time he is here. Seems counter-intuitive to me as he scores far more than the rest of the team.

You put better exactly what I was trying to get at. There are plenty more besides Boyd who have not won the title whilst at Rangers. I guess for me it is the manner in which it is stated that annoys me, as if it is Boyd's fault and his alone that we have not won the league whilst he has been here. He has only played in 2 full seasons (and in the 2nd one for half of that season it shouldn't be forgotten that our TEAM was languishing badly after the 1st half of the season and surely Boyd cannot be blamed for the fact that PLG didn't seem to think his defence needed shored up). There is only really one season where you could make him a scapegoat (like others). And in that season the team seemed more determined to do well in Europe than in the SPL (2006-07). I think that in the season subsequent (2007-08) PLG seemed to be a bigger factor than the players in that he was too stubborn to see the failings of the team (and I say that as someone who didnt really want PLG to leave). This season is still to be concluded and the 2005-06 season, when Boyd joined, he joined when the league was already effectively over. Sure, Boyd still has to take responsibility for being part of a team and squad that have not won the league in 4 years but, as you say, why is this criticism being levelled primarily at Boyd and not others ?? It is the financial mismanagement and downsizing that is much more to blame than one particular player. Further, whether we like it or not, to get 94 goals from a guy from 134 appearances and for a cost of 400k is great business. I can understand people suggesting he isnt a good player (which is fair enough) but I just do not see where our goals come from if he isnt in the team. Our midfield these days very rarely contribute goals so it is up to the strikers and none of the other options seem capable of scoring consistently. And in this league it is consistency that will win the league. Celtic have been as poor a team as we are for the last 4 years but they have been more consistent than we have. I don't think that taking Boyd out of the team makes us a more consistent team.

Absolutely. Instead of blowing a few million on someone just because they are playing 1st team football in, say, the Championship - how about the novel idea of bringing in one of the young guys who the coaches have been watching since he was 14 or 15 years old and giving him the chance to see if he can do the same job and save the club money. Maybe, just maybe, the financial state of our club will be a GOOD thing in that it will force the club to search out these quality youngsters and also give them a chance (won't hold my breath mind you).

It could very well be the Scottish mentality but that shouldn't prevent someone from trying to better themselves. Re the training that should be dual-edged though. He should WANT to reach his full potential but the coaching staff should also be the ones to make sure they have training and coaching programs that bring this about. To be fair, there HAS been reasonable improvement from Boyd this season. Sure, he has had his off-games but which player in our team CAN'T say that ?

Rather than get further into this I think it is suffice to say that you do indeed state a fact that Boyd has never been part of a title winning team. But the FACT in that is that it isnt necessarily Boyd's fault that this is the case. McGregor hasnt played in a title winning team (he was in the 05 squad but didnt play IIRC) so he must be worthless too huh ? Lets get rid of McGregor as well..... It is the usual "Boyd hasnt played in a title winning team" and the inference of that is that it is his fault or that he, somehow, could single-handedly change that. Even though you throw in "Adam and Burke" the inference is still there that Boyd is at the core of this being the case. Apparently it was his fault last season too - yet he didnt play often and didnt get ANY game time against Celtic and he COULD have been the difference. When you say McGregor was in the form of his life and might have saved the 3rd goal that is fine. But it is JUST AS EASY to say Boyd might have scored to get the draw had he been playing. Just as it is easy for you to find it hard to believe that without Boyd in the team we would draw 0-0 each week I find it logical that he perhaps, just perhaps, would have scored a goal to give us the draw with Celtic we needed. But even to just get to the core of your argument which is that Boyd hasnt been a part of a title winning team....... He joined in the 2005-06 season in January. 2005-06 - joined January, league already over 2006-07 - fair enough, we lost the league with him in the team but we were watching a team which had been dismantled due to downsizing. 2007-08 - played 28 league games and none against our biggest competitors. Still scored 14 league goals though, and finished top scorer. 2008-09 - to be concluded. So, he has only been here for TWO full seasons and yet he seems to be the one to be the reason we havent won the league....... If you want culprits as to why we havent won the league look further up the food chain than Boyd. Regardless, I am still curious as to who is going to provide the goal threat with Boyd not in the team. Kenny Miller ? 7 goals, no goals in his last 9 games and with a worse finish than you and me (and I am a defender....). Novo ? Who is injured. Who CAN score goals but is prone to fresh air swipes too ? Lafferty ? Possibly but should we really be expecting him to score a ton of goals when he hasnt done it anywhere else ? We could debate the footballing skills, or otherwise, of Boyd all day long. What cannot be debated though is his instinct to be in the right place at the right time and that he has a natural ability for that which none of our other strikers has. Goals win games. I just can't be convinced that the other strikers in our team will provide us with the goals to win the league. Sure, they will create more goals than Boyd will - but who will be on the end of them ?

Regardless, Sebo has continued to prove he is pish. But lets leave that one go. You want to start the "here we go again" stuff yet you are the one that starts it with Boyd. Funny how you can use Boyd as one of the reasons that we havent won the title for 4 years but as soon as someone suggests that his lack of playing time last year might have resulted in us not winning the league that it becomes a different excuse. Sorry but you cant have your cake and eat it here. You are stating that Boyd is a part of the reason we have nt won the title in 4 years. Fair enough. However, if that is the case then it can just as easily be argued that by not playing him against Celtic last year we potentially denied ourselves of a goal which would have secured a draw which would have won us the league. Of course the fixture schedule and Mcregor's injury CONTRIBUTED. But so might it have been not playing Boyd CONTRIBUTED. If you use supposition to support your argument for one thing then it is fair game for someone to use supposition to support their argument the other way.

What are you on about ? How is it an invalid point and what does my statement have to do with the previous 51 titles ? I am talking about THIS year. How many goals have our other players scored between them and how many has Boyd scored ? Where did I say Boyd guarantees titles ? If we don't score goals we won't win titles - tell me, who will score those goals if it isnt Boyd ? Would you get over your theory about everyone making Boyd out to be a hero if he had stayed on and scored the penalty. He didn't so he wasnt. And no, I dont think people would have said he was the hero, I think that accolade would STILL have went to Fleck because Fleck WON the penalty. I find it amusing that you pick up every single time Boyd has an off game and make a mountain out it if with the usual "told you he was pish" rhetoric. Yet he scores goals, wins us games and we get a half-hearted well done.

But then you also wanted Sebo to get a game ahead of Boyd, a player who without a shadow of a doubt proved he is PISH, and funnily enough is still showing it in France. Boyd is not the reason we havent won the title - he is an element to it but given it is a squad game then there are about 23 others you could blame. And, in fact, to put a spin on your "I'm counting league titles" theory. How many points did we lose the league by last year ? two, right ? How many times did Boyd play against Celtic ? None. Perhaps, just perhaps, had Boyd played in any of the two games we lost at Parkhead then he might have scored the goal which secured us a draw and, hence, the league. So whilst you can count all those league titles we have lost you could just as easily say, last season anyway, that by NOT playing Boyd cost us the league.

Every single player should be looking to improve - ALWAYS. It is how he true world greats become great. Boyd should be no exception to that rule. However, we have plenty of other players at Ibrox who don't seem to be improving nor do they seem like they are trying to. Doesn't matter whether you like Boyd or not, he is the only natural goalscorer we have. Those that want him out of the team - who will score the goals to win us the league ??

The angle was tight(er) but I don't think it was that tight an angle. He obviously did go for precision but he never caught it cleanly at all. Regardless, he had the confidence to hit it with what is plainly his weaker foot. many a seasoned pro would have tried to get it back onto their stronger foot. Out of his depth ? He looked right at home with those players. Fingers crossed we can keep him as you say !

Had the distinct displeasure of meeting Alan Sunderland at a player of the year do. Arrogant whank. Pat Jennings - Gentleman Kenny Sansom - Gentleman Alan Sunderland............

I just watched the Milan game from last night and the lad looked very assured and his quality of ball from the wing, and set pieces, is generally excellent. It is very refreshing to have someone that can get some quality into the box. The only downside to the lad is that he is weak on his right foot (or at least seemed to be with the shot he had in the 1st half)

To be fair though a statement which says "I want European football of any sort" is a very defeatist attitude. You could say that it is hedging. You could say that it is simply stating we want European football. Personally I would have thought it a far more positive statement to be saying something along the lines of "I fully expect Milan to be in the CL next season and I have high ambitions that we will be there beside them and I have players with the ability to accomplish that". Look at what Smith actually said with my version and I think it is pretty fair to say that the players would get a much bigger confidence boost by the latter statement. Regardless of whether we actually DO have the players to achieve it (I think we do) they should be hearing these things from their manager. It seems that we have gone from being leaders in Scottish football with an air of confidence to being prone to what amounts to nothing more than defeatist, almost politically correct statements.

The 35 million is what he will be sold for by the club he moves to after us. They will have bought him from us for 3 mill, then sold him on for 35 mill and our "esteemed" CEO would not have insisted on a sell on clause....... :devil:

Surely a lot of that could be lazy journalism due to Smith's comments about us reducing the squad due to attrition and contract expiration ? In looking at it there is good reason to see why those would be the players leaving Ferguson, Boyd, Novo, Adam - Adam already out on loan and the other 3 all touted for moves during January Hemdani, Dailly, Weir - contracts up in the summer anyway.

Sadly it seems they dont need to make big name signings.

Yep, was going to post the same. The financial aspect of that deal was sound IMO. The other aspects such as branding, marketing, image etc have not been as sound.

So..... did you buy your dream pair of slippers Wij ? :devil:

I would normally agree but the fans will be there to watch Beckham, Kaka, Ronaldinho et al - not Beasley, Fergie, Mendes etc.

I think they get round the 3 clubs rule because technically he has only played for 2 clubs.

Chelsea have signed Quaresma on loan from Inter

Keane deal official.