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I know we only seen him for 5 minutes last night but it was more than enough for all to see that the boy has exceptional talent. Only Walter Smith knows why he hasnt been given a run in the first team so far but im going to predict that we will be seeing a lot more of him from now to the end of the season. Not to enhance the team though. To put him in the shop window. Murray and bain will have the dollars already counted in the bank come the end of the season where this kid is concerned. That is what they do best. As soon as anyone in our Ranks shows the slightest bit of talent they are sold off to the highest bidder and fleck will be no different. We have been questioning the level of ambition at our club for quite some time now but the truth at the end of the day is that we have none. Our best players are off the minute someone comes sniffing around and are replaced by mediocrity everytime. McCulloch, Broadfoot, whittaker, Darcheville, Beadsley, Dailly and the real jewel in the crown, Lafferty. So dont get too attached to Young Fleck. My guess is that he could even be off this transfer window. And for a quarter of his true worth to boot.

ANDY WEBSTER was back in Rangers colours today as a host of top team stars were involved in a closed door match with Morton at Murray Park. The former Hearts centre back has had a torrid time with injuries in the past two years and even had more probems during a loan spell at Bristol City in the first half of the season. However, he looked in good shape today as a number of players got some action in a 1-0 win over the Greenock side, who had former Gretna hero and current Real Salt Lake striker Kenny Deuchar in their ranks due to the MLS off-season. Chris Burke - linked today with a move to Cardiff City - scored the only goal of the game. RANGERS: Alexander; Whittaker, Dailly (Wilson 70), Webster, Smith; Burke (Aaron 54), Naismith, Adam, Beasley (Efrem 54); Lafferty (Fleck 44), Velicka

someone has to take responsibility for the mess were in and i personally blame Walter Smith. Failing to strengthen the squad for the CL in the summer and the panic buy spending spree has cost us very dear indeed. 7 million wasted on Lafferty, Vilichka and Edu, players who have made no impact whatsoever whilst wonderboys fleck and arron have been left to rot in the wilderness. his financial incompetence has destroyed our club. We should have been building for the future last summer but our wayward manager decide to go with what he had, fooling himself that he actually had a good squad because he had reached the Uefa Cup final when everyone else knew that the likes of Daily, Weir, McCulloch, Adam...( I could go on all day) just werent good enough for Glasgow Rangers. IF Walter Smith has any decency left he should do the decent thing and fall on his sword. He has dragged us down to the abyss and it will take one hell of a job to get us back up. smith isnt the man to do it. He hasnt shown us anything in his second comming that suggests he has any of the qualities required to take the club back to the top. Infact he has shown us anything but. Tactical niavety, poor decision making, poor team selections and the financial savvy of a two year old are all the traits that have haunted him, and us for that matter. Thanks for fuckall Walter, and i really mean that. And if you need a lift on your way out.....

WS got the 2nd half very wrong! Instead of upping the tempo and putting on an impact player - the 2 things that were obviously needed to win the game - he just left the same team on and allowed Celtic to get into the game. Surely we knew Strachan was going to up his players after they were shite in the 1st half - but we assumed it would be more of the same. WS decisions have been questioned for the final time. Ive lost it with him. He is continually playing players who are not even sunday league standard ahead of good talent. Young Fleck and Aaron would have done 100 times better than Adam (wank) and Laugherty. Broadfoot - murder! Whittaker - eccentric idiot who thinks he has to skin every blade of grass! Adam - not even a sunday league player Boyd - topic over about him - average lucky player who cant EVER play at top level! Laughtery - 3.5 million - joke! Weir - Past it! Ferguson - past it to control games Where is Velicka? Why not start Novo? Why not play Aaron? Why not play Fleck? WS has it ALL to do

I was never behind the decision to bring him back but gave him the chance to come good. he hasnt though and after spending almost 30 million we have a team with very little imagination or substance. Our squad is filled with run of the mill players that smith has backed his shirt on and they are failing us big time. Charlie adams selection today alone speaks volumes about smiths ability as Rangers manager. A serial underacheiver who brings nothing to the first eleven yet seen by our manager as a... well only smith knows the answer to that one. Whittaker and broadfoot, nothing more than squad players to us all but to smith...god only knows that one too. But the Icing on the cake has to be lafferty. At 3 million you would expect the guy to have at least the basic ball skills required to play football, but with every passing game you can see that the poor lad is well out of his depth. I almost cried when one of my worst nightmares cam to fruition today, Adam getting subbed for lafferty! But there lies the problem. Walter smith cannot see what everyman and his dog can see from the stands at Ibrox. There are far too many players at Ibrox that are simply not good enough to play for Rangers. Too make matters worse walter cannot see past these imposters who have us tearing out our hair. He constantly picks them though they have little impact on any game, more often than not dragging us down with them. The alarm bells for me started ringing for smith when we mugged Dundee utd for the league cup when boyd came on and saved his arse. from then on in the team slowly imploded in instalments failing to impress as the weeks went by. Unfortunately for those of us who could see what was happening there was an incredibly lucky run in the Uefa cup which papered over the cacks at home. All eyes where on Europe as far as the men upstairs where concerned. But Walter stuck by individuals who were constanly underacheiving in the side. Whittaker, Broadfoot, Cousin, Darcheville, Adam, McCulloch and Dailly never worried about their places but anyone with half a brain could see that they just werent good enough and that the writing was on the wall. But then we reached the Uefa cup final. You really thought smith would have a real go at winning it but no. He tries to win it on penalties instead. we all know what happened next. Yet again he left out guys Like Boyd and Novo for some of the above, which was smiths main problem. He tried every option other than these two and he failed miserably. So With the league and The Uefa cup up the swanny it was time to rebuild for next year, or so you would have thought. But no, Smith thought he could pull the same stunt in Europe again with his anti football tactics but was caught out at the first hurdle by a pub team manager from the back of beyond (again!). Enter the chairman and his cheque book and cue a panic buying spending spree. Yeah we bought decent players (whist yet again selling our biggest asset) but to be honest we have yet to see half of them. Where the hell are Aaron, Vilichka, edu and our very own wonder boy Fleck? bugger..im going on the piss now ill finish this later.

BILLY KIRKWOOD has loved watching his U19 teams win domestic doubles for the past two years and has urged his current crop of emerging youngsters at Murray Park to make it three-out-of-three in 2009. Despite having a young squad in comparison to other clubs around the country Kirkwood always believed his players would cope at U19 level this season and so far he has been proved right. Kyle Hutton, RangersThe club's young guns are sitting three points behind league leaders Hibs after 12 games following their 1-1 draw St. Mirren at Murray Park on Dec 13. Billy has been delighted with the spirit his team have shown so far but wants them to continue their progress and maintain the standards they have set. He said: "I am very satisfied with the way things have gone so far. "At the beginning of the season we knew it was going to be a younger team we would have at this level. "In the previous two seasons we had a mix of older players who were in their last year at U19 level and a few younger ones. "But this season, due to injuries to players such as Tom Miller and Craig McShea, we only have three older lads in Ross Perry, Arturs Vaiculis and Stephen Stirling. "So we are asking a lot of our younger lads that are only 16 and 17 but they have done exceptionally well and hopefully that will continue. "They have all shown that they can handle themselves which is very pleasing." Hibs have performed consistently so far throughout the season, winning nine and drawing three of their fixtures to date. Stephen StirlingIndeed Rangers only defeat of the season came at the Hibs Training Centre on October 4. The 2-1 scoreline highlights how tight a game this was and Kirkwood insists there is little to separate the teams. He said: "There is no doubt that Hibs have shown good form this season although they do have an older group of players along with Falkirk. "I think they have nine or ten in their starting eleven who are in their last year at under-19 level so that can make a big difference. "But we are tucked in nicely behind them and we are not too far off the position we were in last season at this stage. "We are a couple of points down but also haven't scored the same number of goals so from all positions we will need to look at creating more chances and taking them." Archie Campbell has been a stand out for the 19s this season, scoring two goals from 12 stars, but Billy still believes there is more to come from the talented teen. "Archie can sometimes blow hot or cold but one thing he has been doing consistently of late is getting goals which is great credit to him. I think he now has nine which is a good return but we want to see him get more and continue to work on every aspect of his game. "All the young players still have so much to learn and Archie is no different but if he can stick the ball in the net consistently that is a big asset for any club. "You always get players who grab the headlines at different age levels such as Danny Wilson, John Fleck and Archie but the others in the Reserves and U19s have so much they want to achieve. Archie Campbell, Rangers"Gregg Wylde, for example, is another boy who is in a rich vein of form and he was recently voted the Clydesdale Bank Player of the Month of October. "So it is nice to see a bit of recognition spread throughout the team as everybody plays their part." The SFA Youth Cup is another tournament in which Billy hopes his side can enjoy success this season and he admits that playing at Ibrox Stadium against Brora Rangers and Dumbarton in the 3rd and 4th rounds left his players buzzing. He said: "The SFA Youth Cup is a great tournament because it lets the boys play at Ibrox this season and then the final is at Hampden. "The experience of playing at big stadiums is something they will never forget and it's invaluable for the development. "Our 6-0 win over Brora, followed by 3-1 win over Dumbarton at the start of this months were both pretty convincing and that is pleasing. "But overall I think the boys have done very well both in the league and in the cup. "They are still young and developing so hopefully there is a lot more to come from the after the New Year."

by David Melvin GREGG Wylde could scarcely have hoped for a better opening to his first term as part of Rangers' under-19 set up. The young left back has made himself a first choice in Billy Kirkwood's defence and last month collected the Clydesdale Bank's rising star award for the SPL youth league's best performer. But the talented 17-year-old is refusing to get carried away and insists he will keep his head down and continue to work towards his long term goals. He said: "I feel I've started quite well and hopefully I can keep that going throughout the rest of the season." "Greig Wylde in actionIt was good to get the award and it's something I'd like more of in my career in the future, but this is just a nice way to start. "It was a great boost to get recognised in that way but when I was first told about it, it was a real surprise." Wylde has already managed three goals from the full back position, including one in last month's convincing 6-0 win over Brora Rangers in the Youth Cup at Ibrox. That victory set up a fourth round tie with Dumbarton on Sunday again set to be played at the club's famous home. Wylde admits he enjoyed the experience of getting on the score sheet in such a significant fixture as his side kicked off the defence of a trophy that Kirkwood's teams have won in each of the last two seasons. He added: "I've enjoyed the start to the season with the under-19s and although we haven't been playing too well recently we've been grinding out results. "It's been good to get forward and get a couple of goals, but as I've said it's just a start and it's up to me to keep it going through the season. "I've got license to get forward and I like starting from that position because you can see the game in front of you better. I'm there to defend first and foremost but a full back can be an attacking option too. "I'm happy anywhere as long as I'm playing although it's fair to say my best position is probably left back but wherever Billy Kirkwood needs me to play I'll be happy to do that.Gregg Wylde "It was a great experience to get another game at Ibrox last month. I'd played there a couple of times at younger levels but that was a cup game and it was a different atmosphere. "It was nice to get a goal there too in what was an important game for us. Although this is my first year in the 19s we know that we've got a cup to defend. "It's important for the new group to make it three out of three. Rangers need to be winning trophies no matter what level it's at because that's what the club is all about. "This game against Dumbarton will be a tough one and we'll need to approach like we would any other game in the league." Wylde's approach to the game has seen him tipped for big things in the future but the Scotland youth star admits for now he is concentrating only on the aspects of his game that he can improve. He admitted: "I know there is plenty to work on and my delivery is just one thing that I need to spend time on. "It's not just about getting in the right positions; you need to deliver well once you get there. "But with all the help I get from the coaches here I feel I am progressing and I hope that continues." Despite having beBoyd congratulates Fleck after his great strikeen one of the youth players invited to train with the first team already this season, Wylde admits he is not thinking too far ahead as he looks to build on early season successes. He said: "At the moment I'm only concentrated on the 19s. It's my first season at this level and I'd expect a couple of years with the 19s and then on to the reserves and we'll see what happens from there. "There are guys in the first team squad now that have followed that path and that's the benchmark for all the guys in the youth teams here. We're all aiming to follow in their footsteps. "There are plenty of examples for us young guys to follow. The likes of Alan Hutton, Chris Burke and Stevie Smith all got their chance after doing well in Murray Park's youth teams. "And last season John Fleck got off the bench in the Scottish Cup Final and he was only 16 then.Billy Kirkwood "That's encouraging for all of us in the youth department as it shows that you will get a chance if you perform well consistently." Wylde has certainly managed that so far this season and his coach has been delighted with his progress. Billy Kirkwood said: "Credit to Gregg; he's been fantastic from the left back area and wide on the left. "He had three goals in three games at one stage and he's been doing very well. He has a great asset in his pace and down that left side he delivers a great ball in to the box. "He's shown a good consistency and hopefully some of the other lads can do the same and pick up the rising star award through the season.

Rangers 2, Motherwell 1 by Amir Rashid JOHN FLECK was on top form as Rangers dug out a vital win which keeps them hot on the heels of league leaders Hibs. Fleck has only just returned from an injury lay-off but his quality shone through in a difficult game in bitterly cold conditions. With leaders Hibs defeating Dundee United 3-0 on Friday, the Light Blues knew they could not slip up and they made a bright start. After just two minutes a nice bit of skill by the young Englishman Kane Hemmings down the right, led to a cross in the box for Jamie Ness - whose shot went wide of the left post after being forced to shoot from an awkward angle. Hemmings had the ball in the net minutes later but it was ruled out for offside and then Fleck began to dictate proceedings. Fleck showed why he is so highly thought of on 15 minutes, when a mesmerising run down right left three opposing players in his wake before rounding the keeper and unluckily hitting the foot of the near post with his shot. Moments later Fleck was involved again when his beautifully crafted through ball nearly released Isa Bagci through on goal but an excellent intervention from the Motherwell defender led to a corner instead. The break-through came on 26 minutes when a perfect Fleck corner found Bagci unmarked on the six-yard line and his header beat the diving Steven Coutts. Rangers were hungry for more goals and after the half hour a sweeping move by the champions led to Ness finding Gregg Wylde out wide who delivered an inch perfect cross that was headed just wide by Bagci.John Fleck Motherwell's only decent chance in the first period came when Steven Lawless slid a ball in for Ryan Martin in the Rangers box - he pulled the ball back across goal but fortunately for Rangers there was no one there to meet it. Fleck came desperately close to scoring in the early moments of the second half. He collected Chris Scott's clearance and his pace took him past the last defender before his shot was well saved low down by Coutts. The rebound fell back kindly to Fleck but he was unable to seize the opportunity. Then in 51 minutes Bagci found Fleck on the edge of the box and he hammered a venomous strike that was tipped over the bar for a corner by Coutts. Motherwell controlled the majority of possession in the second half, with most of Rangers attacks coming from breakaways. Motherwell however failed to create many goal scoring chances with their possession. The Rangers defence was solid - tackling and clearing away any dangerous balls into the box. Captain Ross Perry led by example at right back, with commanding central defenders Scott and Danny Wilson both playing their part. Arturs Vaiculis's goal was tested on 72 minutes when Motherwell came forward in search of the equaliser. Substitute Calum Hendrie and Ryan Martin linked up on the edge of the box before the latter released a thumping shot to the top right corner that was excellently saved by Vaiculis With 15 minutes left the Clydesdale Bank player of the month Wylde burst away down the left flank, before releasing a low cross along the Motherwell goal that found Archie Campbell who slotted the ball into the back of the net from close range. Motherwell refused to admit defeat and came back at Rangers when Paul Slane skipped pass Ness near the corner flag and struck a shot from a tight angle that rattled Vaiculis's crossbar. And in stoppage they got their consolation goal when Hendrie picked up the ball and ran with it into the box before finishing with a stunning strike into the top left hand corner of the Rangers goal. RANGERS: Vaiculis; Perry, Wilson, Scott, Wylde; Ness, Hutton, Stirling, Fleck; Hemmings (Campbell), Bagci (Forbes) No chance of Fleck getting a game then, I mean the lad is obviously playing good football the way it should be played

by Tom Miller THE STRIKING qualities of Nacho Novo and Andrius Velicka were too hot for Kilmarnock tonight as Rangers claimed a comfortable win at Rugby Park. Industrious Spaniard Novo scored twice in the first half, set up by Velicka on both occasions, And Novo returned the favour in the second half from an indirect free kick inside the box - an incident which led to the dismissal of Killie keeper Chad Harpur. There were good pAndrius Velicka, Rangerserformances throughout the Rangers side with young Ulsterman Andy Little excellent at the back beside experienced Christian Dailly and exciting Spaniard Aaron showing his skills for the 70 minutes he played. The only down side was a knock to Chris Burke which forced his substitution at half-time. Novo struck the opening goal after just seven minutes when Velicka played him in then made it 2-0 on 33 minutes when he finished well after another good lay-off from the Lithuanian. The match was safe in 75 minutes when Gavin Skelton clearly passed the ball back to keeper Harpur when trying to divert a cross in from Georgios Efrem. An indirect free kick was awarded just outside the six yard line and Killie put everyone on the goal-line. Novo touched the ball back to Velicka and he rifled it high into the net. Harpur complained so much about the decision that was sent off by referee Craig but the 10 men of Killie managed to hold out without conceding again. RANGERS: Robinson; McLachlan, Little, Dailly, Stevie Smith; Burke (Efrem), Loy, Edu (Fleck), Aaron (Kinniburgh); Novo, Velicka

From Amir Rashid at Kilwinning Sports Club RANGERS kept the pressure on league leaders Hibs after a hard fought 1-0 win away to Kilmarnock when Kane Hemmings grabbed the only goal of the game. With Hibs beating Inverness Caley Thistle 4-1 on Friday, it was imperative Rangers went away with all three points - Billy Kirkwood will no doubt be pleased his side were able to do just that. In what was a fairly balanced first half, the young Swede Isa Bagci could have opened the scoring for Rangers after just seven minutes when his shot just outside the box went wide past the right of the Kilmarnock goal. Stephen StirlingOn the 25 minute mark Kilmarnock created an opening when a flowing passing move led to a shot from Scott Walker on the left who failed to test Arturs Vaiculis - his shot going harmlessly past the Latvian stoppers' post. Five minutes later Rangers were denied a penalty when Kyle Hutton's shot appeared to the hit the hand of the on-rushing Kilmarnock defender from close range. Bagci tried to take the game by the scruff of the neck, when on 32 minutes he collected the ball wide on the right before cutting in on his left before releasing a shot just outside the box that sailed over the bar. Stephen Stirling then attempted to get Rangers moving on 35 minutes but his shot from distance - low to the keeper's right - was easy enough to deal with for the diving Kilmarnock goalkeeper. Following Kirkwood's inspiring half-time team talk Rangers came out all guns blazing in an effort to take the lead. After just a minute into the second half a well flighted corner from Gregg Wylde found the head of Ross Perry in the 6 yard box who saw his header cleared of the line by the Kilmarnock defence. Rangers came out the hungrier of the two sides and a Jamie Ness cross from the left found Bagci who was unable to turn the ball home with his head from inside the box, after only three minutes of the second half. But it was the returning John Fleck who proved the inspiration for the Light Blues on 53 minutes, his clever assist on the halfway line found Hemmings 40 yards out from goal. The powerful striker picked it up and ran at the Kilmarnock defence, who were unable to stop him, as he unleashed a beautiful curling shot low into the left of the Kilmarnock goal from the edge of box. Rangers were keen to ensure there were no slip ups and chased the second goal. Minutes later it was Bagci again who tested Kilmarnock when his rifled shot from an acute angle in the box was parried out for a corner by the goalkeeper.John Fleck, Rangers Rangers' dominance was showing in the second period and Kilmarnock created very little. An ambitious effort from 45 yards by Daniel McKay on 57 minutes caused little trouble to Vaiculis who ignored any attempt to embarrass him by plucking the ball out from the air as it arrived at his goal. McKay came back at Rangers 10 minutes later when his run past the idle Rangers defence culminated in a shot from 30 yards that went over the bar. Hemmings and Bagci linked up well with 20 minutes left as Rangers searched for the goal that would guarantee all three points. Hemmings' header found Bagci in the box who skipped past the Kilmarnock defence, doing the hard work before squandering a goal scoring chance as his close range shot went wide. On the 80th minute Kilmarnock were reduced to 10 men. Mick Doyle saw red following a slip that was quickly seized upon by Hemmings who outpaced the last man Doyle before having his shirt pulled by the young Kilmarnock defender. From the resulting freekick, 25 yards out from goal, Stephen Stirling saw his excellent effort brilliantly saved, one handed to his top left hand corner by the diving Kilmarnock goalkeeper. Rangers continued to create chances up until the final whistle but they will no doubt be pleased that they managed to secure a win away against a battling Kilmarnock side.

Thread title says it all really. Hasn't even been on the bench much at all this season. Is he injured? Bad times at home? I know he's not a boozer so was just wondering if anyone can shed any light on his conspicuous absence from a team badly needing a bit of flair on the left. Yes I know it's not his natural position but then we are being managed by Walter Smith so that shouldn't matter. Oh, hang on a minute, think I may have figured out the reason for hid absence for myself there....Walter :devil:

As there is no Rangers related football to discuss as the Dundee UTD game was (rightly) called off due to the sad death of their Chairman Eddie Thompson I was going to, surprisingly perhaps, direct my weekly rants exclusively at Walter Smith. Firstly for his cowardly and ill informed comments regarding internet bigots, but bmck and Calscot not only beat me to it, but penned far more eloquent articles that I could ever muster : http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8519 http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8511 However, Uncle Walter doesn’t escape my attentions thanks to those excellent articles, I have a tantalising question to set you regarding Walter : If We Had A Theo Walcott, Would We Witness Is Wonder? Over the course of this season, nobody who has witnessed the mercurial skills of Theo Walcott could fail to marvel at the guile and genius of this young and raw talent. Walcott has not only starred for Arsenal, but has burst onto the international stage and set England on their way to automatic World Cup qualification thanks to brilliant displays and fantastic goals. I watching in wonder last night as a youthful Arsenal put Fenerbache to the sword in their own back yard and Walcott was at the centre of everything that was good about Arsenal. It is easy to forget just how young this lad is and his tender age can be used as an excuse (if any are needed) for when his form, inevitably falls a few percentage. So, this question that I’d like to pose is, if Rangers had a ‘Theo Walcott’, would Walter Smith play him in the starting 11 – not just in the mediocre SPL, but in European games? Now, I understand that Wlacott is a ‘one off’, the best talent to come out of England since Wayne Rooney, and don’t think for a minute that we have anyone on our books with the talent that Walcott processes. However, we might have, as when was the last time a ‘youth’ player was given an extended run in our team? I’d guess at Alan Hutton who as soon as he showed any sign of ability, was swiftly dispatched to White Hart Lane. The only young players currently that are being ‘talked up’ at Ibrox are / were John Fleck, Dean Furman and Aaron. Furman has gone on lone and the remaining pair are semi-permanent fixtures on our substitute bench. From the admittedly little that I have seen of the above trio, Fleck is without a doubt the most gifted and hopefully likely to cement a place in the Rangers team in the near future. Fleck was introduced into the dieing embers of last years Scottish Cup Final and along with the return of Beasley, Flecks fleeting appearance was the highlight of that day. Simply put, he didn’t look out of place. I don’t think I was the only Rangers fan who left Hampden that day convinced that I would see a lot more of Fleck this season. Sadly, me and a few others have been left disappointed. Given Walters record at Rangers, he doesn’t appear to be the type of manager to bring youth players into the team and give them an extended run. During the 9-in-a-row years, we saw glimpses of players like Sandy Robertson, Gary McSwegen, Stephen Pressley, Neil Murray et al who contributed to some fantastic Rangers performances both domestically and in Europe, but none were given extended runs in the team. So people, I am convinced that we have or own ‘Theo Walcott’ (in context) sitting at Murray Park but remain unconvinced that we’ll see him get an extend run in the first 11 – much to his, and our detriment. Green With Envy Yip, I’ll admit to being green with envy as I sat down last night to be entertained by Europe’s finest in the Champions League, and I’ll be just as envious as I settle down in front of the TV tonight. I’ll also admit that I am envious of our green foes participation in the CL, and yes, even given their drubbing last night, I am still a little envious of them. In fact, I’m even a tad envious of their 1 point from 50+ available away from home – Christ that’s what you call consistency (ok, ok, ok, that was a big tongue in cheek)…… There is nothing better than an European night, especially at Ibrox, or when you enjoy a fantastic trip to a foreign land. I think we’ve all got stories to tell of our expeditions and of the friends that we’ve made on our travels, both within the travelling Rangers support and friendly locals. For long-term GersNet readers this next statement will come as no surprise, but to newer readers and ‘younger’ Bears it might. Whilst I have no ‘love’ of Manchester United, I do not hold any hatred for them either. I, for a while, took delivery of Man United fanzines (some of the best zines around). I applauded and continue to applaud the Man United fans fight for their club (something we could learn from). I met a fair few Man United fans when I was down for our CL game, and every last one of them were fantastic company and the one thing that I noticed was their burning love for their club – in that respect, they reminded me of US, the Rangers support. For them, its Man U first and Man U last – they have no time for ‘2nd teams’ and no time for ‘love-ins’. Lastly, I believe that we have much in common with Manchester United. Both our clubs are deemed the most successful in our respective countries (although Liverpool would have something to say on that matter), both clubs have overcome terrible disaster and tragedy in their long and illustrious history. Both clubs are ‘hated’ in their own country due to their dominance and both clubs draw fantastic support from out-with the city and country that they belong to. So, its fair to say that I have no qualms regarding Manchester United or their fans. Some Rangers fans will point to the supposed love-in between Man United and Celtc – lets get this straight, this is a one-way street. If you read any Man United fanzines or books written by fans (or their casuals) you’ll understand that they don’t like Timmy at all. Why would they? Timmy sing a Liverpool anthem and sing songs about a terrorist group who targeted Manchester killing citizens and destroying the city. Also, it is worth noting that Manchester United pull a large section of their fanbase from the loyalist and unionist communities of Northern Ireland. Anyway, apologies for digressing, back to the point in hand. At this stage next season, I don’t want to be a mere spectator when the business end of the Champions League comes around. I want Rangers in their and fighting for the right to progress to the knock-out stages of this prestigious tournament. However, after watching some of the awesome performances last night, we have a vast amount of improving to ensure that we can compete annually at this level. To make CL qualification assured we must win the SPL title this year and that is not a formality or a foregone conclusion. Oh, I’ve added a clip from the infamous ‘you-tube’ site (you know, the one UEFA and the media use to try us) of what can only be described as an altercation outside Old Trafford last night – not much love on show here : [ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bo3C4FoJ0Mk[/ame] Know Your Enemy At the moment, being a Rangers fan, especially one who uses the internet to discuss his team and on occasions, history, politics and religion, it isn’t hard knowing who your enemy is. However, until recently, you wouldn’t have put the manager of your team into the enemy camp. Some of us understand that the Chairman and his lap-dog Bain are well entrenched in the enemy camp and like nothing more than feeding the frenzied media with ‘own goals’ and attacks on Rangers fans. Walter Smith has decided to pitch in with SDM and Bain and thus, must accept the ire that will be directed at him. Now he has opened himself up for criticism relating to topics out-with squad selection, signings and tactics. He has entered the big, bad bigoted Rangers fans debate and hang his colours to the ‘establishments’ mast. I can take the agenda driven media having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). I can take agenda driven politicians having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). I can take agenda driven organisations like NMB having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). It may hurt me to the core, it might drive me to despair, but I can take SDM and Bain having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). But I’m sorry Walter, I expected better from you. Cammy F -

Gers Done Four POOR defending was to prove costly for Rangers Reserves this afternoon as Tommy Wilson's team lost 4-3 to Motherwell at Murray Park. Prior to the game both sides had taken eight points from five games and very little to separate the sides in what was an entertaining and dramatic 90 minutes. A lot of graft and endeavour was put in but, in the end, it was the Steelmen that came out on top. Somewhat surprisingly, fans standing in the pouring rain had to wait until after the half hour mark for the opening goal and what a cracker it was. Andrew Shinnie fed the ball to Rory Loy on the edge of the 18-yard box and a quick dip of the shoulder fooled two defenders before the striker curled a delightful left foot shot beyond Motherwell keeper Steven Coutts. The match flowed constantly from end to end and Rangers could only hold on to their slender advantage for six minutes. A corner was fed into the six yard box and Steven Saunders jumped above Graeme Smith to head the ball off the underside of the bar. Once again it fell to Motherwell's no. 4 who drilled it home from close range. The Light Blues, however, were to suffer an early blow at the start of the second-half when 'Well bagged their second. Ross Forbes played a through ball to Robert McHugh who should great composure to hit the net having been one-on-one with Graeme Smith. Rangers fought back immediately and should have been on level terms on 58 minutes when William McLachlan swung in a brilliant cross from the right flank and Rory Loy's downward header from 10 yards bounced off the turf before being tipped over by Coutts. This was a warning for the visitors but they didn't learn as Rangers bagged their second moments later with a brilliant goal. Giorgos Efrem played in Aaron on the left and the Spaniard twisted and turned his marker before crossing to Fleck who headed home powerfully from six yards. At this stage Rangers, who had Lee McCulloch at centre-half, looked to be in the ascendancy but, remarkably, they proceeded to let Motherewell take the lead again three minutes later. A cross came into the Gers' box and when Graeme Smith flapped at the ball it hit off the head of Saunders and finished up in the net. How much the defender knew about the goal is up for debate but the fact it was disappointing defending was not in doubt. With ten minutes remaining Rangers set up a pulsating end to the game by scoring a third, this time through Aaron. The winger cut inside into the box and received the ball before toe poking the ball past Coutts at his near post. Another goal always looked on the cards but the big question was which team would net the winner? Unfortunately it was Motherwell that made the most of poor marking again and when the ball fell to Marc Fitpatrick the midfielder slammed the ball past Smith to seal the points for his side. Tommy Wilson was understandably disappointed his players did not take anything from the match. He said: "I though we deserved at least a draw today but our defending let us down at times and Motherwell made us pay. "All the goals we lost could have been avoided which is frustrating. "But on the plus side I though some of our play at times was excellent but when you defend the way we did today that makes life very difficult." RANGERS: Smith; McLachlan, McCulloch, McMillan, Kinniburgh; Aaron, Shinnie, Fleck, Efrem; Loy (Scott 70), Campbell (Hutton 55)

One fan's view who attended the game today: Shocking result for a team full of essentially first team players.

CELTIC have taken all three points in the first Old Firm Reserve Game of the season thanks to an impressive second-half display at New Broomfield. Ross Harvey put Rangers ahead on the stroke of half-time with a fine header but a double from Paul McGowan and a further strike from Ben Hutchinson after the break sealed a 3-1 win for Willie McStay's team who maintain their 100 per cent record in the SPL. John Fleck in action against CelticTommy Wilson was able to field a strong starting eleven for this afternoon's fixture with Graeme Smith in goal and a midfield four of Chris Burke, Andrew Shinnie, Mo Edu and Aaron. The coach also selected the same back line that kept a clean sheet against Aberdeen last week with Jordan McMillan and Ross Harvey in the centre and Andrew Little and William McLachlan at right and left back respectively. Rory Loy and John Fleck, meanwhile, were given the nod in attack. Celtic suffered an early blow when midfielder Michael McClinchey had to be replaced by Koki Mizuno after only four minutes due to injury and the home side had to make a second substitution on 27 minutes when Doumbe also pulled up. The first moment of real class, however, came on six minutes from Aaron who was impressive throughout the opening period. Chris Burke was brought down 30 yards from Scott Fox's goal and the Spaniard curled a tremendous free-kick which smashed off the underside of the bar but bounced inches in front of the goal line with the keeper flapping at thin air. It was a brilliant effort from the on loan star who was a proving to be a constant thorn on the left in the early stages as was Burke on the opposite flank. Ross Harvey scores Celtic's best chance came on 19 minutes when the lively McGowan sprinted past the Gers defence and his chip over Graeme Smith clipped the cross bar before being cleared. With the clock ticking down it looked as if neither team would break the deadlock before the interval but Harvey had other ideas. The big defender sprinted forward for a corner with only minutes remaining and when Burke swung in a dangerous cross the centre-half rose above the Celtic defence and keeper to power a header into the net. Rangers made a pre-planned substitution at the break with Charlie Adam going on for Edu who looked steady and composed in his first Old Firm outing. Hutchinson was the danger man for Celtic when the sides last met at the end of last season and the former Middlesbrough man tried his luck from distance at the start of the second period with a powerful shot which Smith did well to hold. At the other end Adam dispossessed a Celtic midfielder and when the ball arrived at the feet of Fleck his raking effort from 30 yards was well over Fox's goal. Only seven minutes later and Celtic had a great chance to level the scoreline. Mo EduAfter some slack play from Rangers, Hutchinson slipped a neat ball to his strike partner Paul McGowan. The no. 10 had time and space to pick his spot but Graeme Smith darted from his line and dived low to his right to make a superb stop. This should have been a warning for the Gers players but poor marking was to prove costly again on 66 minutes when Celtic equalised. Mizuno delivered a teasing cross from the right and McGowan made no mistake this time with an easy header from six yards. Celtic were now in the ascedency and got their noses in front for the first time in the match with 13 minutes remaining. Kevin Cawley played the ball through to McGowan who slotted the ball coolly past Smith in the Gers' goal. With ten minutes remaining Charlie Adam was inches away from giving his side a point with free-kick from 20 yards but it was Hutchinson at the other end that was to secure a home win for Celtic in the final stages of the game. The powerful hitman latched on to a long ball with Rangers trying to play an offiside trap. He looked up once before lofting it over Smith from a tight angle to end a frustrating day for the Gers. CELTIC: Fox; Doumbe (Towell 27), O'Dea, Lafferty, Conroy; Cawley, Millar, McGlinchey (Mizuno 4), McCourt; McGowan, Hutchinson Subs: Gaughan, Marshall, Tidser, Monti, Graham RANGERS: Smith; Little, Harvey, McMillan, McLachlan; Aaron (Stirling 75) , Edu (Adam 45), Shinnie, Burke; Fleck, Loy Subs: Robinson, Perry, Bagci Never nice to read i know but i still think it should be mentioned on here. Edu,Aaron,Fleck, Burke. i think that answers the question for me about playing a weakened team for a cup game.

WS has already announced that he won't make sweeping changes for this one. Why the hell not? What better chance to showcase Fleck, Aaron, Edu while at the same time time giving a chance for rehabilitation to Burke and Adam for instance? Sod the result - the league is the only competition this season that matters, and while I have a soft spot for the Jags, we should be able to beat them with whatever team we put out.

CHRIS BURKE marked his return to competitive action with a goal as Rangers Reserves produced a stunning display to beat Aberdeen 1-0 at Glebe Park in Brechin. Aaron Niguez, RangersThe winger hit the net in the 57th minute with a well-taken finish. John Fleck fired in a terrific 25-yard shot which the keeper could only parry and Burke was there to take his chance confidently with a left foot strike from the edge of the box. The match was a typically fiesty encounter with Aberdeen fielding several first-team players including Zander Diamond, Lee Mair, Jeffrey De Visscher, Stuart Duff, Chris Maguire and Michael Paton amongst others. But Tommy Wilson's new-look team handled the situation brilliantly to record their third clean sheet from their opening three league games of the new campaign. The coach was understandably delighted after the final whistle. He said: "Under the circumstances this was an excellent result for us. "Aberdeen named a very strong team with a lot of first-team players while we had a few younger lads join us because of the like of Dean Furman, Paul Emslie, Alan Lowing and Scott Gallacher going out on loan. John Fleck "We had to make a lot of changes to our system so from that point of view I am really pleased. "I thought Graeme Smith came in to the team in goals and was excellent. "He marshalled our defence throughout the 90 minutes and it was great to see wee Burkey score the winner. "He has joined us for training on several occasions now and worked ever so hard so he deserved that today. "Coming up to Brechin is never easy but this result will give all the boys a lot of confidence going forward." RANGERS (4-2-3-1): G. Smith; Little, Harvey, McMillan, McLachlan; Fleck, Shinnie; Efrem, Aaron (Forbes 70), Burke; Loy

By Andrew Dickson RANGERS' 100% record in the SPL Reserve League came to an end this afternoon as they drew 0-0 with Hearts at Murray Park. Tommy Wilson's men were the better side, particularly after the interval, but couldn't convert any of the chances that came their way. Failing to break the deadlock means they've now taken four points from their first two matches after the 5-0 win against Falkirk a fortnight ago. The first half was a fairly even affair, with Gers shading it for the extra possession they enjoyed. Things might have been different had William McLachlan seen a red card rather than the yellow he received for a late foul on Hearts' Branimir Kostadinov after just 90 seconds. Indeed, it was a shaky start by the home side and Craig Sives should have headed the Jambos ahead with six minutes gone but somehow nodded wide from two yards. Rangers hit back and Rory Loy, who scored a hat-trick against the Bairns, drove low at goal but saw his effort smothered. John Fleck then skipped past two men as he cut across the 18-yard line and found the target too but also had his shot held. Paul Emslie was proving to be influential for the Light Blues and he had a go himself but his rising drive was always flying over. Hearts responded through Kostadinov and Jordan McMillan had to react sharply to block his teasing pass across goal. Rangers continued to have more of the ball after the break but while Fleck almost struck at one end, Juho Makela should really have broken the deadlock at the other. The best chance so far then fell to Spanish winger Aaron, who had experienced mixed fortunes in the opening period. He showed the class that tempted Walter Smith to bring him to Ibrox on loan from Valencia when he burst in from the left past two men and curled just beyond the far post. It was an opportunity he created from nothing and if he keeps producing like that, it won't be long before he is pushing for a first-team place. Gers were getting closer and it seemed Loy had finally given them a lead with 25 minutes remaining after Fleck and Andrew Shinnie combined to play him in. But just as his shot across Jamie MacDonald was sneaking inside the far post, the keeper stuck out a strong hand to divert the ball wide. Loy saw a similar attempt trundle past the frame and with that, frustration started setting in. Wilson threw on Giorgos Efrem and Andrew Little for Aaron and Loy in a bid to make his team's pressure finally count. But they couldn't get themselves a lead and had to settle for a share of the spoils instead with their capital opponents. RANGERS: Gallacher, Lowing, McLachlan, McMillan, Dailly, Emslie, Shinnie, Adam, Loy (Little 83), Fleck, Aaron (Efrem 68). Substitutes: Robinson, Furman, Craig, Harvey. HEARTS: MacDonald, Kelly (Thomson 67), Armstrong, Park, Sikes, McGowan, Kostadinov, Stewart (Copil 67), Makela, Wallace, Templeton. Substitutes: Bjornsson, Balatoni, Mulrooney, Docherty, Mackie. Referee: Ross Haswell.

Hat-trick for Rory Loy. Also both players mentioned the most on here about getting their chance in the first team both scored, Furman and Fleck.

Yes the start of the football season is back and Rangers have had a disasterous start to the campaign after being put out of Europe in the Qualifiers. That leaves us to fully concentrate on Domestic issues and to try bring back the league title as well as retaining the 2 domestic cups. The only positive thing to take about Europes exit is we wont be hampered by a horrendous fixture schedule of playing 68 games in the season. As mentioned its time to put the Euro exit to bed and concentrate on the SPL. But one asks if we are currently equipped with the right personnel to go on and take the title back. 4 new faces have arrived - Kenny Miller, Kyle Lafferty, Andris Velicka and Madjid Bougherra, are these 4 good enough to walk into the starting line up?. But the massive question from the fans is where is the new midfielders we need? All summer we knew the need for a creative midfielder and we did not purchase one. Instead we let our only player capable of this role - Thomas Buffel - depart the club. Then things got worse when Barry Ferguson picked up a bad injury rulling him out for the first few months. Yet the management still have not addressed the position and rather opted for strengthing the defence and forward line to make huge confusion to the Ibrox faithful. Steven Davis did well in central midfield last season but a fee couldnt be agreed with Fulham for his services. Other players which were looked at were Varynen of PSV(?) and former Ger Peter Lovenkrands - getting all 3 excited this bear. So lets have a look at our chances of SPL glory. Management: Walter Smith was brought into steady a sinking ship during the 06/07 campaign and he did a marvelous job in doing so. We finished that season strong and things looked good for 07/08. Last season his task was to put us in with a chance of trophies and he delivered the 2 domestic cups and for a few reasons already discussed he took us to within 1 game of the title. He is to be judged this season. Will he change his favoured personnel when they are in bad form or will he stick with them? Will he give youth a chance? Will he go away from his favourite 4-5-1 formation? All to be revealed! Ally McCoist: Everyones favourite former striker and club legend certainly brings harmoney to the club. He is being groomed by WS but its obvious he is still tactically inexperienced. Hopefully his finishing skills can rub onto some of the strikers as we need to start getting a couple of players who are capable of 15+ goals. I dont question Ally being in his role but I do wonder if WS misses an old experienced head in his management team at times. Keepers: Allan McGregor had a wonderful season last year. He turned from an average keeper to Scotlands No.1 IMO and I firmly believe we would have won the league had he not got injured at Parkhead - thats how good his form was. But talks of being as good as Goram and Klos were way exaggerated and a knee jerk reaction IMO. I always said he has to maintain this form into the next few seasons before he can be mentioned in the same sentance as the 2 former legends. A one season wonder isnt good enough. At the moment he is rusty and needs to get back to his form of last season ASAP. His deputy - Neil Alexander did a fine job when asked and he will be pushing AM at the moment for a start, he is a fine back up to have and many a bear would have him in between the sticks for the opening game this season. Defence: We have central defenders in Abundance. Davie Weir and Christian Dailly signed on for another season, Alan Webster is on the books yet seldom fit, Kirk Broadfoot has been featuring there and of course King Carlos Cuellar has not been sold. They are joined by Madjid Bougherra who can also operate in midfield. And if things get desperate Sasa Papac and Brahim Hemdani can move to centre back. Surely all bears are hoping to see a partnership of Cuellar and Bougherra to be formed. The full back positions is a concern. Only Steven Whittaker and Steven Smith are natural full backs with huge concerns over the latters long term fitness and footballing future. Sasa Papac has the LB role to himself at the moment. If Whittaker or Papac get injured then its obvious the full back roles will be covered by the likes of Dailly and Broadfoot - not too encouraging. Midfield: I could write pages about the midfield but Id also be aswell leaving a blank space. To start with Barry Ferguson misses the first few months of the season. It may be a blessing to tell the management we cant rely on 1 player and it also may give the skipper a long term rest that he badly needed. Hopefully he comes back to the player we know he can be as he was far too inconsistant last season and had more nad games than good ones. Other natural midfielders are Brahim Hemdani, Kevin Thomson and Dean Furman. WS doesnt seem to rate Hemdani and he rarely features in the SPL. Kevin Thomson is rated very promising by the management and fans but this season its time for him to step up and take some responsibility. Young Dean Furman is one who needs more games. On the left we have huge options. DeMarcus Beasley, Lee McCulloch, Charlie Adam and Kyle Lafferty are likely to be rotated all year. There are questions about some of their capabilities, Beasley is injury prone but he makes the team look better when he plays. McCulloch and Adam have been nothing short of dreadful recently and Lafferty is mainly a striker. Even Alan Gow is still on the books. But the problem is on the right side. With Steven Naismith and Chris Burke long term casualties it leaves only Nacho Novo to play there - who is a natural striker. The need for new players is a MUST. Strikers: WS signed 3 in the summer and only offloaded Sebo who was on loan anyway. If WS goes back to his 4-5-1 formation then there is going to be a lot of unhappy players on the bench. Daniel Cousin is still the best talent in the squad but whether he stays or not is remained to be seen. But the manager has Kenny Miller, Kris Boyd, Jean Claude Darcheville, Andrias Velicka, Kyle Lafferty and young Fleck to keep happy. Right now its guess work as to who will be preferred upfront. Key Players The spine of the team is always key and that wont change this season. Allan McGregor, Carlos Cuellar and Barry Ferguson should be 3/4 of the spine and ideally Daniel "ive changed my attitude" Cousin would be the final quarter. But with Ferguson out and Cousins future uncertain it means a few players HAVE to stand up. Noises came from Lee McCulloch and Charlie Adam in the summer but both are currently on dreadful form. IMO Kevin Thomson needs to grab the chance with both hands and if selected Hemdani is a key player. Upfront Velicka's strength could suprise us and he may be the key to unlocking defences. Overall: We have enough to win the league if we are consistant and the manager gets tactics and selections right. If we get that creative player then it may give us a different dimension and others may start to click. I dont think Celtic are better than us but they are currently much more organised. Prediction: The need for the title to come home and the early wake up call in Europe could be a catalyst in winning the league. If i was asked to put money on it then I would back us to be Champions for 08/09.

Im not at all surprised we went out, its been on the cards since pre season as last seasons form and poor players have continued. And playing Liverpool last saturday!! The only thing I can say is well done SDM for that one as the revenue was badly needed!! Maybe most Gers fans will realise the team is FULL of average run of the mill SPL players. In the current squad only Cuellar, Papac, Hemdani, Ferguson, Novo and Cousin have the ability for a Rangers shirt with the exception of the new players and youngsters like Fleck who need a chance. A comment on a few players: I dont know what McGregor is doing at the moment but id start with Alexander this weekend until AM gets his finger out. Whittaker - 1 solo goal is the only thing he has ever done. Weir - Its sad when we are relying on a 38 yr old at the back. Papac - He's been impressive. Broadfoot - A typical WS signing similar to the likes of Bollan in the 90s. I cringe when I see him in a blue jersey. Webster - We'd be better off taking someone from A&E Dailly - Another who has gone way of the boil and shouldnt be in the team McCulloch - Imposter compared to the player who first signed Adam - He's too easy to criticise but he should be sacked first thing in the morning. Thomson - Everyone on here has raved about him, for me ive never seen much to impress except in a handful of games. Id rather we got Scott Brown TBH Hemdani - WS doesnt rate him which is a shame Novo - I like the wee man and shows the exact attitude the others should. Miller - He is in for a hard season unless he gets off the mark Boyd - Kilmarnock was his level Darcheville - Cant even complete 90 mins but WS plays him

Let's play a game of 'Fill the Gap'. What must the following people be thinking, now more than ever. Tonights lineup got me thinking even before the result, but more so afterwards. There must be almost a whole teams-worth of players wondering what the hell is going on right now. Not least of all Carlos Cuellar and Barry Ferguson wondering how on Earth a team can fall apart so easily without them. This is in almost rant form, so this will be in no order. Alan Gow As we've come to expect, not even in the squad tonight (never is). Clearly Smith sees something there to make him go against giving the lad a chance.. but could he really do any worse than Charlie Adam and the likes? Brahim Hemdani Not a popular choice among everyone especially with his somewhat mediocre form in the latter stages of last season, but again the question is, how much worse can he be than Christian Dailly? He showed in the past that in these kind of games he can get hold of the ball, keep it and distribute it more efficiently than anyone else in our team. Kris Boyd This has gone on forever, but he must still be thinking about what on Earth he has to do to be given a chance. It's almost an embarrassment to Walter Smith's tactical nous that the sole purpose of Boyd is to come on after the 80 minute mark when we're chasing goals. That's Plan B. And that's it. Youngsters I'm sensing a pattern here.. but could the likes of Fleck and Furman really do any worse? Furman is a natural central midfield player with bags of ability if not experience. Lee McCulloch, while experienced, is everything but a central midfielder. As for Fleck, people say he's too young. 2 words. Wayne Rooney. Debuted at 16, became first team regular and look how badly that went.. Walter Smith I could go on forever about how Steven Smith must feel fighting back from injury only to be given no sign of a look-in. How Kyle Lafferty must be wondering how the hell he can justify his �£4m pricetag from the bench or even what someone like Thomas Buffel must be thinking looking at our team which is crying out for a creative midfielder after he was told to bugger off even with a year left on his contract. But the daddy of them all is this. What the hell is Walter Smith thinking? One of his long-term defendants, I have scratched my head over his tactics and team selections one too many times. I know I'm not the only one.

I think it's fair to say I'm one of the more optimistic posters on here. I try to see the positives in most situations and am also careful not to become embroiled in the continual negativity about every and any subject. Unfortunately, the 'midfield' (if we can call it such a thing) last night means my patience is really starting to run out. First off - we should have signed another midfield player well before now. Barry Ferguson didn't have a great season last year, Thomson is still developing, Davis/Faye left after their loans and our other options are inconsistent and/or inexperienced. The injury to Ferguson only made the situation worse but didn't change the fact we needed another midfielder - a creative, mobile player capable of breaking down teams. The fact we never - and are now risking our CL and financial future on such a decision - means several people at our club are guilty of gross negligence. They now have a short time to change this in a few different ways. 1. Again, sign a new central midfield player. Surely we have realistic targets if Davis (still not sure he's the answer anyway) cannot be signed immediately. Not doing so is completely unacceptable - budgetary requirements or not. 2. In the mean-time, we should play people who will break teams down and supply the strikers. Christian Dailly is not that person. Neither is Lee McCulloch. Charlie Adam does have a modicum of flair but quite simply he is not good enough as his decision-making and consistency are still well short of the standard required. That's after a season of being a first XI player and playing at the highest club levels. 3. That leaves Dean Furman and John Fleck - our next available options. We're all well aware of the risk regarding playing inexperienced players. Will they adapt physically? How will they cope with often unrealistic supporter expectation? Can they hit the ground running? What if they don't do the business? Poppycock, is what I say!!! Give them their chance and let them provide what their peers are not doing. Would we really be any worse off? Finally, it's easy to carried away after last night's poor result. We can (and still will IMO) win the tie but we need to maximise our chances by playing the correct players at the correct time. Rustiness and bad luck can only account for so much understanding. Bizarre personnel choices were equally to blame. Ironically, it could be argued an away tie deep in Lithuania isn't the time to bring in young lads or new players. Maybe so. I'll contend it is exactly that kind of pressure environment that will bring the best out of our young hopes while giving them the kind of immediate experience that will stand them in good stead for the future. No excuses, indeed!

A Rangers youth squad travelled to Somerset Park last night for a testimonial for long-serving groundsman Davie Harkness and blew away Ayr United with a stunning performance. Steven Lennon celebrates with Andrew ShinnieThe 4-1 result prompted coach Tommy Wilson to say that this is the best batch of kids he has ever worked with and on this evidence that is no surprise. Wilson, of course, led Scotland's under-19s to the final of the European Championship in Poland two seasons ago but feels his Murray Park starlets have the same, if not more, potential. Tommy said: "I keep telling the boys that they have just as much ability as that group of players - and a lot of them have gone on to play in the SPL and even the full Scotland side." The pitch was in perfect condition for the game and it allowed the Light Blues to turn on the style on the lush surface. Steven Lennon and Rory Loy were the stars of the show in front of watching national team boss George Burley and under-21 gaffer Billy Stark. Indeed it was Lennon who opened the scoring early on when he smashed home a great cut-back from Alan Lowing. John Fleck then delivered a teasing cross and the striker was there again to head home from 15 yards.Jordan McMillan Stevie turned goal provider for his teammate Loy for his side's third although his effort took a wicked deflection before beating the wrong footed Ayr United keeper. David Gormley pulled one back for the home side on 62 minutes but Fleck and Chris Craig combined to send Loy haring through for Rangers' fourth 20 minutes for time.

What has happened to Rangers fans nowadays? "We're crap", "Walter Smith is a twat (or worse)", "We won't win the league", "Everyone is out to get us", "We've no money", "Our strips are poor", "Player X is an embarrassment" etc etc etc - I could go on all day! And I thought I came online to get away from the boss' or the wife's moaning? Let's begin by saying I totally understand why some fans are feeling a wee bit pessimistic. No league wins for 3 years and the disappointments of last season's failure to secure the title mean even the very best supporters amongst us will find it difficult to be overly positive. Add in a few injuries, a few signings that don't really excite and a few people stirring the pot; then we have a support that is suddenly in a negative vicious circle of the kind that breeds negativity hourly. But, we have to drawn the line somewhere surely? I'd like to take issue with a few of the more hysterical claims, if I may. 1. The last two matches have been pre-season friendlies: you know, the kind of games we've all played in. Walking pace, lack of sharpness, warm weather, tactical experiments, personnel tests, niggling strains and less than impressive results against minor sides. Generally, games that don't mean a lot in the grand scheme of things - ask Chelsea after we hammered them last season at Ibrox. 2. Injuries. Love him or loathe him, Barry Ferguson will be missed. His injury is a worrying one but it might also enable others to step out of his shadow. The other injuries don't concern me as they're not serious anyway. I'm just glad we've got them now - not when the real games start. By that time, Beasley, Lafferty, Cuellar and McGregor will all be back playing. Four damn good players nice and fresh for a long season! Smith wont be long behind them. 3. Signings. Sure, they're not Laudrups, Gascoignes, Goughs or Hateleys. However, they are all internationalists, have shown decent pedigree at club level and a couple even do the business at international level. Sure one we may not want to have seen at Ibrox again but I think the other two are interesting enough. Lafferty particularly will be a good bit of business IMO. The management team have also said they're actively pursuing other targets. Patience is a virtue in that regard. 4. Midfield creativity. I certainly empathise with worries about the dearth of this in our team. Losing Ferguson won't help and with Burke/Naismith both out until next year, we're once again short in this area. However, was I the only person to see John Fleck sneak on the flight to Germany? Did no-one else feel a funny twinge when he showed his class in a short Scottish Cup final cameo? I'm sure he started last night and played well as he scored his debut first XI goal also? Obviously, we can't base our hopes on a 16 year old raw teenager though? I mean, none of us have said it's about time we played the youths... Bears, I don't blame you for being worried. I am as well. We do need a couple of other players - a centre half and a midfielder would go a long way to quelling our fears. Imagine our Carlos with a aerially dominant partner with a bit of pace. Dream of Thomson winning a tackle and passing to a midfield dynamo who can run at the opposition. Do you really think Walter Smith - the man who led us to 9IAR - won't share those thoughts? Pull the other one! As I type this, the date is approaching the 18th of July. This is a month that ends with our first competitive game of the season; with the SPL starting again 10 days later. Over 3 weeks until we can really judge our position and even then it won't be too accurate. In that time we can moan more, we can panic more, we can slag each other off more and we can generally go against everything that is supposed to be about being a supporter of the Rangers. Or we could accept where we are, draw a line and move forward. "The cry was No Surrender" if you like.