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Arsenal blew it again. They dont deserve to be challenging for the title if they cant put Newcastle away at home. Thats 4 home games now they have drew (Boro, Villa, Everton, Newcastle) and they should be beating all them except maybe an inform Villa at the time, but even then youd still back them. Liverpool again failed to win at home. They are going to find it hard to get 4th now unless they start winning away. Man Utd and Chelsea are opening up a gap. How good is that game going to be next sunday at Old Trafford!! C'mon the Man U. Hopefully they dont get any players injured against Celtic on Tues.

A couple of papers are today saying that we're going to get in early with a bid for the pair of young Hibs players. PLG is keen on landing them both, but as are a fair few of other clubs including Celtic. Whilst I'd love this story to be true and I don't actually doubt it for a second, how the hell are we going to be able to afford them????

Cannot believe what I just heard on Scotsport, the discussion was about the CELTIC game and somehow he drags us into it , claims he heard sectarian chants at Ibrox on sat and claims "if we go to Dublin" is sectarian. Beggars belief!

HOOPS TO INVESTIGATE SECTARIAN CLAIMS Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell revealed he will be having private discussions with St Mirren after the Saints' PA announcer claimed the visiting fans had been singing sectarian songs in the first half of the Hoops' 3-1 Bank of Scotland Premier League victory at Love Street. A Thomas Gravesen hat-trick gave the Hoops all three points with the Paisley side having only a John Sutton header to show for their efforts. However, at the interval, with the visitors 2-0 ahead and cruising, the announcer, alluding to the songs and chants from the away support, urged the home fans to "please keep the good name of St Mirren intact by not responding to sectarian songs being sung". Afterwards St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour distanced the Paisley club from the announcement but supported the message: "He did it off his own back but I have no problem with it. "I'm just glad to say that it is not a problem with St Mirren fans." Lawwell responded by issuing a statement: "This is the first time that this has happened and it was unauthorised by St Mirren or Strathclyde Police. "Celtic will be taking the matter up privately with St Mirren." On another controversial issue, Gilmour also explained the decision not to have a minute's silence for Remembrance Day before the game by saying: "Yesterday was the 11th and we were given no instruction from the SPL." The game itself was more straightforward with Celtic deserving their win although St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson claimed the corner that led to Celtic's third goal via a Gravesen header should have been a goal kick. He said: "It was an easy decision, it wasn't a corner yet it leads to a Celtic goal. "By all accounts Gravesen's header was over the line from the corner but it wasn't a corner, it was a goal kick. "We see that so often, when a corner or free-kick doesn't go your way, it leads to something. "But we will look at the marking and that could have been better." Celtic manager Gordon Strachan retorted: "I had no idea if it was a corner, I just let the referee make decisions. "Kenny Miller got rugby-tackled in the box we just get on with it. "We have had many decisions against us this season but we don't come out and cry about it." Strachan admits he "had a quiet word" with goalkeeper Artur Boruc whose carelessness lead to a spell of panic in the Celtic rearguard in the second-half. The Pole had to make a double save from Sutton and then Billy Mehmet after he had crashed a clearance off Sutton but the incident led to a spell of pressure which ended with the Saints pulling a goal back. The Celtic boss said: "I had a quiet word, nothing dramatic. "Artur changed the mood of the game. We didn't want to let them get into it but when the ball went back to Artur - it wasn't very good. "It woke the crowd up, re-energised St Mirren and from that they got more free-kicks and with the number of big guys they have got, it's going to be a problem." http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/06/11/12/SOCCER_St_Mirren_Quotes.html

Firstly, I think itââ?¬â?¢s important that I should say that Iââ?¬â?¢d still consider myself reasonably neutral when it comes to the position and record of David Murray. Nevertheless, this Rangers fan has been rather vocal recently with regard to who it holds responsible for our clubs current woes and it was reasonably pleasing to see Murray return to the limelight last week and attempt to address our concerns. What too many people forget is that Murray isnââ?¬â?¢t daft. He may have made mistakes lately in several areas but heââ?¬â?¢s been clever in the way he covers his tracks. By waiting so long to speak out he essentially let his new management team shoulder the burden alone for the poor results. Not unreasonable given their errors but Iââ?¬â?¢m sure PLG and Yves Colleau would have preferred some backing a wee bit earlier. Next, we hear the chairman has personally visited the players and told them performances are unacceptable. Again, they could hardly complain at this censure but itââ?¬â?¢s further clever sleight of hand to remove the attention from the some annoyed fansââ?¬â?¢ focal point. Fridayââ?¬â?¢s interview then gave the chairman the opportunity to defend his position even more. Why should he be to blame? Heââ?¬â?¢s only ensuring we remain fiscally prudent; the club canââ?¬â?¢t afford to spend serious money any more; we need to stick together; heââ?¬â?¢s hurting just as much; he wonââ?¬â?¢t sell to any prospective buyer; heââ?¬â?¢s still the right man for the job. No admission of mistakes then ââ?¬â?? just a man absolving himself of blame and preserving his infallibility amongst the adoring majority. In some ways heââ?¬â?¢s correct ââ?¬â?? but in others he fails to answer the questions many fans still have. Of course we have to be careful in how we spend our money. After all it was the chairmanââ?¬â?¢s mistakes of years past that led (in part) to our downsizing in many areas. That was necessary but just because we need to be prudent with our money doesnââ?¬â?¢t mean we need to downsize our ambitions for the future. In addition by asking for patience until January (and next May) he has again bought time from fans that have already waited long enough for signs of improvement on and off the pitch. We canââ?¬â?¢t afford another 3rd place finish while he finds the right blend of fiscal responsibility and player capability. I do agree with the chairman in that we need to stick together. However, that goes both ways and defence from the regime has been sadly lacking as the fans (and club generally) still take flak from all sides. Our manager was even disgracefully called a ââ?¬Ë?hunââ?¬â?¢ in one tabloid yesterday without official comment from the club. Just as disappointing was a statement on our own official site giving credence to aggressive behaviour from a number of fans who ââ?¬Ë?overpoweredââ?¬â?¢ a small protest against the Murray administration which resulted in a banner being ripped and angry words being exchanged between the opposing groups. Itââ?¬â?¢s a shame that the Murray propaganda machine is so quick to applaud his backers acting so aggressively but is posted missing when his own manager is spat upon by Celtic fans or described in derogatory terms in newspapers. Unfortunately, while our club continues to under-achieve in so many areas, there will always be disagreement between the fans as to who is the cause of any problems. Murray is the easy answer but he's by no means the only cause and itââ?¬â?¢s difficult to directly blame him for lacklustre player performances and a manager struggling to adapt to a pacey and physical Premier League. As such, I'm unsure that direct ââ?¬Ë?Murray Must Goââ?¬â?¢ protests are the answer at this point in time. Yes, results have been poor and yes, current board strategy is questionable but until Murray finds a buyer, he's not going to be going anywhere any time soon. After all, he can hardly be sacked and with the club worth around Ã?£40-60million heââ?¬â?¢s not going to just walk away. In my opinion itââ?¬â?¢s best for the unhappy fans to channel their frustration into more positive avenues of protest so Iââ?¬â?¢d urge every fan to consider joining the Rangers Supportersââ?¬â?¢ Trust. Although they, like this article, are neither pro/anti-Murray they do care passionately about our club. Indeed, if it wasnââ?¬â?¢t for their pressurisation in midweek Murray wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have emerged from his Charlotte Square bunker and (albeit with the help of many other bears) we might not have seen an apology from ââ?¬Ë?The Sunââ?¬â?¢ regarding the Paul Le Guen fiasco. The RST certainly isnââ?¬â?¢t for everyone and thatââ?¬â?¢s perfectly fine. Not everyone agrees with their main ethos of fan participation/ownership while certain aspects of their strategy are not ââ?¬Ë?militantââ?¬â?¢ (or indeed ââ?¬Ë?too militantââ?¬â?¢) for some. What they do give though is genuine independent and democratic representation for Rangers fans. So much so, that the club now meets with them ahead of their own Assembly which simply doesnââ?¬â?¢t offer the same wide-ranging and positive resources of the Trust. The unique ââ?¬Ë?GerSaveââ?¬â?¢ initiative provides one way of raising new money for the club and has been backed by many fans and ex-players already. To conclude I think it is time the fans use the RST to channel their frustration while we find and fix our problems. Unfortunately, until one man admits his part in said problems and actually attempts to address this, along with the fans, further division may not be far away. If that does happen, the manager and the players wonââ?¬â?¢t be to blame and the spotlight will again return to the top of the tree.

MURRAY MUST SPEAK - TRUST The Rangers Supporters�´ Trust have called for David Murray to break his silence over the crisis engulfing the club. The Ibrox chairman has so far kept his counsel as their season plunges headlong into disaster. A disastrous start to Paul Le Guen�´s reign leaves Rangers trailing Celtic by 15 points in the league, and the CIS Insurance Cup exit at the hands of St Johnstone proved to be the final straw for some angry fans who gathered outside Ibrox calling for the heads of both the manager and chairman. RST spokesman Stephen Smith said: "The supporters are looking for leadership and someone to take responsibility. It�´s puzzling that a manager, whose second language is English, has been left to fend for himself. David Murray has so far been reluctant to step in but he has to be seen alongside his manager. The current state of affairs cannot continue." ---- Must say, I like Stephen Smith. A point well made, i think.

Aye fuckin right lol

They are getting beat 2-0 :D

got a feeling that timmy can go there tonight and get a win i think they ar soo fired up and determined to get it benfica0-2celtic

http://www.gersnet.info/fmrangers/newmain/301006.html After yet another week of disappointment and underachievement, the debates have been raging once more about whom to blame for said woes. The culpable parties range from Paul Le Guen to Charlie Richmond; from Filip Sebo to the RST. Mainly though, bit by bit, the attention is moving to the invisible man himself ââ?¬â?? David Murray. It is interesting to read and listen to the wide range of opinion regarding this interesting character. Some suggest heââ?¬â?¢s the Messiah, others say heââ?¬â?¢s the anti-Christ. Myself, I prefer the middle-ground, but by the day I can feel the atmosphere getting hotter. Where is our chairman at the moment? Is he basking on the slopes of his south facing French vineyards? Or he is working by candlelight in his Charlotte Square offices while the property market and his ever-increasing portfolio make his Murray International Holdings group even more money? One thing is for sure; he wonââ?¬â?¢t be at Ibrox finding out why our club falls further and further behind in the financial backwaters of the Scottish Premier League. I think it was during the heady days of 9-in-a-row that this particular business magician assured us that while he remained in charge heââ?¬â?¢d spend Ã?£10 for every fiver Celtic spent. Days of yore, indeed. I remember the 1990s well. An incredible run in the inaugural Championsââ?¬â?¢ League. Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne and a record equalling league title run. Millions upon millions spent ââ?¬Ë?chasing the dreamââ?¬â?¢. I loved it ââ?¬â?? we all did. Unfortunately, it couldnââ?¬â?¢t last and it didnââ?¬â?¢t. We took our eye off the ball and Celtic made their comeback. Their stadium was suddenly bigger and over an incredibly short period of time, they were the ones contesting UEFA Cup finals and spending the bigger money. Our success was more sporadic but no less enjoyable in some respects ââ?¬â?? hiding the cracks indeed. Times changed, mistakes were made and things would never been the same again. Suddenly our excellent businessman had our club Ã?£80million in debt. Downsizing was inevitable and necessary but surely ambition and support would remain the same? That doesnââ?¬â?¢t seem to be the case any more and my goodness it hurts. Badly. We are a club in crisis ââ?¬â?? make no mistake. From the top down our club is rotten to the core. Our chairman and his right hand man are AWOL and donââ?¬â?¢t care. Our security chief sanctions arrests against our fans while opposition supporters sing songs about disasters in stadiums built in our absent friendsââ?¬â?¢ memory. Our once proud shops lie empty and vandalised shaming the badge that now hangs sadly above. The ticket office charges us for services that should be free. Our PR team embarrasses us and only exacerbates our worsening and unfair reputation. I could go on all night. There are of course some bright lights. We do have an excellent training facility and our manager, despite obvious problems, is one with the knowledge and expertise to turn our fortunes around. But it seems heââ?¬â?¢ll need to do so without fiscal backing from a man who canââ?¬â?¢t keep his promises. From a man who lies to his own so-called ââ?¬Ë?Rangers familyââ?¬â?¢. No matter how obvious the problems appear to some, others wonââ?¬â?¢t hear a word of criticism. ââ?¬Ë?Not David Murrayââ?¬â?¢, they say, ââ?¬Ë?He bought us the glory days and loves the club the same as usââ?¬â?¢. All half-truths of course, but their hero wonââ?¬â?¢t correct them. He has a business to run and a reputation to protect. What they fail to realise is that David Murray isnââ?¬â?¢t a fan of Rangers like you or I. He isnââ?¬â?¢t in our family. Family members stick by their kin and ensure their development selflessly. Our owner doesnââ?¬â?¢t do that. Maybe he did once ââ?¬â?? the waters are too muddied to be sure. Yes, heââ?¬â?¢s invested money but heââ?¬â?¢s made just as much. He has spent around Ã?£70million including a few share issues and buying the club. If he sells for Ã?£50million he gets most of that back. Add the Club Deck steel money, the RHL call centre money, the Albion car park money, the Azure Catering money and his various companiesââ?¬â?¢ increased profile and prestige from being associated with Rangers, I think one won't be far off matching his overall investment. When one compares that to OUR investment it doesnââ?¬â?¢t come close. We spent around Ã?£25million minimum every season. We donââ?¬â?¢t do that to make money ââ?¬â?? itââ?¬â?¢s an emotional investment ââ?¬â?? one we make in hope and expectation ââ?¬â?? not in cold blood and hard cash. Murray's investment, both from a financial and emotional perspective, doesn't come close. As such, although certain aspects of his tenure deserve credit and should be remembered with fondness other parts remain questionable and the respect afforded to him should be realistic. Not given blindly and cheaply. One thing is for certain ââ?¬â?? David Murray does not want to be here any longer. Ergo, he can leave his legacy in a few positive ways or he can prove the negativity above is fair. Firstly, he can invest Ã?£10million in the club in January. Itââ?¬â?¢s not a great deal of cash to a man worth Ã?£650million. About 1.5% of his total wealth - around the same percentage as you or I may invest each season. Secondly, he can sell the quickly club at a realistic price. Not at the Ã?£80million or more he may think itââ?¬â?¢s worth. Iââ?¬â?¢m thinking more about the Ã?£20-30million mark ââ?¬â?? high enough to make the profit he wants but low enough to attract a buyer whoââ?¬â?¢ll then have money left to make the improvements Murray canââ?¬â?¢t or wonââ?¬â?¢t. Finally, if he really feels part of a family and really cares about the rest of us, he should donate 10% of his holding to the RST ensuring genuine supportersââ?¬â?¢ representation in the future. Representation that is deserving of fans that do give their all for the club and who donââ?¬â?¢t make money back through outsourcing and other backdoor deals. Smoke and mirrors is a description I often hear about David Murray. In many respects itââ?¬â?¢s certainly apt and our very own magician still has some time to pull something out of the hat and ensure the early part of his performance isnââ?¬â?¢t sullied by the actions of what appears to be a tired and uncaring con-man. The lights are dimming on the stage. Has David Murray already left the building? Or does he have one last performance?

GORDON STRACHAN is preparing to spend any Celtic Euro windfall on Hibs midfielder Scott Brown. The Parkhead manager will get additional funds in the January transfer window if he can steer his side into the Champions League knock-out stages. Celtic will bank around �£3m if they progress from their group. They will earn more than �£1.2m for reaching the last 16 and would also have a home gate and extra sponsorship revenue to boost the coffers. Even finishing third, and going into the Uefa Cup, would guarantee extra funds that they didn't originally bank on so Strachan, who didn't spend his entire budget in the summer, will be rewarded. Chairman Brian Quinn said yesterday at the agm that funds could be available in January. And the Hoops boss has identified the Scotland star as the player he would most like to add to his squad. SportTimes understands Strachan has asked to be kept updated on the player's situation between now and the turn of the year. Old Firm rivals Rangers are also known to be admirers, but Paul Le Guen might not have enough funds to come close to Hibs' asking price, which is thought to be around �£3m. Brown is thought to favour a move to Ibrox over Parkhead, but he would be around familiar faces at Celtic with former Hibs team-mates Derek Riordan and Garry Caldwell already in Strachan's squad. Strachan is desperate to be the first manager to take Celtic into the last 16 of the Champions League, something Martin O'Neill failed to achieve in his time at Parkhead. And he knows the extra money from achieving such a feat could be put to good use as he continues to fill his squad with young talent. Celtic already look good for finishing in the top two of their Champions League section. Wins at home over FC Copenhagen and Benfica have put them in a healthy position at halfway. Signing Brown to the club would hand him a massive boost as he strives to put a Celtic side out on the park that has energy, determination and pace. The midfielder has been a huge influence on the Hibs side that played entertaining football under Tony Mowbray, before he quit to take over West Brom. Strachan is expected to remain tight-tipped on his plans for January as he knows there is plenty of interest in the player from down south as well as Rangers, but he is certainly on his short-list of targets. I would be sick if this happened. Hopefully he learns a lesson from Riorden. Surely if Brown wants to come to us we and we are interested in signing him, Murray will make the cash available for one of Scotlands best talents. The same should go for Gorden,we should go to all odds to get one of Britains top keepers for years to come. Come on Murray spending now for the future can create money not throw us back into debt.

vlad is mad if i was the players i would purposly lose i would be fed up with all that

2 short articles for your viewing pleasure... http://www.gersnet.info/fmrangers/newmain/261006.html We Are The People 26/10/2006 Seems more than a few Celtic fans (let's be civil eh?) are in the huff about David Edgar (RST Spokesperson and all round good egg) signing off on Real Radio's Football Phone-In with 'We are the People'. Apparantly this phrase (used since the oldest bear I know remembers) is now sectarian and offensive. So much so, that Real Radio presenter Ewen Cameron (and his boss Jay Crawford) felt the need to apologise on David's behalf later on the show. Last time I checked, even Rangers FC themselves, back this harmless phrase decribing our thoughts of being footballs best supporters (how dare us!) and sticking together through good and bad. Why would anyone find such a thing offensive? Is there anything the Celtic support (and their many sympathisers) don't find offensive or sectarian? We are the people! The Junglebhoys Remember 26/10/2006 Also, this week, 'The Sun' reports that the official Celtic singing section will unveil a banner that will eventually be passed on to the Benfica fans paying tribute to their player Miklos Feher who tragically suffered a heart attack and died on the pitch whilst playing for Benfica in 2004. Very admirable the neutral may say but am I the only commentator finding this gesture to be a bit off? Apparantly on their forums, the Junglebhoys organisers talk about how this will bring them great publicity home and abroad. Why should that matter if they truly want to be so selfless? Remember this is the fans' group who paid an IRA terrorist to paint their Jock Stein banner. I'm sure the Benfica fans will be delighted to know that such a dubious group want to remember their player while still glorifying a terror organisation who murdered innocent women and children in cold blood. Just don't expect to read about that in the papers anytime soon. In saying that, maybe if we phone Real Radio and complain of being offended, they will apologise on our behalf? Or, like any other media platform, maybe Real Radio only find offence when Rangers fans are supposedly doing the offending? It's is interesting how quickly these platforms dismiss our thoughts when we find similar offence? But then again we don't have Chief Executives phoning up the station or sectarian fans' forums posting the address of the presenter's family. Yet, we're continually (mis)cast as the villains?

Haha - you must be joking... Firstly, how does today's Daily Record - which struggles to mention yesterday's disgraceful 'penalty' award to St Mirren - compare with early last year when we got a similar supposedly dubious penalty against Hearts? Let me refresh your memory: Daily Record - March 4th 2005 Front Page: Small section on bottom left hand side; Back page: 9-page sports special on 'that' penalty. Back page: THAT WAS NEVER A PENALTY - Exclusive by Keith Jackson Pages 86 and 87: Another Exclusive by Keith Jackson - The Great referees debate - Were officials correct to give Gers that spot kick - Yes says Refs Chief Don McVicar - No says Hearts' Lee Miller Pages 84 and 85: By David McCarthy - Is there a conspiracy in favour of Rangers? Yes says Paulo Di Canio - No says Lorenzo Amoruso. Jim Traynor - If Gers win title, linesman Andy deserves medal. Pages 82 and 83: I took United to Parkhead and linesman went home on Celtic Supporters' bus - Jim McLean. Page 81: Hotline special - Official has crossed the line with his 'corrupt' call. Quote of the week: 'What happened was corruption. Our game is rotten from top to bottom and there should be an SFA inquiry' - Eddie Fenwick from Dunfermline wins a bottle of whisky for that quote. Page 80: Quote from George Foulkes - 'Even the Rangers players did not claim for the penalty, and in the boardroom Rangers directors seemed embarassed by their luck'. BTW, just in case anyone forgot, Lee Miller was quoted a few days later as saying "9 out of 10 times you get away with it". Strange that if he never did anything wrong? Today's second example of media lies comes from one of the usual sources - Graham Spiers. He might be on his way out of the Herald View (and it does seem as if his replacement, supposed 'Rangers man' Darryl Broadfoot, might be after his crown of imbalance) but bold old Graham doesn't let us down with his unique brand of 'insight' amongst the usual padding. He suggests in today's online Herald that: "The Rangers fans yesterday chanted captain Barry Ferguson's name, and quite rightly, as their leader's contribution was magnificent on the field. But such choral approval has so far eluded Le Guen himself. It is rare for a Rangers manager not to be serenaded from the stands, yet there remains anxiety and even perplexity over where the Frenchman is taking the team." What absolute and utter tosh. Now Ferguson was lauded and he did have a good game but he was far from the only person to receive fan acclaim either yesterday or before. Indeed, yesterday and in almost every game I've been at this season, we (the TBO) have sung the "Allez, Allez PLG" and the PLG "Vindaloo" songs loudly and proudly while almost every Rangers fan I know is prepared to back the new manager and give him the time and support he needs to turn around our fortunes. Has Mr Spiers' hearing suddenly become selectively bad again or maybe he's just been at too many games outwith the SPL? After all it can't be easy travelling to second rate matches while a younger lad takes over your position slowly but surely? Same goes for his sudden disappearance from the golf pages - no trip to Augusta or the K-Club for poor, wee Graham! A man whose corduroy jacket and pink scarf are on a very shoogly nail. Perhaps Darryl Broadfoot might want to view this fall from grace very carefully as he writes another match report which doesn't mention the dubiousness of the penalty award? Two such soft and downright laughable awards in as many matches - yet 'bluenose' Broadfoot chooses to blame Julian Rodriguez? More of the same objectivity Darryl and you'll soon be the Celtic fan's journalist of the year! Fellow bears, I urge you to not buy these newspapers and stay away from any other outlet which utilises such liars. Every Scottish football fan deserves better and its at times like these that it once again shows just how ineffective and impotent our chairman has become. By highlighting and not subscribing to such nonsense we will have improvement. Keep up the good fight. We are the people!

Not everyone's opinion I would argue but a good read.... http://stateofthegame.co.uk/2006/10/19/rangers-back-the-manager-back-the-chairman-be-a-supporter/

Rangers manager Paul Le Guen has urged his players to kick-start their season with a clean sheet against Livorno. The Ibrox side travelled to Italy eager to put their poor domestic form behind them after falling 10 points behind league leaders Celtic. Looking ahead to the Uefa Cup clash, Le Guen said: "I hope we can get back to winning ways." Full-back Phil Bardsley failed to travel with the squad after an alleged training ground bust-up with Le Guen. The Frenchman was criticised by some Rangers fans for dropping goalkeeper Allan McGregor in favour of Lionel Letizi for Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Inverness Caledonian Thistle. We must aim to get a clean sheet and defend well but also to counter-attack Rangers manager Paul Le Guen Letizi appeared at fault for Inverness' goal, but Le Guen has urged his players to put their domestic troubles behind them and concentrate on the Livorno game. "We know there is a lot of criticism for us right now, but that is normal," said Le Guen. "When we have a poor game, we cannot expect a different situation." The Frenchman said Rangers would face a "very good side" in Livorno. "We must aim to get a clean sheet and defend well but also to counter-attack," he said. Cristiano Lucarelli is expected to return against Rangers "We know they will be hard to break down. They have some very experienced players. "We must be far better than we played last weekend. Our aim is always to win every game, but we know it will be difficult." Livorno, who are unbeaten in seven games, lie in sixth place in Serie A after a 2-0 win at Ascoli on Sunday without Italy striker Cristiano Lucarelli, who has scored 73 goals in three seasons. Le Guen said: "Livorno have done well since the beginning of the season. "We know they are a good team and their main striker, Lucarelli, will be back. "My main preoccupation though is to be better than we were on Saturday. "We cannot accept another performance like Saturday."

I was listening to the game on RC tonight. Peter Martin came away with a cracker and it showed just who he favours...... '' The Celtic fans are making some racket.THEY don't need backing music to get THEM going!! ''. Do you think he was gettin at us?? the slimy wee bassa!!!

Have I missed something? As a kid I followed Liverpool as my English team largely due to Dalglish and the other Scots. And for as long as I can remember, I associated You'll Never Walk Alone with the Kop and 'Pool, for obvious reasons. So when did Celtic fans decide to start singing it and how come they get away with it?! Just seems a bit strange, that's all.

gravessen and castlemilk is injured (apparently) i think celtic 1 v 2 benfica

Im just tampering with it just now. Anyone got a flutter on? Ive stuck a 10 pound double on with the early kick offs- Dundee Utd to beat Celtic and Man Utd to beat Wigan. C'mon the Uniteds!!!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/tm_headline=i%2Dm-a-really-lucky-bhoy-%26method=full%26objectid=17916282%26siteid=66633-name_page.html spot the mistake.

Despite being overseas, Ive been lucky enough to watch most of our games so far this season. Ive saw us on TV against Motherwell, Dundee Utd, Dunfermline, Hearts and Celtic, and managed to make visits to Ibrox for the games against Molde and Aberdeen. During the opening games I was impressed with our attacking play and liked the formation of 4-2-3-1 that Le Guen brought. I felt it just need a bit more time and a bit of luck but it was early in the season and players were still a bit rusty. The chances we created in the match against Dundee Utd alone were enought to hit double figures and despite the result it was a great game to watch at Ibrox again. Recently Le Guen has tinkered with the formation a bit and put out 2 wingers which is clicking on occassions. But it showed when we deployed this at Celtic away we couldnt get in the game bar a 15 min spell in the 2nd half. So it was a bit of going back to the drawing board for Le Guen. Its now Mid October (and this time last year we where having our worst run ever) and we really should be a settled side by now, however we dont know who our number 1 keeper will be when all 3 are fit, we dont know who are our better centre half partnership, we dont know who is going to play wide and we dont know who will play upfront. I still have full confidence Le Guen will get it right and that he is the man for the job but we need to see some consistancy soon with a heavy log of games domestically and in europe coming up.

And I'm not being kinky here... Scotland have a tradition of keeping poor quality managers in a job for a long time after their sell by date, so let's make sure we don't lose a prime quality one. Let's be honest, Walter Smith is not really among the best club managers Scotland has produced. He had great domestic success at Rangers but it was at a time when we were spending far more than our opposition and had possibly the highest wage bill in the UK. Celtic were in turmoil and Smith took advantage. Don't get me wrong, I think Smith is a good manager, worse managers than he would have lost one of those titles in the 9 in row years despite the gulf between teams. But one CL run apart, his European results and his struggle with Everton albeit with financial problems, showed where his level lies. Good and solid, well above average, but not a world beater. However Scotland have been very poorly mismanaged for two decades - since Roxburgh took the reins. We had a very good team at the time and although he got us to a couple of finals, we would lose to the likes of Costa Rica through terrible tactics and an overcautious approach. Brown was a slightly better manager but still average at best. He too couldn't bring the best out of a reasonably talented squad and he couldn't do that at Preston either. Vogts, just didn't have a scooby. He confused the players tactically and made them feel inferior, telling them how poor a crop he had to choose from almost on a daily basis. He also capped players who should never have donned a dark blue top. However, Smith seems to have galvanised a bunch of so called journeymen into a team with great self belief, who know if they work hard and do their job they can get results. It's night and day over those previous managers who would spin us tales of caution against the likes of the Faroes and then struggle against them. Walter has taken a team who ply their trade in the English Premiership (whom some would have you as the best league in the world) and in the top half of the SPL, which is still a decent league by European standards. The players are plenty good enough to give a team of postmen and bankers a good thrashing, and for the first time in my memory, they did so. We should definitely be better than the likes of the Balkans and Walter has taken us to the best of them and won soundly only letting in the most spectacular of goals. The win against France was unexpected, but we all expected the team to have a decent go (I was very optimistic for a draw) and history suggests we can claim the odd win or draws especially at home against the greatest teams in the world if we play to our full ability. History is littered with Scotland wins, draws and unlucky losses against the likes of Brazil, England, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Holland. I think we've always had the players who could do something reasonable if they played to their strengths, but what we lacked was consistency and a bit of luck with the former being down to the manager. Walter Smith was always good at man management and basic strategy without being a tactical mastermind ("What's a tactic?"). He can definitely make a team play as a team. This really lends itself to international football as you only have a limited time with the players so intricate training sessions are a waste of time as are very unorthodox formations and tactics, since the players are more used to their different club systems. He has an advantage here over more tactically astute managers as he knows the stuff that really counts on this stage. This could make him achieve more acclaim as a Scotland manager than his many trophies for Rangers. He's shown what he can do, even that the job was made for him, so lets enter a period of stability and let him steer Scotland into an era where we at least punch our weight for a change. Give him a long contract and let him become a Scotland legend.

He's strained his poor wee ankle He He The start of the celtic downfall

The Serie A club, who are competing in European competition for the first time, are followed by one of the most notorious supports in Italian football. Livorno, situated in Tuscany, is known as the capital of Italian anarchy and was the birthplace of the country's Communist Party in 1921. Perhaps the only thing Livorno's supporters, known as Ultras, have in common with those of Rangers is a dislike of former Celtic striker Paolo Di Canio. Livorno's fans have their most violent rivalries with supporters of Italy's traditionally right-wing clubs Lazio, Inter Milan and Verona. In December last year, Di Canio gave a fascist salute while playing for Lazio against Livorno and was subsequently fined and banned after repeating the action during a game against Juventus. Clearly, security will be a major issue for the game at the 18,200 Armando Picchi Stadium later this month when the UEFA delegate on duty may have more to think about that any potential discriminatory chanting from what is likely to be a sizeable Rangers support. While Livorno were the bottom-ranked club in the fourth of the five seeded pots for yesterday's draw, they are likely to present Rangers with a stern examination on matchday one. Promoted in 2004, after 55 years outside the top flight of Italian football, they secured an unexpected ninth place finish in Serie A last season.