Gribz

Arsenal have been poor at home recently though - 3 seconds of injury time until the scored against Villa! Im hoping they beat Chelsea but cant see it - draw at best. They need Adebyeor to come back to form and Van Persie to find some. They are missing Rosicky aswell, when they have him in a 5 man midfield with Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini and another (probably Gilberto) they look a lot stronger. Hopefully Liverpool do what Man City did and catch Man Utd out. It would make for a better title finish. I can still see a 3 way battle though as Man Utd still have to go to Stamford Bridge.

Huge weekend of fixtures with the relegation threatened sides all playing at 3pm and a huge Super Sunday. Saturday 12:45 Tottenham v Portsmouth: Spurs are coming off yet another classic game following there 4-4 draw with Chelsea in midweek. They could have ended up with all 3 points had Berbatov's injury time chance not been brilliantly saved by Cudicini. Portsmouth are very much in the european chase and there away form this season is good. I think both sides will cancel each other out. Draw 3pm: Aston Villa v Sunderland: A few weeks ago Villa were in the hunt for the 4th Champions League spot. This now seems a bit beyond them after Liverpool finding 4 wins from nowhere. Sunderland have been relying on there home form but have lost the last 2. They sit just outside the bottom 3 but face arguably the toughest match of the bottom sides this weekend. Home Win. Blackburn v Wigan: The form guide here would suggest an away win. Wigan have been on the up of late and plucked out some good points. Blackburn have had a slight blip of late and must turn it around if they want to make Europe. This will be far from a classic and I was leaning towards a draw but i think Blackburn may nick it. Home Win. Bolton v Man City: Bolton are the current side who are cant find a point from anywhere. Now the UEFA cup is out of the way they can solely concentrate on survival. Man City have picked up a few points again recently in there charge for europe. This will be a tough Lancashire derby but I dont see much goals and a 0-0 is likely. Draw. Middlesboro v Derby: This game could result in 2 things - Boro's survival and finally doom Derby which has been coming since October anyway. Boro have been decent of late and are probably the better side out of those fighting relegation, they must be rubbing there hands at the thought of this weekends fixtures. Derby were impressive against Man Utd last weekend and unlucky not to get a point but that was due to the occasion rather than quality. This will only go one way - Home Win. Newcastle v Fulham: We have some huge games this weekend and this is one of them. Fulham have picked up 4 points in there last 2 games and did well last time out against Everton. The gap between them and the rest no longer seems so large and they would be happy with another point in the North East. Newcastle still havent won this calender year or under Keegan. They fought back well against Birmingham last week to get a point. They surely have to win sometime. Home Win. Reading v Birmingham: This is as big as the previous match. Both sides will look at this and think its winnable and will give them a huge chance of staying up. Reading got back to back wins before a expected defeat at Anfield but wont let that knock them down for this one. They will fancy there decent home form to get them through here. Birmingham will think the same that they could go to the Madjeski and take all 3 points but would probably be the happier with a draw. Tough game to call, Im nearing towards and home win but will sit on the fence - Draw. 17:15: Everton v West Ham: The home side have been impressive all season but are now playing catch up for 4th spot against Liverpool. They will see going out the UEFA cup and losing at Fulham as blips and will expect to get back to winning ways here. The Hammers finally stopped the 4-0 thumpings of earlier this month to pick up 3 points last week, but they still look a bit like a side who dont know each other. I dont like to say it but - Home Win. Sunday: Man Utd v Liverpool: This game is always set up for a classic but normally is a boring draw or one by a single goal. Maybe we are due a classic. Man Utd just keep winning at the moment despite a few iffy performances but Ronaldo is on fire at the moment. Liverpool are on a great run with 5 consecutive wins in all comp's and Rafa Beneitiz has given up the rotation at the moment and letting Torres loose with Gerrard behind him - its working a treat. I can see Liverpool getting something here - Draw. Chelsea v Arsenal: Chelsea will be gutted about throwing away the league at Spurs in midweek 3 times. Had they won that they would be level with Arsenal going into this game so they will be kicking themselves. Arsenal have thrown away a 5 point lead in the league with 4 draws on the trot that should have been wins. Eduardo's injury marred things at Birmingham along with a dodgy penalty, the pitch at Wigan didnt help but its been there home form that they have struggled - they should be beating Middlesboro and Villa. They will need a master performance like the win in the San Siro to beat Chelsea but I just cant see them breaking down a solid looking Chelsea side. Tough to call and im edging towards Chelsea but - Draw.

See what your saying Jim but disagree about Europe. Getting to the quarter finals of the UEFA and putting out the team sitting 2nd in the German league is a good run for me. We didnt expect that at the start of the season and this was after great games against the French and German champions plus the mighty Barca at Ibrox in the CL. Only one team can win the UEFA out of about 64 teams plus the qualifiers and the CL drop outs - normally its a big side and Bayern Munich are odds on this season but I'll look back at our european run this season and think it was a good achievment. But who knows where we can go with Sporting next up - a tricky tie IMO and a team id have liked to avoided. But agreed on the SPL and SFA Cup - both are there for the taken at the moment - If we get 3 points next saturday against Celtic then its ours to throw away.

Stewarty - you remembering mate?? If not your other half can take over - Go on the Juff

Still a midweek game - Superb!! Although whats the odd's on a cancelation here!!!

Nah I dont just pick anyone for unearthig talent, for instance ive never said Gazza should go out and be a scout for us coz I dont think thats a position for him. Ive never said Mols, Caniggia or Thern, I just select former players i think would have the right brain for it. Holland have a great system in place so why not select pick De Boer - A Dutch great and former Ger to do such a role. Others who ive mentioned in the past who could do such job is Laudrup and Ray Wilkins.

Superb player - excellent thinker on and off the ball. Another who we should look to appoint to unearth some talent for us :cheers:

PS Just re-read some of the posts and picked this out from Craigs post, its a bit off topic but: The Partick game is a prime example of how good Walter is as a coach and how much McCoist has to learn. It also crossed my mind that Ally would have been in charge for this game and its refreshing to an extent that WS allows this. Although its not the first time something like this has happened. I remember a previous game (East Stirling maybe) when Ally was about to make a change and bring Cousin on and WS came hairing down the stairs to the tunnel and told him not to do that as Cousin should be left for the Lyon? game. We are lucky to have WS back and he has shown what a top high standard manager he is and he just knows how to win stuff. The turnaround has been brilliant in a year - infact he turned us around almost instantly as we were the best side in the league from january onwards last season - its really only his style of play that can be brought up for discussion.

Its a very fair question and all the views are correct on here whether its a yes or no - simply due to the fact that we are all allowed an opinion. I dont actually think it's anything new. Even when I had my ST under the Advocaat years there was games that were utterly boring to watch. I remember towards the end of that season and St Johnstone came to Ibrox - me and my mate were so bored with the game and lack of atmosphere we left at just after half time and went to the pub. But then we have to ask is it down to the level of Scottish football, or are we as fans expecting miracles due to past glory and the structure of the club? When I look around the UK I dont really see much excitement other than Arsenal and Man Utd - they play entertaining football most of the time. But they have been built upon over 21 and 12 years respectivley - no coincidence they have the longest serving managers by a mile. Maybe the fans at Ibrox are partly responsible. Its like sitting in a morgue at times when the less glamorius sides come and play us. Im sure if there was a rousing atmosphere it would lift SOME of the players a notch or two. I just looked at Derby last weekend against Man Utd - there fans gave it one last shot and the atmosphere was brilliant from the start and the poorest side in the league gave the champions elect a run for there money. Everyone is entitled to do act lkke they want at a game (to an extent) but its poor that Ibrox is so quiet unless a big game is on. I also dont think all seater stadiums helps that though. As for criticisim of the current side - IMO there are a few players who deserve to be criticised on current performances and the manager should take some flak for picking certain players. Thats what the fans are entitled to do when they pay so much money out of there salaries. Yes players arent going to like it but they are on big money and should never be immune to criticisim. Overall we cant complain about end results but we can complain about the lack of creativity in the team. Its something that hasnt been consistantly in the team since McLeish's early days when De Boer and Lovenkrands where in the team. Its the old saying - we are effective but unpretty to watch. Its not a bad thing though as it can still bring success.

Yeah, didnt you notice the red carpet was laid out for you for your return???

Ashley Cole is a bawbag. What human in there right mind turns round to Arsenal and calls them insulting for offering him 60k a week He is a closet poof anyway who romps with Campbell.

"....Pretty Bubbles in the Air...." Dagenham - A real eastender!! Went back to see the ground last August on my first trip to London in a while, I was in my element sitting on the District Line train on the way up to the ground - brought all the memories back from a Saturday in the last 80s, early 90s. BTW what World Cup did West Ham win??? Maybe you mean the FA Cup in 1980??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/heart_of_midlothian/7307966.stm Becoming silly for a club there size!! If Romanov walks away they are finished.

Imagine going to watch that - shouting "C'mon the Rangers" to a car

Sky showed Man u v Bolton ahead of Spurs v Chelsea??? I had both on but watched Spurs v Chelsea - awesome match. Huddlestone's goal was a cracker, Keanes goal was brilliant and J Cole' 2nd goal was a peach. Berbatov should have nicked it in injury time but a wonder save from Cudicini. Spurs have there fair share of classics. Thats Leceister and Man City both won 4-3 from being 3-0, Arsenal won there 5-4 not long ago and Villa and Chelsea drew 4-4 this season.

Why is it your a West Ham fan mate? The reason for me is I moved down south when I was 9 and my old man asked who I wanted to go and watch on a saturday. My inital thoughts were Arsenal and Chelsea as they were in the top league (never thought about Spurs or QPR who were doing well also), but he liked West Ham who were in the old 2nd division so he took me along there. First game I went to was home to West Brom and we got beat 3-2 but I was hooked with the atmoshphere and never looked back since. Used to stand in the old North Bank most of the time but sat in the main and east stand sometimes. I often wonder what would it have been like if my old man never took me that day and we went to Stamford bridge or Highbury instead.

Thats where some footballers can be naive, and i cant stand the way they all say you dont really understand things in the game unless you have played - bullshit. They use that as an excuse towards ref's. Have to say I like Andy Townsend though, im a fan of his weekend talksport show.

Thats a good bit further than Fir Park, Im sure the 34 fans arent going to travel there either.

It really depending on how i got to the game be it train, car or supporters bus. But I preferred the train and took it the most on a saturday and left the driving to midweek games. Id get up at 6am have a quick bit of toast and a shower then my mate would come get me at 6:45 and hand me the first cold one of the day. we'd head to the train station with a carry out and either get the 7am train or the 8:30 and drink beer all the way. We'd hit Dow's bar acorss from Queen St for a good few hours then catch the underground to Ibrox. Have a quick pint in either stadium bar or grapes bar then a bite to eat and head to the ground. Majik stuff!! If we got the car it was a case of sitting on our asses for 3 hours then entering the stadium for the game then back in the car for 3 hours again.

A great big chorus of "F*** All, your gonna win F*** all, your gonna win F*** all......." may also be a kick in the nads for them followed by "We shall not be moved..."

The 'Appy 'Ammers

No mate, i had a wee look in the door but there wasnt anything going on at the time.

Yip cheers Gav, i rate him and thats my opinion and if others cant let that register then they have a brain issue.

I fancied Aberdeen to get through after the first leg. Celtic are pish. Its beginning to feel like the 90s all over again, us dominating and winning with them slipping up to often. An OF cup final might have a nice way to get the treble but we'll take this result :cheers: As Craig says - what a chance to get the treble now. Al due respect to Partick and St Johnstone but we surely must get to the final of this cup aswell. How huge is the OF game going to be next Saturday!!! If we can win that......

I suspect that could be europe only. I cant believe Fat Frank is number 3.