Tannochsidebear

I predicted as much when news broke of us offering contracts to Holt & Halliday. If you are Waghorn, Tav or Wes's agent you are going to be generating stories of interest to ensure your client is offered an improved deal once you know the club is willing to deal in others in a similar position. I know Tav has a release clause and it's not huge. I assume Waghorn will be similar as he also signed for less money than was offered elsewhere.

We dont play Scottish Cup at the end of August, so it was either the league cup or not August. Cant remember myself but that stood out as being definitely incorrect.

Delighted to hear this, if true. The Herald has many many years of unbalanced reporting. I will reiterate my aim that we cut out newspapers completely, from pressers to access to players to advertising. I am convinced we get nothing out of it, other than helping to keep them alive when they hate us. One small step towards achieving my aim.

Should be a good test against a bottom half top tier side. Looking forward to seeing how we shape up already. Hopefully get a really big crowd and no live to coverage. Edinburgh Derby is the top tie and then the tims game for the david v Goliath tie, so we shouldn't be on to.

I think if Halliday "could" play that position it would help the centre backs tremendously, but he cant. He is contributing to the side, but clearly we need a natural holding player there. I would be happy with three centre backs against some opponents, although the one game we tried it, at easter road, it was a disaster but I maintain that was due to individual mistakes by Wilson, not necessarily the system which allows the full backs to become midfielders without one of them having to sit, which is how this system should be working if we were more disciplined. We will have to disagree on Miller, I think his attempts at linking-up usually lead to an opponents attack, and his movement is nowadays akin to an oil tanker doing a u-turn! As a wide forward, he should be in the box when the play is down the other flank, he is never to be found there. He just doesnt know how to play that role at all. When he plays the central striker role he is at least in better positions, but his control is so poor he is responsible for most of our attacks breaking down. And that is before I go on about his scoring conversion rate. We have a better forward in Hardie, we probably have a better forward in Clark, who to this day has not had a sufficient run of starting games to see if he can settle in to the team properly, and if none of the strikers in the development team are better at finishing than Miller, then let them go just now because they aint going to make it!

Just a couple of points to an otherwise good read. I didnt ever see Halliday making a back 3. I dont think you have got that right with respect. Any comparisons with Gareth Barry are surely only in our dreams! The other point I guess was put in there especially to get my heckles up! "The impressive Miller made way for Hardie" One lovely touch for Wallace's first goal does not an impressive performance make. His failure in front of goal, where he had 3 great chances again and missed the lot, and his all-round play, is simply awful to watch. His decline from what at his peak wasnt too bad but wasnt great either is sad to see, and even sadder to be paying for. No pace, no touch, no vision. If he is impressing you, I find it hard to take your other analysis seriously.

If you are happy signing guys like that from clubs like that then good luck to you. I'm not, and the whole point of message boards is I get the chance to vent my frustration at our transfer activity. If the guys get a chance in the first team next month (or next season if we cant do a deal to bring them in now), they will get my full support. I just wont hold out much hope that they can take us to 55, based purely on where their careers have went to date and the aspirations I have for my club.

But i am quite sure there is a massive difference in reporting styles, coverage etc. Are there endless days of editorials, implied threats of sanctions, painting as the bad guys? No, a quick mention and lets all move on. This will be used to prove balance when they go for us again.

Thanks for above replies. I didn't think the guy who beat us at Ibrox was him but clearly it was. I'm sure he hasn't had an easier centre back pairing to play against all season as we were truly awful that night. Still. He looks to have pace, an eye for goal, and is playing comfortably in the league we have to try to win next season. I'm happier being linked with players like this than nobodies from Accrington bloody Stanley!

Anyone know what position he plays, and if he is any good? Don't recall him from their victory at Ibrox earlier this season.

In this day and age there is not a professional player with an agent that would, some months after signing a 3 year deal, sign a longer deal on the same terms after performing well and being an automatic pick. You're not that naive Craig, come on!

I am enjoying this increasing negativity in the English media (and not the sports sections either!) surrounding this scumbag and his Company. This type of growing criticism can have a real downward spiral effect on a Company to the point where it can kill them, or force huge changes in management. In a normal FTSE 100 company there would be clamour for Ashley to go, but given the iron rod and shareholding he has, he can continue to run it the way he has and stick his middle finger up at his critics. The more negative stories that come out however will mean that more and more people will not buy anything inside the stores, and brands (other than the ones he owns) will not want to be associated with this company, accelarating the downward curve of trading. It is entirely what this scumbag deserves and I for one am cheering it on.

Had Ally done this type of thing for players barely in the door and on fairly long term contracts already, there would rightly be criticism about it. It seems the magic hat also casts magic spells over fans ability to happily wave away the spunking away of a few hundred grand (increase in wages, signing bonuses, agents fees etc) at a time when we are scraping around the 3rd/4th tier of England for players and have many things needing done around the stadium. What are these players going to get, an extra year added on to their contracts, giving them another 3.5 years instead of 2.5 years with a bumper wage rise. These guys have probably never earned as much money as they are on here already, so why the rush to give them more? It is exactly the sort of thing we have been criticising our club for for many years, but all of a sudden it is ok now? What will Tav, Waggy & Wes be thinking? How are they all getting wage rises and I am not? I have been playing as well as them but obviously the gaffer doesnt rate me as highly? I just cannot see any good reason for doing this at this time, and nothing I have read gives an adequate explanation for it either, other than just shut up and trust the manager. I thought we were past all that blind faith nonsense after what we have been through?

Jackson has got inside info from Paul Murray for years, so I'm not surprised just disappointed that that particular anti-Rangers paper gets preferential treatment. I keep getting told that money is tight, to not expect quality signings that get fans pumping £15M or so pa into the club excited, so to see money being spent unnecessarily in this fashion annoys me. I like these 3 players and while I am glad if they are now on longer deals, I find the timing completely stupid. For Holt/Halliday they are barely in the door. Nobody can tell me these two are unsettled, or feel unloved, or frustrated at game-time, or that we have had bids for them, so there is no reason whatsoever for spending a few hundred grand on already happy contracted players, when we have so much to do both on the playing and non-playing side at the club.

So now we are leaking contract talks to the Rhebel in advance of them concluding. Really poor show from whoever at the club leaked this to Jackson. I thought we were going back to the good old days where the first you knew of a signing was after he signed. The transactions in the summer were like that, but clearly not any more. Sad that, especially to the Rhecord who are Lawwell's puppet and no friend of ours. I also maintain this is a decision we do not need to take at this time and is just giving away more money that we dont have at a time we dont need to be spending it. Happy to get these three tied down, but they were not going anywhere this window anyway, and two of the three have only been here 6 months. Bad practice IMO and could well have waited until the summer at the earliest.

Fantastic news that SD are having a hard time of it. I hope this downward spiral continues until they go bust, the sooner the better. But trying to blame mild winter conditions for poor sales for a sports retailer is hilarious, and I am sure the market has been reacting accordingly.

I agree BD, I dont know any of the parties involved, but this looks like grandstanding to me, or at worst a misunderstanding of what the RF board are intending with this.

Absolutely spot on, especially the bit in bold which, if clarified at the outset, would have prevented the trouble-makers from making this a big issue.

I had a grudging respect for Windass when he played for Dolly as he was fully committed every single time and worked his socks off no matter the score and had decent ability as well. While this reads as a puff piece from a proud dad, his claims of international football makes me think Deano got a few too many clumps on the head from big Goughy. Released from Huddersfield and playing for AS is not the normal route to international football, especially for an Englishman. Reading the AS forum on the other thread, they believe they have better players than Windass already at the club, which might be a bit of sour grapes, but there is just nothing to give us any expectations of an improvement to our first 11 with this addition. Best of luck to the boy and his mate and I hope we can do a deal to bring them in this month as the easier standard of play this season will give them a chance to settle in, rather than having to start against top tier sides next season.

I will be amazed if we get over 20K for this match. Every cup tie we have played this season has been very poorly attended. It will be quite a change for the players after the last home game v Hibs and the excellant "big-game" atmosphere that was generated there. However they are still expected to perform to the same level every time, when clearly the fans cant give a toss about the Cowdenbeath game.

no quotes & story run in rhecord = bullshit. When will we learn. Warburton does two or three pressers a week and has said nothing about this, so their is absolutely no evidence to give this story any credibility. While I dont mind if this is true as all 3 have performed well this season, 2 of them are only 6 months into their deals so I dont see the rush to renew their deals. Dont know the situation with McKay. It is simply throwing away money (which clearly we dont have given the January additions to date) at this time to improve their deals unnecessarily. At least wait until the summer when all have played a full season and see how they are going to fit into the plans for the top tier before giving them a deal which may make it difficult to move them on if they fall out of favour. Stinks of an agent trying to get their player a pay rise early (and therefore themselves another earner).

These short-term low-level signings have me perplexed. Are they just squad thickeners to see us through this season? If so, what does that say about his previous comments about pathway to first team for our development and fringe players? Does it mean he thinks Bell & Kelly, and Templeton & Oduwa (Miller too has been playing wide forward) are pish, and that we have no players to play a wide role coming from the development squad and so need this level of player, neither of which has any decent track record in the game, just to get us through another 20 games? Given both are only being handed 5 month contracts, that must be the assumption. If the above is wrong, is this really the quality he believes is required to challenge the scum next season? It surely cannot be the case or we are in big trouble. The saving grace is again the length of contract indicates a short term fix. What this then does not do is continue the rebuilding of the squad with an eye on next season. We must add 6-8 players who are improvements on our current squad for next season, perhaps more when you consider the 3 loanees who will be leaving and some players running out of contract who won't be asked to stay on. If Warburton is to be taken at his word that he doesn't like doing that as it upsets the harmony, then he has to bring some of these in during this window so as not to have a huge disruption in pre-season. If he brings in 3-4 in January, then why are we also bringing in two very ordinary players who won't feature next season. It is all very confusing as there appear to be contradictions all over the place from Warburtons earlier statements and his recent actions. Thoughts bears? Am I missing something?

It would appear that this can tell us two things. One, that Bell is either finished with injuries, or Warburton doesnt rate him (perhaps his attitude to recovery?). It also tells us that he doesnt believe in Kelly. I thought Kelly was fairly well thought of, as indeed is McCrorie behind him, so I would have thought another keeper in their way towards the first team will send out a poor message to them also. Of course the third option is that Wes wants to move or that Warbs isnt overly impressed with him either and this guy is going to be his number one. Time will tell.

A PROBE into a bottle attack on a Rangers fan of 11 was shelved by cops after no one came forward to help. But it has emerged police halted the case when their search for witnesses drew a blank. Just my interpretation of these two sentences Rab. What else could that mean?

Why did no Bears on the bus come forward to give evidence?