maineflyer

Superb article that did nothing to reduce my anger at the lack of foresight and sheer commercial nouse at Rangers. I know you can cry wolf only so often but I have to say that my blood also boils at the incompetence that allows one of the best-supported clubs in the world to fail so utterly to exploit that huge advantage. Not only through running such a poorly developed marketing strategy but also by continually driving a wedge between the club and the support. If I set out tomorrow to improve the situation, I can think of little of what currently exists that I wouldn't sweep away. The JJB deal isn't the real problem, it's the short-termism and knee-jerk mentality that saw this as an acceptable alternative to doing a proper job. By going down this expedient route, Rangers is systematically disenfranchising the market it depends upon. Everything about the club these days speaks of neglect, poor decision making and loss of direction. It is becoming extremely serious.

I expect to see Charlie back in the Rangers first team next season. There are going to be a few gaps in the squad this summer and little money to fill them.

Which is precisely why our Walter should have had his nuts cracked for failing to prepare the squad to deal with Kaunas. By any measure, he is culpable and personally responsible.

Spiers didn't write that, I'd bet money on it. That was almost certainly written by Mr Cutandpaste, a well know contributor to the Spiers portfolio of misappropriated reputation.

Here we go. It's not as if both teams would be playing on the same surface, is it. Obviously the post-split arrangements are primarily about how they affect ra sellick. This just illustrates the complete farce of the 'split' in any case. teams should play each other equally home and away during a season. End of. The current arrangement is cringeworthy and embarrasses our game. "Come on Lex, this just isn't fair. Where's the integrity in this?" "I see where you're coming from Peter. Let me see what I can do." "Hello, is that the Record. Lex Gold here. I need a word with the sports editor." "Keith, can you come up to my office, I've got a wee job for you."

Eh...... yes, I like that even more.:devil:

Actually, for negative read insightful.

Just you wait and see, this league flag is coming home. Will this stuff wear off soon?

I believe we will win this league title. I can think of lot's of reasons why we might not and I'm not given to tempting fate but my instinct says prepare for 52.

There are two really good websites represented there.

Very good work - and I like the way you've made use of three different images. Thanks to Shroomz.

If you stick at it long enough then you eventually use up all the considered arguments and find that you've passed this way too many times already and things are still going downhill. So you end up more or less in jaundiced despair. We all know deep down that none of the points made on here will ever be listened to by anyone who can actually make a difference at Rangers but we keep on making them anyway. Because we care and we hope. You go to Ibrox and the decline breaks your heart - bullying stewards, complacent officials, hapless ticketing service, the state of the stadium, lack of atmosphere - you consult your blue book to see what can safely be said or sung, what's the latest directive? You miss the last 15 minutes of every game as people stream past you on the way to who knows where. You give up the season ticket. You stop buying merchandise because you're not going to let the bastards screw you without some payback. So you end up watching Rangers on setanta while scott booth talks shite and puts your team down at every opportunity. You read the concocted bile from Spiers and so many others in the media. You watch the Manchester bearfest turned into a stick to beat us with and you wonder if you should admit you were there. Everything stinks and nothing seems like it was in years gone by. And above it all, making all this possible, even orchestrating the emasculation of Rangers is David Murray. You hate him for his lack of leadership, his lies, his disinterest and for allowing us to be ridiculed and belittled with impunity. But what can any of us really do about David Murray? And what can we do with those who see the world differently, who still laud David Murray for saving the club and leading us to so many achievements? We can do nothing. Doing nothing is what being a Rangers supporter has become. It's not intuition that leads me to believe Rangers are rotten to the core. It's simple elimination of any alternative conclusion. Not our heritage, not our fans, but those running the club are utterly compromised in every sense. It's wonderful to see the team top of the league and if we win this title I'll need scraped off the ceiling - but the fundamentals will still be rotten and it will still be an intriguing question whether or not the laudable loyalty is helping Rangers - or not.

Aw I don't know ........ it really just depends how it's put across. Said the right way I'm sure it could become a term of endearment. "Let me hold you close, my leetle knob-end". See?

ha ha - I may be nutty but I'm not the one spending thousands of words to continually repeat myself. To save your further days at the keyboard, I think you can rest assured that you've made your point, expressed your views, hammered home your opinions and generally made it clear that you wish to defend Walter Smith. We all get it. Amongst others, I just think you're wrong. Are you going to go again - tell you what, if I promise to read your last post again, will that do?

Now I know you shouldn't judge your own work but "rabidly critical"? Am I really so misunderstood? And I thought I was the sensible one. Where's that bloody mirror? Actually, the most vindication I ever received was when Minty issued his fatwa against the inteneds. It provided conclusive evidence that here was a man who didn't really give a fig about my Rangers and was prepared to lash out like a fractious child whenever it was suggested he might not be the golden boy after all. Do you remember as I do when David Murray announced he wanted to listen to the views of the fans? Liar Liar... Have you ever actually heard an honest word fall from the lips of that man and can anyone really say they are proud to have this Richard Nixon of a man associated with Rangers? That he should be questioning the motives of Rangers fans is perverse and vaguely sinister. I'd have though the standards set on this and other forums was well in advance of anything seen from David Murray. Smith's later statements of support for his boss were unimportant. We all knew he was just doing as he had been bidden. Charming, fundamentally decent. Hmm, could be right.

Can you see if I'm likely to catch him?

Like any Rangers manager, Smith was brought to the job to win the league title. He couldn't in his first season. He didn't in his second season. This, his third season, he has a chance. However, his opportunity has come about largely because of a slump in sellick's form, rather than anything Smith has done to improve our own performances. In my opinion, he has bought poorly and used his squad poorly. Much of the talk about his tactics is to do with results, not just style points. I feel a more aggressive and confident approach would actually achieve better results. Some of the displays this season have been as dire as last year and let's not forget that this has led to similarly shocking results, without which we might just be able to say we are at the top of the league by our own efforts alone. Think St Mirren. While this may turn out to be a championship year, none of us can predict it at the moment. What I can say however is that I would feel more confident were it not for the fact we probably have to rely on sellick doing worse than ourselves. This is a thread about Walter Smith and his ability to change Rangers from losers to winners, for there is no other purpose to his being here. So far, he appears to have spent a lot of money and achieved very little. Never mind 15 years ago when he had enough money to compensate for ability, times have changed and so have what it takes to be successful. This isn't about gratitude or respect for the past, that's long gone, history. Looking forward is almost painful. Whatever happens this season, it is looking almost certain that our squad next year will be considerably smaller and weaker. Our best players will be sold this summer to fund increasing debts and we do not appear to have a manager with any ability or enthusiasm for developing young players. What we do have is a manager who has little further ambition beyond his current job and who is deeply obligated to David Murray - a puppet on a string. As Murray's interest continues to wane, do not expect Walter Smith to make a difference. From what I can see, Walter has become part of the problem, not the solution.

:admin: Shocking. You should accept a three day voluntary ban for abuse of humour.

I know flowing football has been mentioned by some but I have no problem with winning being the priority and that is where my current dissatisfaction comes from. Two titles in eight years, both snatched from the jaws of defeat on the last day, is hardly the winning that I want to see. Losing seven games in a row against sellick was desperate. It's the lack of winning and the lack of belief that the 'leadership' at Ibrox is inadequate that drives the desire for change. You cannot argue on the one hand that winning is the priority while simultaneously defending a losing regime. Neither can you trade off past failure against the possibility of future success. If you are going to adopt the 'it's a results business' attitude then you have to be prepared to address defeat, not just assume that failures who wait long enough will eventually be vindicated by success.

Maybe not excellent but definitely fair.

:D:D 18/1 for a Miller hat trick must be the most tight fisted odds in the history of betting. 1800/1 might be realistic.:devil:

No, I mentioned it only once.

I sense people who have had to sit in mute frustration while Rangers struggled from poor performance to poor performance and who are now intent on exacting retribution against the naysayers. Unfortunately, were it not for the fact that ra sellick have all but collapsed these last few weeks, there would have been no Rangers 'revival'. Were there really something to crow about, I fancy I would be crowing too, as would most others who feel disappointed with our manager. I'm delighted we're at the top of the league but I would rather it were on our own merit.

What, women are allowed on here as well? Are they allowed to post too?

Wouldn't surprise me if he does just that. He usually does.