JohnMc

I'm sure Sportsound are working hard on a documentary exposing the running of Dundee Utd and the simply unsustainable losses and level of debt they currently have. That level of financial doping in the Championship requires exposure to a bigger audience. I'm sure the public service broadcaster is making the final edits as I type.

We booked in advance, and it was busy on Saturday. I imagine there are days it's busier and days it's quieter, worth checking that before you head off though.

Went to the museum on Saturday, along with my Dad and my two sons. All of us thought it was excellent. I'd my doubts as to the viability of a museum but I now think I was wrong, it's a great addition to our club and well worth the time and relatively small expense required to visit. I booked it in advance and there weren't many spaces available for Saturday when I was booking, so be aware of that. There's a real mix of exhibits and information. My eldest, who is leaving to study architecture in the summer, was taken with the Archibald Leach made model of the Main Stand and the information around that. Strangely, something that really struck me was Colin Jackson's contract. A player I remember watching and a man I met in later life professionally. Highly recommend a visit.

BTW is there an image of this new cantilever area?

I'm delighted it finally looks like the club is addressing the wheelchair accessibility issue. I hope that's enough space and it meets the needs of our supporters who use wheelchairs. As someone who is well into their 6th decade I think it is beholden on the younger generation to annoy people my age, usually excess noise and general exuberance will do it. Having the young guys who sing and chant all match in the Copland feels like a spiritual home coming, the Copland was where you went if you wanted a sign song when I first started going to Ibrox. Old guys complaining about the noise is inevitable. It happens to us all eventually.

Well, you've got to extend the potential readership somehow and what better way than to include the Champions in it... Seriously though, I didn't know about this book, good luck with it, it looks like a real labour of love.

Carloway, pah! West Side loyal 😉.

I've no insight into Cantwell's life, but it's entirely possible he could have a serious family issue that requires him to remain at home, and so not travel to Spain, but not prevent him from training or playing in matches in Glasgow. Again, I've no idea if that is the case.

When I was a teenager chants of 'If you hate the Glasgow polis, clap your hands', were common place. Glasgow being replaced by Edinburgh, Dundee, Paisley whatever, depending where we were that day. I don't agree with the premise, I didn't agree with it back then either, but it's football and perhaps not to be taken too seriously.

Players have more agency in this than we're giving them credit for. If we approach Hearts for example and make a bid of say £1.5 mil for Shankland Hearts are within their rights to say 'no' for a variety of good reasons, not least their inability to replace Shankland and his contribution to their side. But, if Shankland knows moving to Rangers would give him a signing on fee of say £500,000 and see his salary treble, he's perfectly entitled to go to Hearts and say 'you're stopping me bettering myself and my livelihood, will you match Rangers salary offer'? If Hearts say 'no, you've got a contract honour it', then they've an unhappy player and, potentially unrest in their changing room, as it won't be just Shankland speaking with their agent about this. Shankland has 18 months left on his Hearts contract, he's a diminishing asset, worth less now than last summer and worth less next summer if he doesn't sign a contract extension. Hearts would need to weigh up criticism from their support and the loss of an important player, with cashing in on a player who by that point may no longer want to be there. This is the same scenario if we made a bid for an Aberdeen player or a Hibs player or any club in Scotland with the exception of Celtic. It's all very well for Aberdeen or whoever to play hardball and demand well over the odds for a player, but it's not without consequences not least pressure from the player himself. It was reported that the reason we allowed Sakala to leave in the summer was the offer made to him by the Saudi side was not one we could match and so we wouldn't stand in his way. I expect it was the same with Aribo and Bassey the summer before. Every club has to balance the books, keep their support onside and their playing squad happy. It's easier for Aberdeen or Hearts to convince a potential signing to join if they can point to a 'pathway' to a bigger club with higher salaries, even if the club is Rangers.

Butland. It's defeat without him.

Whatever it is people see in Ridvan, I don't. I'd sell him tomorrow. For a club that's spent money on Dessers, Lammers and Pena in recent times I see Ridvan in that same bracket, no idea what it was we saw in him. I genuinely wonder if Ross Wilson bought him just so someone at the club was smaller than him.

We will lose players during the next month, there will be knocks, injuries and suspensions that's inevitable. We might play in some shocking conditions, it's winter in Scotland after all so poor pitches and poor conditions are going to be a factor too. What Clement needs is luck, good luck. If we can keep key players fit and in form we've a chance of coming through what is a farcical amount of football in a short space of time. More importantly though is if we don't, if do lose some key players, if we drop some points, endure some disappointing results, that we don't overreact. Our squad isn't as strong as it should be, and it seems our fitness and medical standards aren't what they should be either. It's remarkable what Clement has managed to achieve results and performance wise in a short time, but he's not a magician, there are players in our squad who simply aren't good enough, who we'll need to persevere with for now. It's great to be looking forward to watching us again, to be hopeful instead of pessimistic, but Clement has shown enough in a short time to be afforded some leeway if there are hiccups in the coming weeks.

Yeah, probably. Although I suspect there are some players we'd hold out for a really big offer for as we'd rather not lose them at this stage, and others we'd let go more easily.

Clement will be familiar with Hagi from his time in Belgium and may already have an opinion on him. Hagi has ability, that's clear for everyone to see, but I suspect if a side make us a decent offer for him we'll take it. It might be that a more technical league, like Spain, suits him more. What we'd accept for him is another matter, breaking even might be as good as it gets.

I'm getting confused by the positions and formations but the best attacking midfielder I've watched in light blue was Ian Durrant. Before his injury Ian Durrant was an utter joy to watch, he had an uncanny ability to ghost into space, he'd wonderful balance, superb vision and perfect timing. Durrant scored big goals, goals in cup finals, Old Firm matches and European games. He worked hard too, he covered every inch of the pitch. If you ever get a chance to watch the 2-2 Old Firm match where Butcher and Woods were sent off, watch Durant's performance in the second half. He was playing every position in midfield while supporting McCoist up front. His run in the last minute for Gough's goal couldn't be matched by Celtic, his strength and stamina really showed that day, as did his will to win. My formative years watching Rangers weren't very happy ones. Greig as manager followed by the false dawn of Wallace's return. The glimmer of hope was the skinny wee midfielder with the mop of curly hair who broke into the side under Wallace. There are players who have a higher profile and played more games for Rangers, but at their best there were few who could best Durrant at his best.

I'd an irrational dislike for Gary Stevens. Don't ask me to explain it or justify it, I can't. I just didn't like him. It has to be Jardine. Many people think Danny McGrain was the best right back Scotland has produced, but he was played at left back for Scotland because Jardine was such a good right back, this at a time when Scotland had genuine world class players. When he left Rangers everyone assumed his career was over. He only went and won Scottish Player Of The Year at Hearts. Jardine 'managed' a charity side I played in at Ibrox once. He was faced with a dressing room full of guys who'd bid for a place in the team. We were mainly a motley mix of overweight, middle-aged men living a childhood dream. He took a look at us and said 'lads, it's a big pitch, let the ball do the running.' I should have listened, I could barely breathe after 10 minutes. My father would say Bobby Shearer should win this, and his record is really something.

Butland, Cantwell, Raskin, Goldson, Danilo, Soutar and Davies all have a value just now from a few million up to around £8 or £9 million depending on how desperate the English club side are who want to buy them. There's also the outside possibility that Matondo, McCausland and Rice could be worth something by the end of the season too. All things considered I think these are disappointing annual figures.

George Young, who I never saw play but whose record speaks for itself and who is held in such regard by those who did see him play that there seems little doubt to his incredible ability. Richard Gough, a natural leader and as good a centre half as there was playing anywhere at his peak. Terry Butcher was arguably the best centre half in the world when he joined us, and was immaculate in his first season. However I'd vote for Young and Gough simply due to their longer time spent at the club. But a centre half line up of Butcher and Frank De Boer at their peak would have been something to see.

I'm late to this but it has to be Numan. Having Brian Laudrup playing in front of him was of immense help to Robertson, but frankly Brian Laudrup could have made me look like a decent full back as he took 3 defenders with him wherever he went leaving acres of space to charge into. Robertson was good, but Numan was class.

I can't believe I forgot my favourite moment of Rangers goalkeeping, now the thread can close!

Regency bias is always present in these discussions. Andy Goram played 181 games for Rangers and for those of us lucky to have seen him he literally won matches for us, Leeds away and numerous Celtic matches come to mind. While the perfect keeper for that time, I doubt Goram would be our number one now, his kicking wasn't his strength, but his agility, reflexes and ability to get inside opposing players and managers heads was unrivalled. Stefan Klos played 254 times for Rangers, a wonderful return for a player who looked after himself and studied the game. Like Goram he wasn't strong with his passing but his ability to pull off saves was equal to Goram's in my opinion. Klos lacked the personality of Goram, he was quieter and didn't have the rapport with the support that Goram did. But 'der goalie' was an incredible Rangers keeper. Bobby Brown spent the 7 seasons before joining Rangers fighting in the 2nd world war. Training to be a PE teacher and playing with Queens Park he joined up along with 5 of his fellow students. He was the only one of them to return. Brown played for Rangers 211 times, a period when Scottish football was genuinely competitive. Bill Struth chose Brown as his first choice for 8 seasons, Brown then remained as an understudy to George Niven for a further 2 years. George Niven himself made 221 appearances for Rangers, holding the number 1 spot for nearly a decade. He holds the unusual distinction of being the Scot with the most appearances for Rangers to have never gone on and played for his country. His successor was Billy Ritchie, who some on the forum might have seen play. He made 207 appearances for Rangers, including a European final. Where regency bias is a negative is with Allan McGregor. I think McGregor is our all time best goalkeeper. I didn't see Niven, Brown or Ritchie play, but I did see Goram, Klos and McGregor and the latter edges it for me. I suspect many of our memories are clouded by last season, a season to far for McGregor. But McGregor made 346 appearances for Rangers and pulled off the two best saves I've ever watched, against Bremen and Slavia. McGregor combined agility and instinctive reflexes with a commanding presence and a will to win that helped transform our dressing room into league winners. These things are subjective, but for me Allan McGregor shades it, but there's some competition for his place.

He seems to be well thought of as a coach, has previous experience of coaching in Belgium and knows the Scottish league well, he's hardly a controversial appointment. I have an admiration for someone who can face their self destructive behaviour, deal with it and then remain sober for 25 years. I'd be concerned if Rae was being appointed manager, but as part of a coaching team under Clement I think his place makes sense. Clement doesn't come across as someone who suffers fools or is swayed by sentiment. I expect he'll remove Rae if he doesn't feel he's contributing what he needs. Whatever happens speaking about him with a little respect costs nothing.

That's some way to speak about an ex-player and current coach.

Yeah, I think I can agree that we're watching completely different games.