MoodyBlue

You could be right mate, but the issue I have is what if him having to go off and us having to play with a makeshift back line had cost us the game and the trophy? Ok, so it's just a 'what if', but I couldn't understand why he had to go off then could be seen practically doing laps of Hampden during the celebrations.

oh, don't get me wrong , I agree with what you're saying. I was just trying to put across what his mind would have been thinking. I'm sure Algeria are more important to him and closer to his heart than Rangers - hence why I think he didn't think twice about coming off.

You're right - he was bouncing about after the game and back at Ibrox - whcih tells me it's not that serious and he put Algeria before us and a cup final outcome.

Boogie might do alot of ' i love rangers' etc. but let's be honest he's a French Algerian who, whilst he probably does enjoy playing for us, doesn't really have as much committment to the club as he'd like us to think.

It can't be that bad an injury when you look at the way he was running around the pitch with his Algeria flag on Sunday. At one point in the video Ian posted of the celebrations Bougherra bombs past Weir and Davie slowly follows his run with his head. You can almost sense him thinking 'if you had to come off injured, why are you running around like a nutcase?'. I'm certain that Weir wasn't impressed.

I'm pretty certain he'll play at the weekend. You can tell by the way he is talking that this is a huge game for him. he's been looking forward to it for ages. maybe felt a wee tweak on Sunday and decided he didn't want to make it any worse to rule him out for the Algeria game. We pay his wages, but you can understand the passion he has for his country and what it means to him and their people.

If any of us went over to play for an Algerian club, would we be as committed as we could be in certain situations ??

IMO we have a player in Hutton who can be a far more effective player than McCulloch.

McCulloch lacks mobility, has a poor passing range, lets people go past him far too easily and generally doesn't really give us any oopmh or drive from midfield.

Hutton is far more mobile and energetic. His pasing and his movement is far better and he sees things on the pitch that McCulloch can only dream of seeing.

Sad state of affairs when we're desparate for Lee McCulloch to come back.

before his injury he wasn't exactly an effective player in our midfield. His 'hard man' tag is an absolute joke. He is easily brushed past by many opposition players and couldn't tackle a fish supper. He limits himself to 5-10 yard sideways or backward passes. If you watch him in a game, it is rare for him to pass the ball in a forward direction - and even when he does, his accuracy is shocking.

No, i've never been a fan of him. He's been a very, very lucky boy to have played for Rangers and earned a fortune in doing so. Along with Lafferty I feel Smith threw �£6m down the drain when he signed them - and almost the same again on wages :disgusted: That is unforgiveable IMO.

Give me Hutton any day over 'Big Lee'

He didn't do that on Sunday though when Bougherra was replaced. Which might be an indicator that Whittaker could cover centre half. Hasn't he already done so this season.

that's true mate. You can never tell with Walter though. He might see Weiss as a cover at CH for all we know !!

IF Boogie is out, then I think Smith will push Papac to CH and have Whittaker and Foster as fullbacks.

Looks like Bartley is out for season.

Actually - I have a quick update on Bartley in general.

I posted last week that I knew Craig Eastmonds' aunt. he is a 20 year old Arsenal playere who is on lona at Millwall at the moment. I've asked her to let me know if she gets any info on Bartley via Eastmond as I know they are in contact with each other now and again.

many of the younger Arsenal players seemed to have sent texts to Bartley following his injury against PSV and again after Sunday. Just askeing how he was etc. and what the cup final was like, evern though he didn't play.

Anyway the jist of what I got via Eastmond's aunty was that Bartley has really enjoyed his stint with us. Unlikely to play again this season. Blown away by OF atmosphere and has loved the european games - but felt we should have gone for it more !

Wants to have a discussion with Wenger about his future as soon as possible. Won't rule anytuing out at this stage. Ideally wants to be part of Arsenal matchday squad next year. Wants to play in the EPL one way or another. Wishes Rangers were in EPL. Loves it at such a big club as Rangers, but down side is 'having to go to places like St Mirren with 5,000 people'.

Seems like if he could pick Rangers up and put them in EPL he'd be more than happy to stay.

very ambitious lad. looking to get into Englad squad within 2-3 years, so feels he has to start proving himself in EPL.

That's pretty much what I got. Probably no real surprises there but the fact that this has come from the player himself maybe give us more facts on the situation.

I'll update with any other news if I get it.

if we're that bad, he won't want to attend Ibrox anymore and be srrounded by us will he ?

I wish our club would grow a set and ban this khunt. After these latest comments why on earth should he be allowed within our ground ?? This is a man who will be given free refreshments and allowed access into the suites within Ibrox. Are we mad ?

Someone need to have a 'word' with this idiot.

I'd rather Hutton or Ness played instead of McCulloch.

Gone - but never, ever forgotten.

I had a wee look up in the sky as all the celebrations were going on after the game on Sunday - and I knew he was looking down on it all and loving every second.

We miss you Coop.

Evans, as Deputy footy editor for the Times has written 52 articles in the past 3 and a half years (roughly) and never once has he written about Rangers, Celtic or anything even remotely related to the subject of sectarianism.

 

This looks to me like an article written by Britney and published by Evans. It'll reach a wider audience if published in the Times rather than the Scottish edition which doesn't sell very well. Britney has pulled a fast one here becuase he's given Evans a pretty controversial article to publish under his own name whilst at the same time not had to put his own discredited name to such a pile of agenda-filled drivel. Combined with it hitting a much bigger readership, it looks like Britney has stepped up his attack on Rangers and managed to do it by manipulating someone else into putting their name to it. Of course, that's just conjecture/guesswork.

you are 100% spot on IMO.

I honestly think it would have. There were always going to be jungles and their sympathisers writing articles about yesterdays songbook, no matter the result and always going to be letters and emails of complaint getting written to various authorities no matter the result. It's par for course now.

you could be right mate - but I bet him and Queersy were dying to put this out in order to try and ease their pain after a defeat.

Our songbook is fine. As long as the fans unite we have a massive power in and outside of our club. When people see we are no longer a soft touch then they' start to see thay are losing the fight.

We stood for the whole game and we sang TBB yesterday. I didn't see anyone getting lifted for either of these 'offences'

Sing it loud, sing it proud bears !!

This has Britney's paws all over it.

exactly - the combination of him and this khunt Evans is just laughable.

They are hurting - and I am fooking loving it !!

would this have come out if the taigs had won yesterday ?? I think not.

Tony Evans is just another bitter taig from Scouseland.

GIRFUY Evans ya fat Scouse khunt !!

I'm happy with that. Hope the others pull out. Can't afford any more injuries.

the guy is a complete erse.

it's also clear that he has been in contact with Queersy. No doubt after rimming each other !!

much better performance aby all the players than of late.

special mention to Whittaker, who did well at right back and was outstanding when he went to CH. When Boogie went off I feared the worst, but Whittaker was solid.

Fantastic tackle from Hooper shot late on.

He may not be Messi, but Whittkerr has been played in more positions than Ron Jeremy recently !!

Can't be easy for him not having a settled position most of the time.

TBB is brilliant. No better sound than all the bears belting it out.

Fantsatic day yesterday. So many of us standing made such a big difference. I was proud of the team and the fans yesterday - and it's not too often we can say that hand on heart.

We MUST keep this atmos and vibe going for the rest of the season. And we need to start filling Ibrox again. We have a big task on our hands. We're all delighted at them moment - let's not go backwards now. Keep the momentum going. Don't give the taigs ANYTHING.

As fans we CAN make a difference. We'll get alot more out of our team if we have a packed Ibrox rocking with noise than we will do with 10k missing and the rest sitting in near silence for 90 mins.

We'll get back what we put in bears.

Let's do it.

Fair enough MB but you can probably see where I'm coming from. Every snot phoning a radio station has to qualify himself by saying he's a ST holder, we've all heard it often enough, as if only those credentials allow him to speak with the authority of a true supporter. It's by no means only Rangers either but it is a complete tosh when you really think about it.

 

Season tickets had some practical purpose when pay as you go tickets were hard to acquire but I know people who have regularly attended on the basis of pay as you go for years, preferring the choice of spending their money according to the willingness of the club to treat them with respect (shop a fan) or run the club properly.

 

However, it's not just a matter of principle with respcet to the owner or directors. Season tickets have added to the decline in atmosphere almost as much as the volume of the tannoy music (that must contravene some HSE regulations) by preventing football being a shared enjoyment in the way almost every other activity can be. For this reason I completely support your call for rover tickets, which should be standard for at least 30% of the stadium. But do you see anyone putting the customer first in this regard? Not a chance as long as we appear to be so easily satisfied - something usually confirmed in a commercial transaction by paying your money. Paying everything in advance usually sends the signal you don't give a monkeys about the quality of the product being served up, just that you can be sure to get it.

I hear what your saying - and agree about the decline in atmosphere. I'd happily start again with ST's and place more emphasis on Rover tickets.

It's an emotional thing for me - I feel I have to be there every week. I've never done drugs, but it's like an addiction. Regardless of having a ST or not I'd be there every week.

At the end of the day whether ST holder or not, we're all Rangers fans and we all want the same thing. We have differing opinions on how to get there but ultimately we all share the same goal.

We can start by pumping that mhob on Sunday. Walter and the players owe us one big time !!

Come on bears.

maineflyer.

I am not saying being a ST holder is some sort of badge of honour. For someone like myself who goes to every game it is a convenient way of managing my entrace to the stadium. I don't have to keep buying a ticket every second week, so makes it easy access. This will be the mindset of thousands of other bears, so I don't see the big deal here.

As mention, from an even more practical point of view I think the club should scrap the current seating plan and introduce Rover Tickets for at leaset certain part of the ground. Groups of friends and RSC's would be able ot sit next to each other - and I'd like to think that would at least improve the atmos. Groups like TBO and UB's could also get together easier.

Rover Tickets should be re-introduced.

Copland would be a good place to start - as well as Enclosures.

I will renew - without a doubt. I have hated the football on display over the past few years. But i support Rangers through thick and thin and I'll be there for life. �£400-�£600 is a fair/reasonable amount to pay IMO.

I do, however, expect a big decrease in renewals. Apathy has hit our support big time. Many put the money factor as the main issue, but I know many bears who did not renew this season because they were just losing interest - they have no money worries at all. Supporter apathy is the biggest concern we should have

I'd expect there to be less than 35,000 ST's at Ibrox next season and crowds of over 40k will become rarer and rarer.

I'm not convinced by Whyte. Don't know what it is , but I have an uneasy feeling about him.

He jumped so well for it (as he usually does for headers) so I was astounded he didn't hit the back of the net...!

 

Bougherra's miss shortly after that was not quite so bad but also very poor.

he does jump well mate - and I agree, I was absolutely stunned when he didn't hit the net with it. a shocking miss in reality. but it sums us up. on the odd occassions when we do attack, we have absolutely no composure or clynical finishing. Edu's was another that we 'messed up'

Naismith did so well and looked really sharp but his glaring miss dropped him a point...

IMO his header that hit the bar was an absolute sitter. Was easier to score than hit the bar. Dreadful miss.

Christ, I'm still raging/furious/frustrated. Woe betide any taig who comes anywhere near me today !!

Wylde by a distance

Bartley looked to be organising things at the back in recent games so hopefully he can take on the role of organiser in the future.

 

I was watching a championship game the other day and there was a player on loan from Arsenal. How many players do they actually have on their books? They seem to have players all over the place.

IMO Bartley seems to be doing more organising and 'captaining' than most. Shouting, organising, encouraging and effectively leading the team. We've been lacking that for a while. We severely lack natural leaders on the park - that's half our problem. Too many quiet guys who prefer to hide rather than stand up and take responsibility.