craig

Aye, get the other one up Jon - that is the one of Edu.

But no Scotland Day ? :devil:

Pfftttt - you started 90% of them !!!! :devil: Jon, did you watch the game on Saturday ? Boyd was woeful.

An article which makes sense and with no ulterior, sensationalist motive - surely not........

I would agree with McMillan. Fair point Re Burke - I didn't read your whole original post (sorry) so thought it was about giving youth players a chance. I wouldn't play Adam though - he won't get near the 1st team in CM so he could only play LM and if you want to see Aaron play it will likely be at LM so would have to choose one fromt he two and Aaron would get my vote, if fit. But I think that playing Edu and Burke it is like having first team players playing anyway so the only "changes" (not explaining this well) would be Aaron and Jordan McMillan. All of these changes should still allow us to overcome Thistle. I think 3 or 4 changes would be fine (but keep 1st teamers on the bench just in case).

I want Rangers to win every competition we enter, it is as simple as that. Don't get me wrong, I would like to see SOME changes, just not wholesale changes. I would like to see Aaron, Edu, Fleck getting a game but who else would you have in the team ? Let's not forget too that this team has only been together for a half dozen games - so it is another opportunity for them to "gel".

Was Novo's last week against Killie a penalty ? Nothing controversial this weekend I don't think.

alex, do you not remember how badly we struggled against Thistle last season in the SC.... with a FULL team ? It isnt like we have Europe to worry about this year and concerning ourselves with fatigue. I think there will still be a couple of changes, just not half a team.

We must have differing views on what is required from a lone striker. Winning headers isnt needed (at least not flick ons) but touch, willingness to run the channels, linking with midfield IS required - all three of which I think Boyd has shown he is poor with.

I thought Thomson played well today. Mendes played well in patches but also his passing was unusually wayward. Davis on the right hand side of that midfield is growing on me - thought he was our best midfield performer today. With BF back it is hard to say who would/should drop out. I cannot see how we could possibly drop Mendes, Davis seems to have made RM his own so the only options would be either LM or Thomson (if LM dropped Thomson would move out there to let BF play beside Mendes, assuming we keep a 4-4-2). Thomson, whilst left footed, wouldn't be effective in that role. So the only person who would drop out of the team is KT in my opinion and I think that would be unfair as he has been playing pretty well and has linked up very well with Mendes thus far.

Boyd not being able to play the lone striker role is no myth. He has had opportunities in that role and has proven he cant play it effectively. If you think that Boyd could have done at Parkhead what Cousin did then you are crazy Sorry, but Boyd HAS to play as part of a front 2. Have to say that he and Miller linked reasonably well today but Miller was easily the better performer in my opinion. They did, however, also have some moments where the mis-communication was very evident. I thought Boyd was poor today. Some of his lay-offs were nice but he looked cumbersome and slow and also disinterested at times. Miller on the other hand linked up play well with midfield and showed a fair bit of vision too. Also found himself in better positions to score than Boyd.

By the same token S_A..... it was also a very nice through ball from Miller for the first goal - Boyd's flick on went to Miller and Miller played a very neat ball into Davis for the goal. In fact, of the two forwards today Miller was by far the better player in my opinion. On topic though, Boyd definitely won a lot of headers today - he did, however, offer little else (one snap shot aside... which was blown for a foul against him anyway - and a ball into Miller.

I know I may be a bit biased and it is early in the season but Arsenal are 17/2 to win the league. Those are GREAT odds - I am having some of that. Jon, you might want a punt on Pool at 10/1 as well.

Can someone ban this chancer ?

Arsenal looking very impressive again. Walcott is lightening quick - coming on as a sub he is lethal - instrumental in the 3rd goal and some nice play in the build up Some great play again and if they can miss injuries and suspensions they have to be capable of challenging this year. They are great to watch.

That is a fair point Ian, but if you were currently playing in our midfield and read in the papers that BF would be playing as soon as he is fit would you be happy to possibly be the player to drop out even if you had been playing well in a winning team ? The Cousin thing I agree with but we played a different way that day and everyone knows that Cousin was the only striker we have to play that role effectively. I want to see BF playing beside Mendes as I am sure we all do - but not as soon as he is fit at the expense of someone who is already playing and playing well. If someone goes off the boil then absolutely he should come back in but he shouldn't come back in if the midfield are playing well - if it ain't broke don't fix it !

Anyone watch it ? Were Liverpool poor ? This is typical Liverpool - a very good win against Man U one week and then a draw at home to bottom dwellers the next. They would have burst a boat load of coupons today.

Ian, it is NOT about not wanting BF back in the team - I think he and Mendes side by side will work great. However, the message being sent out is undoubtedly the WRONG one. WHo gets dropped and why ? What if it is KT that gets dropped - should he be happy about being dropped for BF when he is playing well ? Should he bother applying himself in training when it is obvious BF doesnt need to be playing well to get a game ? Sorry but whilst I think that BF is a quality player I think it is a shitty way of the management team to handle the situation. I like BF and his presence is visible - but, for me at least, he should have to play his way back into the side. NO player should be above having to work for their place in the team. I dont get how people cant see what some of us are arguing for - there is no equality in the team if one person gets a game regardless of how he is playing. Last season he had to play whether fit, off-form or otherwise as there was no competition for places. This season there is and he should be forced to compete. If he has to play his way back in he actually may apply himself better than he has been recently. By simply giving him his place in the team back it tells him he doesnt have to apply himself as he is guaranteed a shirt. That to me is wrong.

Hemdani wouldn't play in my team again if I was manager. We have better options available now. Mendes, Ferguson, Thomson, Davis are all better options than Hemdani and if we suffer injuries we have other options too. Not a slight on Hemdani - quality player (although poor last year) but there is no room for him in the team or the squad (in part due to the U-21 rule) and at 17k a week should be off the books.

The point is though - what message is being sent to the other squad members ? "thanks for your efforts, you have been playing really well, the team are unbeaten..... but Barry is fit again so you are dropped". What a horrible thing for any player to suffer when they are playing well. Cotter - to use BF at 22 as a comparison for Edu and Aaron makes no sense - it how he is playing NOW that should count. Or are you saying that because someone played well when they were 22 should mean they should be starters for the rest of their careers ? BF has been PISH - you can say he had pish beside him but if he is THAT good then he will be a standout beside them - last season it was BF that looked like he should be dropped because he was PISH. Thomson was our best midfielder, certainly after January. Another thing - why are people clamouring for BF to come straight back in when the team have been playing well, we are unbeaten (and in fact should have a 100% record from a very difficult start to the SPL campaign) ??? That also makes no sense to me - we are winning, we PUMPED Celtic along the way, yet we want to change a winning team ??? We don't know how BF would play beside Mendes, no-one does. There is a good chance he will be great beside him but until we see injuries, suspension or loss of form then the team should remain as it is. As said, he should have to EARN his place in the team - it is a terrible signal to the other players if he walks right back into the team. Gribz, I can actually see BF playing beside Mendes with KT pushed out to the left (which isnt his position for sure !).

I can see what you are saying Johnny but there is one question which needs to be asked....... WHO could speak to Gazza that could make him see the light ? That is the crux of it - I doubt there is ANYONE that could convince him.

Whit ? Seriously ? THAT should be illegal ! Glad I don't live in the UK - why dont you all just sign over your paycheck to HM Government......

It isnt illegal if you decide to not have a TV :devil:

I agree Gribz. WS is basically saying "no matter how good or bad BF plays he is our captail and will play at all times" - that is not good for the other squad members nor is it good for Ferguson himself. If the team are playing well without him (which it is) then he should be forced to wait on the sidelines until the team falters or there are injuries or suspensions or tiredness.

You don't think that those type of people havent tried already Gribz ? I would suspect that they HAVE tried but it falls on deaf ears - could be wrong but then so could you as none of us know who has offered help. I just don't get it - we all want him to get better but we all know what he is like. Even in his playing days he wasn't exactly known as someone who listened to the voice of reason - so why would that change now ? He was at Sporting Chance, as well as others - so by seeing the devastation first hand (or even just looking at what it did to another footballing great, George Best) and by having PROFESSIONAL counsellors fail to get him to change his ways I just cannot for the life of me see how ANYONE else could, regardless of the relationship he has had with them.