alexscottislegend

Strange coincidence that his death came only days after the 113 year old Henry Allingham.

Right, let's ban it officially from Gersnet.:devil:Anyone suggest a suitable sanction?

One way to get these involved is to change the system so we don't have to rely on wide players as in a normal 4-4-2. So we have... Alexander Whittaker Boogie Weir/Broadfoot Papac Edu Thomson Davis Mendes Fleck Lafferty I think Benitez had this system - with 2 sitting midfielders - some years ago at Valencia. The only downside for us is that there is no place for Boyd because we know it's not his game to play lone striker. However, there is a sure place for him as a sub (or impact player as they now seem to call them). I think it could be ideal to have Edu and Thomson together as it gives a right-foot, left foot balance, and Davis and Fleck can be given licence to drift about in support of Lafferty. Whether we get enough goals this way it remains to be seen, but I'd like to see this tried, at least in Europe. Aaron could be an alternative for Fleck or Davis, who I would always have in my first X1, despite his detractors. Hell, we could even squeeze Charlie Adam into this system (steady, now!).

No, it's not a 'zzz' post as far as i'm concerned. In fact, I've heard your story before, and always hated us being called the 'Light Blues.' We are and have always been, Royal Blue. I have an old LP (!!) with John McDonald singing a song called 'Royal Blue!' I swear our colours have got lighter in recent decades. Check out Wija's avatar of D. Cooper - that's what I call Royal blue. I even once bought a Vauxhall Viva just because it was that colour!

Yes, and no...should be the 'English national team'. The English use the term 'England ' international, implying that you don't have to be English to play for it.

Surprise! Surprise! Famous footballer gets away with yob-like behaviour. Shame on the barman for repeatedly battering his face against Gerrard's fist. Compared to that Duncan Ferguson's crime was much more innocuous, and he got the jail.

I thought I heard some idea mooted recently that the OF - or Rangers at least - could play in some kind of reserve league with English sides? To my mind that would be a far better option. The standard of football would surely be higher and the youngsters better prepared for the first team. Other SPL sides are going to be promoting their best youth to the first teams, so diluting any league for reserves.Also - and I'm maybe fantasising here - it maybe could test the water for an eventual move to the EPL.

I don't have a sky dish but watched setanta via freeview Channel 34. Anyone know if I can continue to do this with ESPN?

No! No! No! I thought Boogie was supposed to be 'untouchable' acc. to WS. This would be disastrous. It would leave us needing 2 CB's. We may have been able to replace Cuellar but not this time.

Yes, as has been pointed out, the other clubs won't want the OF to have control. But they need to be told that the alternative could be extinction for them. The tail must not be allowed to wag the dog again. That is what happened when the original Sky deal was booted out.

The Nancy Bhoys? I like it.

There's a real danger that we could lose him for nothing next season because we're not extending his contract. I would prefer him to stay but if he goes we need a decent fee; to lose him for nothing would be the worst of all possible worlds. This mess has Martin Bain's fingerprints all over it.

Wish he'd played for us longer. Sadly he seems destined to be remembered for being nutmegged by Gazza at Euro 2000.

[ Meanwhile, we have lurched from finacial crisis to finacial crisis. This has resulted in us HAVING to sell players to keep the banker from our doors. Yip, all of the above is the fault of DA, AMc and WS. SDM is completely faultless in the above. Right, so if we compare ourselves to our East End foes: they have no debt yet are unable to attract a top-class manager (no chance of a MoN or WGS this time around). Why is that? Maybe because there is no dosh to splash? Don't think they wouldn't sell if there was the right offer. And look at some of the dross they're linked with. Not having CL has hit them hard, really hard, so that having no debt is almost immaterial. What I'm saying is would you rather be in their shoes? And these days any ambitious club will have huge debts. Look at the top EPL outfits - not one is debt-free. We've had the great SDM debate on this forum many times, and while I feel uneasy because he wants out, I fear the arrival of some unknown foreign consortium far worse; until we know who can replace him, I think we just have to make the best of things. Guess you'll say that I'm just a glass half-empty type.:devil:

Yeh, fair point but during the Advocaat years none of us complained about signing the likes of Gio v Bronchorst; I know some eyebrows - mine included - were raised at T.A Flo, but generally we all lapped up the lavish feasts before our eyes, believing we were buying our way into the CL for keeps. I don't think anyone could foresee how we would have been left high and dry by the creation of the EPL/Sky circus.

[QUOTE=CammyF;157306]In our most successful season recently (both on and off the field) where we got to the CL group stages, then went on to the UEFA Cup Final and sold players such as Hutton and Cuellar we still manged to add to our debt. That is not the fault of the global market or any other exuse you care to mention - that is the fault of the parsite that is running, sorry ruining our club. my club. It may of course also be the fault of team management who failed to get us into the lucrative CL stages season after season before that v. successful one you mention - so that the debt was cumulative. Quite simply we need CL football every season - was Kaunas the fault of SDM - or WS?

Long term this is the only hope we have of competing with the Hulls and Wigans of this world. (!!)

Oh come on! You cannot blame SDM for the market situation, loss of tv money, the fact we are not in the EPL. It was a whole different ball game in the Souness era prior to the Sky money artifically boosting the English clubs.

We'll regret this -especially at that giveaway price.

Did we not have a check something like that once before - during the McCoist golden years?

If you care about Rangers you should care. When teams like that lose they damage our co-efficient in europe. Then that makes it almost impossible for us to qualify for the CL. We need ALL Scottish teams to do well in Europe, otherwise we will lose an automatic CL place.

Peter McCloy all right. I well remember the big numpty chucking in a couple when we got dumped out the Texaco Cup by...Chesterfield!!

Think he's a full Welsh international.

Now, now, don't be cynical. This is what we all want to see, the club rearing its own. Would you rather we flogged them off and brought in 30-somethings and players looking to use us as a stepping stone?