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  1. ALLY McCOIST has hit out at critics who are â??annoyedâ? by the response of the Rangers fans and he cannot believe the flak aimed at some of his signings. The manager is of the view that certain people are upset by the remarkable support despite the new environment Rangers find themselves in since the tortuous administration process. And he is far from happy at the unjustified criticism some of his signings have received for daring to join Rangers in SFL 3. Speaking to RangersTV, McCoist said: â??Itâ??s bizarre. I have noticed that in some sections people are annoyed at the way our fans have reacted. â??We are where we are. We said we would accept it. The fans wanted it and the fans got it. â??The support that they have shown this club is absolutely remarkable. â??I will maybe give people out-with this club the benefit of the doubt for being a little bit surprised by what has happened. â??The criticism that some players have had for signing for us is absolutely ridiculous. â??I do respect the vast majority of journalists. You donâ??t always agree with them but you take their opinions on board. â??But itâ??s interesting to note that the vast majority who had a go at David Templeton for coming donâ??t know the club and have never played the game. â??Now Iâ??m not saying you have to have played the game to know the game. â??But the point Iâ??m trying to make is if you have played the game at a high level and you do know this club then it is more understandable that these decisions have been made by good players. â??They have been accused of going for the money which is absolute nonsense. And even if it was the case they are quite entitled to do so because in any other profession or walk of life you would look after your family. â??But there is a lot more to it than that. Anyone who would question people coming to this club were perhaps not at the game last Sunday when there were 46,000 reasons to come to this club.â? WATCH McCOIST NOW ON RANGERSTV
  2. BOSS Ally McCoist has admitted he would have liked more strength in depth in his squad as he contemplates a year-long signing ban but is pleased with the quality he has brought in. The manager made no secret that he wanted a handful of players before the window shut last Friday night. However, he is ready to drive Rangers forward with the players he has at his disposal â?? and in any case he can do nothing else. McCoist told RangersTV: â??I wonâ??t lie. I was on record we wanted four or five players to strengthen the squad but we didnâ??t get them. We had one in and one out at the end of the final day. â??I wasnâ??t happy with the numbers but there is no point in mumping and moaning about it. We just have to get on with it. â??We are definitely light on the left hand side and we are also light at centre back so we will have to be lucky with injuries and suspensions. â??However, we have brought some great boys in and Iâ??m absolutely delighted we have done that and I would be very hopeful they would bring success in SFL 3. â??We have good players from middle to front who can make things happen and score goals. â??Templeton and Shiels can play at any level in the country and Andy Little and Big Lee have been chipping in with a great ratio of goals. â??We also have Ian Black and Lewis Macleod in midfield and they are both great passers.â? Two other signings â?? Fran Sandaza and Kevin Kyle â?? are still working on fitness but McCoist hopes it wonâ??t be long before the two strikers are in top shape. He said: â??Fran has had a slight hamstring problem and he is now having a chance to have a mini pre-season which will probably help him. â??He could have been on the bench at the Elgin game but itâ??s probably more important that he looks longer term and gets some hard training done and works with the physios. â??Big Kevin has been working really hard and still has a bit to go but we are trying to fix up some bounce games that will help him.â? WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW NOW ON RANGERSTV
  3. ALLY McCOIST insists Rangers must get rid of the away day blues but overall he is reasonably pleased with the start to the new campaign in a completely new environment. The international break has kicked in after four SFL 3 matches, two victories in the Ramsdens Cup and two wins in the Scottish Communities League Cup. The Light Blues have struggled on their travels with draws at Peterhead and Berwick and a narrow win at Brechin. However, McCoist is hopeful that form will change as Rangers adjust to their new surroundings. Speaking on RangersTV, he said: â??I am satisfied but not overly satisfied. I think we have had pass marks in most of the games. â??Obviously itâ??s been well documented that our home form is by far and away a lot better than our away performances and we only need to look to the Berwick game for evidence of that. â??Having said that I think we have scored 17 goals and lost two and one of them was a penalty while the other was a heck of a finish. â??So Iâ??m satisfied by still plenty of work to do. *â??I think there are a number of reasons why we have not fired on all cylinders away from home. Itâ??s still a little bit like the circus coming to town when we go an away match. â??I have to say the welcome we have had on the road has been really first class and very heart-warming. â??Iâ??m sure the away form will get better. Obviously the opposition fancies their chances of beating us on their own patch and we are maybe not fully tuned in to what is required when we go to these places, but that will come.â? WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON RANGERSTV
  4. CARLOS BOCANEGRA has revealed an unlikely highlight from his time at Rangers - eating steak pies in the away dressing room at Gayfield Park! The American international left the Light Blues last Friday to embark on a year-long loan with Spanish Segunda Division outfit Racing Santander. Before he left, he took time to look back over his 12 months in Glasgow with RangersTV.tv and you can see an in-depth interview with him on Blues News tonight. The trip to take on Arbroath in the Scottish Cup last January was notable for Bocanegra as it marked the first time he had skippered Gers in a competitive match. And after the Ibrox side had cruised to a 4-0 victory on the shore of the North Sea, it was a moment he really savoured. Bocanegra said: â??We had a couple of Old Firm victories last season which really stand out and the first one was definitely huge. â??It was an awesome atmosphere and it was one of the best environments Iâ??ve ever played football in. â??But being able to captain the team at Arbroath â?? and the steak pies afterwards â?? was something that sticks out too. â??In fact, I still owe a kid up there a shirt actually and I need to send him one. It was a pretty cool day. â??The big victories obviously stick out but just coming in here and the banter in the locker room was great. It was such a fun place to be a part of. â??Those are the memories Iâ??ll take away. The fact everyone was so friendly and they wanted to make me feel welcome was great. â??So was the support from the fans. I didnâ??t realise the magnitude of that and everybody knew who I was and they wanted to know what going on. â??That was magnified again this season with me being club captain. Itâ??s something I had never experienced before and I wonâ??t forget that.â? In total, Bocanegra was club captain at Rangers for just seven games although he did stand in for 2011/12 skipper Steven Davis for four matches last season as well. While his tenure as team leader was short, it was a responsibility the 33-year-old was thrilled to have bestowed upon him despite being in a lower league now. Bocanegra added: â??Every time I put the armband on here, I wasnâ??t thinking about whether we were in the SPL or the Third Division. â??It was just an honour each time to represent Rangers and the jersey and for our first home league game this season, we had one of the biggest crowds in Britain. â??Thatâ??s unheard of at the level the club is at just now but it never felt like we were in a lower league. â??Our travel and preparations were still first class and we still went about things in the same way. â??The away grounds were a little bit different but we saw great support from our fans, who travelled and filled them up to create a good atmosphere. â??Being captain of a club of this stature, with the amount of history it has and everything that has gone on here, was really special. â??Unfortunately it came to an abrupt stop but I donâ??t have any regrets. It was a huge honour for me to wear the armband and the lead the team out of the tunnel.â? SEE CARLOS BOCANEGRA ON BLUES NEWS TONIGHT! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR RangersTV.tv NOW.
  5. CARLOS BOCANEGRA has moved to Spanish side Racing Santander on a year long loan this evening. The Rangers and USA captain sealed the move late in the transfer window and will switch to Spain's second tier. He hopes his move from Scotland's fourth tier to Spain will help him to continue as an integral part of the USA's bid to reach the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. Bocanegra will now look to help the Spanish port town team off the bottom of the table after they lost their first two matches of the season. The 33-year-old has been an ever present for Ally McCoist's side this season with seven appearances in all competitions. His experience saw him handed the captain's armband at the start of the campaign. The American international made 34 appearances and scored three goals in his debut season in Glasgow last year.
  6. CARLOS BOCANEGRA insists he had to leave Rangers on loan to save his international career but maintains heâ??d love to come back to play for the Ibrox club again in the future. The USA captain has vacated the same role with the Light Blues to sign a season-long agreement with Spanish second tier side Racing Santander. Bocanegra moves on accepting the salary he earned with Gers was not sustainable with the club now in the Third Division. And with a place in Jurgen Klinsmannâ??s American squad which is competing for a spot at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to retain, it was in his interests to move too. The 33-year-old feels his temporary departure suits all involved but he has every intention of returning to Auchenhowie for pre-season training next July. When it comes to weighing up his options for the 2013/14 campaign, Bocanegra is adamant turning out for Gers will be a realistic prospect heâ??ll consider. He said: â??Itâ??s a strange feeling because Rangers is a hard club to leave but on the other hand, Iâ??ve got a chance to go to Spain and play for Racing Santander. â??That gives me a chance to stay involved with my national team and playing for my country is something which is very important to me. â??Itâ??s something which is really high on my list of priorities. I love playing with the USA team and to captain it is a huge honour, as it was for me to captain Rangers. â??I think this is a deal which suits all parties and itâ??s a loan deal. Thatâ??s good and Iâ??m happy about that so Iâ??ll be coming back here next July. â??The window has been funny and for whatever reason it has come down to the last minute after stuff had been on the cards for a couple of weeks. â??But I feel I could come back and play here again. I had an opportunity to sign for Santander and leave here for good because I was on a free transfer but I purposely went for a loan. â??Rangers are happy with that and I am very happy with that so it is something which worked out great for us all.â?
  7. ALLY McCOIST has secured his top target of the summer transfer window with the capture of David Templeton. The Rangers boss has been a long time admirer of the young winger and will be pleased to seal the deal. Templeton's arrival marks the eighth signing of the summer after Dean Shiels, Ian Black, Fran Sandaza, Kevin Kyle, Emilson Cribari, Anestis Argyriou and Sebastien Faure. The exciting young talent*signed a four-year deal with the Light Blues at Murray Park*late on Friday and moves for an undisclosed fee. That came just 24 hours after the 23-year-old scored against Liverpool at Anfield and he only arrived back in Scotland on Friday evening. He immediately made the trip to Auchenhowie to complete negotiations and seal a move to the 54-times Scottish champions. We'll have the first reaction to Templeton's signing here shortly on rangers.co.uk and on www.rangerstv.tv
  8. DAVID TEMPLETON admits he was desperate to sign for Rangers as soon as he heard his former club Hearts was willing to let him move to Ibrox. The winger has signed a four-year deal with the Light Blues after they agreed an undisclosed fee for him with the Edinburgh outfit. Despite a hectic 24 hours which saw Templeton score for the Jambos at Liverpool, train on Merseyside this morning then travel by bus to the capital, he hopes to play on Sunday. Whether the 23-year-old is selected for the side that faces Elgin City remains to be seen as manager Ally McCoist has to weigh up how fresh his latest recruit will be. Either way, Templeton is eager to get his Gers career underway in earnest and hopes will be high the exciting forward can make a positive impact. He told RangersTV.tv: â??It has been such a long day and we came back up from Liverpool this morning then I was in at Murray Park for quite a while. â??But itâ??s good to finally get everything done and Iâ??m looking forward to playing for such a massive club. â??Iâ??d heard some things through the papers and stuff like that but it was only really today that I heard from my agent an offer had gone in. â??Once I had come back up the road, I went to meet him and then we came here to talk to Rangers about it. â??It was strange to play at Anfield last night and then speak about coming to Rangers but as soon as the offer was accepted, it was something I wanted to do. â??I wanted to speak with the manager and see how things were. Now Iâ??m really looking forward to getting started.â? Having put pen to paper on a contract that ties him to Rangers until the summer of 2016, Templeton has shown an impressive long-term commitment to the club. And he is keen to help take the Light Blues back through the divisions and back to the top of Scottish football and taking advice from two of his old Tynecastle colleagues. Templeton added: â??Iâ??ve spoken to some of the boys such as Ian Black and Lee Wallace and they are loving it here. â??Once I had spoken to them, I thought I wanted to be part of this and to help get Rangers back to where they belong. Iâ??m looking forward to being part of that. â??Itâ??s a good challenge for us. I want to help the club succeed and to get back into Europe again as it should be. Iâ??m looking forward to the next four years.â?
  9. ALLY MCCOIST has admitted tonight that Hearts winger is David Templeton is a player he would like to sign. The Tynecastle star, who scored against Liverpool at Anfield tonight, is one of several players the Manager hopes to bring to Ibrox prior to tomorrow nightâ??s transfer window slamming shut at midnight. He said: â??We will have to wait and see what happens but Iâ??ve said for a number of weeks we need to get bodies in. â??David is certainly one we would be really, really keen to get along with a few others. â??Since the last time we spoke I think Maurice and Kirk have gone the other way. â??So tomorrow and maybe tonight have to be busy for us. â??In an ideal world I would like to get another keeper in and let young Gall go and play somewhere. â??But that isnâ??t a priority at the moment. â??I certainly think we need a handful if not six, I really do because we are really low on numbers. â??But I think we have to appreciate where we are and there is a mixed bag in terms of how people perceive us right now. â??Weâ??re an SFL 3 team and the priority is to get out of the league. â??So people have a different perception of us right now and we just need to see what the next 24 hours bring.â?
  10. RANGERS have completed a deal for Greek defender Anestis Argyriou and the 24-year-old is set to go straight into the squad for tomorrowâ??s game at Berwick. The former under-21 international has spent the last two weeks on trial at Murray Park after becoming a free agent in the summer. He has done enough to convince Ally McCoist that he is worthy of a contract and he has successfully completed a medical and signed a two-year contract. International clearance has come through for Argyriou so he is free to be involved in the third league match of the season if McCoist wants him. Argyriou can play at centre back or a right back. He spent the last two seasons with AEK Athens were he made 11 league appearances and previously played for Panathinaikos. He has seven under-21 caps. The Greek defender becomes the seventh capture following the signings of Ian Black, Dean Shiels, Fran Sandaza, Emilson, Kevin Kyle and Sebastien Faure. *
  11. *MAURICE EDU is edging ever closer to completing a move to Stoke City in the Premiership after over four years at Ibrox. Stoke have today confirmed that they have agreed personal terms with the 26-year-old American international. The transfer is now subject to Edu passing a medical over the weekend and then being granted a work permit. The American international made 125 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals in the process. Signed by Walter Smith in August 2008 from MLS side Toronto FC, he collected SPL winner's medals in each of his first three seasons in Glasgow. Arguably his most memorable individual moment in a Rangers shirt was the injury time winner against Celtic in February 2010 that sent the Light Blues 10 points clear of their rivals with a game in hand. As well as three league championships the 26-year-old leaves Glasgow with two winner's medals from the League Cup. He was a second half substitute in the dramatic 2010 final that saw Rangers defeat St Mirren with just nine men. And he played the full 120 minutes a year later as Rangers clinched an extra time win over Celtic at Hampden. Edu has not featured for Ally McCoist's side this season but has turned out for the USA in an historic 1-0 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
  12. LUCA GASPAROTTO is staying fully focused on Sundayâ??s SFA Youth Cup tie despite harbouring ambitions to follow in the footsteps of Barrie McKay and Lewis Macleod. The 17-year-old Canadian has been impressive in pre-season friendlies for the Light Blues and having played in the same youth side as McKay and Macleod the centre back is hoping to continue his progress too. But after missing a chunk of last season with a wrist injury he is simply focussing on a first competitive outing this season, against St Johnstone on Sunday. He said: â??Right now Iâ??m just focussing on Sundayâ??s game and on getting the win. It would be nice to get in to the first team someday but Iâ??ll just keep working hard and going strong. â??Things this year have been going well. Iâ??ve been round training with the first team a couple of times and played 40 minutes in a bounce game last week. â??Thatâ??s been a dream come true for me, just to be able to train with them is a step forward and Iâ??m hoping to keep going. â??Itâ??s a whole new level and just being there training makes you a better player. Itâ??s so much quicker and you have to adapt to a different level. â??All the guys round there have been so helpful and I look up to them all as role models and thatâ??s nice to have around to learn from. â??Itâ??s wonderful seeing how far Barrie and Lewis have come and how much they have progressed and Iâ??m so happy that Iâ??ve played alongside them. â??Seeing them in the first team where they are doing extremely well helps all the young boys to see what we can do and keeps us going and gives us a target.â? Impressing this Sunday at Ibrox would be another step for the young defender, and he canâ??t wait for that chance. He added: â??Itâ??s wonderful playing at Ibrox. Iâ??ve played there once before last year in the cup so Iâ??m looking forward to it and Iâ??m sure all the lads are. â??Last year I was out for three months with a wrist injury so itâ??s been great getting back and I think Iâ??ve played around five games in the last two weeks. â??Itâ??s been great being back on the pitch and playing football again. â??The fans have been unbelievable, sending messages on Twitter and thatâ??s been wonderful to see and it makes me want to play even harder to give them something to talk about. â??I want to be able to show them what I can do and I think all the young players do that, we want to play for the fans as well as the club.â?
  13. JIM SINCLAIR canâ??t wait to see a Rangers youth side in competitive action again with an under-20 team set for Youth Cup action. The Academy boss says his young players are raring to go, but knows the clash with St Johnstone at Ibrox will be a tough one. His young side have yet to kick off in the SFL reserve league so go in to Sundayâ??s clash at disadvantage against the Perth outfit. He said: â??We are delighted to have some action, the only pity being that we havenâ??t played a competitive match so far this season. â??The SFL reserve league doesnâ??t start for a few weeks yet so weâ??re going in to the game a wee bit on the back foot, but weâ??re looking forward to it. â??Itâ??s at Ibrox which is always a good education for the kids and we hope thereâ??s a healthy turn out to support them.* â??We have a hard game on Sunday and St Johnstone have already played some games in their under-20 league so itâ??s going to be a tough task. â??Itâ??s an under-20 competition but we will be a very young side, predominantly under-17 and under-18 with a few under-19s. â??In some cases weâ??ll be giving away a couple of years but while itâ??s a young group, itâ??s a good group and we hope we can make a fist of it.â? Sinclair is hoping that the emergence of former Youth Cup stars Lewis Macleod and Barrie McKay as first team contenders can encourage his current crop of stars to continue their own progress through hard work. He added: â??Thereâ??s nothing worse than working hard on a daily basis and not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. â??But the manager has certainly given that light and the kids are working hard to that end.* â??If Barrie and Lewis can continue to keep a foothold in the first team then that sets a great path for the younger players.â? Kick off on Sunday is at 1pm at Ibrox. You can pay at the gate, £4 for adults and £1 for concessions/juveniles.
  14. RANGERS kick off their SFA Youth Cup campaign on Sunday against St Johnstone at Ibrox. Ahead of the game, Jim Sinclair and Luca Gasparotto spoke to the media today at Auchenhowie and our official photographer was there to capture it. {gallery}/Press/2012_08_23/YouthCup{/gallery}
  15. JIM SINCLAIR his hoping Rangers make a better fist of the Youth Cup this season when they kick off their campaign on Sunday at Ibrox. Last year saw the clubâ??s under-19 side fall at the first hurdle in a 3-1 extra-time defeat to Dundee United at Ibrox. That ended a run that had seen the Light Blues reaching five consecutive Hampden finals in the competition. It was a massive disappointment for everyone in the clubâ??s youth department, but the progress of both Barrie McKay and Lewis Macleod from the under-19 team that day to the first team now is what Sinclair is most proud of. He said: â??Thatâ??s success for us. They have done very well and I hope they continue to do well for the manager during the course of the year.* â??We were bitterly disappointed with that result last year because we had a group that we thought would have done better and it was a result from which we never really recovered. â??But weâ??re not really here to produce teams as everyone should be aware. Weâ??re here to get players in to the first team and it really is a bonus if the sides do well at that age. â??Reaching finals is good for their education, but the bottom line is that we need to try to get players ready for the manager to support and complement the first team squad.â? That has continued to happen for the Light Blues with a number of youth team graduates reaching the first team over the past few seasons. And with Sundayâ??s side against St Johnstone likely to be shorn of eligible players like McKay and Macleod who will travel to Berwick with the first, it is something Sinclair hopes to see continuing. He added: â??If I had the choice, this is the way it would be. If we had a full complement of youth players and none in the first team squad Iâ??d be bitterly disappointed. â??We have Barrie, Lewis and Robbie Crawford, I suspect, with the first team and also Kamil Wiktorski who may travel with the squad. â??Thatâ??s success for us though. That will be one glimmer for us at the end of Sunday if the result doesnâ??t go well, the fact that weâ??ve had kids in the first team squad.â? Kick off on Sunday is at 1pm at Ibrox. You can pay at the gate, £4 for adults and £1 for concessions/juveniles.
  16. RANGERS Football Club is delighted to announce today a Joint Venture (JV) with retail giant SportsDirect.com that enables Rangers to once again control its retail operation and gives supporters the chance to buy direct from the Club and in doing so, continue to invest in its future. * Rangers Retail, a subsidiary company of The Rangers Football Club Ltd, has been formed with SportsDirect.com which enables the Club to utilise the huge buying power and resources of SportsDirect.com while maintaining the majority stake-holding in the JV. * Sports Direct employs around 19,000 people in over 470 stores in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. As part of the JV, Rangers will have greater control over the range, price and design of products while benefitting from wider distribution through SportsDirect.com stores, although the Club will control its own Megastore at Ibrox and the online provision for supporters. This JV pulls on the strengths of all parties â?? Rangersâ?? knowledge of the brand, fan base and ability to research and survey supporter opinion and input, marketing and communication and SportsDirect.comâ??s retail prowess, buying power, merchandising and distribution reach.* Rangers will also be looking at new retail opportunities including an airport site which fans have been requesting for years. Fans have been keen for Rangers to bring its retail operation back in-house for a number of years in order to improve product range and have more control over merchandise and one benefit of the events of recent months has been the Clubâ??s ability to renegotiate its commercial contracts. Rangers now has the opportunity to create a new JV retail model and as a result, the more that our fans invest in retail products, the more revenue can be generated and re-invested back into the Club. Supporters will see changes happening from today when the store returns to Club control. Thereafter the transition will happen in stages with a Rangers Megastore website being introduced and then wider distribution throughout the UK and overseas.* Rangers Chief Executive Charles Green commented: â??We are delighted to have SportsDirect.com on board as they are one of the worldâ??s top retail brands. This deal will be beneficial to both parties but more importantly the supporters who will be able to buy direct from Rangers once again and support their club.* â??This is an exciting opportunity for Rangers to really drive revenues through the sale of merchandise with SportsDirect.com and profits will be reinvested back into the team and the Club. * â??Rangers fans are passionate about all aspects of their Club and I know this new deal will improve our retail operation immeasurably and allow fans greater access to Rangers products worldwide.â? A spokesperson for SportsDirect.com commented: â??This is a very exciting deal for SportsDirect.com and we are pleased to be forming a retail partnership with one of the UKâ??s most recognised football clubs. Building on our well established retail and brand experience, we look forward to working with Rangers to offer a wider selection of official apparel and merchandise to their increasingly global fan base.â? All JJB staff contracted as part of the Rangers retail operation will TUPE across to Rangers Retail allowing the Club to maintain continuity with knowledgeable staff. *
  17. FOLLOWING the administration of RFC 2012 plc (formerly the Rangers Football Club plc) on 14 February 2012, The Rangers Football Club Ltd ("RFC") and JJB Sports plc ("JJB") can today confirm that they have reached agreement on the terms of a settlement agreement regarding the future licensing and manufacturing of the Rangers football kit.* Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, JJB has agreed to transfer to RFC the operation of the Rangers retail megastore at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow and the right to all trademarks and licence to manufacture the Rangers football kit. The transfer of the Rangers retail megastore is now complete. JJB will continue to stock the Rangers football kit for the duration of the 2012/2013 football league season. *
  18. ALLY McCOIST insists the Rangers recruitment drive needs to be stepped up before the transfer window shuts in nine daysâ?? time. From September 1 the Light Blues will be unable to register a player until January, 2014 after being forced to accept a singing embargo by the SFA as a condition of membership. So far McCoist has brought in Ian Black, Dean Shiels, Francisco Sandaza, Kevin Kyle, Emilson and French defender Sebastien Faure who signed a three-year deal yesterday. Significantly he also re-signed Andy Little who has made the difference in the last two matches. However, he has effectively lost an entire squad of players â?? many of whom were involved in the capture of three successive SPL titles and it is so difficult to replace that quality. Since January a total of 23 first team players have left: Davie Weir, Nikica Jelavic, Jordan McMillan, Thomas Kind Bendiksen, Gregg Wylde, Mervan Celik, Stevie Naismith, Steven Whittaker, Allan McGregor, Steve Davis, Kyle Lafferty, Sasa Papac, Sone Aluko, Kyle Bartley, John Fleck, Juan Ortiz, Jamie Ness, Rhys McCabe, David Healy, Salim Kerkar, Alejandro Bedoya, Grant Adam and Dorin Goian. Maurice Edu will almost certainly join this list and there may well be other departures in the next week so it is clearly apparent to the manager that signings have to be made. McCoist told RangersTV: *â??Itâ??s really clear to me and the rest of the staff that we need to get bodies in because we were right down to the bare essentials last night. â??We had Lee Wallace and Dean Shiels â?? two of our better players out through injury â?? and we did well to fill the bench. â??So I think we need to sit down and make sure we can add to the squad in the next few days.â? Former Lyon defender Faure completed a deal yesterday but Rangers are still waiting for international clearance from the French Football Federation. McCoist said: *â??Sebastien has come in and really impressed us in training and also in the closed door game that we had. â??He certainly looks aggressive enough and he has good use of the ball. He is young and hopefully he can flourish in the next two or three years. We certainly have high hopes for him. â??Dorin Goian has gone to Spezia in Serie B on a season-long loan and it looks like Maurice Edu is in talks with Stoke City, according to his agent. â??I would rather it was the other round and we had two players coming in and one going out.â? WATCH EXCLUSIVES WITH McCOIST AND FAURE TONIGHT ON RANGERSTV *
  19. ALLY McCOIST has confirmed that Ipswich Town are keen on landing Mo Edu as the Rangers boss continues to look at ways to bolster his squad. Edu made it clear to the manager that he wants to move on for the sake of his international career as much as anything. Fellow countryman Alejandro Bedoya has already left and made his debut for Helsingborgs last weekend, scoring with an overhead kick in a 2-1 defeat by Elfsborg. Championship side Ipswich have now made a firm bid for Edu, but as yet the American midfielder has not opted to make the switch to East Anglia. McCoist said: â??As far as I know there is an offer on the table from Ipswich but as yet he hasnâ??t accepted. He trained this morning and Iâ??m just hopeful that something can be resolved sooner rather than later.â? The manager is hopeful of tying up some more deals this week as he continues to monitor Greek defender Anestis Argiriou, Argentinean midfielder Francesco Celeste, French defender Sebastien Faure and Italian-Australian striker Francesco Stella. He said: â??We have a couple of meetings today. The trialists have been showing up well and Iâ??m trying to organise another bounce game for the middle of the week. â??Hopefully we will have some news in the next couple of days on one or two new signings. â??I still want to get in a good few. I want to get the squad bolstered. I was looking at the numbers this morning and we need a few in, thatâ??s for sure.â? *
  20. DEAN SHIELS and Lee Wallace are both doubts ahead of tomorrow night's Ramsdens Cup second round tie against Falkirk. Northern Ireland ace Shiels was taken off midway through the first half in Rangers' 5-1 victory over East Stirlingshire on Saturday and Wallace also picked up an injury but played the 90 minutes. Both now look to be struggling for the trip to Westfield as the Light Blues look for revenge following last season's shock 3-2 League Cup exit to the Bairns. Ally McCoist, speaking at his pre-match press conference at Murray Park, said: â??Dean is struggling with a thigh knock he got on Saturday, there will be a doubt also about Lee Wallace as he took a kick. â??Leeâ??s hopeful he will make it but that will be touch and go as well. â??But we know all about Falkirk, we didnâ??t do well against them at all last year in the cup tie. â??I think they are one of the favourites or one of the better sides in the division they are in. â??They have a good young manager thatâ??s played at the top level and is certainly very thoughtful about his football. â??So it is a great game for us again, we have a couple of cup ties coming up and the whole thing is still exciting for us at the moment and fresh. â??Itâ??s great and I think all the cup ties this season will have as much, if not more, significance this season than in many years." Having already beaten Brechin City in this season's Ramsdens Cup competition McCoist now wants his side to go all the way and give everything to get their hands on the silverware. He said: â??You know weâ??re now in a position where every game is important to the club. â??It would be totally wrong not to treat the Ramsdens Cup with anything other than total focus and a desire to win it. â??Thatâ??s the case, I donâ??t think we have ever won the Ramsdens Cup so it would be fantastic for the club to go and do that. â??But equally there will be tough games along the way, starting with Falkirk. â??I know big Elvis well, heâ??s a good lad and I played with him and against him. â??He probably wont be happy with the league start they have had but at the same time theyâ??ll certainly improve because I donâ??t have any doubt they are one of the better teams in the league. â??Heâ??ll have them organised and raring to go again."
  21. RANGERS romped to a 5-1 win in their first home league match of the season. As always we covered it across multiple channels, and here you can enjoy the best of the audio clips from today's game. http://soundcloud.com/rfc_official/little-happy-to-play-anywhere http://soundcloud.com/rfc_official/mccoist-on-rangersfamily http://soundcloud.com/rfc_official/mccoist-on-little http://soundcloud.com/rfc_official/mccoist-on-mckay http://soundcloud.com/rfc_official/mccoist-on-east-stirlingshire http://soundcloud.com/rfc_official/charles-green-ibrox-address
  22. BARRIE McKAY hopes his virtuoso performance as a substitute against East Stirlingshire has won him his place back in the Rangers team. The 17-year-old was hugely unfortunate to be omitted from the side which started against John Coughlinâ??s men after his first competitive goal for the club last week at Peterhead. But he soon got a chance to shine when he replaced Dean Shiels midway through the first half as he limped off with a dead leg which makes him unlikely to face Falkirk on Tuesday. McKayâ??s movement, vision, awareness and passing were all terrific as he turned in a showing which belied his young age. Expressing himself with the freedom you would expect from a seasoned professional with years of experience under his belt, he was outstanding at times. He played a key role in the goal which sealed Andy Littleâ??s hat-trick then set up Lee McCullochâ??s clincher in a 5-1 win with a delightful pass to the forward. McKay certainly doesnâ??t seem fazed by turning out in front of crowds such as the wonderful gathering of 49,118 which was at Ibrox this afternoon. Instead, he has made it his objective to get back into the first XI for the midweek Ramsdens Cup tie at Westfield. The teenager said: â??It was quite frustrating not to start but you donâ??t expect to play every game at my age. â??Iâ??m still young and Iâ??m still working my way into the team. Iâ??m not an established player yet so I donâ??t think Iâ??ll play all the time but it was good to come on. â??When you come to a club like this you expect there to be pressure on you, even at youth level, and you need to be able to deal with that. â??I enjoyed the game because the more I got on the ball, the more confident I got and itâ??s just as important for me to set up goals as it is to score them. I love that. â??Hopefully now I can come back into the team. Iâ??m young and I just want to play as many games as possible if the manager gives me a chance. â??The more I play, the better it will be for me and the more experience Iâ??ll get. Itâ??s always a bonus to be as involved as possible. â??Now weâ??ve got a big game on Tuesday. You want to win every time you play and I never like to get beaten so weâ??ll see what happens in midweek.â? Poll: # RFCvESFC - Who was the man of the match for you today? Reply w/ # Barrie # Andy # Fran or # Lewis twt.pl/1Bf â?? Rangers FC Official (@RFC_Official) August 18, 2012
  23. HAT-TRICK hero Andy Little admits heâ??s happy to stay on the right side of midfield if it means he keeps playing for Rangers every week. The striker has so far found himself moved to a wider role this term and he started there against today against East Stirlingshire at Ibrox. But despite being out of position, he turned the game on its head in the first half with a fine double after Paul Quinnâ??s shocker opener for the away team. And after Fran Sandaza got his first strike for the club, Little completed his treble ahead of a Lee McCulloch counter in injury time which sealed a good 5-1 win. Little got the chance to play up front in the second half of last term alongside McCulloch but has been pushed to the flank due to the summer arrivals of Sandaza and Kevin Kyle. Heâ??s simply happy to be playing after committing to the club for the long term though and the Northern Ireland hitman will accept a continuation of that situation. Little said: â??I got about 10 to 15 minutes up front towards the end and immediately I thought Iâ??d got a penalty and I had a goal knocked off too. â??Iâ??d like to think Iâ??ll score when I go up there but at the same time I know I can do a job out on the right. â??I do think Iâ??d do better through the middle but Iâ??m not going to make a fuss about it and if I keep getting games Iâ??ll be more than happy. â??Thatâ??s my aim this season, to get games and more minutes under my belt. If Iâ??m playing at right midfield regularly, Iâ??m pleased with that.â? Littleâ??s hat-trick was the first of his senior career and he took his goals well, particularly before the break. His leveller was a crisp right-footed finish with his right foot from 12 yards before he stooped low to head in shortly before the break. The 23-year-old actually had two second-half efforts ruled out for offside as well but did claim the match ball with a poked effort from close range after Sandaza was denied. Little added: â??It was an awesome feeling to get my third. The gaffer said to me to try to get my hat-trick at half-time and I maybe tried a wee bit too hard at the start of the second half. â??The boys were giving me a bit of stick and I should probably have passed it a few times but Iâ??m delighted to score three for the first time. â??Playing in front of more than 49,000 people and getting a couple of goals early on, I think I saw my name in lights. â??But it was good to get there and also to get the victory. I know Iâ??ve got to keep trying to improve and to put a few more away.â? Little has now matched his tally of five goals from last season already after earlier strikers against Brechin City and Peterhead before August is even out. But thereâ??s little danger of him getting complacent and he is eager to keep adding to his tally for the campaign. He smiled: â??I want to keep getting amongst the goals. I think at the end of last season I showed I can do that when I play. â??Iâ??m absolutely loving the fact Iâ??m getting a few starts and I did feel whenever I was involved last season that I could score so hopefully that can continue.â?
  24. RANGERS boss Ally McCoist is hopeful that the clubâ??s fans will continue to back the Light Blues after a sell-out at Ibrox today. A full house watched McCoistâ??s side beat East Stirlingshire 5-1 and the manager was blown away by the loyalty of the home support in recent weeks. Over 33,000 season tickets have been sold and after a near 40,000 crowd in the League Cup, the clubâ??s opening home league game saw over 49,000 packed in to Ibrox. The backing was welcomed by McCoist, who is hoping to see similar numbers for the entire season. He said: â??Itâ??s quite unbelievable really. I just think itâ??s incredible. I looked out of my office at about half past one today and Edmiston Drive was choc-a-block. â??That was fantastic and itâ??s a statement it really is. Itâ??s really encouraging for the staff, the players and everyone at the club. â??When you are getting support like that from the fans we can only go one way and we must keep going forward. â??What a statement it was today that they turned out in the numbers they did today. â??I would encourage them to, and hope that they would, continue that throughout the season.â?
  25. HAT-TRICK hero Andy Little was real positive element of todayâ??s 5-1 win over East Stirlingshire for boss Ally McCoist. The Rangers manager saw the Northern Ireland striker bag his first club treble and praised the 23-year-old for his contribution. Little drew Rangers level after they fell behind and ensured they ended the half ahead, before notching his third and Rangersâ?? fourth in the second period. It was a great moment for Little and McCoist praised the forward for his all action style as well as his finishing. The boss said: â??Thereâ??s always something happening when Andyâ??s in town thatâ??s for sure! â??He creates chances and probably could have had another two. He should have squared one to Sandaza but he was great so we have no problems with Andy.* â??He has bundles of energy and he makes things happen even when weâ??re playing him in a position that probably wouldnâ??t be his most favoured at the moment. â??He is well aware, as are the other lads, that itâ??s a small sacrifice in terms of the overall team performance which is the most important thing. â??He certainly looks as though he is going to get on the end of things for us, thatâ??s for sure.â?
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