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  1. With the 3rd Old Firm derby galloping over the horizon, our thoughts turn to the formation and personnel that Walter Smith and his staff will deploy against the auld enemy. Would it be overly dramatic to say that the outcome of this game could shape our short to medium term destiny? After losing the last Old Firm game at Ibrox, many pundits as well as Rangers supporters, myself included, claimed that the league was over and Rangers would labour to the conclusion of the season that would see Celtc warp up their forth consecutive SPL title. In fairness, we have laboured, but luckily and thankfully, so have Celtc. If our worst fears are realised on Sunday, will they be as generous in the remainder of the season? Whilst Rangers are fragile both on and off the pitch at the moment, it could be argued that Celtc are just as fragile on the pitch. So, will Walter and his staff ââ?¬Ë?stickââ?¬â?¢ or ââ?¬Ë?twistââ?¬â?¢ on Sunday? Will they be happy to return from Torbett Towers undefeated which would see us, at worse, 2 points behind with a relatively easy (on paper) run of games ahead of us? Or will he, like the vast majority of us would advocate, go for the jugular and attack Celtc and expose their glaring weaknesses? Off course, by ââ?¬Ë?twistingââ?¬â?¢, we give Celtc the opportunity to win the game and take a 5 point lead. However, even by ââ?¬Ë?stickingââ?¬â?¢ and playing safe, we could also lose the game (a dodgy refereeing decision, a deflected shot, an individual error etc). There is also the unknown factor of the ââ?¬Ë?Walters unexpected player(s) selectionââ?¬â?¢ to consider and throw into the equation. Unluckily for us, we donââ?¬â?¢t have a Daniel Cousin clicking his heels at Murray Park looking to impress EPL suitors. There is also the advantage that everyone believes that Walter Smith will ââ?¬Ë?stickââ?¬â?¢ and go negatively into the game with a 4-5-1 formation that will include, say Lee McCulloch playing the role he did successfully recently at Pittodrie. Now, by rights, McCulloch shouldnââ?¬â?¢t get anywhere near the starting eleven, but Walter has a history (recently) of the unexpected in these fixtures. As stated above, Celtc are fragile at the moment and have obvious weaknesses that we have exposed in the past. Their defence is strong, but static. They will swallow up a ââ?¬Ë?high-ballââ?¬â?¢ game but will not enjoy playing in a ââ?¬Ë?football gameââ?¬â?¢. Get the ball down, get the ball into wide areas and play in and around their immobile defence. Celtc have good forward thinking players, but get them going backwards and working in their own half and in their own area, you not only nullify their threat, you make them uncomfortable. So, will Walter play a ââ?¬Ë?bluffââ?¬â?¢ and go 4-4-2 with genuine width in the team and two mobile forwards who can get the ball down and attack their back line? Or will he go for the double bluff and play 4-5-1 with Miller or Lafferty as a lone striker? Given that he started 4-5-1 in the recent friendly with AC Milan indicates that he is tempted to start with this formation with Lafferty up top with Miller and Fleck supporting from the wide areas with Ferguson, Mendes and Davis (or more likely McCulloch) in the midfield. Either way, this game may not determine our short to medium term destiny, but if we are defeated, I canââ?¬â?¢t see Celtc being as generous and wasting another five point gap in the title run in. We must leave Torbett Towers on Sunday afternoon with at least a share of the spoils to remain in contention in the SPL title race. If we defeat Celtc, I would say that we would be in prime position in the title race. So Walter, ââ?¬Ë?stickââ?¬â?¢ or twistââ?¬â?¢?, as long as we donââ?¬â?¢t go bust - in more ways than one. Cammy F -
  2. DAVID BECKHAM insists you need the right kind of friends and mentors if youââ?¬â?¢re going to make it big. So the England legend believes John Fleck is set for stardom ââ?¬â? because heââ?¬â?¢s got the right Ally. Rangersââ?¬â?¢ glamour friendly against the maestros of Milan was billed as Becks versus Fleck. The 17-year-old Gers superkid went toe to toe with Beckham in an enthralling first-half at Ibrox. And just as Sir Alex Ferguson perfectly prepared Becks for the big time, the new Milan star reckons Ally McCoist can shape Fleckââ?¬â?¢s career. Beckham said: ââ?¬Å?John is a good player and itââ?¬â?¢s great for any youngster to have the chance to play for such a big club as Rangers. ââ?¬Å?Ally McCoist, for me, is one of the best goalscorers there has ever been in the British game. ââ?¬Å?For John to have a mentor like Ally can only be good for his career development at Rangers. ââ?¬Å?Ally is such a down-to-earth person that he will make sure John gets the right upbringing. ââ?¬Å?I was at Manchester United as a teenager under Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the best ââ?¬â? if not THE best ââ?¬â? managers of all time. ââ?¬Å?I was fortunate to have a great upbringing with him at United. It couldnââ?¬â?¢t have been any better. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m sure John will get that kind of upbringing at Rangers and it will stand him in good stead.ââ?¬Â Fleck has been burdened with enormous expectations before he can even vote or have a drink. Even Beckham canââ?¬â?¢t truly relate to the pressures being placed upon the teenager. Becks was 20 before Sir Alex unleashed him on the Premiership in a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa in 1995. True, the midfielder scored Unitedââ?¬â?¢s goal and was starring at a World Cup Finals less than three years later. But he reckons Fleck, who might have scored during his 45-minute appearance, is also set for stardom. Beckham added: ââ?¬Å?I am sure he is just enjoying the experience of playing with the senior players at Ibrox. ââ?¬Å?Rangers is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. ââ?¬Å?Anyone would enjoy playing for them at 17. ââ?¬Å?John has good players around him. Pedro Mendes is a great passer of the ball and Rangers have a number of players with skill, passion and good play. ââ?¬Å?And it was also great experience for him to play against some of the best players we have got at Milan. Advertisement Click here ââ?¬Å?The mental aspect is something people talk a lot about when a young player comes into a big team. ââ?¬Å?But as long as you are at a club which looks after you and you have good people around you, then youââ?¬â?¢ll be OK. Rangers is one the biggest clubs around and they did so well getting to the UEFA Cup Final last season which isnââ?¬â?¢t easy to do. ââ?¬Å?They have a lot of good players and I know this was a friendly, but they should be in the Champions League. ââ?¬Å?Their fans will want them on that stage, as the AC Milan fans do with us, and they will be back in the Champions League soon.ââ?¬Â Beckham is desperate to stay at Milan to keep his dream of playing at next yearââ?¬â?¢s World Cup alive. If Fabio Capello selects him for next weekââ?¬â?¢s friendly in Spain, heââ?¬â?¢d equal Bobby Mooreââ?¬â?¢s record of 108 caps. Capello may not be able to call upon crocked Wayne Rooney for the trip to Seville. But Beckham has noted the comparisons between Rooney and Fleck ââ?¬â? and reckons it is the ultimate compliment for him. He said: ââ?¬Å?People say there have been comparisons between John and Wayne. But there arenââ?¬â?¢t too many players like Wayne. ââ?¬Å?He is a special player and anyone who is compared with a world-class talent like Wayne has a real chance.ââ?¬Â Beckham also had a word for Gers midfielder Mo Edu ââ?¬â? whoââ?¬â?¢d beaten him twice in the MLS last season when Toronto did the double over LA Galaxy. He added: ââ?¬Å?Maurice is a good player and I know him well from the MLS. ââ?¬Å?He always performed well over there which is why Rangers picked him up. ââ?¬Å?There were bigger clubs interested in him in Europe, but Rangers were lucky to get him. ââ?¬Å?So I am surprised he hasnââ?¬â?¢t made a bigger impression here. ââ?¬Å?He has the ability to make a name for himself if he is given the chance. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2210004.ece
  3. Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist says comparisons between teenager John Fleck and Wayne Rooney are wide of the mark. More...
  4. ALLY McCoist watched Rangers' teenage sensation John Fleck go head to head with Milan's superstars on Wednesday and insists the youngster fits right in next to the best. John FleckThe Gers Assistant boss was impressed with the 17-year-old's contribution but knows the young Scot has a long way to go before he is regularly rubbing shoulders with the best in the game. And he says Fleck is in just the right place to continue the development that has propelled him into Walter Smith's first team plans in recent weeks. He said: "John didn't look out of place in that company but we have to just keep an eye on things and monitor the situation. "It's all very encouraging but we just have to keep trying to help him and teach him and keep encouraging him and hopefully things will keep progressing. "He has a lovely left foot, he takes the ball in very well. Certain elements remind me of different players but not one individual. "I don't see the comparison with Wayne Rooney myself. People will always try to make these kinds of comparisons but I don't see it - he doesn't remind me of any one player in particular." John Fleck, Rangers scores a penalty for RangersFleck was surprisingly omitted from the most recent international squads despite still being eligible at several levels, but McCoist believes that won't prove a problem for a player who opened his scoring account for the club last weekend. He added: "I don't see a problem with him not being in the squads, I don't think it will do him any harm to be honest because I think we're all in agreement that in time he'll be in all sorts of international squads. "The fact that he's not in these ones is certainly no problem to me and I don't think it's a problem for him either." John FleckNothing seems to have fazed the young star since his introduction to first team duties on a regular basis and McCoist believes Fleck will be in the right frame of mind if he is called on to face Forfar on Sunday. He said: "The great thing about John is that he knows what it's all about. That might be a strange thing to say about a 17-year-old lad but what I mean is that he's grown up in the area. "He's a west of Scotland boy, a Rangers supporter. Like, for example, John Brown, Ian Ferguson or Ian Durrant and the thing these lads had in common was that they knew what it meant to play for the club. "Being a local lad means you know the importance of playing any game for Rangers, whether it be against AC Milan or Forfar."
  5. Some nice words from Sir David Of Backham - http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2487333.0.Beckham_talks_the_talk_Fleck_walks_the_walk.php Cammy F
  6. Next in the STS series, is an excellent article written by AMMS (from RangersMedia) who explores the difficulties in rearing successful young players and how the results could be maximised. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=742&Itemid=2 BEGINS My first job was an apprentice printer, it was a small place employing about 8 or so people at that time and I was their first ‘apprentice’. Times were hard then (sound familiar?) and rather than take me on I was employed through the government run Youth Training Scheme on the princely sum of Ã?£27.50 a week and Ã?£5 travelling expenses. Part of how the YTS was sold to potential employees was that there would be college based training as well as on the job skills. This sounded good; rather than just being exploited slave labour I got 2 week stints at the Building and Printing College every month and more ScotVec modules than you could shake an inky rag at. Eventually after a month or two my boss approached me and asked how I was enjoying college. The reality was I loved it, you didn’t start until 9am, it was a very relaxed atmosphere, and you got to ogle at the hairdressers in the College of Commerce across the road. However if truth be told, I wasn’t learning a whole lot about printing which was what I was supposed to be doing. Lots of theory and not a lot of practical was my diplomatic reply. My boss, who had spent his entire working life in the printing game paused for a moment and reflected on my reply and his slightly confusing words have remained with me until this day; ‘Aye son’, he ventured ‘theory is alright in theory but when you want to learn to swim sooner or later you need to get into the water’. The training of young footballers seems to be a thing of great difficulty for Rangers recently. Part of that problem seems to have been our reluctance to move with the times. In this day of public/private partnerships, you have to wonder why Rangers (and other clubs) haven’t got a genuine tie-in with a local school. A residential aspect to youth development is common place on the continent where boys are schooled from 13 to 15 in conjunction with a club or FA. The acclaimed Clairefontaine centre outside Paris and the famous Ajax Academy all include ‘normal’ schooling as part of their curriculum; these people are children after all. Curiously, a local school to Ibrox, Bellahouston Academy, is Scotland’s first ‘school for sporting excellence’. The school has over 130 pupils who are only there because of their sporting talent. These kids still get a full education but they also get access to specialist coaches, advice, conditioning and sports psychologists. Football isn’t currently one of the sports covered at the school - perhaps Rangers could consider helping to change that? Engendering good habits, influencing technique and seeing at first hand the personalities, weaknesses and the strengths of these young players must be good for the players as well as the club. Tie it in to a trusted, local authority run school environment and you have the perfect ‘academy’ system for a fraction of the outlay running a residential school would cost. If the kids are rounded, focused and aware of the different facets that make up a successful sportsman when they leave school, they might conceivably be in a better position to make the most of the opportunities that come their way later. ‘Specialist’ schools are becoming popular throughout Scotland, becoming centres of excellence in music, dance or sport is relatively prestigious and Rangers could assist this process whilst it is still in it’s infancy. Once at the club however one thing that does seem to be clear is that if a young player isn’t getting a game regularly between the ages of 16 and 20 he is unlikely to make a genuine impact. Now roughly one in every generation seems able to do this currently, be it Durrant, Ferguson or maybe now John Fleck. However these guys are the exception, they were such prodigious talents that they couldn’t be ignored. But for the vast majority games is what they need. Professional football is a trade and they can have many reserve, youth and bounce games but ultimately they need to learn their trade and they’ll need to play in competitive games to do that. Examples of this are all around us. Pedro Mendes had played 31 senior games by the age of 19, by the age of 20 Ross McCormack had only played 11. By the age of 19 Ally McCoist had played 57 times for St Johnstone, Rory Loy will turn 21 this year and has played about 6 games of first team football. Now Mendes played his games for a team you’ve never heard of and McCoist, having been rejected by St Mirren, was learning his trade at the always unfashionable St Johnstone. Both McCormack and Loy on the other hand were both deemed good enough at 16 to be recruited by Rangers where they enjoyed the finest training facilities in the country, trained alongside some exceptional players and by some experienced coaches, so what’s gone wrong? Well to put it simply too much theory and not enough practical. Still not convinced, have a look at the current first team of any successful side and try and find a player who wasn’t playing regular football at senior level by the age of 19. Getting our young players playing at a high level as early as possible can only be in everyone’s interest. If an 18 year old can’t hold his own in Division One he won’t make it at Rangers later. It also makes financial sense, if they aren’t deemed good enough for Rangers, and most won’t be, these boys will leave Rangers on free transfers with some first team experience. At least a player with 30 to 50 games at Division One level is worth something. Ideally Rangers should consider formal or informal links with several clubs, an ideal ‘roster’ of clubs would include some Scandinavian clubs, perhaps a Dutch one, certainly some English ones, and maybe even an Italian or French club. None of these clubs would be in their top divisions obviously however many smaller clubs are looking for good players who are relatively cheap so free young players from the best club in Scotland might well be of interest to quite a few of them. Without improvement in the young players at Ibrox it is folly to continue to invest in youth. Arguably, financially it would make more sense to save the money and take the best from Hibs, Hearts and Kilmarnock etc. However long term, transforming talented young players into professionals has to be Rangers goal, it makes sense on every level. Young men literally schooled correctly, positively influenced at an early age, approaching a career as a professional footballer already knowing about diet and fitness and knowing they’ll be given opportunities at various professional levels during their time at Rangers must be the ultimate goal for the club.
  7. I noticed this on another Rangers Site, very interesting, so I hope it is ok to post on GersNet. ''Jamie Ness and Danny Wilson are the obvious ones, anyone that watches the youths would know that. They have not got the same profile as John Fleck, partly due to the fact they are not attacking players. Jamie Ness is a midfielder, good passer and wins a lot of ball in midfield, possibly similar to Nigel Spackman in style. Danny Wilson is footballing, left side centre half, and is actually younger than Fleck, he only turned 17 at the end of December. I think he may make his first appearance in the top team at left back as he has still got to develop a bit physically. Gregg Wylde is the most improved this season, plays either left -back or left midfield, hopefully he will keep improving, needs to work on his right foot. Of the younger players Darren Cole has played regularly for 19's this season, right back and reminds me of a young Alan Hutton. Kane Hemming the lad we signed from Tamworth has also impressed, a big powerful striker. We have a lot of good young players, unfortunately its not an exact science. Some progress steadily, some take big leaps forward, other take steps back. the site gives a brief profile on each player http://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/ If you want anymore info on any of them you can e-mail me from that site''.
  8. The 'Setting the Standard' project continues with another fine article by CammyF. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=739&Itemid=2 "When the routine bites hard And ambitions are low And the resentment rides high But emotions wont grow And were changing our ways, Taking different roads Then love, love will tear us apart again" Writing an article on the merits, success (or failure) and ambitions of Murray Park (and any Youth Development programme), it would probably be more apt opening with the lyrics from say Teenage Kicks rather than the poetic prose of Ian Curtis and Joy Division. However, the ââ?¬Ë?Setting The Standardââ?¬â?¢ project covers every facet of Rangers Football Club and will touch on every aspect of ensuring that The Rangers are the standard bearers, the example that is used when case-studying a football club. Rangers should be innovators, Rangers should be leaders, Rangers should be ââ?¬Ë?first classââ?¬â?¢, exemplary. The opening lines to 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' are very apt at the moment in relation to supporting The Rangers. Rangersââ?¬â?¢ routine is biting hard, and is hard to stomach as second best appears to be acceptable to the current regime. Our board or directors and our custodian have set their ambitions low and arguably, this has led to a rise in resentment for growing section of supporters. As for changing our ways, hopefully, the ââ?¬Ë?Setting The Standardââ?¬â?¢ project is a tiny step in that direction. Hopefully we wonââ?¬â?¢t take different roads, as to ensure that we set the standards and are successful (in the long-term) we require all of the fans to be united and to push for the improvement that is required. Love of Rangers tearing us apart? Well, weââ?¬â?¢re all well versed at having our emotional strings tugged and our hearts torn-apart by follow, following The Rangers! Of course the difficulty with offering criticism of the club is that you often have the present Ibrox incumbents informing anyone that willlisten, that those behind such criticism are 'faceless and clueless'. However, the twist to this accusation was that those of us who were termed 'faceless and clueless' were then offered the platform to reveal ourselves and to offer solutions for the identified problems. Firstly, Iââ?¬â?¢d like to introduce myself as I was one of those deemed as ââ?¬Ë?facelessââ?¬â?¢ (Iââ?¬â?¢ll cover clueless later - it may not be as easy to argue as faceless is!). I, like every Rangers fan requesting positive change at the club, am simply that: a Rangers fan. Therefore, I am not faceless, I am present wherever and whenever Rangers play. Rightly or wrongly there are those within our support who put supporting Rangers as their main priority ââ?¬â?? it is what they live for and it is what they spend the majority of their income on. I do not fall into that category, I spend the majority of my disposable income on supporting Rangers, I suppose I am lucky (at the moment) to be able to do this but like many others, this may change due to the current economic climate. Anyway, I am digressing. Given that the above covers the ââ?¬Ë?facelessââ?¬â?¢ part of the accusation, lets tackle the more important and less clear cut, clueless part. I will agree with Sir David Murray, I am no 'captain of industry'. I will also admit to the fact that I am not a football manager nor am I a tactical genius. However, I do have and am entitled to an opinion on any matter relating to, or directly affecting Rangers Football Club. I appreciate sometimes criticism maybe overly aggressive or pointless without solutions so I'm glad Gersnet (and RangersMedia) are tackling this via constructive suggestions for improvement. As such, I would like to offer a solution regarding youth development which would also benefit first team players due to what I believe is the failure to completely utilise the facilities at our disposal at Murray Park. Dick Advocaat encouraged Sir David Murray to invest in a training facility that was in all honesty long over due. This training facility was to serve as a state of the art venue that would supplement and improve our players skills and be used to groom the best young talent so we wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have to rely on huge transfer fees to ensure that we remained as the top domestic club. At the same time, we wanted to use such a facility to make inroads into the European Elite (before going any further, this is where Rangers should be, end of story). Can any of us claim that Murray Park has delivered on these worthy aims? Of course it hasnââ?¬â?¢t (John Fleck, Alan Hutton and Alan McGregor arguably being the exceptions rather than the rule). Coaching wise, we are still witnessing the inability to retain possession at a throw-in. We struggle to effectively defend nor attack at a set-piece. Our ââ?¬Ë?shootingââ?¬â?¢ is nothing short of awful. Yet, we have the perfect setting for addressing all of the above, and if nothing else, Murray Park should ensure that we can get the basics right. All of the above is just systematic of our overall problems. Unable to get the basics correct, our problems snowball from there. This issue is easy to rectify and is something that shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have to be discussed. All our players should be coached in these skills and made to practice them time after time until they can deliver on a consistent basis. If this requires extra and/or longer training sessions, then so be it. Our wingers and full backs should be able to (9 times out of ten) deliver a ball into the box that doesnââ?¬â?¢t strike the first defender. All outfield players should be able to consistently hit the target from distances up to 30 yards from goal. All our players should be able to take an effective set piece. None of this is rocket science, just something that has to be coached into players and continually worked at. The issue of Youth Development is something that I have written about on websites and fanzines since the inception of Murray Park and before. If the custodians had utilised and set in place a true youth development model (say modelled on clubs like Ajax or Auxerre) we would be reaping the rewards already (both financially and player wise). However, once again, we were undone by our Board's continued short-termism. The good news is, this can be address and rectified. This will require funding (hence the reason it should have been addressed during the days the custodian was throwing money at managers and players), logistics, administration and, most of all, time to work and a determination for it to work. The fans would need to play their part by being patient as well. Such a youth redevelopment strategy is an essential part of our future. This goes beyond having the cream of Scottish youth players at Murray Park. This is about having youth teams, scouts, coaches etc entrenched in every footballing region in the world. This would require having ex-players working on our behalf in their region. These players would set-up / utilise a network of contacts to identify and sign the best talent from their region. These players could be brought to and schooled at Murray Park, or we could leave them to flourish were they are. Imagine someone like Jorg Albertz covering Germany, Arthur Numan covering the Netherlands, Craig Moore covering Australia, Claudio Canigga covering South America and Brian Laudrup covering Scandinavia. All these ex-players were internationals who served their countries with distinction, who embraced being a Ranger and whose opinion would matter to a kid deciding on where his future lay. As far as I am aware this idea has never been considered within the corridors of power at Ibrox. If tackled correctly, it would ensure that we had a steady conveyer belt of talent not only to take Rangers to the next level, but to sell on when and if required. Again, this isnââ?¬â?¢t rocket science and has been done to varying levels of success on the continent. We have close links to Dutch Football so getting an insight, report, feasibility study et al shouldnââ?¬â?¢t take that much effort or resource. The hard work would be implementing, managing and ensuring that this project was the success that it could be. Again that would take time but the benefits would surely be worth it? Another possible money-making idea relating to the Youth Development is insisting on a sell-on clause to be inserted into any Youth players we sell. As an example, Motherwell sold Ross McCormack to Cardiff and we, as developers of McCormackââ?¬â?¢s talents went unrewarded. Martin Bain should ensure that any young player leaving Ibrox for pastures new has a sell-on clause inserted into their contract allowing Rangers to benefit from any sale of these players. Any money raised from this should be ring-fenced and used and reinvested into Murray Park / Youth Development. Of course, all of these ideas and suggestions can't be successful overnight. They would take years to bear fruit and problems would occur throughout. But would we be any worse off? Challenges are not insurmountable and the risk surely smaller than our short-term high player turnover strategy? Over to you Rangers.
  9. A post that Shroomz will enjoy and will make MF irate. :devil: I make no apologies for stealing this from FF, I thought it would be a good post to stir debate and bring a bit of optimism to the board after what was a fraught transfer window:
  10. A Glimmer Of Hope It appears that everything and anything that is related to Rangers at the moment is as gruesome as the plot in an Allan Guthrie novel, isnââ?¬â?¢t ironic that we have been given the kiss-of-life in our quest to regain our title for the first time in 4 years? Following the fortunes, performances and results of our beloved club usually through gaps in clenched fingers and with bated breath, isnââ?¬â?¢t the easiest at the moment (that is an understatement). Despite our, and other, results going in our favour over the weekend, the overall performance from Rangers is no better than dross. However, we do have the ever improving and at times exhilarating performances of John Fleck to give us hope and some newfound confidence that the art of running at pace, pinpoint passing, guile, strength and belief in ones own ability isnââ?¬â?¢t a dead art in and around Ibrox. This was penned hours before the transfer window is due to close, so as I write this, John Fleck is still a Ranger! Iââ?¬â?¢ll touch on the off-field furore surrounding Fleck as this cannot be glossed over. Now, John Fleck wonââ?¬â?¢t have been the only 17 year old in a nightclub at the weekend, but he should know better. I hope that Walter Smith fines the lad and that the lad learns his lesson. It is also worth critiquing the coverage of this ââ?¬Ë?incidentââ?¬â?¢. When a Celtc player is accosted in public, you read about sectarian abuse, sectarian thugs, sectarian language etc. When a Ranger player is involved, this is downgraded to ââ?¬Ë?yobsââ?¬â?¢. Wonder why that is? Anyway, back to the positive side of this, as yet, short success story. We have all heard, read and seen Fleck over the last couple of years and we have all been raving about this young prospect, and rightly so. It isnââ?¬â?¢t often that such a talent is unearthed, coached correctly and is able to turn promise into real class. John Fleck has all the attributes to become ââ?¬Ë?the real dealââ?¬â?¢. If early glimpses of Fleck are to be built upon, we have a lad that is destined for greatness. We all want Fleck to develop like some of his predecessors; Hutton, McGregor, Ferguson et al, rather than bursting onto the scene only to disappear like; Adam, Burke, McCormack and McLean. Last seasons cameo in the Scottish Cup Final couldnââ?¬â?¢t have failed to wet our appetite for Fleck to burst onto the scene this season. He has been unlucky with injury and this meant that his opportunities were curtailed to a certain extent and we are now only beginning to see glimpses of his undoubted talent. If John Fleck can continue to mature and improve, there is no guessing on how good this player could be. He has all the attributes; fast, strong, character, awareness, guile etc. His strength of character was summed up at the penalty on Saturday. For a seventeen year old to physically out-manoeuvre and out muscle, not only the overetly physical Dundee United defence to win the award, but to out-muscle anyone who was going to attempt to stop him taking the resulting penalty. As someone near me commented; ââ?¬Ë?Baws of steelââ?¬â?¢. Now that we have a genuine reason to be cheerful, I donââ?¬â?¢t want to sound negative here, but we as fans MUST allow Fleck the space and opportunity to blossom. As will be the case, heââ?¬â?¢ll have off days, heââ?¬â?¢ll miss sitters, heââ?¬â?¢ll misplace passes. When this happens, we MUST stay with him. We mustnââ?¬â?¢t get on his back (ala Burke, Adam et al) and we mustnââ?¬â?¢t expect John Fleck to carry all our expectations on such slender shoulders. John Fleck is the genuine article and we MUSTNââ?¬â?¢T ruin him before he has an opportunity to deliver on his unmistakable promise. Back In The Race Thanks to Aberdeen and now Inverness Caly, we are well and truly back in the title race, and with out next SPL fixture being the third old-firm game of the season, we have the opportunity to go top of the pile. There will be plenty of time to analyise the forthcoming OF game as well as the merits of differing tactics and team selection. If we prepare correctly and enter this game with correct team and tactics there is no reason as to why we canââ?¬â?¢t get the performance and result that would see is leap-frog Celtc. However, that is for another day. Saturday saw us once again struggle to open up a very compact and resilient Dundee United defence. Whilst we werenââ?¬â?¢t at our best the officials once again didnââ?¬â?¢t help our cause. I thought that Grainger should have received a yellow card (at least) for his awful tackle on Nacho Novo which will see Novo miss at least 3 games (why did our medical staff allow Novo to continue for 20 minutes after being clearly in agony with this injury?). Television evidence also shows that Kyle Laffertyââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Ë?goalââ?¬â?¢ shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been chocked off for off-side. He is clearly on-side and BOTH linesmen were quick to flag Rangers players off-side all game. The referee got the penalty award correct no matter what Craig Levin says. Looking at our performance, only Boogie, Novo (prior to injury) and Fleck rose above mediocrity and there are a few players who could and should be offering more. However, three points is three points and coupled with Celtcââ?¬â?¢s inability to defeat ICT (even after another incorrect off-side decision going their way) has allowed us to close the gap and given us another opportunity to get back into pole position in the SPL title race. State Of The Nation It isnââ?¬â?¢t often that I deviate from Rangers in my rants, but a couple of incidents that occurred on Saturday, coupled with the economic down-turn has moved me to discuss the dwindling state of this once great nation. On Saturday evening, a man was murdered in my street, allegedly knifed to death by a 16 year old youth over an argument relating to volume of music being played at a party (this wasnââ?¬â?¢t late, 10:30PM). The Mobile Police Incident Unit sitting round the corner the only reminder of this incident. Whilst discussing this with a friend yesterday, he told me about an incident that he witnessed on returning from the football on Saturday. He was walking towards Paisley Road West and saw a young Rangers fan being threatened and chased by knife wielding thugs (sounds like a headline from the rags). Now, after doing some investigation, it appears that this isnââ?¬â?¢t abnormal behaviour in and around that area. This really saddens this ââ?¬Ë?old-timerââ?¬â?¢ who whilst being able to remember gangs et al, canââ?¬â?¢t remember them carrying knifes as freely and readily as the youth of today. Is it now the norm to complain about noise level and get knifed for your troubles? Is it the norm for gangs of youths to chase down kids whilst wielding (not necessarily using) knifes? If so, our country is further in the shit that even this old cynic believed it was. Cammy F ââ?¬â??
  11. RANGERS starlet John Fleck was at the centre of a storm last night after getting embroiled in a bust-up in a nightclub ââ?¬â? despite being only SEVENTEEN. Fleck and his pals were kicked out of Glasgowââ?¬â?¢s trendy Karbon bar in the early hours of yesterday after trouble flared. Boozy thugs began taunting the talented youngster ââ?¬â? who had scored his first goal for Gers just hours earlier in the 2-0 win over Dundee United ââ?¬â? before throwing punches at his mates, shocked eye-witnesses claim. Trendy ... Glasgow bar Karbon Trendy ... Glasgow bar Karbon Last night one source said: ââ?¬Å?At 17 he shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been in the nightclub in the first place. ââ?¬Å?But itââ?¬â?¢s fair to say him and his pals were being antagonised. Snapped ââ?¬Å?At first they all did their best to ignore the taunts but eventually one of them just snapped and a fight broke out. ââ?¬Å?Punches were thrown ââ?¬â? but not by Fleck himself. His pals made sure he was kept at armââ?¬â?¢s length. But when the bouncers moved in, they didnââ?¬â?¢t stop to ask questions. ââ?¬Å?They just threw the lot of them out, including the young player. ââ?¬Å?Up until that point he was in great form because of the penalty he scored earlier in the day.ââ?¬Â Fleck has been caught up in a nightclub row before. He felt the wrath of his mum Christine last summer after he was snapped drinking Irn-Bru in another city club Kushion. Advertisement She said at the time: ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m not happy with him going to the dancing because he is too young. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s not been out for a while now. I donââ?¬â?¢t let him go out because of his age. Heââ?¬â?¢s not into drinking at all. ââ?¬Å?He is a brilliant, well-behaved boy. ââ?¬Å?A lot of people notice him at the dancing and he doesn't really like that.ââ?¬Â Fleck ââ?¬â? tipped as one of Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s most promising rising stars ââ?¬â? made his Gers first-team debut last season when he was just 16. His uncle Robert Fleck was a cult hero for the Ibrox side during the 1980s. In 2006 it emerged Rangers bosses bought Fleckââ?¬â?¢s parents a HOUSE away from his pals ââ?¬â? so he didnââ?¬â?¢t go off the rails. Powerful The club splashed out Ã?£100,000 on the pad despite the powerful wonder kid being just 14 at the time. Last night Rangers confirmed they were aware of the bust-up.l But officials insisted the row was nothing to do with Fleck and claimed he did not get kicked out of the nightspot. A spokesman said: ââ?¬Å?We are aware of an incident in a nightclub last night. ââ?¬Å?Our player was not involved in the incident and left the club of his volition.ââ?¬Â http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/article2195625.ece
  12. Do Rangers have a new gem in John Fleck? It is too early to say, but in an age scarce for precocious Scottish talent, the 17-year-old certainly looks something to savour. On Saturday, Ibrox once more rose and paid tribute to the young midfield player, perhaps with gratitude as much as pride, given the way Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s team toiled to overcome Dundee United. While Rangersââ?¬â?¢ teething problems continue, over on their left flank there remains a rare ray of light. Fleck, blessed with a robust physical presence, has a wonderful poise over the ball, enabling him to skip past opponents, and can also see a pass. He also has bags of confidence, as evident in the way he hungrily grabbed the ball for himself, after Mihael Kovacevic had pulled him down, to shoot home the 76th-minute penalty that set Rangers on course for this win. For Rangers fans there was an obvious downside. Part of the reason for the adulation of Fleck was born of relief, given the sheer poverty of Rangersââ?¬â?¢ approach up until then. Facing a five-man midfield is nothing new these days but Smithââ?¬â?¢s men got into quite a stew trying to find a way past United. Rangers created precious few chances and, as has been the case so often before, an increasingly irate Ibrox crowd let them know about it. Related Links * No worry over lack of Ibrox transfers * Chairman defends Rangers housekeeping * Novo fires Rangers into the final The young man on their left-midfield, however, remained unfazed by it all, and there is going to be excitement around Ibrox at seeing how well Fleck can progress. It wouldnââ?¬â?¢t surprise anyone if Walter Smith chose to rest him for Wednesday eveningââ?¬â?¢s glamour friendly against AC Milan, but his Rangers future looks full of promise. ââ?¬Å?It is scary how good he is,ââ?¬Â Steven Whittaker said of Fleck. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s got talent in abundance and has shown that he is more than capable of playing on this stage. Heââ?¬â?¢s got a great future ahead of him. John has got that special type of talent ââ?¬â?? he sees pictures in his head. His touch and his contribution are very good.ââ?¬Â An irate Ibrox crowd? How often have we seen this before? Kris Boyd, in particular, became the object of scorn from a section of the Govan faithful. This was one of those classic occasions the striker would sooner forget, when all he does is replenish the ammunition of those who, bizarrely, want him removed from Ibrox. Boyd fluffed at this and fluffed at that as the play bobbled around him and became a desolate figure in the second half as United began to press. And the crowd let him know of it. ââ?¬Å?Four million pounds-worth of mince!ââ?¬Â a voice boomed from the main stand as Boyd ââ?¬â?? the subject of such a bid from Birmingham City ââ?¬â?? was relieved of duty by his manager after 73 minutes to make way for Kyle Lafferty. And as the poor Rangers striker trudged to the touchline, another voice rang out: ââ?¬Å?Aye, Boyd, just you keep walking... right out the front door.ââ?¬Â His manager gave him a heartfelt handshake as the striker sank into the dugout. Smith knows how unforgiving Ibrox can be. Fleckââ?¬â?¢s penalty with 14 minutes remaining, and Laffertyââ?¬â?¢s goal right on the 90th minute, spared Rangers any more angst. United, however, were once more a credit under Craig Levein, and are well and truly the third force again in Scottish football. With Willo Flood having gone, the battle goes on for Levein to keep his squad keen and vigorous with players that have remained under the radar. In such as Flood, Craig Conway, Scott Robertson and Morgaro Gomis, Levein has revealed his perceptive eye for a player, and over these remaining 24 hours of the transfer window he wants to try to acquire a new midfield player for Tannadice. The situation is all the more acute given Robertsonââ?¬â?¢s absence through injury for up to two months. ââ?¬Å?If your team is doing well you have to accept that the vultures will start to arrive,ââ?¬Â Levein said when asked about the loss of Flood to Celtic. ââ?¬Å?You just have to get on with it. My job is to find new players, but there is no doubt these have been a tough three or four days for us.ââ?¬Â Just three days earlier, United had lost to Celtic after 120 pulsating minutes and 24 penalties in the Cooperative Insurance Cup semi-final, but you wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have known they felt drained at Ibrox. While Leveinââ?¬â?¢s side have played better football than this, they remain a force to be reckoned with, on good days or bad. ââ?¬Å?I have some fantastic players and it was a testament to us that we came here expecting to win,ââ?¬Â Levein said. ââ?¬Å?We didnââ?¬â?¢t play particularly well but we worked our backsides off and the game was on a knife-edge for 75 minutes... basically, until their penalty. We were well in it up until then.ââ?¬Â Levein complained that the award against United was ââ?¬Å?softââ?¬Â, yet all the danger was caused by Fleck, who squirrelled into Unitedââ?¬â?¢s box from the inside-left channel and immediately got the better of Kovacevic. The United defender was forced to hastily try to stop the Rangers youngster, and Fleck hit the deck. Soft or not, plenty have been given in such circumstances, and Rangers were grateful to suddenly have their lead. Strangely, United wilted when both Jon Daly and David Goodwillie arrived to make up a three-man attack for the final 15 minutes, and Rangers eased to victory. With seconds remaining, Lafferty was left to prod a shot home from 18 yards after Lukasz Zaluska had saved from Barry Ferguson. Rangers, though, were under no illusions. ââ?¬Å?We were off the pace for an hour, and we struggled,ââ?¬Â Smith said. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article5636186.ece
  13. Anyone else get the feeling that we'll see Walter field a 4-5-1 at Parkhead on the 15th? Would it be a bad idea? I think it's fair to say that there's a pretty good chance that's exactly what we'll see. Nacho Novo is reportedly out for 2 or 3 weeks with an ankle injury and after the impact that Kyle Lafferty made when he came on against Dundee Utd today, there's the chance that we might see him getting a start up front as the lone striker. There's also a good chance that we'll see John Fleck deservedly retain his place on the left of midfield, since he's got the pace, skill & game awareness to give most defenses a troublesome time. In the absence of Kevin Thomson, the midfield 3 of Barry Ferguson, Pedro Mendes & Steven Davis practically picks itself, so the big question might be whether Walter goes with Naismith or Miller on the right wing. Despite the fact that neither of them are natural right wingers, they're both capable of doing a good job out there, so it's difficult to predict who Walter would start in that position. I'm undecided myself as to who I'd like to see starting there, but I'd probably go with Naismith & bring on Miller to replace him if need be. So, my prediction is that we'll be playing a 4-5-1 with the starting line-up looking something like:- .........Broadfoot - Bougerra - Weir - Papac........... Naismith/Miller - Davis - Mendes - Ferguson - Fleck ..............................Lafferty........................... If we happen to take the gamble & play a 4-4-2 the starting line-up would be looking something like:- .........Broadfoot - Bougerra - Weir - Papac........... ...........Davis - Mendes - Ferguson - Fleck........... ...................Boyd - Lafferty/Miller..................... It'll be a tough game, but I think we can definitely beat them. Score prediction:- Celtic 1 - Rangers 2
  14. ian1964

    Spot On

    By David Melvin STEVEN DAVIS has praised John Fleck for having the confidence to make a vital breakthrough for Rangers after the teenage star opened the scoring against Dundee United from the penalty spot. John FleckThe Northern Ireland international admits he expected the 17-year-old to pass on the penalty taking responsibility after he was fouled by Mihael Kovacevic. But the talented midfielder refused to surrender the ball and confidently slotted it past Lukas Zaluska to rapturous applause from the Ibrox crowd. Davis said: "He showed again today what he's all about. It took a lot of bottle to take the penalty in a match that was so important for us to win. "But he was obviously brought down for the penalty and he was more than confident of taking it and he stroked it away well. John Fleck, Rangers scores a penalty for Rangers"It was a key moment in the game and he won it for us, but you maybe expect him to get the ball and hand it on to one of the more senior players. "But he grabbed it with both hands and obviously wanted it and he took it well so we're delighted that he's got his first goal for the club and hopefully he can build on that again." It was a crucial moment for the home side after they had been frustrated by a dogged United team for 76 minutes. Davis was relieved to get another important three points against difficult opponents with the small matter of an Old Firm game to come in a little over two weeks time. Steven DavisHe added: "We've seen that in most home games teams come and are compact and make it difficult for us and that's why that first goal is so important. "It took a penalty to get there today but once we scored that the lads relaxed a little bit and started to play some good stuff after that. "I've said it before, but all we can do is concentrate on ourselves and keep picking up wins. "We've done that today and it puts a little bit of pressure on Celtic but they'll be looking to go and win too ahead of the Old Firm game in a couple of weeks." Davis was also delighted to see his compatriot Kyle Lafferty return to action and grab a late goal to put a more comfortable look on the scoreline. Kyle Lafferty, Rangers celebrates scoringLafferty finished comfortably in to an open goal in injury time having replaced Kris Boyd shortly before Fleck's opening goal. And Davis was impressed with the way his international team mate's introduction changed the game. He said: "I think he made an impact when he came on today and to get a goal was an added bonus. "He's been out for a little while with some niggling injuries so it's good to have him back after Nacho picked up a knock."
  15. Craig Levein accuses Fleck of cheating for the penalty then whines about energy levels after Wednesday night's game. Anyone surprised at the antics of this greetin-faced shite? Still want him as Rangers manager? Not for me.
  16. Firstly, I've got absolutely nothing against Fleck, I hope he can roduce the goods and turn into a key player for us this season and many others afterwards. However, what must Aaron be thinking? First of all Naismith regains fitness and features in a game (St Johnstone) then, Fleck comes on as a sub and also starts a couple of games after rave reviews for the reserves and deservedly so. He really does look like a promising player right now from the few games he's played in. The only reason I can think of why Aaron isn't featuring as much as we're all hoping for is because he isn't producing the goods for the reserves. If that's the case then WS is correct to overlook him but if not, and Naismith is being picked before him after returning from such a long layoff then Aaron must feel as if he's not wanted. Can anyone shed any light on the matter?
  17. Is the versatility of modern-day attackers a blessing or a curse? Walter Smith would probably sway towards the former after restoring Nacho Novo to a frontline striking position on Tuesday night and then reaping the benefits as the Spaniard scored twice against Falkirk to help Rangers through to the Co-operative Insurance Cup Final. How to get the best out of Novo and several of his team-mates, though, is a quandary that must regularly test the Rangers manager. Within the current squad, only Kris Boyd could be labelled a traditional centre-forward whose remit is to patrol the penalty box, engage in combat with opposition centre-halves, and score as often as possible. The remainder of Rangers' attackers can not be so easily pigeonholed. Novo, Kenny Miller, John Fleck, Steven Naismith, and Kyle Lafferty have all been deployed in numerous positions dependent on the resources available to Smith, the nature of the opposition, and the team's formation. advertisement Having more clearly defined roles would benefit both club and player, according to Kevin Drinkell, the former Rangers centre-forward now director of football with 110sport Management. "I always have a laugh at the philosophy of some players when they say they like to play in the hole," Drinkell said. "There were no holes when I played, except at some of the old grounds. It's an imaginary area. "It's players saying they don't want to have the responsibility of scoring goals but would like to sometimes; they don't want the responsibility of winning possession but claim they will be really effective if they are allowed to do what they want to do. It's a bit of a cop-out for me. Players need to decide what their best roles are and how they can be most effective for the team." # Nacho Novo 29 Novo arrived from Dundee in 2004 and struck up a productive partnership with Dado Prso, scoring 25 goals as Rangers claimed the SPL title. In recent seasons he has been used more sparingly, often wide on the right of midfield. "I still think Nacho is one of those really good acquisitions for a club where you just bring him in now and again," said Drinkell. "I don't think if you played him in 40 games a season you would get 40 good performances. He went through a stage last year where he would come off the bench and cause problems, earn his place in the starting XI, and then fade away. I'm sure it's not how he sees himself, but he's more of an impact player rather than someone who could play every week. He's coming towards the end of his career and still doesn't know his best position." # Kenny Miller 29 After initially thriving as a traditional centre-forward at Hibernian, Miller has since been used more often than not, both for his club sides and for his country, as a willing foil for a more direct striker or as a lone attacker in difficult matches away from home. "I think it's important to build up striking partnerships as you don't get that chance too often these days with most clubs having rotation systems and managers changing shape for away games and things like that," said Drinkell. "For me, you can't build up that rapport if you don't play week in, week out together and, although Kenny was out the team the other night, we've seen that he and Kris Boyd seem to work well together. The most important thing is building that understanding between the two men in attack." # Steven Naismith 22 Naismith's versatility was first realised at Kilmarnock where he was used as a centre-forward, on either flank, or as an attacking midfielder. Injuries have curtailed his involvement since switching to Rangers. "I'm a big admirer of Steven as a footballer, but he's another one that has to decide what position he wants to be," said Drinkell. "He's got pace and can use a bit of trickery, but there's a different art in going out there and standing with your back to goal and playing as a striker. You don't necessarily have to be physically strong to do the role. There are some centre-forwards who cause problems by coming deep, spinning and going long which is still as effective. Steven is still young, but I still see it a lot in players between 16 and 21 where they aren't properly learning the position they would like to play." # Kyle Lafferty 21 Lafferty arrived last summer from Burnley, where he was used primarily as a left-sided midfielder, although he traditionally plays through the middle for Northern Ireland. "He's another one that's got the dilemma of whether he's a front player or a wide player. He has to learn his trade," said Drinkell. "If it's to be up front, then go and play 20 to 30 games as a centre-forward, even if it's reserve-team football, and learn the art. If it's to be a winger then go and sit yourself on the touchline, get on the ball, take full-backs on and develop your crossing. The halfway house is no use. I made my debut at 16 for Grimsby Town as a centre-forward and every day I did my best to improve my knowledge of that position, how to win a header or how to lose a marker in the box. I dedicated myself to that position. Now it's a bit like five-a-sides all the time and players just play where they want." # John Fleck 17 The great hope of the Rangers' academy has been gradually introduced to the first team as a left-sided midfielder although he also has the ability to play as an attacking midfielder or as a striker. "What he needs is someone to decide for him how they see his future developing," said Drinkell. "They have to say, you're going to be a centre midfielder that bombs on and joins the forwards, a centre-forward that can play with your back to goal, or a wide player who gets down the wings. Rather than trying to do it all, it would be better if he could be fantastic at just one thing." http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2485310.0.Rangers_attackers_need_to_play_leading_role.php
  18. Jan 29 2009 By Alan Marshall DAVID MURRAY has declared Rangers' future depends on a crop of young guns who have been told to shoot for the top. And last night the Ibrox club's chairman reeled off the names of those he believes could have the football world at their feet. Murray was responding again to the "We Deserve Better" campaign and insisted Rangers are very much alive and kicking. He stressed again he is the man to secure the club's financial future and that a posse of players are ready to spring from Murray Park. Murray said: "At the agm in October Walter (Smith) made it clear the squad was too big and we didn't need 28 full-time pros and going forward he would run with 20 and younger players. "It is no coincidence that players like Rory Loy, Dean Furman, Jordan McMillan and Andrew Shinnie are all out getting experience at the moment and we are hopeful they will come back ready to be part of the plans. "We have John Fleck, Jamie Ness and Danny Wilson now knocking on the first-team door and they are undoubtedly part of our future. "I did say we needed to prune the squad and essentially move six or seven players. However, I also said if there was an emergency we would bring in a player if that was what was required. "Murray Park is now bearing fruit. People have complained about our youth system but it takes time to work. "We have never had so many players out on loan and we have never had so many promising young players." Murray also repeated his plea for the fans to stick together and underlined the need to resist those who are calling for activity in the transfer market, pointing out that money has to be found to cope with the problems caused by the economic downturn and the loss of Champions League money. He said: "Clarity needs to be given to our supporters. We are no different from any other business and our static overheads are too expensive. We also have less revenue. "You have to look at the future and analyse where additional revenues are going to come from outwith an extended run in Europe. "We had to take these things into consideration because the club must be run professionally and financially correct. "Yes, we could continue to spend money but we would develop more problems and the club would not be in a good condition. What we must not do is play into the hands of our competitors by scoring own goals in the media. "We have to stick together and if we do we can come through this situation successfully. I am not immune to analysis or criticism but we are a great club with a great history and we must remain positive. "This mischievous element we have is only going to destroy the things they supposedly care passionately about. "But I genuinely believe the plans put in place when Walter came back have been knocked off course by a couple of factors in a very, very difficult economic climate that will become markedly worse before a recovery. "We have a financial facility with the bank and we must work within that framework. I spoke to Walter and confirmed the need to bring in funds to compensate for the fact we are going to make a loss this year. "However, if we don't sell any of our players during this transfer window then we don't. But I think most fans recognise overheads are too high for our income. "It is easy to be critical but I have a responsibility to run the business properly and these people are not offering any solutions." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2009/01/29/sir-david-murray-young-stars-will-save-rangers-a-fortune-86908-21079793/
  19. In addition to not being part of the midweek bounce game the official site have run this story. Only gripe I have is this quote: I thought his performance was good and did not need to quantify that with a "good for his age" kind of comment.
  20. Midfielder Steven Davis says 17-year-old John Fleck has a great future after helping Rangers beat Falkirk. More...
  21. Could we get rid and how much for? We're desperate to generate a sale and Beasley would be near the top of my list in any case. For the left mid spot Naismith, Fleck and Aaron have all show more recently. For a small tricky winger, he does not demonstrate any of the attributes you would expect; pace, beating a man, hitting the bye line. He is very negative for a winger, runs up to his man then turns around and passes back to Papac. He is weak, needs too much time and space and is not suited to the game up here. Even his supporters ahve stated their are games they wouldn't play him as he can be bullied out of games. Never mind the 3 listed above, I would play Adam ahead of him too personally. Even if you wouldn't though, he is surely at best 4th in line for a left mid spot and hence surplus to requirments. With our need to get a godo transfer fee it surely makes good finanicial and football sense. Bearing in mind he has CL experience with PSV, PL experience with Man City and international experience surely we could ask for a couple of mil for him? How was his time with PSV? Would anyone in Holland take him? Or even anyone down south? If we could move him on for a reasonable fee wee might not need to sell a key squad member.
  22. Another Game, Same Old Deficiencies …. After another below par performance against the Falkirk Bairns on Saturday, surely we can’t be the only ones who are witness to our glaring deficiencies? Our manager and chairmen have branded us faceless and clueless, but even someone as faceless and clueless as myself can determine that we could get more out of our players, especially if they were played in their correct positions and if they were ‘coached’ properly. Once again on Saturday we were served up an unacceptable performance and we were lucky to run out narrow winners. Even after going 2-1 up, we almost allowed Falkirk back into the game but thankfully held out to record a victory and secure a crucial three points. Understanding that I will probably receive the wrath of our custodian by daring to question the managers tactics, I will endeavour to give my opinions of what is going wrong on the pitch. As a paying customer, I surly have the right to that! Continuing with 4 centre-halves in the back line is restricting our attacking options. Both Broadfoot and Papac have been decent at fullback, but both are centre-halves and play like centre-halves. They play very narrow which allows the opposition to exploit the space down our flanks. Why Walter Smith spent circa Ã?£6.5M on forwards in the close season and ignored the glaring deficiencies in the fullback areas is a mystery. We actually have three very decent centre midfield players who all have experience of playing on the English Premiership. All three have shown that they have the ability to play in what is arguably the best league in the world. However, to accommodate all three of these midfield players, we are forced to play one of them as a right winger. We have another brilliant midfield player out for the season. We have two options for the left wing position, but the manager insists on playing anyone other than our natural left wingers at left wing. Again, with no natural width in the midfield, the game is narrowed and we are forced to play through the congested middle of the pitch. Up front, we are well covered at the moment. Off course, this may change during the transfer window, who knows. As for Saturday, the back four looked shaky, and Boogie was caught sleeping for the Falkirk goal (Lovell scores against us with frightening regularity). The midfield didn’t click (again) with only Mendes getting pass marks. Ferguson and Davis (last 10 minutes apart) were awful. The front two tried, but were uninspiring. The only positive was John Fleck – although played out of position (surprise, surprise) he did well. He had two brilliant runs, one where he beat two Falkirk defenders only to be scythed down. The second he supplied a wonderful cross only for Boyd to somehow header the ball directly into the ground for 6 yards out with the goal gaping and at his mercy. Now, Boynd’s goalscoring record is there for all to see, but I can’t remember a centre who is as bad at heading as Boyd is. Steve Davis cuts a lonely figure wide right and we must move him into has favoured position if we are to get the best out of him or we’ll ruin the lad. In the last 10 minutes of Saturdays game Davis demonstrated just how good he could be if played properly. His slide-rule pass to Novo for the 2nd goal was EPL class, as was his clinching goal. However, 10 minutes a game isn’t good enough. Barry Ferguson hasn’t reclaimed any sort of form since returning from injury. This is worrying as he is the only driving force we have in our squad. So, we go to Aberdeen on Saturday only 2 points behind in the league and I for one can see Walter making changes. However, I’d bet that the changes will involve the likes of Adam, McCulloch et al rather than Fleck, Aaron et al. We’ll approach the game as a ‘must not lose’, rather than a ‘must win’. The days of letting the opposition worry about our formation, flare etc are long gone and we have a worrying tendency to alter our team selection to ‘suit’ the opposition (see the changes for the Tannidice game as an example). Somehow we have been given a glimmer of hope in this title race, and we must take full advantage and capitalise on this. Do we have the players capable of doing this? Does our manger have the tactics and coaching capable of this? The next three league games will supply us with the answers. Hopefully, the faceless and clueless legions will be proven wrong and we’ll use this as a springboard to catapult us towards the league title. Only time and the closing of the transfer window will tell. So Do We Deserve Better? There has been much written and spoken about the ‘we deserve better’ campaign and the subsequent response for our custodian and manager. Now, I believe that we all knew how SDM and WS would response, so whilst their responses were disappointing, they were unsurprising. They have basically told us that we are ‘faceless’ and ‘clueless’ when it comes to the running and future of Rangers Football Club. This is the usual SDM mantra – pay up and shut up. So the question remains, do we deserve better? Two last day SPL titles in 8 years, a decade of financial mismanagement, a youth academy that is failing even after numerous changes and a youth development that nobody knows who actually owns it and the players registered to it. A decade of asset stripping that has seen the catering, ticketing, merchandise sold off with little or no money coming directly to Rangers from these ‘outlets’ (apart for the initial fees – short termism at its best). And that is just ‘scratching the surface’. SMD claims that we aren’t entitled to discuss this as we aren’t captains of industry and that we don’t offer alternatives and / or solutions (surely a contradiction in terms there). Anyway, the RST have given SDM pages and pages of solutions, ideas and alternatives, all which SDM dismissed out of hand. Can’t have it both ways SDM. I sincerely hope that this seasons doesn’t fall into the ‘papering over the cracks’ category just like the previous title winning season have. Don’t get me wrong, I am willing Rangers to win this title as much as anyone but fear us winning the title will see the pressure being exerted on SDM diminishing and allowing him to continue with his downsizing of the club and out ambitions. In conclusion, to answer the set questsion - YES, we do deserve better, a hell of a lot better........ Whispers From Murray Park The captain of the ship (i.e the guy who runs our RSC) was through at Murray Park on Friday to get a couple of tops signed for charity. Every player except 4 signed the tops (4 players, McGregor, Mendes, Weir & Naismith had arrived prior to The Captain and were already in for training) but one of the management team refused point blank to stop and sign the tops. Yip, Ally McCoist, hang you’re head in shame, you more than anyone else should know better. Anyway, the general consensus was that ALL the players were happy to stop and not only sign the tops, but to stop and talk for a couple of minutes and were also happy to have photos taken etc. Kris Boyd reinforced his desire to stay at Rangers (as did Boogie and Ferguson) and an unnamed player stated that every player was determined to stay and regain OUR title from Celtc. Most players also confirmed that Boyd was determined to stay and ALL wanted him to stay. Kevin Thomson stated that his operation went well and he can’t wait to get back training and playing. Nacho Novo recognised the guys from the RSC as he was a guest at our POTY Dance 2 season back. NN reinforced his desire and passion to continue to play for Rangers and again stated that he would do all in his power to help our RST (he has in the past – he is a credit to himself and to Rangers Football Club). The two tops are being raffled at a Race Night at the start of February to help raise funds for The Sick Kids Hospital. Cammy F -
  23. Well, now Walter and Ally can't say the fans didn't tell them so, but... We told you so. Yes, it was well over the time to get young Flecky back into the first team. For MONTHS there has been a gaping gap in the left midfield role that was filled expertly by the youngster today. So, is this another tactical error by the Rangers management not to include him earlier? Smith can no longer say it's 'too early 'to play Fleck or they are 'biding their time'. Arsenal have showed time and time again with their young players that at 16 years old, if your good enough your in there. And we have all known Fleck has been good enough. The fans have been crying out for some young talent and a product of Murray park. There have been some, but none ever touted to go so far as wee Fleck. Ally McCoist was quoted before the game saying that Fleck "may not have been picked because of they(the fans telling the management to play Fleck) reasons", but more because he has merited it by good play in the last few reserve games. Your not that naive Ally. Give the fans some credit. We watch the same games as you and Fleck's display in last years youth cup final against Celtic was all the evidence we needed to get the boy into the first team squad and give the lad a deserved chance. So, now he's in it, keep him there. Because he now needs LOTS of first team experience to help nurture him into the excellent player he is destined to be.
  24. A post taken from FF. I'm sure most on here already know this, but just in case..... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graeme Souness was brought to Ibrox in April 1986, by Chairman David Holmes. The Club then set about an aggressive rebuilding policy, with Colin West, Terry Butcher, Chris Woods, Jimmy Nicholl, Graham Roberts all being added to the playing pool in 1986, that already contained Davie Cooper, Ally McCoist, Ian Durrant, Derek Ferguson, Robert Fleck amongst others. We won the League Championship in May 1987, the first since 1978. we had earlier won the League Cup in October 1986. Ibrox was a 44,500 sell out every week by 1987. In 1987/88, we failed to win the Championship, principally due to a leg break to Terry Butcher, and the failure to adequately replace the departed Robert Fleck's/injured Ally McCoist's goals. We retained the League Cup. We signed amongst others Richard Gough, Ray Wilkins, Mark Walters, John Brown and Ian Ferguson. We reached the Quarter Finals of the European Cup, disposing of the formidable Dynamo Kiev and Polish Champions Gornik Zabrze before being beaten on aggregate by Steaua Bucharest, despite an impressive 2-1 win over the eventual finalists. Prior to the beginning of season 1988/89, we signed Gary Stevens from Everton and Kevin Drinkell from Norwich City. At the beginning of our first league Championship campaign of the Nine in a row run, we could field a side that regularly was made up of the following:- Chris Woods, Richard Gough, Terry Butcher, Ray Wilkins, John Brown, Stuart Munro, Ally McCoist, Davie Cooper, Ian Ferguson, Derek Ferguson, Ian Durrant, Mark Walters, Kevin Drinkell. When David Murray took over the running of The Rangers Football Club on Friday 25th November 1988, we were sitting top of the Premier League, and had one month previously won the League Cup for the third successive year.
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