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FOR once the entire country is talking about Scottish football after Wednesday's Old Firm derby. For all the wrong reasons. The reaction to events at Parkhead has been astonishing. Everyone I've spoken to absolutely LOVED the Old Firm meltdown - apart from policemen and politicians! I lost count of how many normally sane English friends and colleagues told me they are already counting down the days to the Old Firm League Cup Final on March 20, following the madness. Scottish football - or the Old Firm at any rate - has become must-see TV in a freaky, 'Big Brother,' kind of way. Sadly it has more to do with their indiscipline than their football. How tragic is it that our top club game, the jewel in our crown, is now regarded as some kind of freak show? The outbreak of childish behaviour has overshadowed the good football we saw in the original tie at Ibrox, yet it turned Wednesday night's event into a nationwide smash hit. At times it was like watching a low-budget horror movie through the cracks in your fingers. You know exactly what's going to happen in every scene, yet you can't take your eyes off it. That's where we are right now with the Old Firm. In an ideal world people would drool over our biggest club game, as they do when Barcelona play Real Madrid, and praise us for our football. But people aren't tuning in to watch Paul McStay and Paolo Di Canio mixing it with Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup any more. They're tuning in to see El Hadji Diouf and Scott Brown and who kicks the s*** out of who first. It's a shame because Celtic actually have quality players like Izaguirre, Kayal and Hooper who look as if they could play at a higher level. The same could be said of McGregor, Bougherra and Naismith at Ibrox. But we seem to have reached a point after five Old Firm games this season where we're entertaining the public but p***ing off the police and politicians. It's always dangerous for football when those two bodies get involved. Salmond described the scenes at Parkhead as 'shameful.' This pair released Libyan mass-murderer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi As the entire country talks about the drama and passion involved, some copper's union chief has a totally different slant on it. He wants the fixture shut down or played behind closed doors. Call me cynical, but was it more than just a coincidence that Les Gray, Chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, claimed police wouldn't have enough resources to cope with seven Old Firm matches this season three days before Home Secretary Theresa May told his members to expect a pay cut. Needless to say the copper's alarmist talk grabbed more headlines than Libya this week, which brings us not-so-nicely to our politicians. It's all kicking off in Tripoli and the Middle East is going up in flames. David Cameron had more on his plate than to concern himself with Wayne Rooney scudding James McCarthy with his elbow. But up here the First Minister Alex Salmond and his Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill are disgusted because Ally McCoist and Neil Lennon squared up to each other. Salmond described the scenes at Parkhead as 'shameful.' This pair released Libyan mass-murderer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the Pan Am Flight 103 bomb which killed 270 innocent people, and sent him home to a heroes welcome and a party in Tripoli! Now they're going to lecture Celtic and Rangers about the need to clean up THEIR act! It's not so long ago Glasgow was being described as the murder capital of western Europe. Knife crime remains a huge problem. Sectarianism and bigotry are rife in the west of Scotland. We drink too much, eat the wrong things, there's a drug culture and on top of that we take young impressionable children and send them to separate schools - then bleat about the poisonous religious divide in our society. Maybe if we solved some of those problems, most of the issues surrounding Old Firm games would cease. Instead, the politicians are going to put the world to rights by taking the Old Firm to task about their conduct! But they can't help themselves when they are presented with a high-profile opportunity to mouth their opinions. I wouldn't give tuppence for politicians getting involved in football. What sanity has John Reid brought to our game at Celtic by questioning referees' integrity and supporting Peter Wishart's ludicrous proposal that refs should publicly declare who they support? Lennon is crossing boundaries all over the place and upsetting a lot of previously reasonable people Reid also publicly branded Rangers 'Boring Holy Willies.' Has this former Home Secretary done anything to calm tensions ANYWHERE? Yet he has the power and authority to do some good by looking at his own club and recognising there is a problem with Neil Lennon. He has to ask why it is Lennon has become such a hated figure, to the extent he now requires round-the-clock protection and people are sending him bullets and fake bombs. Martin O'Neill was a Catholic who played for Nothern Ireland and went on to manage Celtic. He ticked many of the same boxes Lennon does, yet he was able to go about his business without the same level of animosity. In fact he was grudgingly admired by most Rangers fans. Why is Lennon so different? Whether he admits it or not I'm sure Walter Smith will have had a word with Ally McCoist now he's been confirmed as Gers' next boss. Lennon is crossing boundaries all over the place and upsetting a lot of previously reasonable people. Someone in power has to pull him aside, put a fatherly arm around his shoulder and give him some advice. They must remind him he is no longer a combatant in these games, he's the manager of Celtic and that comes with a whole lot of added responsibility. If a player is over-stepping the mark on the pitch and has lost the plot, it's a manager's job to pull him back in line. How can Lennon do that if he's racing to the touchline to square up to an opponent - even one as objectionable as El Hadji Diouf? Why does he continue to behave the way he does? It's not rocket science. It's because no one he respects in authority has told him not to. Right now no one in power at Celtic seems to be sounding the alarm about their manager's behaviour and warning him enough is enough, cut it out now. And until someone takes on that responsibility I'm not sure Lennon is capable of policing himself.

The general opinion seems to be that our squad is not only smaller than theirs, it's also lower in quality. Looking at their squad and ours, I'm not sure where the individual differences lie. If McCoist was given the same kind of money as Lennon, who would you want to replace as not good enough? Remember, you can't replace the whole squad... I think we can keep Weir's dignity by assuming he will definitely, definitely be retiring at the end of the season. For me, the ones performing the least when we really need them, seem to be Papac, Whitaker and Edu.

And we think we have problems Aston Villa are looking to reduce their wage bill after revealing losses of �£37.6m for the year ending 31 May 2010. Wages at the club increased by �£9m to almost �£80m and now account for 88% of Villa's �£90m turnover, which actually increased last season by �£6m. This included �£52m from television revenue while matchday turnover was �£24m and commercial income �£14.4m. The rise in turnover lifted Villa into Europe's top 20 earning clubs for the first time. The loss last season was �£9m less than the previous campaign but owner Randy Lerner provided �£12.5m during the campaign from a new share issue and a further �£12.5m in loan notes. He also funded the �£23.5m purchase of Darren Bent during the January 2011 transfer window. The American has invested more than �£200m in equity and loan notes since taking charge at Villa Park in 2006 - and the club will need to reduce its reliance on Lerner if they are to comply with Uefa's financial fair play regulations. The rules, which come into force in 2012-2013, mean teams in European competitions must break even over a rolling three-year period. Those clubs will only be allowed to incur losses of around �£39m over any three-season period. The losses for last season came during Martin O'Neill's final campaign in charge at the club, with the Northern Irishman resigning as manager in August. His replacement Gerard Houllier is understood to have have prioritised cutting the size of the Villa squad without reducing its quality. Bent, Kyle Walker and Michael Bradley arrived in January, while high-profile quartet John Carew, Steve Sidwell, Stephen Ireland and Curtis Davies left the club the same month. Carew and Ireland made temporary moves to Stoke and Newcastle while Sidwell and Davies were sold to Fulham and Birmingham respectively.

ALLY McCOIST has already identified players he wants to bring to Rangers when he takes over from Walter Smith. And the manager-in-waiting is keen to land stars who can provide more quality and entertainment. Gers have enjoyed great times during Smith's second stint in charge but he has sometimes been criticised for being over-cautious. McCoist hopes to marry success with flowing football but knows pulling that off is far from easy. His great friend Tommy Burns had Celtic playing slick football in the 1990s yet won just one trophy in three years. That cost him his job. And McCoist knows the same fate awaits him if he fails to deliver titles. However, he believes he can find some players who will thrill the fans and provide value for money. McCoist said: "I've started to look ahead in terms of signing targets. We definitely need to bring players in. "My philosophy will be quite simple. You have to win. We need to win games or I won't be sitting here talking to you in the future. "In an ideal world you win with style. You will have players out there the fans want to see. "You will get people coming to watch this team who are genuinely excited about the players they are coming to watch. They will be here to see entertaining football but, most importantly, winning football. "This club has had wonderfully talented players throughout history. But it's probably had more winners than fantastically talented players. "That's not a criticism. Anything but. It's actually a compliment. "This club's history is riddled with winners - boys who wanted to do well and win trophies. "Ideally we want the fans to know they're going to be entertained AND win games of football. Our supporters know the score. They are intelligent people and know all about the situation at the club. "All I would ask for is continued support. There have been times when things have upset the punters and that will happen again because you can't please all the fans all the time. But I think we will get their support." Rangers' wage budget will be slashed by more than �£1million in the summer but McCoist feels he can be inventive and adventurous in the transfer market. He stressed: "In an ideal world the club will be bought over and investment will come in. At the moment we can't say with any certainty if that will be the case. "We need to plan for next season. I know the budget and don't see that changing dramatically unless someone buys the club. "It's up to ourselves to identify players and bring them in. "People will be leaving at the end of the season so we need new faces. "Only time will tell how good the hand I've been dealt is going to be. Sometimes you might be dealt a bad hand but can still play it well. "However, it won't be easy. We'll need to cut money off the wage bill. "That's not good news but we know the score. It's not like it will be thrust upon us with no warning. "It's up to us to plan for that. I need to persuade players to come here. "If I can't sell this club to a player I won't be able to sell anything. We have a wonderful fan base, a great stadium and a fantastic training ground. "We might not be able to offer the same finances as elsewhere but we need to sell the club to targets." McCoist will have to appoint a new captain in the summer when Davie Weir ends his playing career. He is likely to want a real Rangers man in that important role and Lee McCulloch could take the armband. The midfielder recently signed a new contract and has the backing of current skipper Weir. McCoist said: "Arguably, one of your most important decisions is the appointment of the captain. "We've had top guys like John Greig, Terry Butcher and Jock Shaw. All great skippers and great men. "It's vitally important we have a great captain again." Buying someone like Butcher would set you back more than �£20m these days - a sum McCoist is unlikely to spend over his entire tenure, never mind on just one player. However, he could be handed a bit more cash to splash if a new owner seizes power at Ibrox. McCoist said: "The ideal scenario is new owners come in and fancy me staying in charge. "However, it's natural a new regime might not want me in charge. "But I hope any new owners will be happy with the plan we have in place and give us a few quid to spend. "If they don't want me as manager then I'll be on the terracing with the fans supporting the team. Rangers Football Club is the most important thing. This club deserves the best." McCoist will be assisted by Kenny McDowall when he takes charge with Ian Durrant as first-team coach. But the 48-year-old hasn't ruled out adding to his backroom staff. Celtic boss Neil Lennon has three helpers at Parkhead - Johan Mjallby, Alan Thompson and Garry Parker. And Gers gaffer Smith can also call on McCoist, McDowall and Durrant for advice as he bids to end his reign with even more success. McCoist said: "We will probably look at adding someone but I would have to say I couldn't be happier taking over with the staff I have. "I will have good men by my side and I'm thankful for that. "I have known Kenny for a lot longer than you would think. "Ian and I go back a long way and it's the same with our goalkeeping coach Jimmy Stewart and the fitness coach Adam Owen. "Stability won't guarantee you success but it's another positive. "I trust these guys too and that is the most important thing. It's arguably THE most important thing in management - you need people who are loyal and good." Should it be needed, Smith will also be there for guidance. The veteran boss doesn't plan to return to management when he brings the curtain down on his Rangers career this summer. He could be tempted back into football by a job overseas but McCoist knows he can always call his managerial mentor for some words of wisdom. He smiled: "Walter will be on the end of a phone. I don't have any doubt about that. "He might be on a golf course in Arizona but he has been told the phone must stay on. "I don't care if he's in a bunker or whatever and knowing his golf there is every chance!" http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/02/27/ally-mccoist-i-m-already-identifying-signing-targets-and-i-want-them-to-entertain-our-fans-86908-22953274/

Our current situation - It's time to face the inevitable then rebuild for the future. When you drill down to it, The Rangers support, to a man, has known at the back of its collective mind that the situation we are in is dire. Many of us will be in agreement that weââ?¬â?¢ve been urinating into the proverbial wind for 3 years yet miraculously, we have managed to avoid getting wet. Sooner or later, the stranglehold that being owned by Sir David Murray has placed us under was always going to come close to killing us. I say Sir David Murray rather than Lloyds bank specifically, as our current situation has been clouded by the usual sea of half-truths, speculation and contradictions that weââ?¬â?¢ve now come to expect from the Ayrshire millionaire. I wonââ?¬â?¢t sit here and try to claim the moral high-ground by claiming recent results against the filth havenââ?¬â?¢t had any impact on what Iââ?¬â?¢m about to write: They have, and Iââ?¬â?¢ll get to that later. However, let me start from the very beginning of this, probably the most sorry episode in the never-ending series that is ââ?¬Å?The David Murray Showââ?¬Â.. It all started in January 2009. Rampant speculation built up suggesting that our top goal scorer was subject to a bid from Alex McLeishââ?¬â?¢s Birmingham. The source was originally an article from The Scottish Sun that was brief and lacking in quotes ââ?¬â?? normally the tell-tale signs of a non-story. Unfortunately, it didnââ?¬â?¢t quite work out like that, the bid from Brum was legit ââ?¬â?? and the then-chairman was about to inform us of news that would utterly stun us. After coming off of our most commercially lucrative season ever...Iââ?¬â?¢ll write that again for extra emphasis ââ?¬â?? After coming off of our most commercially lucrative season EVER ââ?¬â?? The chairman was about to confirm that despite all of this, in no small part down to a historic European run the year before ââ?¬â?? our finances were once again down the toilet... Murray told the Guardian at the time... "If we did not take this action [selling Boyd], it could have been bad but there are far worse situations developing around us and I will not allow it to spiral again. Rangers have to be run on a sound fiscal basis." In typical Murray style, however, he was soon to contradict himself completely after the transfer window closed when he said.. "The Boyd situation is simple. We received an offer that we believed, collectively, Walter Smith, manager and Martin Bain, chief executive represented good business. "The player then went to Birmingham and refused terms. That is where it stands. But Rangers will go on whether the player goes or not. In that sense, it is immaterial whether he stays or goes." I donââ?¬â?¢t know about you, but I see two statements that glaringly contradict one another. That wasnââ?¬â?¢t the end of it, however, a leading football agent told national commercial radio station TalkSport the same month, that literally ââ?¬Ë?every Rangers player was for saleââ?¬â?¢, with the likely culprit Wullie McKay later declaring that Rangers CEO Martin Bain had instructed him to sell a raft of high earning first team stars, citing McKayââ?¬â?¢s ability to ââ?¬Å?get the job doneââ?¬Â as the reason behind him being allocated this particular mission. Murray issued a ââ?¬Ë?denialââ?¬â?¢ in The Sunday People soon after which actually confirmed McKayââ?¬â?¢s claim in a roundabout way. So we were back up the financial creek without a paddle. Despite a debt that was dwindling, a tremendous run to a European Final, solid season/match day ticket sales and several impressive fees recouped for players that we sold that culminated in what was officially the most commercially lucrative season in the history of Rangers Football Club ââ?¬â?? Our debt somehow increased and we needed to make drastic cuts It was truly one of the most shocking revelations in our recent history, and it left us wondering where our money was actually going. In the summer of the sale year, Rangers managed to cut the wage bill by well over Ã?£200,000 per week (Over Ã?£10m a year) by moving on a raft of first team squad members. To the credit of Walter Smith and the board, the club maintained most of our key players but we were left well-short of numbers in the squad, a huge potential problem that thankfully was not exploited by faltering then-Celtic manager Tony Mowbrayââ?¬â?¢s inability to field a team capable of challenging for the SPL title. To make matters worse ââ?¬â?? our solitary signing that season, Jerome Rothen, had his loan spell at the club cut-short after an ineffective first half to the season. Despite the support rationally assuming that we would be able to bring in a player or two using Rothenââ?¬â?¢s estimated Ã?£18,000 per week wage, an assumption further justified by the departure of another high-earner in Pedro Mendes to Sporting Lisbon, the Rangers support were again left scratching their heads as there were no incoming transfers to the Champions in the January window of the 2009/2010 SPL season. ââ?¬Å?Mystifiedââ?¬Â just didnââ?¬â?¢t do justice to the general feeling of the Rangers support then, or indeed now. After we won the SPL title for the second consecutive season in 2010, it appeared that following some pleading words from Walter Smith himself, those big bad bankers who had been subject to a tongue-lashing or six from him over the previous months decided to relent and kindly let Rangers buy players ââ?¬â?? with money raised from selling yet more players from our already thread-bare squad. We were all left pleased with the quality of players we brought in but once again, the number of players who moved on last summer was more than the number that came in, and with our continued reluctance to promote youth in decent numbers...or use youth in Cup competition domestically given our hectic schedule, we were again left to face a season at home and abroad with a woefully small squad. For just over two years, Rangers have been fire-fighting and, as I said above, urinating into the wind without getting wet. Nobody should be surprised that this is happening, it was only a matter of time. The reality is that on-field failure and the ââ?¬Ë?huge problemsââ?¬â?¢ I speak of are hopefully going to be the precursor to change at Ibrox. Walter Smith and Martin Bain have done an outstanding job of keeping the club together during these turbulent times ââ?¬â?? that should never be forgotten and both men, Walter in particular, should be commended for this. His contribution since coming has only furthered his status as a legend despite the split opinion of his on-field approach. Something from the previous two years that I sadly canââ?¬â?¢t spare the Rangers management team and board from, however, is the constant stream of contradictory information and statements that has come from them. One minute ââ?¬Å?everyone is for saleââ?¬Â, the next ââ?¬Å?we donââ?¬â?¢t have to sell anyoneââ?¬Â. On other occasions weââ?¬â?¢ve told the world ââ?¬Å?the bank runs the clubââ?¬Â only to play it down days later. Our current chairman, who appears to have vanished without a trace, has justified our constant flip-flopping on the issue by saying our relationship with Lloyds bank is ââ?¬Ë?a fluid situationââ?¬â?¢ i.e. our status with the bank changes all the time as per their business needs. Sadly, that statement has never quite cut it for me, and the only thing fluid about this whole thing is in the way weââ?¬â?¢ve had the piss taken out of us by those who run the club. Fiscally, theyââ?¬â?¢ve done a remarkable job with a fair-share of luck involved. Keeping Davis, Bougherra, McGregor and others when weââ?¬â?¢re so up against it financially is something to be proud of. I personally decided that Rangers would not get another penny from me after that cup game. I donââ?¬â?¢t need to state the obvious about the difficulties many of us have paying for tickets when we have families to keep in this climate, the teamââ?¬â?¢s approach in this one-off must win fixture, along with yesterday and the other league game in January really symbolised the problems we have. Our first team appear to be a spent force ââ?¬â?? lacking in interest and focus because they have zero competition for a first team place. Our manager, like him or not, just doesnââ?¬â?¢t do squad rotation or youth promotion unless his hand is forced. So we now face a situation where our first team at the moment isnââ?¬â?¢t good enough and we canââ?¬â?¢t and wonââ?¬â?¢t change it. But we still pay our money and I think despite the small decrease in numbers, the club have taken our blind loyalty a little too for granted by anyoneââ?¬â?¢s standards. Weââ?¬â?¢ve all wanted a change of approach, change of ethos and a complete shift from the short-term, ââ?¬Å?boom and bustââ?¬Â mentality that has saw us teetering on the financial brink twice in less than ten years. Sadly, due to the furthering financial problems in recent years we have regressed even from that. We do not have the talent on or off the pitch to run Rangers effectively anymore. As a support, we have been very kind to the board and management team ââ?¬â?? weââ?¬â?¢ve taken everything said to us at face value. But the time has come for proper communication with the man who truly holds all the cards, Sir David Murray. Questions about the ongoing HMRC tax investigation, links between Murrayââ?¬â?¢s companies and the aggressive attitude of Lloyds bank to Rangers over what is a perfectly manageable debt from a club who have implemented some shrewd fiscal measures in recent years have not been met with satisfactory answers. Rangers quite like it when we pay our money, sit down and shut up. We canââ?¬â?¢t do it anymore ââ?¬â?? we just canââ?¬â?¢t. Answers to many, many questions are required, and only the man who has disappeared into the night can answer them properly, he still holds all of the cards. One wonders if the warning that Sir David Murray claimed he was trying to send us by selling Boyd in January of 2009 is the real reason behind the financial handcuffs that have been placed on us, with anonymous, invisible bankers quite happy to take the blame and be the ââ?¬Ë?faceââ?¬â?¢ behind the cuts as it gives them just cause to get their money back quicker. There arenââ?¬â?¢t too many other arms of Murrayââ?¬â?¢s empire that can raise seven figure sums by selling off assets relatively quickly. Our club bemoan financial pressure from the bank on one hand yet announce excellent half-year profits on the other, they blame the bank for the restrictions yet charge us through the nose for games weââ?¬â?¢ve actively tried not to win, they demand we pay for our season ticket in advance over a short timescale at inflated prices while warning us that we canââ?¬â?¢t spend money and are open to offers for our star players despite the relative success weââ?¬â?¢ve had recently in maintaining them. On field failure is the excuse the money men need to make further cuts ââ?¬â?? and itââ?¬â?¢s the excuse many of our support will need to get off their backside and demand change at Ibrox ââ?¬â?? along with clarification on what our real problems are. Enough is enough, our expectations have been managed very well by the club ââ?¬â?? weââ?¬â?¢re quite tolerant of the hardships we face now...because weââ?¬â?¢ve so splintered and blindly loyal that we refuse to speak up en masse. So long as the season ticket cash keeps rolling in, change will be delayed that little bit longer. We need to stop propping up a system that is not sustainable in the medium to long term, a regime of noble-yet-helpless individuals fighting the tide of faceless penny-pinchers...who for all we know may include our current owner, and face being flattened by the big truck weââ?¬â?¢ve been waiting to knock us down for two years. As I have no doubt that with the unrest this could all cause, we will emerge from the wreckage a much stronger force, able to plan effectively for the future. This is and always has been about more than one title or season ââ?¬â?? itââ?¬â?¢s about getting our club back. Sorry if this is negative, but I donââ?¬â?¢t care how we get that ââ?¬â?? the sooner we face the inevitable, the better as far as Iââ?¬â?¢m concerned.

I have to say that i had very little expectation at the start of this season. League champions or not our finances still dictated that tough times lay ahead. But to their credit the team pulled together and in an incredible start won their first 9 games with a cracking 3-1 win over celtic to boot. My expectations were raised. Even under the extreme off field pressure that has been having a detrimental effect on the club the team was pulling off the impossible and even managed to play a more positive attacking game as opposed to the backs against the wall tactics that we had all grown accustomed under smiths 2nd stint. Yes we ground out a few but there were times when we actually played flowing attractive football that you didnt have to watch through the cracks in your fingers. The players worked hard for each other and played as a team, pass and move was the order of the day. We saw the likes of Hutton, cole, wylde and ness being introduced to the squad due to the lack of numbers in the first team squad and all impressed and certainly looked the part when callec to the first team. Infact they did so well i looked forward to seeing more of them for the remainder of the season. Or so i thought. Our manager has never had a great record for bringing through kids from the youth system. But given our circumstances hes had at times been forced to play them. And play they did, only to be as predicted by more than one gersnetter to be"dropped like a stone". So when i looked apon our team and pondered why we were so bad at half time on the terraces of Septic park my thoughts drifted to them. The thing is, I have been very impressed by the quality and maturity of these kids from what ive seen of them albeit very little. They never ever looked out of place wether they played 10 or 30 or 90 minutes. And i came to the conclusion that the lack of interest in these kids by our manager was the reason we were dying on our arses. how often have we questioned the severe lack of use of our subs over the season? Would it have hurt to blood them in 15 minutes at the end of a game when we were winning comfortably? No it wouldnt. and Quite often the opportunity was passed by. The end result being that the mainstays were being run into the ground till they could give no more. Thats what we got on Sunday. a team with nothing left to give because our manager failed to utilise his squad properly. Young as they are they are all we have in reserve and smith has basically turned a blind eye to them and burned his team out in the process. And could they really have done any worse than the likes of beattie and lafferty over the season?

Before I start, I'd like to make it clear that this league still has a long way to go. As always, any defeat should be taken in context and not used to write off title challenges or make other teams look better than they actually are. However... Yesterday was a total disgrace from our players and the manager should not escape criticism either. Ironically, I doubt many of us would have disagreed with the starting XI - even if a few of the players have been under-performing generally this season. Sure, a 4-5-1 may look immediately defensive but we still had the offensive players to make it work effectively. For whatever reason most of the team simply downed tools - and not for the first time this season. Indeed, that is the most worrying aspect of yesterday's defeat. Like at the end of the Advocaat reign and during the final months of the McLeish era, our team look devoid of ideas, lack inspiration and are utterly vacant in their commitment. To make matters worse the management team seem incapable of motivating them or reversing our backward spiral. When one considers our next manager is partly responsible for this negative trend, it is safe to say that worry soon turns to fear. The malaise and uncertainty running through Rangers Football Club is nothing new. Our financial issues are debated daily and the last decade has been one of short term outlooks with little long term security. We have an owner who runs off to France when the going gets tough, directors who are too busy defending themselves to defend the club, players whose only loyalty is to the coin and fans who'd rather argue with each other than get together to lobby for solutions. Nevertheless, obviously one defeat to Celtic isn't the end of the world. Win our games in hand and we're only two points behind. Beat them at Ibrox in the next SPL game and we could very well be in front again. Certainly, what happens on the park is directly related to how we perform off it. And arguably that's why caution appears to be the mainstay of our tactical outlook. How can any team play with abandon when they know their manager is leaving, they know the club owner couldn't care less and they know they'll only be offered a pay-cut despite any potential success? However, that doesn't explain our inability to do the basics right and work hard for your team-mates. The way the Celtic team hunted in packs and were physically stronger than every one of our players made me more than angry sitting watching the game. Yet, our players just bent over for more while our manager refused to make any changes that may have helped us influence the game a bit more. Let me be clear again. Walter Smith has done a fantastic job in both his tenures at the club. To win 9IAR was incredible but to come back and keep us competitive for four seasons, winning two titles and coming close to more - as well as taking us to the UEFA Cup final - compares just as well. For those successes he'll have my eternal thanks. Unfortunately, he can't escape criticism either. Being loyal to players is an admirable trait. Being stubborn tactically has yielded results I didn't think were possible in some games. But sometimes he can take these virtues too far which quickly turns positives into negatives. Quite simply there are a few players in this team that have not performed this season - outwith the odd game. Key personnel like Whittaker, Bougherra, Davis and Edu to name a small selection were again awful yesterday - awful; yet all completed the match and it is unlikely any of them will be dropped for the future. Persevering with guys so obviously short of confidence isn't being loyal - it is merely making things worse. Of course naming a few players arguably isn't fair. These guys aren't the only ones who appear to lack the quality and belief required to retain the title. Bad passing, poor shooting, dreadful set-pieces and unacceptable attitudes are prevalent throughout the side. Every player needs to ask themselves if their contribution is worthy of the huge salaries they earn. Lamentably, as seen yesterday I just think the problems are now too numerous for us to be considered capable of winning the league this year. That's not defeatism but simply being realistic when looking at the evidence. I honestly don't see how players so obviously low in morale and lacking in character can turn this around. The next few months will be the biggest test of Smith's managerial career and will determine his legacy for many. Can he respond? Finally, there's no shame in losing. Whether it be the game yesterday, or the title this season, sometimes being second best happens. However, what is important, and what is absolutely vital for our club's future, is the way we react it it. We can feel sorry for ourselves and turn an Old Firm loss into a meek title concession. Or we can finally show some pride and use the hurt from yesterday to give us the spark required to get back into this title race. Rather than raise the white flag of surrender, we need to regroup, "to fight and gain the victory". The future is now.

Gary Hooper insists Celtic are brimming with confidence as they approach Sundayââ?¬â?¢s Old Firm showdown. The Parkhead striker believes Neil Lennonââ?¬â?¢s side have taken a great deal of heart from their performance the last time the two clubs clashed. Despite being reduced to 10 men in the first-half at Ibrox, when goalkeeper Fraser Forster was sent packing for bringing down Steven Naismith, Celtic emerged with a 2-2 draw. And Hooper says the way they managed to dominate Rangers with a man less is fresh in the Celtic playersââ?¬â?¢ minds as they prepare for this weekendââ?¬â?¢s SPL encounter. He said: ââ?¬Å?I enjoyed it at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup game. Going down to 10 men so early was a blow but even then we could have won it. ââ?¬Å?It just proves the quality we have in the team. We had 10 men, they had 11, but they were still sitting behind the ball trying to stop us playing. ââ?¬Å?When youââ?¬â?¢re down to 10 men away from home in an Old Firm game thereââ?¬â?¢s no hiding place out there. ââ?¬Å?Everyone has to stand up and be counted and we did. Itââ?¬â?¢s another massive game on Sunday but if we can play like that with 10, we shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have a problem with 11. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢re out to win it. We played really well away to Dundee United at the weekend and weââ?¬â?¢re aiming to maintain our form.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/gary-hooper-10-man-stand-fills-celtic-up-with-confidence-1.1085335

As ever, we're very comfortable with the intimate nature of our wee website but we're also always eager to attract new forum posters and writers for the main site. While we would never profess to be the busiest forum in the Rangers community, we do feel quality-wise we run any other site close. Not that we'd promote anything other than healthy competition with our friends across our online union of course but I'd encourage any bear to consult a wide range of such sites to gauge opinion on the subjects close to our heart. In an online era where multinational companies such as NewsQuest and News International charge to visit their websites while others use advertising to offset their costs, we're pleased to again make it clear that, despite rising costs, we won't be inflicting any paywall or painful ads on our membership - either on the forum or on our increasingly busy main site. Thanks as always to bmck and craig for providing the finance to keep our voice heard! Where we will ask for your help though is in improving the site as a whole! Despite being online now for over 10 years, we're still keen to hear your feedback and suggestions for enhancing the everyday Gersnet experience for the future. While quality over quantity will always be our mantra, we're eager to have more contributors - either just occasional posters, project leaders or article writers who like to see their name in lights! To give you an idea of our ongoing and consistent article publishing success, our last five articles have topped @NewsNowUK with an average of 1390 hits each. Meanwhile our Twitter account now has well over 300 followers despite only being active for a few months! We also have almost 600 friends on Facebook after the same period...! But as ever, we'd like to welcome more people into our Gersnet family so please spread the word whenever you can. At the top of the forum, you can find links to our main site, our history archive, our Twitter and our Facebook (as well as our back-up forum for when our server takes the huff). Please have a visit, bookmark them and pass them into your friends, family and work colleagues. We hope, like you, they'll find our site an enjoyable place to visit for a few minutes each day. Thanks again for your continued support! :spl:

Rangers at last provide some confidence for their supporters with superb demolition of Steelmen at Ibrox. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=368:rangers-6-0-motherwell-player-ratings-and-mom-poll&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67 :nj: Obviously others had fine games as well (not least Weiss) but the big man really brings such quality to our attack. We'll miss him on Thursday but if we can support him properly at Parkhead on Sunday, we've nothing to fear from Celtic. Bring it on! :spl:

Hopefully this is Bullshit but it was said on here he would probably end up with them.

I sat down today infront of the box looking forward to an afternoon of sport on a relaxing New Year's day for myself. After the introductory programmes of Soccer AM and Football Focus first up was a choice between the Edinburgh Derby on ESPN or West Brom hosting Man United on Sky Sports. No doubt most fans in Scotland, outwith those of the two capital clubs, including many many Rangers fans would have plumped for the glitz and glamour of the EPL and table topping Man United looking to extend their lead against Roberto Di Matteo's Midlands club. The English game provided more goals as United ran out 2-1 winners whilst Hearts edged out Hibernian with a late winner from Kevin Kyle. The argument of most fans will be that when there team is not playing, if they are to watch a game as a neutral they want to watch high class competition and the best players available. It is undoubtedly true that Sir Alex's United and their opposition today can boast far more quality than either of our capital clubs. Much like our own football, EPL games typically feature fast and frenetic action but played out amongst a higher standard of football and inidividual performances. Sky's marketing of the EPL as the self-proclaimed greatest league in the world no doubt helps. Yet surely this puts us in somewhat of a dilemma? We, Scottish football fans in general but probably more than most as Rangers fans, are not slow to gripe and grumble about the state of our game. Every year moaning the quality is worse than years previous. Questioning the quality of the players and competence of the officials. Slaughtering the half-assed output of the tv companies who have stumped up a paltry sum to support and broadcast our national league. We moan that no one invests in our product. Yet if nobody is watching, what is there for broadcasters and sponsors to invest in? Companies willing to put money into football will surely take note of how many fans are watching. We cannot affect attendance at other clubs games, but we can affect viewing figures. How can we expect anyone to support our league if we will not? If you are only watching a game as an interested neutral, why not pick the SPL fixture. It may even prove beneficial to ourselves. We can increase our knowledge of our opposition. Who are the danger man for the opposition we have coming up? Who may cause us problems or where are their weak links. Are there any players that could really cause us or Celtic problems and should we be looking at anyone to fix our own problem areas? Aside from developing your own knowledge of the teams and players we will face, and i'm sure most Rangers fans are ignorant of much of Scottish football below the top two of the SPL, it must surely prove beneficial for Rangers? If more people are watching SPL football broadcasters and sponsors would most likely be willing to invest more money in our game and also provide more professional broadcasts of our fixtures. Next time it's a choice between a routine victory for an EPL heavyweight against an also-ran (ok by all accounts WBA could've/should've taken something from today's game, but they didn't) and scouting out our upcoming opponents and supporting Scottish football then it is up to all of us, Rangers fans, fans of Scottish football, to do our duty and switch off the EPL and switch on the SPL!

RANGERS fans used to have shirts with Fernando Ricksen written on the back. Other people had bullets with his name on them. That was life in the Old Firm for former Rangers star Ricksen. Some players love it, thriving on the firecracker atmosphere of the Glasgow derby. Ricksen, though, hated the poison that swallowed up his life on and off the park. The Glasgow goldfish bowl bubbled with bile and pushed him over the edge towards alcoholism. Just days before the next showdown between Rangers and Celtic, Ricksen opened his heart to SunSport in an explosive interview. After two years out of the game, Ricksen is back playing with Dutch side Fortuna Sittard. With his colourful past the midfielder is a prime candidate for abuse from fans. But after death threats and attacks in the street, Ricksen insists NOTHING could be worse than the torture he endured in Glasgow. He said: "I have played in Scotland with Rangers numerous times against Celtic. There are 80,000 football fanatics one metre from me at these games. "What do you think the fans are saying to me? That I'm a lovely boy? "I've had hate letters sent to me with bullets in them. I'd messages telling me bullets were sent to the IRA so they could kill me. People phoned my son threatening to sort him out and beat him up at school. Supporters have physically and verbally threatened me on the field. "My wife was abused in the street by them, they spat in my face while we were out shopping. "So do you really think that it interests me what a small group of Dutch fans chant? Not one bit." No player deserves the abuse hurled at Ricksen during his six-year stay in Scotland. But the man who was capped 12 times for his country admits he didn't do himself any favours. He confessed: "During my time in Glasgow my faults were getting worse all the time. "It may sound crazy but unconsciously maybe I was creating another situation so in the process I'd learn how to become better. "It was as if I was continually searching for clarification and insight. Playing football saved me. It was my outlet valve. Advertisement Quantcast "Unfortunately it was replaced by alcohol. I don't have any regrets for what happened but I'd do it completely differently now. "I made some very big mistakes and that's inexcusable. Like when I was caught drink-driving or having fights with my team-mates. "When you're a footballer you have to be a role model. I realise that now. I should have been more like Dennis Bergkamp, anonymous and living a quiet life. "Alcohol was the cause of a lot of problems in my life. I've made loads of mistakes but thanks to those bad experiences I'm in a better place. I'm content." Despite a thirst for the drink that forced him into rehab, Ricksen insists he wasn't the hellraiser he was made out to be. He claimed: "I am an alcoholic but in Scotland you're one if you drink a glass of wine. "When you have that sort of reputation people keep talking and writing about it. "In Holland, and certainly in the UK, everyone in football drinks. The problem is when you have someone like me who doesn't give a s*** what other people think. "That causes trouble. I don't deny I had a problem but it wasn't as bad as people make out." Despite the boozing and bad-boy image, Ricksen doesn't want to be remembered for the wild nights out and infamous bust-ups. He wants people to look beyond the rap sheet - and take a look at his roll of honour instead. He said: "At Rangers I won seven trophies. At Zenit I won the championship, the UEFA Cup and the European Super Cup. I played for Holland 12 times. "So in that context the true football lover won't forget how I played and what I achieved. "I am portrayed as a nutter, a sensation seeker. If they really think that I suppose it doesn't concern me. "The people who really know me know that I'm a good person." After his self-imposed exile from football Ricksen finally fell back in love with the sport. But he insists the game he loves is still polluted with low-lifes and back-stabbers looking to do nothing more than make money. He claimed: "I'm a lover of the game but nowadays it's not about the football any more, it's all about marketing, business, betting and other macho sideshows. "Quality isn't a deciding factor. Everyday football is a shady charade, filled with deception - and lying has become normal practice." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3321599/They-sent-me-bullets-and-vowed-Id-be-killed-by-the-IRA.html#ixzz19USLfCgF

RANGERS captain David Weir has accused the club's bankers of unreasonable behaviour in placing fresh restrictions on manager Walter Smith ahead of the forthcoming transfer window. The veteran defender is bemused by the policy, confirmed again by Smith earlier this week, which currently means no funds will be available to spend in January for either permanent or loan signings. With Rangers still in limbo as they await the outcome of the latest takeover bid for the club from businessmen Craig Whyte and Andrew Ellis, Lloyds Banking Group continues to dictate the financial management at Ibrox. Weir believes Rangers' bid to win a third successive SPL title this season and qualify for next year's Champions League could be seriously compromised if they are not allowed to strengthen the squad next month. "It seems illogical that we can't sign any new players in January," said Weir. "Given how successful we have been in reaching a European final and playing in the Champions League, reducing the wage bill and the squad at the same time, you wonder how much further you can go down in terms of numbers and still be competitive. "I'm an amateur when it comes to finances, but you look at the debt and the money brought in since the manager took over. You'd like to think that you could have wiped out the debt in that time with the money we've brought in. I'm obviously missing something." Lloyds last night declined to comment on Weir's criticism. Rangers' debt in their most recent annual accounts stood at �£27.1 million, of which �£22.3 million is owed to Lloyds and incorporates their long-term loan agreement with the bank and overdraft facilities. A two-year transfer embargo was lifted by Lloyds last summer, allowing Smith to spend �£5.25 million in transfer fees on strikers Nikica Jelavic and James Beattie and secure the loan signings of Vladimir Weiss and Richard Foster. That investment was offset by the sales of Kevin Thomson and Danny Wilson for �£4 million, however, while four other senior players left the club at the end of their contracts. Rangers raked in almost �£14 million from their participation in the Champions League group stage last season, allowing them to record a profit of �£4.2 million, and will earn even more from the current European campaign which has seen them finish third in their Champions League group to progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League. Weir is also concerned that they may face that challenge with their existing squad further diminished as prize assets such as Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor are vulnerable to potential transfer bids. "That's what the manager and his staff are fighting," added Weir. "You cannot underestimate the job we've done with one hand tied behind our back. "It's not inconceivable there could be departures next month. It's the reality of where we are at (with the bank]. It's no secret that, if a right bid comes in, then the player will go. We'd prefer everyone to remain and keep our best players to be successful, but it's out of our hands. "The tightness of our squad has been the basis of the success we have had in recent seasons, but that can change as well." Weir was speaking at Hampden, where he promoted ESPN's live coverage of SPL football over the festive period which will begin with Rangers against Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday. He was joined by Celtic captain Scott Brown, who made his return from injury as a substitute in his team's 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock on Tuesday night. The 25-year-old midfielder is likely to be restored to the starting line-up on Sunday when Celtic seek to put their recent stuttering form behind them for the visit of St Johnstone. But, while manager Neil Lennon is able to add to his squad next month, Brown insists Celtic already have the strength and quality required to overhaul Rangers and win the title for the first time in three years. "Our squad is probably the best in the league, to be perfectly honest," said Brown. "We've got around 25 or 30 player who can come into the first team at any time. We've pretty much got two good starting elevens. If we went through January without buying a player, we would still be fine. "We have a big game on Sunday and we need to keep close to Rangers before the Old Firm game at Ibrox on 2 January. "There is no real concern about our form. We are looking good in training and we are dominating teams in games. We are putting the ball in the box and we just need a bit of luck." http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Bank39s-tight-grip-on-spending.6670700.jp?articlepage=2

One of the men responsible for shaping the worldââ?¬â?¢s most successful football league has offered some advice to the SPL on its own day of destiny: less could mean more ââ?¬â?? both on and off the pitch. Holger Hieronymus has helped to make the Bundesliga the most-envied in the business with an 18-team set-up that does better box office than any on the planet. Yet, he firmly believes that the SPL could recover its long-lost European reputation by crunching its own numbers down to ten sides and could prompt a crowd boom like Germany by cutting admission prices for fans. The Bundesliga is the brand leader with a remarkable average crowd of 42,000. Full houses everywhere, the cheapest tickets, clubs who have debt under control, yet it still ensured that Germany were represented in last seasonââ?¬â?¢s Champions League final by Bayern Munich. Hieronymus knows what it takes to win the biggest honour in club football. He was part of the SV Hamburg side that won the European Cup in 1983 before injury propelled him into the business side of football and now he is deputy CEO of the DFL, the German league, which runs the Bundesliga. The 51-year-old recalls with clarity that Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s elite league produced teams that were among Europeââ?¬â?¢s best when he played when it had 10 teams, as Aberdeen and Dundee United emerged in the 1980s. ââ?¬Å?At Hamburg, we came up against Aberdeen a few times,ââ?¬Â Hieronymus said. ââ?¬Å?We knocked them out of the Uefa Cup when we got to the final in 1982, although we lost the first game in Aberdeen. They were a tough team and they won the Cup Winners Cup in 1983 and then they stopped us from winning the European Super Cup. ââ?¬Å?Yet that year they did not even the Scottish title. It was Dundee United, who, I remember, beat some of our top teams, like Werder Bremen and Borussia Moenchengladbach. That was obviously a good period for Scottish football. If Celtic and Rangers do not keep the success, it makes it more exciting. ââ?¬Å?I understand the problems Scotland faces because I used to speak a lot to my friend Lex Gold [the former SPL chief]. Football and money have to be balanced. If some people in Scotland want to go back to 16 or 18 teams, I would have to say that from the sporting aspect, the best way to improve the quality of your league is if the top teams are playing each other more often, than, for example, a weaker team in a bigger league. ââ?¬Å?You have to play on a special level domestically so you can compete when those teams reach European competition. Pressure is a good thing. The Bundesliga started with 16 teams and went to 20 but now we know 18 is the right number for us. Sometimes people say why donââ?¬â?¢t we copy England or Spain and expand but they have problems fitting in all the games when their teams are successful in Europe.ââ?¬Â The Bundesliga also has a winter-break, promotion-relegation play-off and Friday night football, three issues which were due to be up for debate by SPL clubs at Hampden today before it was called off due to severe weather. ââ?¬Å?We brought the play-offs in for 2008-09 between the third bottom team and the third best in Bundesliga 2,ââ?¬Â says Hieronymus. ââ?¬Å?The fans seem to like it because the games are a sellout.ââ?¬Â ââ?¬Ë?Sold outââ?¬â?¢ is a common message at Bundesliga grounds. Whether it is 80,000 watching leaders Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park or last-placed Moenchengladbach locking the doors with 50,000 inside, spectators cannot get enough of the product. The ticket prices are kept low by the clubs, and part of the reason for that is Germany still allows fans to stand. Hieronymus knows that sets off alarm bells in Britain ââ?¬â?? where all-seater stadia were created after the Heysel and Hillsborough Disasters ââ?¬â?? but offers some feedback, anyway. ââ?¬Å?The average ticket price in the Bundesliga is 20 euros,ââ?¬Â he says. ââ?¬Å?That is because all our stadia have special areas where fans can stand and it is very popular. The price there is maybe 13 euros. Those areas are very safe and so are our grounds. ââ?¬Å?That means the average price for the Bundesliga is probably cheaper than what people pay in Scotland and England. ââ?¬Å?I know that standing at football is a very political question in Britain. I know what happened in the past and that clubs from England were involved, not Scotland. I cannot say ââ?¬Ë?do thisââ?¬â?¢ because Britain is the way it is. ââ?¬Å?However, what I can say is that in Germany we have created an environment that really works. We have a lot of families at our games. The fans tell us they want to have standing areas and those supporters sing a lot and provide a great atmosphere. We even have people from England coming to watch lots of our games because they like much to such ââ?¬â?? and itââ?¬â?¢s cheaper.ââ?¬Â http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/more-scottish-football/bundesliga-reconstruction-could-be-the-inspiration-for-change-in-scottish-game-1.1075388

RANGERS are unhappy with the Clydesdale Bank Premier League for scheduling an Old Firm game between the two ties in the last 32 of the Europa League. They were drawn against Sporting Lisbon yesterday and now face a pivotal eight days in February which will be hugely significant in their pursuit of four trophies. Rangers realised weeks ago that if they made it through to the Europa League their first ties in 2011 would come either side of the third league game against Celtic this season. Now they know exactly what is being demanded of them as they face Sporting at Ibrox on Thursday February 17, go to Parkhead at lunchtime on Sunday 20, and are then in Portugal for the second leg on February 24. Rangers have been unhappy with the scheduling since the SPL announced its league dates months ago, even before they knew it would definitely affect them. Privately the clubââ?¬â?¢s view is that the derby should have been scheduled away from the European dates. The UEFA draw in Nyon, Switzerland, also paired Rangers with either Lille or PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 if they were to make it past the Portuguese, who have former Rangers man Pedro Mendes in their squad. Currently, they are third in the league, 12 points behind leaders Porto. Rangers memorably defeated Sporting in the quarter-finals when they went on to reach the UEFA Cup final in 2008. Given that Rangers were unseeded and could have drawn the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool, being paired with Sporting and then Lille or PSV was a draw warmly welcomed by the Rangers management. The first leg against Lisbon is at Ibrox and, if they progress, they would have home advantage in the second leg in the last 16. Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, was pleased with the draw and reflected on the 2-0 away win which eliminated Sporting in 2008. ââ?¬Å?We know we will face two really tough games because they are playing well at the moment and we had to play well to win there last time out. ââ?¬Å?We played some good football against them across the two legs and we will have to repeat those kinds of levels to have success in the Europa League. Of course, Pedro Mendes is there so we know the quality of player that we will face. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve got good experience now in European competitions and weââ?¬â?¢ll need to use that to handle the situations. You can use every element to your advantage and we can try to do that with having the first leg at home. There is plenty of time between now and the games. We we will have them watched closely and will know what we are up against.ââ?¬Â Sporting werenââ?¬â?¢t at the draw as bad weather prevented Francisco Costa, their director of football, from arriving in time. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/rangers-dissatisfied-after-euro-dates-sandwich-old-firm-game-1.1075234

For no particular reason I started this on Facebook - I know it's futile and he's made his mind up, but I just wanted to express an opinion. http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-wish-Walter-Smith-would-change-his-mind-about-leaving/147709755278312?ref=ts

Wasteful Rangers regret missed chances and lethargic first half performance to drop points in Highlands. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=350:inverness-ct-1-1-rangers-player-ratings-and-mom-poll&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67 One of our players that consistently delivers a high standard every week - no matter the opposition. Honourable mentions to Beattie and Wylde who showed quality and hunger when they came on as subs. Both should start next week.

Found this article about our recent Italian transfer rumours -

Surprised this hasn't made it over here yet. More top quality bheast-bashing from Jeff. http://www.jeffwinterentertainmentandmedia.co.uk/rangers/0910007.php "Knob splash"

By Tom English You only had to look at some of the websites on Friday night to understand the sickness of some who attach themselves to football clubs in this country. In this instance, we are talking about Celtic. And we are talking about secrets and lies. When the news came through late in the evening that Hugh Dallas had left his post at the Scottish Football Association, a near-orgasmic glee broke out in some parts of cyberspace where Celtic fans were gathered. They contributed in their hundreds, if not their thousands, each one acclaiming this to be one of their greatest days, one of their finest triumphs. Their venom for Dallas was untrammelled. It was, and I use the word advisedly, an orgy of abuse. A man claiming to be 71 years old said that the only sad part about it all was that his father and his uncles weren't alive to see it - "but I hope they're cheering in heaven". We had to cut the quote short because what he said about Dallas thereafter doesn't warrant repeating. Suffice to say that the pensioner has entered his dotage without a shred of perspective in this world. It was the kind of contribution that made you feel more sorry for the person who wrote it than the man it was written about. These people purported to defend the Pope's honour in the wake of the toxic e-mail sent from Dallas's computer at Hampden. These are people who jumped on the bandwagon by declaring themselves insulted and offended by the lampooning of the Holy Father, who demanded that Dallas be sacked for a supposed act of sectarianism that grossly disrespected their faith and the head of their church. On Friday, this righteous flock turned into a baying mob and in that moment we saw their duplicity in all its ugliness. For these people, the Dallas e-mail wasn't an affront, it was an opportunity, a chance to hound a man they have had a grudge against for years and an association they've harboured bitterness about for generations. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/celticfc/Tom-English-39In-effect-they.6642373.jp?articlepage=1

I'm now beginning to slowly go off this guy now. I used to think he was OK but some of his remarks are uncalled for. Don't get me wrong, some of his comments are spot on but they're often overshadowed by his below the belt ones.

doyle07 Today, 3:13 PM Post #519 Member Avatar First team training [ * * * ] Posts: 217 Group: Members Member #23,540 Joined: 24 May 2009 Favourite all-time player Danny McGrain suttonscores 13 Nov 2010, 12:20 PM Brendan67 13 Nov 2010, 11:29 AM Just heard on Sky Sports News the huns are to have a 2 minute silence today after Smith met with troops. Wtf is he doing meeting troops? did he do an overnighter to Afghanistan? Gave an emotional speech, parade etc? What a guy! :worthy: ETA. bet his speech would be along the lines of "look guys, I know we are withdrawing troops and soon you'll be outnumbered, but remember Quality over Quantity!" Its Fecking disgusting what that old bastard, and RFC are doing and have been doing, they are using these troops as a means to achieve some form of respectability, yes we might be a bunch of bigoted, ugly, smelly bastards, but look we support our troops, not like those nasty Celtic people who must now be considered worse than us celbhoy Today, 3:36 PM Post #521 Member Avatar First team training [ * * * ] Posts: 263 Group: Members Member #145 Joined: 3 September 2004 Topbhoy08 13 Nov 2010, 03:35 PM Huns cant fill the bench for the game today! Why - is there no room with all the poppies on it? Big Drew Today, 3:38 PM Post #522 Rio Fergus McCann CSC [ * * * * * * * * * * * * ] Posts: 11,521 Group: Snr. Member Member #151 Joined: 3 September 2004 doyle07 13 Nov 2010, 03:13 PM suttonscores 13 Nov 2010, 12:20 PM Brendan67 13 Nov 2010, 11:29 AM Just heard on Sky Sports News the huns are to have a 2 minute silence today after Smith met with troops. Wtf is he doing meeting troops? did he do an overnighter to Afghanistan? Gave an emotional speech, parade etc? What a guy! :worthy: ETA. bet his speech would be along the lines of "look guys, I know we are withdrawing troops and soon you'll be outnumbered, but remember Quality over Quantity!" Its Fecking disgusting what that old bastard, and RFC are doing and have been doing, they are using these troops as a means to achieve some form of respectability, yes we might be a bunch of bigoted, ugly, smelly bastards, but look we support our troops, not like those nasty Celtic people who must now be considered worse than us Deflection is easier than changing their own fans behaviour. beer_goggler1888 Today, 3:53 PM Post #528 Member Avatar Harp Lager ICE cold [ * * * * * * * * * ] Posts: 3,484 Group: Snr. Member Member #3,012 Joined: 6 February 2006 Topbhoy08 13 Nov 2010, 03:35 PM Huns cant fill the bench for the game today! Their just officially making room for the 4th official :thumbsup: Henrik The King Today, 3:56 PM Post #529 Member Avatar Goodbye Eric [ * * * * * * * * * * * * ] Posts: 23,734 Group: Snr. Member Member #1,715 Joined: 28 July 2005 celbhoy 13 Nov 2010, 03:36 PM Topbhoy08 13 Nov 2010, 03:35 PM Huns cant fill the bench for the game today! Why - is there no room with all the poppies on it? Really hope Aberdeen get something today but have to say they were abject against us and didn't look much better against ICT. Can still hope though. :pray: ADogCalledLubo Today, 4:13 PM Post #533 Member Avatar REALLY gotta watch what you say... [ * * * * * * * * * ] Posts: 3,499 Group: Snr. Member Member #25,479 Joined: 5 February 2010 Favourite all-time player Lubo-o Pish from the waistcoat and Spiers (although maybe not really.) Spiers has been a hack long enough to know what off the record means. Usually it's when someone want to give some information that can't come from them. Not some hackeneyed opinion. If "Walter" just wanted to sound off then it should have been on record or not at all. Honest journalists would have told him, "No. We're not here for you to get it off your chest. We're here to listen on behalf of the readers and report back." Not greatly surprising they put up with his shampooe, though they shouldn't have. Spiers just got a rollicking for not playing the twisted game, is all. suttonscores Today, 4:17 PM Post #534 Member Avatar First-team captain [ * * * * * * * * ] Posts: 2,802 Group: Snr. Member Member #10,409 Joined: 31 August 2007 Favourite all-time player Tommy Burns HUNS with Lest we Forget under their badge, this a new thing or did they do it last year? Fuds!

Walter Smith has been quoted from the pre-match press conferences for this weekend�s match as saying that whilst we had been winning matches, we hadn�t been at our best. We had a 9 game winning streak in the SPL allied to a couple of cup victories and an unbeaten first round of fixtures against each of our Champions League opponents. Much had been made of Celtic�s unbeaten run, well unbeaten if you don�t count European matches, matches against lower division opposition and matches of any significance. Ahead of our trip to Parkhead there was a sense of an Old Firm match perhaps taking on more importance than normal. Could Celtic continue this run or could Smith reassert Rangers dominance over the SPL. As is his want, Smith once more oversaw victory against our rivals and had the majority of the support believing we were nigh on unbeatable, at least within our own borders. Draws at Old Trafford and against Valencia and victory over the Champions of Turkey reaffirmed this view. Since Parkhead, although we have not been derailed we have been redirected. Merely turning up is not enough to sweep past all opposition in the SPL. Smith admits that first and foremost we must start playing well if we are to expect such regularity of victories again. Inverness was a regrettable and avoidable banana skin. In spite of an impressive away record for the highlanders, further extended in defeating our next opponents Aberdeen this midweek past, we should have had too much quality for them. Indeed we created enough chances to win. And although we had chances against Hibs, the less said about a 3-0 defeat at Ibrox the better. Rather than taking advantage of Celtic�s defeat at Tynecastle, a fixture highlighted as difficult, we have confirmed what ICT suggested. We are not infallible. We are not invincible. We must treat opposition with respect (though not too much Walter). We must be prepared, we must be committed and we must earn the three points each and every week. The manager has highlighted a depleted squad and an excuse of fatigue and tiredness. We hear these same justifications annually now. Yet we are just 18 games into the league season. In his 3 full seasons here, Davie Weir has played 61, 47 and 51 games. If the squad elder statesman can compete in so many games it is a poor reflection on his younger team mates if they are tired only a third of the way through the league campaign. If they are tired already they, and we, are in for a very long season. With matches coming thick and fast and a small pool of players it is going to take a fair amount of manipulation from the manager to keep the squad fresh and competitive. However, I would contend that it is the player�s mental states and not physical fatigue that is cause for concern. The midweek defeat was a shocking result, but given we lost no ground in the title race, maintaining pole position, it may serve as a useful reminder to the team that we must be mentally prepared for all challenges. We must respect all opposition whether they are a provincial team, a capital club supposedly in turmoil or, as with this weekend, a club living on past glories and failing to accept its new position in the game. It is up to the management to re-focus the players. Remind them the opposition will not roll up and roll over accepting defeat. If the team are mentally attuned to the challenge our opponents present, more often than not our superior quality will see us triumphant and drive us towards league title no. 54.

We all know that when England get anything approaching a top quality player they must rush to proclaim him the best in the world. And much liek Celtic, repeat something often enough and it becomes fact. So for the past few years they've been proclaiming Cole the best left back in the world because he's good at attacking and plays for a team that mostly dominate games so he gets to show off his attacking. Now that Bale in recent weeks has put in immense displays of attacking full back play and at the highest level in Europe, above a level Cole has ever shown, where does that leave England and their desperated claims of having the best player in the world in a given position. FWIW, he wasn't even the best prior to Bales pretty meteoric rise.