Danny

Indeed - at a time when we really need Lafferty to shine, instantly condemning him to failure does no one any good. We are missing our 2 key strikers, Lafferty's our only real hope.

Well he was excellent in the title winner at Tannadice, including a goal, he was fantastic in the 2-2 at home to Hearts last season before being injured (including a goal), and he's excelled up front for his country whenever he's played there - such as V Poland in the WCQ - including a goal. He also got 2 against Motherwell despite only being on the pitch for 20 minutes. While he's been poor recently, I see signs from last season that he is a great striker. But I fear the abuse he's taken in the past 6 months from his own fans (never mind opposition ones) has rather wrecked his confidence.

I did. Wasn't thrilled - promising perhaps, but not a wunderkid. Still ain't. He's flattered to deceive ever since. But I want him to succeed and I support him in entirety. Ditto Thomson. Rather than this nonsense of guys giving players hard times when they're trying to succeed.

I have my favourites, but I don't chastise unfairly my least favourites. Your decision makes sense in your head, because in your head your decision to barrack Lafferty is justified. In my head I want to support the lot of them and not barrack any.

Why is Lafferty deserving of less support than Thomson and Fleck? I find such an assertion quite shocking. This is my bottom line problem. I would have thought all 3 deserved the same level of support. Yet you're picking and choosing some over others. And btw, I don't support Kyle more than others, I just defend him (and other Rangers players) when others berate him or them. What you see as blind support is rebuttal against what I deem unfair criticism.

Fleck has been billed, in the past, as a 'wunderkid'. The only thing I 'wunder' is why, because he seems an average Scottish attacking player with little potential. He could well be capable of doing more, but I've not seen any evidence. On the other hand I've seen quite a lot from Lafferty, if not this year. And this year he's become public enemy number one - fans who seemed to turn on him the moment he made an idiot of himself against Mulgrew. At least he had the dignity to say sorry for it, yet most fans have waited for slip ups for him, and frankly failed to support him. To sum it up, and tbh, this is about the last thing I want to say on the topic - Lafferty has done some silly things yes, but fans are supposed to support those who play in our colours and give them their backing off the pitch. Lafferty, for reasons I can't fathom, has not been a benefactor of this unlike the rest of our players. Even I, though I dislike Bougherra, support him as a Rangers player. I hope upon hope for form from Thomson and I hope to see Fleck Flying. If only Lafferty was given the same privilege from our fans.

If you can first prove that Thomson is a younger, cheaper, better, less experienced player than Lafferty then we can continue this conversation. All I ever said about Fleck was he's yet to prove anything to me, not that he's incapable or can't. As you said, happy hunting

I hope you can see the absurdity and irony here in your own post. You're condemning Lafferty while telling me off for condemning 2 players. Yet you're telling me off for it... Is it ok when it's you doing it?

I've not seen any sign from Fleck. I have from Lafferty, as fragile as he is now.

Ferguson was linked with Newcastle, Birmingham and Zenit. McGregor was linked to Newcastle. Beasley's linked to PSG. Bougherra's been linked to Bordeaux, Newcastle, Marseille. Mendes has been linked to Sporting, Portsmouth and Spurs. Novo has been linked to Celta. Boyd's linked to Schalke (or was it Hamburg), Birmingham, Villa, and a host of others. I think it's a fallacy to say there's no queue for our best players.

For a multitude of reasons, he's a shell of what he was last season. He's barely featured this year, and he's looking completely unsettled. Even given a run up front he's still not doing it at all. Being played on the left too much, never having the backing of the supporters, a number of stupid incidents and a few negative pieces in the press have left Kyle with almost no confidence and looking distinctly uncomfortable wherever he plays. I had high high hopes for him after his striker displays last year, but this year we're seeing none of it even when he gets a rare start up there. He has a few more chances to justify my fragile faith in him, and if he has any future at Ibrox, it starts at St Mirren on Wednesday.

After almost 2 years of giving us no sign he's anything special, I'm puzzled as to why we still have any sort of hopes for him.

If Rothen struggled at Ibrox, I really fear for him in the hotbed of Turkey given a major reason he didn't settle here was it was his first non-French club.

I'd use the word shite tbh. Thomson doesn't deserve his place in the team on any level. Hope Edu's fit for Wednesday because he offers infinitely more.

Then why after over 3 months is he nowhere near the average player he used to be? He's absolutely horrible out there. Worse than I ever remember.

Birmingham are also richer. That said, they're not going to win anything while Villa look even money to win the Carling Cup. He'd also be reunited with Ferguson and Vignal at Brum, plus national team mates O'Connor. McSheffrey and McFadden. At Villa he'd be surrounded by tims.

If they're ignoring them, that makes me correct

In the way I can't give many specific examples of Boyd's improved displays this season, although we know he's been vastly improved, I also can't give many specific examples of Weir losing the plot. And even if I did, it would just be disagreed with anyway. Or not remembered. If it comes across as a wind up that's just the cross I must carry. But you've been alerted to it here, so if you notice it now, you know where you heard it first.

No I'm not. No I'm not I do this. Did you just make this post up? I think you've misrepresented me quite unfairly in this post. That said I still do live in a parallel world

I knew no one would agree, but I've seen it more than twice. Way more. It stands out every time because he's supposed to be the pillar of cool and calm. Where a lot of the time he is anything but.

He's entitled to what he likes, but for such a dyed in the wool bluenose who'd almost die for the club, why do it at all? It sends out an extremely negative message.

Weir is probably the least mature player in our squad at times, especially for his age, and his tendency to get involved in narky fisticuffs is one of his biggest weaknesses. At times he is anything but dignified and professional. And now it's got him suspended.

No, just wonder why neither player properly got a chance. I mean if both Ally and Walter come out and publicly state we've been unfair to Lafferty, playing him wide, then surely my point in his case is made. As for Rothen, he's not a shite player, as he showed in Germany, but never got anything like a chance after the Unirea loss. Wanting someone to be given a chance is a different thing to be being their biggest supporter.

I wasn't interested in anything he had to say, so I muted the majority of the discussion. I feel he along with Bougherra and (to a lesser extent) Rothen have been wantaway for enough time now that I don't have any affection for them or time for what they have to say.

I have no idea why it didn't work out for Rothen, I feel he was unfairly scapegoated after Unirea. But if it's true he's nigh-on pretending to be ill then that's beyond unprofessional. Suppose it's best for all concerned that he moves on, but I'm really disappointed that he didn't get a fair crack after Unirea.