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RANGERS will never, ever leave Kris Boyd. Thatââ?¬â?¢s why Kris Boyd could never leave Rangers. The prolific Ibrox striker has a written contract until the summer of next year. But his emotional ties to the club will last a lifetime. Thatââ?¬â?¢s how he looks at it. How he wants it. Birmingham boss Alex McLeish came calling during the January transfer window and the hitman could have joined the Championship club in the heart of England. But it would have ripped the heart from him. Today Boyd, 25, talks openly about the transfer which threatened to rock his world. A deal which would have taken from him what he holds dearest ââ?¬â? his beloved No9 Rangers shirt. Ibrox chairman Sir David Murray left the striker shocked, stunned and GUTTED when he accepted a Ã?£4million deal to sell him on. But Boyd turned the move down flat ââ?¬â? because he knew life at Rangers is as good as it gets. He said: ââ?¬Å?I know there will be people out there questioning my ambition. ââ?¬Å?Birmingham is a big club and could be in the Premiership next season. Thereââ?¬â?¢s no doubting that. ââ?¬Å?But for me, if aiming to reach 100 goals for Rangers and playing every week with that No9 jersey on your back isnââ?¬â?¢t showing ambition then I donââ?¬â?¢t know what is. What people need to realise is that everything about me says Rangers. ââ?¬Å?From when I was a kid growing up to right here and now. Nothing has changed. ââ?¬Å?From my bedroom wallpaper and curtains to the tracksuit and jersey that I used to run about in ââ?¬â? it was always Rangers. ââ?¬Å?Thatââ?¬â?¢s not something which changes overnight. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m not going to wake up one morning and suddenly think the club doesnââ?¬â?¢t mean anything to me. ââ?¬Å?It means everything. To give that up, for ANY club, would be difficult. ââ?¬Å?I simply wasnââ?¬â?¢t willing to pack everything up, leave Ibrox and go play for another team. ââ?¬Å?I grew up a fan and here I am wearing the No9 shirt. Why would I want to walk away from that? It wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have just been sad for me but also my friends and family, the people close to me. ââ?¬Å?Everybody knows I have a good relationship with Alex McLeish and that will continue. ââ?¬Å?He is the man who signed me for Rangers and Iââ?¬â?¢ll forever be indebted to him for that. ââ?¬Å?Who knows, I might work under him again in the future. ââ?¬Å?For me, heââ?¬â?¢s a great manager and someone who has always been very good to me. ââ?¬Å?But I just had to turn down his offer. It wasnââ?¬â?¢t the right thing for me, joining Birmingham.ââ?¬Â Advertisement Boydââ?¬â?¢s goals-per-games ratio makes him one of the most lethal and prolific strikers in Europe. But as far as heââ?¬â?¢s concerned life at Rangers is as good as itââ?¬â?¢s ever going to get for him. He doesnââ?¬â?¢t expect the Premier League big guns to break down the Ibrox front door to sign him. Thereââ?¬â?¢s only one way for Boydââ?¬â?¢s career to go when he leaves Rangers ââ?¬â? and thatââ?¬â?¢s DOWN. He added: ââ?¬Å?I just donââ?¬â?¢t think Iââ?¬â?¢ll move to another club the size of Rangers. ââ?¬Å?I doubt very much that Iââ?¬â?¢ll have the top teams in the Premiership coming for me. ââ?¬Å?If I ever leave itââ?¬â?¢s going to be to a smaller club. ââ?¬Å?Quite simply there arenââ?¬â?¢t many better places for a player to play his football than Ibrox. Add to that the fact that I wear the No9 jersey and it is everything that I ever wished for. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s an honour for me pulling on that shirt.ââ?¬Â It maybe explains why Boyd has had the full support of the Rangers fans throughout this troubled month. AC Milan brought their biggest names to Ibrox on Wednesday for a glamour friendly. But on a freezing cold night it wasnââ?¬â?¢t Ronaldinho, Kaka or even David Beckham who received the warmest of receptions. It was Boyd. He was cheered on to the pitch as a second half substitute with the striker as popular as heââ?¬â?¢s ever been. But then the supporters have been vocal in their backing of their No9 since the moment that it looked like he could be on his way out. At Hampden for the Co-op Insurance Cup semi-final with Falkirk last week there was a huge banner which read: ââ?¬Ë?No Boyd, no goals, no title (again).ââ?¬â?¢ The striker saw it ââ?¬â? and he appreciated it ââ?¬â? and now he wants to repay them in the only way he knows how. Boyd added: ââ?¬Å?The fans have been brilliant. ââ?¬Å?Every person Iââ?¬â?¢ve spoken to has been supportive of me. ââ?¬Å?Not one person has given me a hard time. That means so much to me and I really want to pay them back. ââ?¬Å?The only way I can do that is by scoring the goals which win them the title. ââ?¬Å?I canââ?¬â?¢t imagine anything better than achieving that by the end of the season. ââ?¬Å?Imagine Iââ?¬â?¢d left in January. How would I have felt looking at the boys winning the league and not being part of that. ââ?¬Å?I would have been delighted for the club but gutted for myself. I couldnââ?¬â?¢t bear the thought of that. ââ?¬Å?We won two domestic trophies last season but the one we really want is the championship.ââ?¬Â But what happens after that? Will Rangers still look to flog the family silver in the next transfer window. Boyd fervently hopes thatââ?¬â?¢s not the case. In fact, he would love nothing more than to open talks with the club and sign an extension to his current deal. He added: ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ve stated that I want to stay with Rangers. ââ?¬Å?If the club want to sit down and talk to me about a new deal that would be great. ââ?¬Å?There is nothing I can do about that. Itââ?¬â?¢s all down to them in this case. ââ?¬Å?All I can do is keep giving my all when I step out on to the park. Thatââ?¬â?¢s my goal.ââ?¬Â http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2210739.ece

The Scout reports...

By Andrew Dickson LEE McCULLOCH hopes he might have a future as a defensive midfielder after impressing in that role for Rangers last night. The former Wigan star turned out in the position against Aberdeen last month and produced an excellent performance in the Light Blues' 0-0 draw at Pittodrie. Lee McCullochHe had another outing there yesterday in the 2-2 friendly draw with AC Milan and once more gave a good account of himself. Having linked up with Pedro Mendes and Mo Edu in the engine room against the Rossoneri, McCulloch is looking to build on the progress he has made. The 30-year-old has been used everywhere by Gers in the last 18 months except at full-back and in goals. But while he maintains he'll happily play wherever Walter Smith puts him, it goes without saying that he's determined to make a place in the team his own. McCulloch said: "It was good to sit in midfield with Pedro and Maurice in front of me. I really enjoyed it. "I think when I'm playing either at the back or as a defensive midfielder, I can influence the game a little bit more. "I don't get to do that if I'm playing wide on the left or the right and I'm not really a winger, although I know the manager has his reasons for putting me there sometimes. "I'll go out and play to the best of my abilities wherever I'm used and I'll play anywhere to get a game. "But against Milan I thought I did really well in that sitting role and I'm really pleased with how things went for me. Lee McCulloch tackles Ronaldinho"I didn't think I would play as many games as I did last season so it's not a great surprise to me that I've been used less over the last few months. "But the gaffer knows I want to play. There's not one particular position I feel I should be used in or aiming for and I'll go with whatever decision the manager makes." McCulloch and his Rangers team-mates took plenty of heart from their meeting with Carlo Ancelotti's Serie A superstars. DaMarcus Beasley gave the hosts a second-half lead and Sasa Papac secured a draw after Alexandre Pato and Kaka struck for the Italians. McCulloch added: "I thought we did really well in the first half and that we passed the ball around to the same standard as Milan. "In the second half, they probably came into the game a little bit more and really showed their quality. "The players they brought on are fantastic but we played some good stuff and showed great spirit so I'd say 2-2 was probably a fair result overall."

AC MILAN star David Beckham accepted a �£100,000 cheque on behalf of UNICEF from the Rangers Charity Foundation's Charity Champion Barry Ferguson at tonight's friendly with the Serie A superstars at Ibrox Stadium. David Beckham accepts a cheque on behalf of UNICEF from Barry Ferguson from the Rangers Charity FoundationFormer Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder Beckham is currently on loan at Milan from LA Galaxy and has been a supporter of UNICEF since his days at Old Trafford, when he first witnessed the work of the children's charity in Thailand in 2001. He became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 2005 when he launched a global appeal for the children affected by the tsunami in South Asia. Last year he travelled to Sierra Leone, the country with the highest under-five mortality figures, to draw attention to the issue of child survival. Last October, the Rangers Charity Foundation announced a ground-breaking collaboration with UNICEF which sees Rangers become the charity's only Scottish football partner, joining other partner clubs on the world stage such as Barcelona, Manchester United and AC Milan. David Beckham, AC MilanFormer England captain Beckham was delighted to learn the Rangers Charity Foundation has pledged to raise �£300,000 for UNICEF in the next three years and that will help fund an education project in India across 15 states, reaching over 45,000 children in over 200 schools. Beckham said: "It's great to be able to accept this cheque from the Rangers Charity Foundation on behalf of UNICEF. As an Ambassador I've seen the impact of UNICEF's work with children worldwide. "The �£300,000 pledged by the Rangers Charity Foundation will make a real difference to the lives of thousands of children across India, giving many the chance to go to school for the first time. This money will help to transform children's lives." Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain, a Trustee of the Charity Foundation, added: "The club is delighted that UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham is backing our efforts to make a difference and recognises the fantastic work of the Rangers Charity Foundation through this partnership with UNICEF. "Today's �£100,000 cheque represents funding for the first phase of the Indian education project and will undoubtedly make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of children. "Both UNICEF UK and Rangers Football Club have strong ambitions for this partnership and will be working closely together during the years ahead to ensure the project's success whilst at the same time promoting our shared humanitarian values." Barry FergusonUNICEF UK Director of Fundraising Fiona Hesselden said: "UNICEF thanks Rangers fans for their generosity and support. "With their continued commitment, our partnership will give thousands of children the chance of a brighter future." Charity Champion Barry Ferguson and Foundation Manager Connal Cochrane will be visiting communities in India who will benefit from the project during the summer. Ferguson said: "The work of the Rangers Charity Foundation benefits thousands of people in Glasgow, across Scotland and throughout the world, showing what a great charitable spirit we have at Rangers. "We are very proud to be associated with UNICEF and I am looking forward to visiting the project in India later this year to see first hand the work being done to help children in local communities." The Rangers Charity Foundation also aims to donate �£100,000 per year to local projects via its National and Community Charity Partners which this season are RNIB Scotland and Fairbridge in Glasgow and through the Foundation's ongoing Rangers Community Grants Scheme

WHEN the January transfer window slammed shut at 5pm on Monday night it would have been understandable if Walter Smith breathed a deep sigh of relief. Having batted away more questions about player speculation than Babe Ruth hit home runs the gaffer can now focus his full attention on forthcoming games and he is not the only one glad to see the back of this unsettling period. Allan McGregor celebrates at the final whistleAllan McGregor was one of several first-team regulars linked with a move away from Ibrox in recent weeks due to his high market value but the club's No. 1 is delighted his immediate future is now set in stone. The talented keeper, who celebrated his 27th birthday on January 31st, admits he has unfinished business at Rangers and that helping his teammates lift the SPL trophy in May is at the top of his priority list. Leaving the club with a domestic treble hanging in the balance was never on Greeg's agenda and he is confident of adding to his medal collection from now until May. He said: "Personally, I am glad to see the back of the transfer window. "So much is said in newspapers and on websites about this player leaving or that one going somewhere else that it can become a bit annoying. "But, for me, all the rumours just go in one ear and out the other. "I don't tend to read papers at the best of times so I take everything with a pinch of salt. "If something happens and a player does move on that is part and parcel of football. "We have a very big squad and the biggest difficulty the gaffer has is keeping everyone happy. "If you have 28 players there are inevitably some that are going to be frustrated at not being involved, that is only natural. Allan McGregor saves a shot on goal "But I suppose the biggest worry in January is when you lose a key player, someone who has been a big part of the team in the first-half of the season. "Last year we sold Alan Hutton who was brilliant but Spurs obviously offered a lot of money. "At that time it was a blow but we regrouped and big Kirk came in and has done a great job. "That is the sort of thing that can happen to any club and you have to deal with it. "I am just glad all the rumours and speculation is now over and we can move forward." Allan McGregor, ScotlandAllan believes there is a steely determination in the Gers' squad to bring the SPL trophy back to the Ibrox Trophy Room in May and insists that if this dream scenario becomes a reality it will be up there with the best moments of his life. He said: "If we do win the league you will see on my face just how much it means to me, it would be frightening. "I remember how it felt to win the championship being on the bench at Easter Road in 2005 so I can only imagine what it would be like if we can do it this season. "But at this moment lifting the trophy is just a dream and it's alright saying you would love to win it, the fact is we have to go on and actually do it. "There is still a lot of football to be played and we have some massive games coming up. "The players here always stick together and if we have a disappointing result on a Saturday we pick ourselves up as soon as possible. "It's been like that a wee bit this season, there has been a lot of disappointing results but we are still in it. "We maybe shouldn't be with the amount of points we have dropped but we are and there is still so much to fight for." This weekend Walter Smith's squad continue their quest to retain the Scottish Cup when they travel to Forfar to take on the Loons in round five. Station Park might not be the most glamorous of venues but it is a place Allan holds close to his heart. Allan McGregor On February 24, 2002 the keeper was handed his long-awaited Rangers debut by Alex McLeish and he remembers it vividly to this day. The Light Blues were 6-0 up when Greeg's replaced Stefen Klos as a 73rd minute substitute but, nevertheless, it remains a highlight of his career. He said: "Going on against Forfar back then was great for me although it came as a real shock. "I was doing a wee warm-up at the side of the pitch and Andy Watson came over and asked me if I wanted to go on. "I thought he was at the wind-up because Stefan wasn't injured or anything like that. "But he was serious and I just said 'go on then, let's go' and that was me making my debut. "We were 6-0 up at the time and I didn't really have too much to do but it was still magic to get a game, I was buzzing. "I remember the changing rooms were small and it was really cold but it was a special moment for me. "You always remember where you made your Rangers debut."

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.

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

Over the years it has become almost impossible to pen a positive article on the fortunes of Rangers Football Club. Even whilst we were winning trophies under Alex McLeish, the signs were there for all to see (but many chose to ignore them). All our better players sold and replaced with an inferior standard and as was bound to happen, the results and trophies dried up and Alex McLeish was eventually sacked. McLeish was replaced by PLG and for a briefest of moments, we had a glimmer of hope, a promise of moonbeams and the chance to reshape our future and destiny. In true Rangers fashion, the PLG era failed to deliver on those promises and we all have our own thoughts on who was to blame for this failure. Walter Smith was brought back from managing Scotland to steady the ship and get us back on course. He achieved this to a certain extent and we were tantalisingly close to a record breaking season last season but ended up missing out on the glittering prizes and had to settle for the domestic cup double. However, no matter what has been happening on the field, this has been overshadowed by a consistently mismanaged club off the field. We are run by a captain of industry who appears to only be able to see to the end of his nose. During SDMâ��s 20 years in charge, there has NEVER been any long-term plans put in place or a long term agenda to strive towards. Everything has been reactive rather than proactive. Even as we enter the last hours of the transfer window, we, the paying customers, donâ��t know what will happen if the custodian fails to sell one of our prize assets before the window is closed and locked until the pre-season. Our Custodian, via his lap-dogs in the media, is on the offensive (as he tends to do when his ego has taken a bashing) telling everyone that everything he is doing is for the long-term good and that generating �£4M 5 months after sanctioning a �£20M spending spree isnâ��t his fault. He is also using his lap-dogs to marginalise the support and to ostracise those of us who dare question his motives, his financial management and his custodianship of OUR club. Our current management team appear to be contributing to this stench of negativity especially if you examine the team selection and reasons behind this for the recent game in Aberdeen. The reason Walter Smith chose to bench our leading scorer and play Lee McCulloch was simply down to Aberdeenâ��s 4 goal salvo against The Tims the previous week. Had Aberdeen not scored 4 times from set-pieces, Walter Smith wouldnâ��t have changed personnel and / or formation. Have The Rangers sunk so low that we have to change OUR game to suit Aberdeen? Gone are the halcyon days where we allowed the opposition to worry about our players, our strengths, our tactics, our formation etc. I understand the need to change and to react during games and during a season, but on a day where we could have gone top of the SPL, this sent out a negative message and should a complete lack of ambition in our quest to regain our title. It is worth noting here that we didnâ��t haul ourselves back into the SPL title race by improving our performances, we were allowed back in thanks to other teams taking points form a lacklustre Celtc team. It is my belief that Walter Smith either doesnâ��t trust his players, or doesnâ��t think they are good enough to go out and compete and win this SPL title. He is hoping that other clubs take points from Celtc and I believe that when we role up to Torbett Towers next month, if Boyd is still here, we will revert to 4-5-1 with Boyd once again warming the bench whilst we try to earn a draw instead of attacking the tims and trying to defeat them. Walter will be happy with a point, just like he was post-Pittodrie. I canâ��t agree with his assessment that we controlled / dominated the game. The game was dross, was there to win and we couldnâ��t win the game. We only really created chances in the last 15 minutes of the match with Boyd and Novo missing guilt-edged chances. Not having a go at Boyd, but I donâ��t think that he is as prolific with his head as he should be for a centre. If my memory serves me correctly, Boyd has only scored one headed goal this season. His headed effort at Pittodrie was a prime example. Boyd somehow managed to hit the defender rather than the back of the net when the goal was gaping. Walter Smith and Lee McCulloch stated this week that getting to the CIS Cup Final would be something to lift the gloom and unite the fans. Sorry Walter and Lee, whilst winning the CIS Cup would be nice, it doesnâ��t take away from the fact that there is a veil of negativity hanging over our beloved club and itâ��ll take a lot more than getting to the CIS Cup Final to lift the mood or to clear away the clouds to reveal clear blue skys bathed in sunshine (or should that moonbeams?). As I said at the start of this article, it has become all most impossible to pen a positive article regarding The Rangers and I canâ��t see this changing in the foreseeable future. Cammy F -

This from Roddy Forsyth (I know, I know) in The Daily Telegraph - the heat is being turned up on Murray and his bullshit. David Murray is supervising a careful retreat over Rangers' ambitions. Rangers are still on course for a clean sweep of the domestic honours and have it in their own hands to overhaul Celtic for the Scottish Premier League title and an automatic and lucrative berth in the group stage of next season's Champions League. So why are so many Ibrox supporters so vocally fearful? The answer, quite simply, is the confusing mixture of actions and statements from the club chairman, Sir David Murray, over the course of a bleak month. Murray was in the headlines again this week, having provided his house journal, Rangers News, with a lengthy statement highlighting the virtues of prudent housekeeping, reduction of costs and the nurturing of new players. Since this was a rehash of his declarations at the start of the month in defence of Rangers' abortive attempt to sell top scorer, Kris Boyd, for a measly net gain of around Ã?£2.5 million, what was the point? In this case, look at the timing, not the substance. The transfer scene has been moribund since New Year, but it is a buyers' market and those with money to spend will drive hard bargains as Monday's deadline looms. Rangers have players who are surplus to requirements but, like Woolworth's stock in the latter days of that institution, what is on offer has been gathering dust for months. On the other hand, if Allan McGregor, Barry Ferguson and Boyd attract bids totalling Ã?£10-Ã?£11m this weekend, they will be off, no questions asked. Hence Murray's reiteration of his newfound commitment to an austerity regime in which – dread phrase – "youth is the future". Murray sarcastically observed: "I find it amazing that football scribes question my financial management." Well, a cat may look at a king and it requires no mastery of economics to see the contradictions in the Rangers' chairman's claim that defeat by Kaunas in the Champions League qualifiers had been "a disaster". When Murray plans Rangers' budget each year, he makes a prudent assumption of no European revenue beyond that of the first round of the Uefa Cup. So the difference between projected European income and this season's reality adds up to only two home games. Moreover, Kaunas knocked Rangers out of the Champions League qualifiers on Aug 5 – but after that Murray sanctioned the spending of Ã?£8.6m on Pedro Mendes, Steven Davis and Maurice Edu, in the full knowledge that there would be no further European income. The earlier summer acquisitions of Andrius Velicka, Kyle Lafferty, Kenny Miller and Madjid Bougherra cost Ã?£9.8m. Meanwhile, between January and September Rangers sold Alan Hutton (Ã?£9m), Carlos Cuellar (Ã?£7.8m) and Daniel Cousin (Ã?£1.5m). In total, then, expenditure in 2008 was Ã?£18.4m and income Ã?£18.3m – nothing there to petrify Mr Micawber. Plus the fact, the most recent accounts (to June 30, 2008) reported record turnover of Ã?£64.5m and a pre-tax profit of Ã?£8.3m. True, the overdraft was up to Ã?£21m and is now evidently around Ã?£25m – but debt never frightened Murray, except when he realised that he had allowed Dick Advocaat to become the Scottish football equivalent of Fred the Shred (and to much the same end). However, what does concern him is the health and morale of the other companies in the Murray Group. Murray's executives are famously discreet, but there have been mutinous mutterings about Rangers' place in the chairman's affections. Put simply, their feeling is that when he is asking them to sweat the companies for optimum revenue and profit in torrid trading conditions, the time and energy spent by Murray on Rangers is not only disproportionate, but unseemly. The attempt to get shot of Boyd may have shocked Rangers fans, but it had exactly the opposite effect within the Murray Group. And this is more than gesture politics. When Murray's father went bankrupt while he was in his teens, the future tycoon began his business career selling shirts to schoolmates. In that respect, he had a soul mate in Peter Cummings, who started in the Bank of Scotland at 17 by sweeping the floors and went on to be head of corporate banking at HBOS. But Cummings, a Glaswegian with a native sympathy for football, is one of the scapegoats for the HBOS debacle and lost his position in this month's takeover by Lloyds TSB. Under the new banking regime, there is no question of the benevolent attitude that allowed Murray to remedy Advocaat's excesses by buying up his own rights issue from other resources, as he did for Ã?£50m from Murray MHL Limited in 2004. All of which is a far cry from the bombast Murray once uttered about spending Ã?£2 for every Ã?£1 laid out by Celtic. Napoleon observed that an orderly withdrawal was worth a victory. Murray is supervising a careful retreat with the sensible aim of preserving his empire. Rangers fans, though, are not accustomed to occupying an outlying province. Nor, having been promised cakes and ale, do they have an appetite for powdered egg and Spam – and certainly not if Celtic should uncork the bubbly yet again this season.

By Lindsay Herron SIR David Murray has called on all fans to unite with one aim, stop playing into the hands of Rangers' competitors by scoring own goals in the media and accept that he is acting to secure the financial future of the Club. Some supporters were dismayed when they learned that a player had to be sold in the January transfer window and then a small group issued a 17-point list of complaints under the heading "We Deserve Better". Today, the Rangers chairman clarifies the current position the Club is in, explains the new structure for the future and calls on every supporter to get behind the team as they strive to bring the Championship back to Ibrox. Sir David MurraySir David has revealed that the squad will be trimmed from 28 down to 20 and bolstered by the best crop of youngsters that Murray Park has ever produced. He has explained that money must be brought in to compensate for the losses of this season which have been exacerbated by the current economic downturn. And he has reiterated that if he does not act with fiscal prudence then future investors may be put off and the financial future and stability could be undermined. Speaking exclusively to Rangers Media, Sir David said: "Over the past couple of weeks there has been an increased amount of media reporting about our Club and for the avoidance of doubt the required clarity needs to be given to our supporters. "If we go back to last year; it was a tremendous season. However, it is obvious that our runs in the two domestic cups and, of course, the memorable run to the UEFA Cup Final had a detrimental affect on winning the league. "I think any fair-minded Rangers fan would agree with that. "Then came the start of this season and we had the problem of Carlos Cuellar leaving the club on the back of the Kaunas result. "I met with a group of supporters at that time and I told them that we were unaware that Cuellar was invoking his get-out clause and leaving but I also told them that we would spend the money received and that was achieved.Ally McCoist and Walter Smith "At that point we had not entered the level of economic downturn which currently exists. "We are no different from any other business. Our static overheads are too expensive and we have less revenue. "You have to look to 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 that then we can come through this situation successfully. "I accept as the Chairman of the Club I am not immune to analysis or criticism. "We are a great Club with a great history but we must remain positive. "This mischievous element that we have is only going to destroy the things that they supposedly care so passionately about. Murray Park"I genuinely believe that the plans we put in place when Walter came back has been knocked off course by a couple of factors in a very, very difficult economic climate which I believe will become markedly worse before a recovery in the future. "What I'm doing is not panicking. It is a controlled management of the Club. "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 window then we don't sell any of our players during this window. "I think most Rangers supporters must realise that our overheads are too high for our income.Chris Burke "What can happen is when you announce that you are ready to sell then it can happen that regular first team players are targeted when you would rather that was not the case. "I have a responsibility to run the business properly. It's easy for people to be critical, but they are not offering any solutions. "As a Rangers fan I can understand why people are questioning why we are doing it but it's not just about the short-term, it's about the long-term financial stability of the Club." The trimming of the squad has started with the departures of Jean-Claude Darcheville and Chris Burke and Rangers want to get to a situation where they work with a smaller group bolstered by a fine crop of younger players. The Chairman added: "At the AGM in October Walter made it clear that the squad was too big and that 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 Loy, Furman, McMillan and Shinnie are all out getting experience at the moment and we are hopeful they will come back ready to be part of the pJohn Flecklans. "We have John Fleck, Jamie Ness and Danny Wilson now knocking on the first team door and they are undoubtedly part of our future. "In November I did say that we needed to prune the squad and essentially move six or seven players. "However, I also said that if there was an emergency then we would bring in a player if 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. "I understand that some fans have concerns but I hope they understand that I am acting in the best interests of the Club and if we stick together we can achieve our goals." "Finally may I take this opportunity to thank all the supporters who have taken the time to write to give me their backing. Thank you, it is greatly appreciated."

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

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/

As part of our 'Setting the Standard' series of articles, Big_Spliff offers a model for how the club could be bought, then run - considering the problems with the status quo. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=734&Itemid=1 For those that prefer to read on the main forum, I'll post it in 2 parts below..

Seems Redknapp is trying to bring back some of the players Ramos sold off. Chimbonda, Defoe and Keane is rumoured to be returning too. Wonder where Huttons future lies with the arrival of Chimbonda?

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.

Midfielder Steven Davis says 17-year-old John Fleck has a great future after helping Rangers beat Falkirk. More...

Am I right in thinking that in our great democracy free speech and opinions are allowed and even encouraged. I have never met Walter Smith or Mr.Murray. Or, indeed, any of the others involved in the running of our great football team.(apart from Ally Mc. but he was pissed at the time) All I know of them is what I read in the newspaper or hear on the TV. I expect that this is the same for 99.9% of any supporters. I form my opinions from what I hear and see mainly in the press. I, and most others, do not resort to name calling of the people who run our team. Why should WS etc.feel the need to resort to such name calling without actually knowing the people of whom they are addressing ? As far as I understand it is the business and coaching methods which are under scrutiny and not their personal character. The supporters who are expressing their opinions by the best available means want to have a successful football club....No more and NO LESS. Is this the same agenda for WS etc ? Given the logic of recent decisions it makes you wonder Those making such sweeping attacks and suggesting that all supporters are stupid and know nothing about anything also have the audacity to simultaneously to live off these same supporters hard earned cash. This says to me that these people may have something to hide and are trying to deflect the main issues. Any knowledge I have gained over many years is by watching football, listening to managers and believing what they said which turned out to be total bullshit has made me suspicious of "successful businessman" Mr.Murray's words and future plans and that of his paid employees. After all, he is not a multi millionaire by looking after the small investor. Once WS etc. has met all "troublemakers" or even put HIS thoughts and feelings on this board, after all he says he reads the comments, then he will be able to form opinions of the individuals who question his actions (even better if he is happy to give everyone his own e-mail so that he can communicate personally) Or,perhaps we should all write letters so he can respond individually therefore revealing identities in a safe and secure manner. Has he ever heard the term "internet security" As things stand I want some genuine, truthful answers to my Club's future including "will Ibrox Park park exist in 10 years"

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 -

Too lightweight for me. A few good moments and a few good goals but has never really looked up for the Scottish game. I cant even remember him taking players on too often, I thought a winger was supposed to go for it. To easily pushed off the ball for me and a bad signing

2009 was merely hours old when we, the Rangers support got an insight into how fraught this year is going to be. It is not merely the fact that we are willing to sell our top scorer (for Ã?£3.5M), but the indication that ALL of our players are being hocked around by ‘agent’ McLies. It appears that Mr Bain has been caught with his trousers round his ankles, and Mr Murray has kicked his exposed arse for his comments to McLies. Now, trying to decipher the words of three untrustworthy sources (SDM, Bain and McLies), it does appear that Bain informed McLies that Rangers would be open to offers for some of our ‘star players’. McLies saw this as a green light to hock our players to EPL clubs, SDM denied this part, but refused to deny that we are trying to sell at least one player. Bain has had his arse kicked when in reality, he should have been sacked (a novel way to save many precious pound notes Mr Murray). The whole episode is a mess, and highly embarrassing. So where exactly are we? Well, the facts speak for themselves – we appear to have a requirement to generate circa Ã?£4M pounds immediately. The easiest way to raise this money is to sell an ‘asset’. Problem for us is due to a decades worth of asset stripping by SDM, the only assets we have left are Ibrox and our players. The reason for this urgent requirement are not forthcoming – SDM doesn’t like to keep us abreast with what’s happening behind the scenes, but we aren’t selling players other than it being a necessity. Now, the arguments and merits of who should be sold have been the major talking point since the news regarding the Boyd to Birmingham story broke. It appears that the fans want Boyd to stay, but at what cost? Is keeping Boyd worth losing Pedro Mendes? Let’s fact facts here, we are going to lose at least one of our top players in this transfer window as Bain appears to be nowhere close to shifting the 10 fringe players we MUST remove from the books. Another worrying sound-bite from Rangers is that we only require to move on one top player this transfer window. What happens in the summer, if our worst fears are recognised and we finish 2nd again and don’t ensure automatic qualification to next seasons CL? Will be then be forced to sell more of our top players to ‘balance the books’? I would say this would be a highly likely scenario. However, Kris Boyd’s refreshing reluctance to leave Rangers highlights another issue. What if we CAN’T sell a player for the required fee? This is why we must be told the reason as to why we require this money so urgently and be informed if we have a ‘plan B’ (I know, I know, SDM doesn’t have a plan A never mind a plan B). I think we all realise that we need this money to keep the bank from our door. We currently have an overdraft of circa Ã?£25M with HBOS who are currently being taken over. Is this a token, goodwill payment to ensure that the bank don’t call in the entire overdraft? And what if they do call in the overdraft? These are worrying times people, with little or no answers / information forthcoming from our Custodian. So as it stands today, we are no further forward and aren’t likely to be enlightened by the powers that be at Ibrox. There are claims and counter claims regarding Boyd and Birmingham, but in my opinion, this deal is dead (for the moment). Allan Hutton’s deal to Spurs was on then off, then back on again. The Hutton deal was different as there was enough profit for SDM to give Hutton a ‘sweetener’ or pay-off, depending on how you see it. The figures surrounding the proposed Boyd deal, given that Killie are due 20%, leaves little room for negotiation and Boyd will be unlikely to receive a sweetener. From what I know, he wouldn’t accept one anyway – he is living the dream, playing for the only club he wants to play for and holds all the aces here. I expect this deal will only be reconstructed if SDM can convince Boyd that him staying at Rangers will be more detrimental to the club than his staying. Lets not kid ourselves here, at least one of our top players will leave as well as (hopefully) as many as 10 ‘fringe’ players. This may depend on us ‘waving’ fees for these players like we did with Burke. This exercise is to reduce the squad and the wage bill (tell me again why Martin Bain is still in a job, as this appears to be an annual ‘cull’). This off course will be not help our cause in trying to retain our domestic cups and in our efforts to regain the SPL title but financial mismanagement (again) is forcing our hand and will eventually herald the requirement to sell more players IF we don’t win the SPL thus guaranteeing CL monies next season. The most frustrating point in this whole sorry mess is that there is nothing we can do to resolve this situation. SDM is in control until he decides that it is time to sell up and move on. Some journalists are saying that this is the reason for the January cull, that a buyer has been found but they are unwilling to take over until the wage bill is deemed ‘manageable’. This is wishful thinking folks as I don’t think there is a buyer anywhere in site at the moment. This isn’t the time to be spunking 100’s of millions on a football club, even if the club is The Rangers. To have any success in moving SDM we must come together as a force. At the moment we are a disorganised, disjointed and disinterested support. We actually have to take our share of the blame for this current mess. We have sat back and let apathy rule and this has allowed SDM to continue his raping of the club. Now, trying not be overly melodramatic, but this is as a serious financial situation that Rangers Football Club has been in. Most experts believe that it’ll get worse before it gets better and many companies and organisations are rethinking the value of investing in sport through sponsorship, so this avenue may also bleed dry in the near future. Could the early days of 2009 be remembered as the beginning of the end of Rangers Football Club? Only time and history will tell. Cammy F

SIR DAVID MURRAY insisted last night heââ?¬â?¢s the ONLY man to take Rangers forward as furious fans called for his immediate resignation. In a day of yet more Ibrox drama, disgruntled Gers fans launched a stinging attack on Murray and his board ââ?¬â? demanding an urgent change of direction at the crisis-torn club. Backed by the board of the Rangers Supporters Trust, the ââ?¬Ë?We Deserve Betterââ?¬â?¢ campaign comes in the wake of a month of turmoil at Ibrox. Murray has admitted Gers will be forced to sell at least one star player this month in a bid to balance the books. And at Tuesday nightââ?¬â?¢s Scottish Cup clash against St Johnstone in Perth, fans unfurled a banner reading ââ?¬Ë?David Murray Must Goââ?¬â?¢. But last night the embattled chairman blasted back ââ?¬â? insisting heââ?¬â?¢s the clubââ?¬â?¢s best bet. Murray, seeking a buyer for the club, said: ââ?¬Å?At the moment Iââ?¬â?¢m BY FAR the best bet for Rangers. ââ?¬Å?I am not going to sit here and apologise for running Rangers as a tight ship in a climate like this, it HAS to be done. People say I am trying to keep the debt down to get a good selling price ââ?¬â? that is NOT the case. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m totally committed to this club and whilst this is a difficult period we CAN get through it. ââ?¬Å?I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t be difficult to deal with if I felt the offer was right for Rangers but what would any prospective buyer think looking at the situation right now. ââ?¬Å?It is hardly going to entice anyone in is it?ââ?¬Â No david it wont entice anyone. you sold our best players in the past and replaced them with mediocrity. you let our manager squander 7 million in the summer on 3 strikers when we needed to strengthen else where in the team. you then went on a panic buying spree after our manager managed to get knocked out of the CL by yet another pub team. That is why we find ourselves in the mess we are in now. Gross mismangement of the highest order. If i had done my job as badly as Walter Smith has done his id be sacked. If you have one major failing Mr murray it is your undying loyalty to Walter Smith. you really should have learned your lesson after Advocaat but you didnt. Sack smith and you may have a chance in the immediate future.

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.....

Newcastle United are poised to test Rangers' resolve by making a �£4.5m bid for Madjid Bougherra. Sources in England claim that Joe Kinnear, the Newcastle manager, is considering an additional move to take Barry Ferguson too, but any attempt to sign their captain will be rejected by Rangers. Rangers are resigned to losing Bougherra but, while Ferguson has only 18 months left on his contract, Ibrox officials they will not countenance the sale of the 30-year-old midfielder, especially after the 1-0 Old Firm derby defeat at Ibrox which has left Walter Smith's side seven points adrift of Celtic in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. The Herald understands that Martin Bain, the chief executive, was informed yesterday afternoon of Newcastle's intentions by Bougherra's agent, Charles Collymore. It is also believed that Marseille will follow up their initial enquiry and may be the more appealing option, despite Bougherra's reiteration only last week that he had no intention of playing in Ligue 1. Sir David Murray, the Rangers chairman, is aware of the potential backlash if Bougherra leaves six months after his �£2.5m transfer from Charlton Athletic. Sanctioning the sale, even if Rangers double their investment, will be regarded by the beleaguered support as surrendering the championship. It is believed, though, that Rangers have already earmarked Christophe Berra, the Hearts captain, as a prompt replacement if Newcastle or Marseille make an irresistible offer. Rangers are preparing themselves for official contact and the inevitability of another deeply unpopular exit at the worst possible time. The club were heavily criticised for encouraging the �£9m transfer of Alan Hutton to Tottenham Hotspur last January, a move some supporters believe cost them the league. Bougherra was originally signed to partner Carlos Cuellar and facilitate the gradual phasing out of the 38-year-old David Weir but instead the 25-year-old replaced Cuellar, who joined Aston Villa in a �£7.8m transfer. The similarities with Cuellar's departure are now compelling. The Spaniard injured a calf muscle in pre-season and only returned to full fitness after completing his move to Villa Park. Bougherra has missed Rangers' last four games with a thigh strain. He is expected to make an overdue comeback against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Sunday but, with a move beckoning, his chances of reappearing have diminished. Kinnear is determined to plug a leaky defence and has been promised financial support by Mike Ashley, the chairman who has renewed his commitment at St James' Park after an unsuccessful attempt to sell the club. Newcastle's supporters will be wary of another central defender arriving from Scotland. Graeme Souness signed Jean-Alain Boumsong for �£8m in January 2005 but the Frenchman endured a disastrous stay in England before joining Juventus on loan. Bougherra has at least sampled the rigours of the Coca-Cola Championship. Pedro Mendes has also been linked with a reunion with Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur but selling another first-team asset would cause mutiny among the supporters. Wolverhampton Wanderers were on the verge of completing a �£250,000 transfer of Alan Gow. The striker was scheduled to return to Ibrox yesterday when his six-month loan deal with Blackpool ended but Mick McCarthy moved quickly to strengthen the Championship leaders' promotion push. Gow has been told he has no future at Rangers after only two first-team appearances and, despite his desire for a reprieve, he is now expected to join forces with the Scotland internationalist, Chris Iwelumo, at Molineux. Rangers have declined the chance to sign Hermann Hreidarsson. The 34-year-old Portsmouth defender is available for a nominal fee but, while Smith is an admirer of the player, he is in the market for a younger defender. Bain is also under pressure to move on the squad surplus that is draining around �£80,000 per week from the club. Jean-Claude Darcheville's move to Valenciennes has freed-up �£20,000 per week while Hearts are expected to re-sign striker Andrius Velicka. Rangers are keen to offload Brahim Hemdani, one of the club's highest earners, and will also listen to offers for Graeme Smith, Chris Burke, Charlie Adam and DaMarcus Beasley. http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2478755.0.Newcastle_prepare_4_5m_offer_for_Rangers_defender_Bougherra.php

By Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH will wait until his loan Rangers return to the club before deciding whether they have a role to play in his Light Blues squad. A number of Ibrox players have been sent out to other clubs in the first half of the season and many of them are due to come back at various points this month. Andy WebsterThe most high-profile of those who have been away is Andy Webster, but he has not played as much as Smith would have liked him to at Bristol City. Defender Webster has made just six appearances for Gary Johnson's side, although the main reason for that has been a string of minor injuries. Alan Gow has arguably been the most successful player during this term's sabbaticals and he has scored five goals in 17 appearances for Championship side Blackpool. But given he had just two first-team outings last season at Rangers, he has been tipped to make a hasty exit when he moves back to Glasgow. The rest of those who have gone elsewhere are young reserve players and the likelihood is they'll go back to Gers' reserve and youth sides or go out on loan again. But Smith insists he'll only make decisions of each individual's future once they check back in at Murray Park in the next few weeks. He said: "In Andy's case, we put him out on loan to try to get him games so that he could get to a level of fitness that would lead to him returning to our squad.Alan Gow "It hasn't worked out like that and he has had a couple of injuries again and hasn't been playing on a regular basis. "Andy's problem is that we have to get him up to speed because he's had something like two years without regular first-team football. "He has been lucky to play half a dozen games in that time and it has not been an easy spell for him. "We will see what happens when he comes back and we'll review the situation then. Alan Gow is the same, as are the rest of the players we've had out. "With these players who are coming to us, as is part and parcel of the transfer window, we'll have to look at a larger group of players and cut it down."

Andy Webster, Alan Gow and Dean Furman are among Rangers players who will find out if they are still wanted in January. More...