der Berliner

That'll be 2.6m for Edu and 1.x for Whittaker, plus 750k for Adam ... if Ally gets this he can finance some better deals than what we've being fed to so far.

IMHO, we've been made looking like loosers by the press, since we are not even able to thwart off the challenges of 17th-placed La Liga teams, Leicester or Cardiff, right? Fills you with doubt and dispair, doesn't it?

We are no longer attractive, Ally is no big name in the game, we apparently have no real money about and Whyte might be uncovered as the penny-pincher like some promised.

Tell you what, next year is 2012 and according to the Maya calendar, the above won't matter anyways.

To believe in those points above takes the same willing suspension of reason though ...

Is a reason we're struggling in the transfer market because Ally's a rookie manager?

 

Leicester City are managed by Sven, and he seems to have had no trouble attracting Danns, while Ally is struggling to not only sign anyone, but hold onto players.

 

I hope players aren't looking at Ally and not really wanting to play for him.

Sorry, but I find this to be quite bizarre a statement.

You'd hope Ally keeps the media guessing while working on his real targets.

I notice that Riordan is still a free agent ...

Very quiet on Hutton so far.

Some FFer's Dundee United supporting friend said that Goodwillie has told the Tangerines that he wants to move to us. (Hearsay at best, but AFAIK Goodwillie always intended to come to us, sooner or later.)

The point that will always remain a problem is that how you define this "offensive singing" in the context of football banter. While I do* see a point that singing some songs like GSTQ or Rule Britannia might irk them, they are by far not as offensive as other "banter" sung and chanted at them. Furthermore, while you could ask us not to sing the songs at an OF game, what about the odd Hooped Horror attending a Hearts or Hibs game with us visting. Will they be complaining if we do our usual mantra? Do we actually sing these songs to annoy them and solely them? Or could it just be that we sing them to have a great time, enjoy the banter that comes with thousands of people in a sing-along? If the latter holds true, the Hooped Horrors may claim likewise. Yet, their "problem" remains that their songs are deeply mingled with an anti-British terrorist context, something that should and probably is regarded as offensive in any British football stadium. Not that they would understand such reasoning.

*Which is not to say that I would condone "banning" these songs, which would be utterly ridiculous, as it would drag them down to the level of Irish pro-rebel and pro-terrorist "folklore".

Edu, signed for 2.6m on a 5-year deal in August 2008. That means he's with us till August 2013. As some have said, he's a full internatonal, has played Champions' League football, so if I was Whyte, I'd say: Come back with 5m and we think about it again. That's what they do down south all the time, and this is what they pay to teams from other countries too, France, Italy, Portugal et al. Usually for far less experienced folk as well.

Can't see reason denominating this thread as "Great news ..." Some strange opinions on here too, it seems.

I think I asked it before: anyone knows when this trial is up on the agenda?

The sale of Cuellar at Villa’s valuation would give him Ã?£3million for his transfer kitty along with the Ã?£2.5million he has saved by deciding not to purchase Bradley.

Luckily enough, we also saved 16m when we decided not to buy Ashley Young! (At least according to the same logics ... )

We've offered 300k for Wallace.

We should really stop doing this with the press sniffing about. Honestly, a supposed 300k bid for a young up-and-coming Scottish international is woeful. Yes, he's had a long injury this season, but really ...

NB: I actually assumed that the "we should look at better players" - folk was living on FF, but some specimen have found their way onto Gersnet too. I for one would be happy if we get Wallace, Foster and Riordan for our SPL squad for next season ... as much shock & horror as this might cause. I wouldn't mind Goodwillie, Cuellar and Bartley either, amongst a few other non-Scots.

Which reminds me to ask: is Salim Kerkar still there?

I'm intrigued how a former / active Gaelic football player will enhance our midfield. Here's to the Fighting Irish!

NB: A Northern Irish Catholic with a Jewish first, and a Scottish second name. Hope he ain't a vegetarian as well ...

Talk now is that Wenger may be willing to part with 12m to get McGregor, and he has Bartley to offer as well.

On a sidenote and as food for thought: both, Bartley and Cuellar, will be back or just back from injury when/should they sign. Same with a potential bid for Weiss (whom we may afford should we indeed let Shagger go). And, while we are at it, Goodwillie still has this trial ahead of him. Well, well ...

Of course, Goodwillie could also hand in a transfer request ... but I can't see it, since that would be in direct contrast to him signing an extension in January. That was an act I could hardy understand. Only idea was that he wanted to get the club who made him big a greater return for his obvious departure.

Should Eck come up with the suggested 9m plus Cuellar for McGregor (don't see that coming, but one never knows), there would be enough money about. We actually spent 4m for a Duncan Ferguson who was, IMHO, not worth that much (and at a time when 4m were a LOT of money). Him playing in the Europa League would be a travesty though.

Rangers in talks to land Carlos Cuellar & David Goodwillie as first major summer signings

 

Jun 21 2011 Exclusive by James Traynor

 

RANGERS have moved significantly closer to making David Goodwillie and Carlos Cuellar their first summer signings.

 

Record Sport understands the Ibrox club were in talks with Dundee United yesterday and Aston Villa late last night.

 

Rangers owner Craig Whyte and manager Ally McCoist are anxious to start getting players in to strengthen the club's chances of clinching a fourth successive championship as well as securing a Champions League spot.

 

Tannadice hitman Goodwillie and Villa's Cuellar could cost close to 3.5million with wages on top of that but McCoist is determined to enhance his strike force and strengthen his defence.

 

It is believed both players want to go to Rangers - Cuellar for a second Ibrox stint - and McCoist is a fan of both.

 

Before any business with United for Goodwillie can be concluded Rangers would have to be sure the striker is clear of a rape allegation against him.

 

Even with that in mind, however, Whyte's team were trying yesterday to strike agreements with United and Villa, although the Premiership club's new boss Alex McLeish will not allow Cuellar to leave easily.

 

He could even attempt to strike a deal which would take keeper Allan McGregor from Ibrox but Big Eck would have to offer at least 9million plus Cuellar before such a bid would be considered.

 

McLeish said: "We need a keeper and I have a number of names in mind. Allan's definitely a good goalie."

 

McLeish won't be keeping Gary McAllister on his coaching staff but will retain Gordon Cowans. No.2 Andy Watson is not expected to move from Birmingham but it is not clear if Peter Grant will switch to Villa.

Daily Record

Well, methinks McGregor stated his intent to stay at the club. Only hard and much money might change McCoist's opinion, possibly with Cuellar attached to any deal.

What I found more interesting was the info that Blackpool striker DJ Campbell was available for just 1.5m. Still not our price package, as his wages might be far too dear for us - unless he wants to exchange that for trophies, fame and glory, while living on a 10 to 15k weekly "diet".

I still wonder how No. 17 in the Spanish league can offer 15k a week for a player. Then again, we being shrewd isn't bad either. For, after all, the chap is young and only recently broke into the Israeli (sic!) international team. Maybe Mallorca is banking on a grand sell-on value? Disappointed with his statements on Thursday / Friday though. Looks like the agent had more say in the deal than the player.

Anyways, I did not get overly excited as I hardly know or heard of him. And as long there ain't someone at Ibrox or Murray PArk with a pen in hand, there is nothing to get excited about.

Matter of fact, while replying to you, I never said that you are arrogant, just remarking on what I feel is arrogant fan behaviour / belief

As Novo said ...

We have no interest in players who have no interest in coming to play for this club. If he wants to go and play for another club it is his loss, not our loss.

... yet, we'll have to wait until there is something official. I find it strange that he bade for a weekend to consider, only to jump at the next best chance he come across (has he spoken to Espanyol and Real within one day - medical and all?) ...

As the Old Germanic saying goes ...

G�¦�° a Wyrd swa hio scel

... or in Modern English: Fate (Wyrd) goes always as she likes.

Well, he's really having a go here, but I am somewhat surprised by all the "socialist" and "left-wing" Republican mantra involved when he speaks about her and this supposed anti-Catholic cry of hers. You are either left wing and socialist, or you are Catholic / Christian. Then again, what would I know about the socialist / left wing leanings amongst the Scots ...

It is not arrogant to say that celtic were crap for at least 4 out the nine in a row season. It is a fact.

We did not stroll threw all of these seasons, we did however stroll threw 4 of them.

It is arrogant to assume we have a right to win everything there is in Scotland. As much arrogant as it is disrespectful to the rest of the teams in the SPL.

NB: We strolled through 7IAR, there rest was hard work, rewarded with an advantage of 2 to 5 points lead at the end.

I tend to look at the overall picture.

cada un a la propietat no

The overall picture is that during his reigns Rangers ruled Scottish football. To some, this is a "we have to do that anyway", others see a 40odd game fight year in and year out. The former is what I denoted as some kind of arrogancy. There is no right for us to win every title in Scotland that there is because we are who we are. Football never worked and works like that. We had to fight for every single title and the driving force behind that was the Old Fox. And to simply dismiss Celtic as being crap is the same arrogancy, as there were others out there to provide resistance. It was hardly the case that we strolled through the NIAR seasons, statistics do not lie, you know. This success sure got into people's heads and apparently they demanded more. Sometimes money buys you success, but out there in Europe, there were and are teams who can and did splash money about as we did, who drew and draw better players than we were and thus they were quality-wise better than us, and thus Walter.

Our best chance of claiming European silver was in 1993 and 2008. Once we were denied by football fortune (and some betting frauds, as we know now), the other time by a team of far better ability and quality than we were (and some malign antics from the Scottish football authorities and fellow teams in the SPL).

To consider what we have actually achieved during Smith's reign, you should have a look at what all those other teams we have faced in e.g. Europe have won during the same time (counting out Bayern, ManU and Barca, of course). Or, on the other hand, the silverware these big guns like Arsenal or Man City or Tottenham with their grand managers and even grander players have raked in. You know, considering your dislike for a manager like Smith, this lot down south must be living in dispair for decades ...