pete

Week 4 Saturday, 25 August 2007----------------Time Kilmarnock v Rangers---------------------12:30 Celtic v Hearts--------------------------15:00 Falkirk v St Mirren------------------------15:00 Gretna v Motherwell----------------------15:00 Hibernian v Aberdeen--------------------15:00 Inverness CT v Dundee United------------15:00 The first thing to note about this weeks fixtures is that Rangers visit to Rugby park, has a Saturday 12.30 kick-off. Beware all you guy�s who are dragged round the shops on Saturday morning. Rangers must be oozing with confidence after their 7-2 hammering of Falkirk, but Kilmarnock could prove to be a snake in the grass, as they too have remained unbeaten in their first three games. Steven Naismith will be looking to promote himself for a move to Ibrox but the current form of the Rangers strikers make this look improbable in this transfer window. Rangers should do the business and hold top spot. Parkhead will host their version of the Mad hatters ball when Wee Cheney meets Mad Vlad as Celtic get a visit from Hearts. Hearts have had a poor start to the season, with only a draw against lowly Gretna getting them off the mark. Celtic have recovered from an early hiccup against Kilmarnock to score seven goals in their last two games and should prove too powerful for hearts. Still we live in hope of a surprise result. Falkirk manager John Hughs will have dried his eyes after greet�n like a Bairn, after their 7-2 thumping against Rangers, and will welcome St Mirren to Westfield park. The Buddies had an excellent win against Inverness at the weekend, but Falkirk have been playing some of the best football in the SPL of late and should send Gus McPherson�s team home licking their wounds. Falkirk win. Gretna welcome the visit of Motherwell to Fir park or is it the other way about? Seemingly Motherwell keep claim to the home dressing room with Gretna staking claim to the home dugout. Motherwell have been playing well recently and were robbed in extra time against Killie. Davie Irons asked his team to show more steel but I don�t expect the steel men to buckle to the Weddingmakers. A Motherwell win,home or away. Hibenian v Aberdeen looks like the best bet for a draw on paper and probably will be one. I have a sneaky feeling that Hibs will win easily as Aberdeen are like a pint of Guinness. They don�t travel well. Considering Hibs lost so many key players since the turn of the year they have actually had an excellent start to the season getting two wins and a draw under their belt. Aberdeen�s have had a stuttering start and up until now only seem to be able to produce any form for forty-five minutes. A Hibs win for me. Inverness have had a disaster of a start to the season and have already lost their manager. Neil Warnock, Craig Brewster and Owen Coyle are top of the list to fill the role. Caley hope to have a new man in place possibly before Saturday, so he can asses the situation before the transfer window shuts. Dundee Utd lost their only away game this season to Kilmarnock,so they still have to prove they can pick up points away from home. Inverness will be hoping for the new manager effect, but to get anything from the game they will need to tighten their defense who went AWOL at the second St Mirren goal on Saturday. A draw for me.

BOSS Walter Smith has revealed that he is checking out a number of players and may make some more moves before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month. The Rangers manager, who has made 10 signings since last season ended, feels that he needs a bit more balance to his squad and may try to bolster some areas. Ally McCoist and Walter SmithHe has confirmed that Portsmouth defender Dejan Stefanovic is one of a number of players he has been looking at. Smith said: "Stefanovic is one of a few players we are looking at and will continue to look at until the transfer window is closed. "We have to continue to look for players for one or two positions where we feel we might be a little bit short. "We have been looking at some players but it doesn't necessarily mean that we will act. "Although we have a big squad of players I still think we are a bit thin on the ground in certain areas, but if we don't make any further signings I will be more than happy to go with what I have. "Some people are suggesting that subsequent transfers may be dependent on qualification to the Champions League group phase but that's not the case. "It's just that we are covered more than adequately in some positions and not as much in others. "We just want a slightly better balance to the squad." Similarly, Smith has revealed that some players could go if clubs come in for them. He added: "Having a slightly bigger group than last year means we have to watch that we don't get frustration from the boys that are not playing. "So if some clubs come along for one or two of the boys then we will consider what they have to say." I remember Stefanovic from his Dutch day's and thought he was a good player. I think we were also linked with him before he went to Portsmouth. A good replacement for Weir imo.

Sorry, it was supposed to be better but i rushed it before i went to work. I was 5 minutes too late as i kept trying to get it finished. This was in fact an edited edition. Lucky you!

I agree with you Frankie virtually all footballers receive abuse, but should be man enough to be bigger than it. The Celtic assistant was stupid to react as it could be defined as inciting crowd trouble. Coaches and players in the dugout should be oblivious to all the screams and calls that are going on and be fully concentrated on the game. If they do have a problem with excessive abuse then they should be the ones to call in the stewards. Gordy can maybe manage a football team but he has difficulty in managing himself.

The big talking point of the weekend was of coarse Gordon Strachans tantrum at pittodrie. It is thought he could get a seat in the stand for up to 10 weeks. Celtic are now contacting all clubs to reserve the front row otherwise it will be a stand on the seat. The commotion was started by the assistant coach sticking 2 fingers on one hand and 1 on the other, to joke about Celtic winning 2-1. it is now rumoured that David Murray does not want to be outdone by Celtic and are scouring the country for a assistant coach with seven fingers, Mark McGhee was asked on Scotsport last night if he had ever had received abuse. He replied he was once hit by a pie. That would be the original McGhee pie then. Mark was furious after Motherwell were robbed in the last minute against Killie. The Steel men against the Steal men springs to mind Charlie Christie quit as coach of Inverness on Monday. The Inverness defence had already quit after 55 mins on Saturday. Hearts are planning a redevelopment of Tynecastle, which will increase the capacity by 6000 to 23000. they have also applied for for 6000 work permits for Lithuanian footballers. The new stadium will produce 300 jobs which means another 5700 on the dole. Frail the hearts coach is said to be weak. Irons the Gretna coach wants more steel in his team, Taxi.....

I hope there is no question of game fixing here.

I agree, we are in no position to put Jock Stein or Celtic on trial and singing that song isn't helping our football club. I am glad the atmosphere is getting better but i would rather have us singing Rangers songs as songs that have nothing to do with our club.

Brilliant read Barry. I looked at the length first and thought,shit I'll never get through that, but it kept me engrossed to the end. His head is stuck too far up his bottom to accept any self criticism even if he did read it, so it would fall on deaf ears I'm afraid.

Seems to me, from the reports i have read, that the difference between the two couples is that Whittaker and Hutton seem to compliment each other, where as i always thought that Burke and Hutton kept getting in each others road. Burke has now fallen so far down the pecking order that it would not surprise me if he was offloaded possibly before the end of the month. He does have magic moments but they are to few and far between.

New York Red Bulls-- 5-4--L.A Galaxy Seemingly Beckum was outstanding setting up 3 of there 4 goals, He is still a wanker though. A very rich one.

Sunday, 19 August 2007 Aberdeen------1-3----Celtic (HT 1-0) Brewster 24 ----------------------Donati 61 ----------------------Miller 85 ----------------------Miller 90 Bookings:Aberdeen Hart 83 Diamond 77 Bookings:Celtic Donati 59 Wilson 69 McGeady 89 Saturday, 18 August 2007 Dundee Utd----- 0-0--------Hibernian (HT 0-0) Hearts-----1-1-----Gretna (HT 0-0) Driver 73------------Barr 79 Bookings:Hearts Driver 90 Bookings:Gretna Yantorno 43 Skelton 64 Deuchar 83 Barr 90 Motherwell------1-2------Kilmarnock (HT 1-0) Clarkson 23--------------Lilley 60, Dodds 90 Bookings:Motherwell Quinn 55 Bookings:Kilmarnock Hamill 41 Locke 67 Lilley 90 Rangers------7-2-------Falkirk (HT 2-1) Cousin 2-------\---------Riera 44 Whittaker 34----\--------Barrett 72 Cousin 54 Boyd 75 Darcheville 88 Darcheville 90 Broadfoot 90 Bookings:Hangers McCulloch 52 Bookings:Falkirk Riera 22 St Mirren------2-1------Inverness CT (HT 1-0) Miranda 19-------\-------Cowie 58 Corcoran 55 Bookings:St Mirren Potter 79 -------------------P----GD-----PTS 1--Rangers--------3-----10-----9 2--Celtic----------3-----5------7 3--Hibernian-------3-----3------7 4--Kilmarnock------3-----2------7 5--Motherwell------3-----1------6 6--Dundee Utd-----3-----0------4 7--St Mirren-------3----(-2)----3 8--Falkirk----------3----(-4)-----3 9--Hearts----------3----(-1)-----2 10--Aberdeen------3-----(-3)----1 11--Gretna---------3-----(-6)----1 12--Inverness CT---3-----(-5)----0 The results this week went mostly our way with Motherwell and Hibs both dropping points. Unfortunately Aberdeen could not hold on to a 1-0 lead which kept Celtic unbeaten at Pittodrie for six seasons. We always live in hope! Rangers ran up their biggest score since thumping St Mirren 7-1 in November 2000 winning 7-2 against a brave Falkirk team that lost their way in the end, once their heads went down. All in all a good week for us

1-1 gift of a penalty from the Ref. He seemed to be the only one that saw it as even the Chelsea players were surprised. Lampard slotted it home.

Liverpool 1 up. Fantastic goal Torres.

Miller 2 goals:confused: That is more than his tally for last year is it not.

1-2 Shitttttt.

1-1 Donati

City won but it was exciting to the last.

A lot i would think. I think he has been feeling the pressure of all the criticism and feeling the heat of the new strikers coming in

Completely the opposite of Nacho then. That is the wee man's biggest problem,he has no composure.

That would be pushing it a wee bit i think.

He said he is not interested on leaving short term although he would have to say that at this point. Chelsea are also supposed to be watching him.

City 1-0 up after an hour.

When and where are the highlights on national telly?

Some of the goals did have a touch of luck which we seemed to be missing last year but confidence breeds luck. What a dummy for the third goal a pure classic.

Hope your right mate!!!