Danny

Advocaat managed to turn us round in a single year (With a greater budget I admit) - I honestly do not see any reason why PLG (Who is a better manager imo) can't do the same. We've brought in some real quality, shipped out some players, and are restructuring from the ground up. I don't expect miracles, but PLG is more than capable of delivering them. That's how highly I rate this guy.

Wenger has spent millions on superstars like Hleb and Vieira, not to mention Henry. He might be able to develop youngsters too, but lest we forget he's bought plenty of A-Listers to Arsenal. I think PLG could coach ICT to the SPL - that's how good a manager he is! Even with last year's Rangers squad PLG could wipe the floor with the SPL, he really could. But with his own players he should run absolute riot. Bear in mind he did cost about £6M from Feyenoord. His sheer cost told us he was a quality player. I accept you don't need superstars to achieve things, but it is just a nice present for the supporters who suffered so much if they have a hollywood star style player, a real heavyweight to get excited about. It doesn't have to be a superstar, or whatever, but just someone to get the juices flowing in the way PLG himself has.

Difference was Kanchelskis was a pensioner who'd been there and done that. He was a big name but living on reputation. I completely see your point though. However, PLG seems to have a much better eye for a player, and seems to want to bring in fairly young talent. The only older player so far is Sionko, and going by his performance against Ghana I'm pretty happy with him. I just think that because we've been a shadow of our 9IAR and early Advocaat era selves in recent years, and have allowed Celtic to dominate, that we want to emphasise our returning superiority and exercise it in a way which will give the tims some real fear. Right now they're more curious about what's going on at Ibrox than anything else, and they see a rebuilding job but nothing yet to be truly frightened of (Their delusion, granted). I just think a glamorous name in his mid 20s with known pedigree would be a great coup and give them something to be jealous of and us something to be really excited about. We have an A-List manager. I just think we need one new A-List player to go with him.

I hope I speak for all my fellow bears by alluding to my approval of the players we've brought in so far, and those we're apparently working on getting like Clement and Elmander. But I think it would be a nice lump of icing on top of the cake if we were somehow to bring in one really tasty signing, a true A-lister just to really set the cat among the pigeons. I'm not being greedy, I really am quite happy with progress thus far, but one big name who will enhance the team would really be the cherry on top and get our collective imaginations pumping.

I never heard that. Oh well. What he probably really meant was 'I was completely and utterly wrong' then. A similar outcome would satisfy me, that's for sure.

Well there was that whole Chick Young rumour from a few weeks ago reported on 90 minutes where he said he had wind of a sensational signing Rangers were working on. A name we all know, and which would knock the stuffing out of us. Now, of course, he could have meant the gravity of the nature of it was the sensational thing, like say Petrov or Bellamy or something like that, or indeed a truly massive name like ... well ... the sky's the limit on that one. I've not heard any more since.

Reporting Scotland confirmed there will be a conference on Wednesday where he'll outline his plans. Didn't mention anything about a major signing.

This guy is the shakeup we've been needing since the collapse of Advocaat's regime. As early as a season and a half ago I mooted him for the Ibrox job and never thought there was a chance in hell of him taking over, such was his stock and pedigree as the Lyon coach. Along with another I sold loads of folk on the guy such is/was my admiration and respect for him, and when a year later it was serious that we were in for him I just could not believe it and was on tenterhooks hoping it would really happen. Suffice to say when it did I was overjoyed and am still in a sort of dreamland that we got him. Along with Gazza and Laudrup, and maybe superceding them, the biggest signing in our history. Roll on next season.

France were vastly improved on their first match, but seemed to think they had the game won and took their foot off the peddle in the second half, and can only blame themselves. If they go out, this world cup won't miss them. They're a bunching of aging stars who just aren't as good as their reputations anymore.

If we're talking about the straight red, then I don't see how we can dispute the validity of it. He went in late, recklessly, and caught the Italian player's ankle fiercely. It was a lunging challenge and going by the guidelines refs follow for this WC, it was a red in my book.

I think the refs have been a mixed bag but not awful. What's wrecking proceedings is appalling offside calls. It's been easily 50/50 in terms of the ratio of wrong calls to correct ones.

The Italians were frankly pretty poor this evening. This group is turning into a very curious cacophany indeed. On one hand you have the Czech Rep easily crushing the USA, and the Italians cruising against Ghana. Then you have a contradiction of Ghana beating the Czechs actually pretty convincingly, and the USA giving Italy a hell of a game. This is a very unpredictable group.

It was a curious affair altogether. Wasn't quite the spectacle the commentators were claiming, but it was intriguing to see how the teams and managers were capable of handling the circumstances. In Arena's case, throwing a tantrum was his defence mechanism for dealing with stress. Mind you, Lippi, normally the connoiseur of calm, was also getting animated.

He was active because he was in the goalkeeper's line of sight. Even if he didn't touch the ball (And he came mighty close given he flicked his leg either to avoid the ball or to deflect it), his presence in that position affected the game and by the new offside law, he was indeed offside and the goal was rightly chalked off.

Their defence was badly exposed today. Their attack is usually the strongest part of their game but the utterly diabolical Lokvenc is no replacement for either Baros or Koller. I think the loss of those 2 up front might just ruin the Czechs' chances. Plus, as I say their defence can't handle a sprightly attack like Ghana. But their biggest failing on the day was their total inability to recover from an early setback. It knocked them for six and they seemed to have no plan b. Can't really agree with this. How many saves did Buffon have to make compared with Keller? USA got forward well but didn't really penetrate. The ref didn't make a single decision I disagreed with. I thought he had a very good game and got the calls correct. Yes, Spain's next game will really show if they're a team to contend with or if the Ukraine match was a fluke result.

Initially he was a bit off the pace but then he started showing some good touches and vision (did you see that brilliant pass with the outside of his boot?) and didn't look out of place amongst his more esteemed team-mates imo. I also didn't see him getting caught offside once because he was played deeper on the left - it was Nedved who kept being caught. FIFA's site claims Sionko was caught once though, which I didn't notice. Maybe too early to judge him as a gem, I concede, but I was pleased with his performance and I believe he is a good signing.

Needs to improve his English, but it's better than my French.

Absolutely gutted after that match. Czechs didn't play badly, but Ghana were immense. That's one of the most energetic performances I've seen this world cup, and the Czechs just had no answer to it. In case you wonder, yes, I support the Czechs so for them to lose like that today is painful to take. Only positive note to take is Sionko looks a very good wee player and I think PLG has a gem there.

Let's just hope PLG justifies our faith in him, and Letizi proves his doubters wrong. We have nothing else but blind faith.

She must have been well pissed off when her bosses told her Steve Rider was getting the premiere England games. Gabby, this is.

To be fair, Tyldesley went on about him constantly as well. Rooney, not Motson, that is.

Another very good match and the CIV have contributed a great deal to the WC with no return. Kone's goal was supreme, as was Van Persie's. Frankly RVN's goal was pure class too. It was a match of tremendous finishing and it was extremely open. Just as they did to Argentina, CIV made the Dutch sweat in the second half. Such a shame they got the group of death because they'd have a real chance of qualifying otherwise.

I have to agree - but it wasn't so much entertaining because of an even match and open ended football, it was entertaining because Argentina played the beautiful game as it should be played. An absolute masterclass and that second goal was one of the all time great world cup goals. Utter perfection.

His desire is definitely positive. But it's the only such strength I can see in this move. I support the guy, and I'm completely behind him, but I have genuine reservations about him in light of the negatives I've heard about him. I simply kowtow to PLG's superior knowledge on this and any occasion.

They're also supposed to be impartial and professional. Do Scotland, Wales, and Norn Iron not count?