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But did last night teach us anything at all about the squad? Generally friendlies are glorified training sessions, and offer little to no useful insight to the squad or formations - indeed, the only way you can learn about what works and what doesn't is by trying in competitive games. But that said, did we take anything from the match? I'm going to be honest, I found a few small (probably irrelevant) nuggets of information in it that may or may not be useful. Ortiz was a poor poor signing who isn't suited to this squad/team at all. Not all Ally's signings will be successes and the Spaniard sadly isn't one. Aluko looks to have a lot of energy. He's quick, dynamic, and showed how effective he can be when he does get the final ball in. But he's no Naismith. There's a reason Alexander never really made the big time as a goalkeeper. Sure, Shagger's made errors too, but it's not often you see Alexander pull out saves even half the quality of Shagger's. An adequate deputy but never more. It was interesting to see Fleck in a more central position. It's closer to where he's best suited, and he seemed more at ease in that central slot. He is basically a trequartista and is wasted on the flanks. Time will tell if he's good enough in his preferred position to make it at the club. That's about it.

http://ibroxnoise.blogspot.com/ (thought I'd give this a go - feedback appreciated - if you guys want to put this on the main site, be my guest)

SCOTLAND star James Morrison has revealed his desire to sign for boyhood heroes Rangers. The West Brom ace grew up as a kid in Darlington following the exploits of idols Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup. And the 25-year-old has admitted that when the time is right heâ??d love to emulate his heroes and pull on a light blue shirt. For now heâ??s happy to remain a Premiership player with the Baggies, but confessed to a long-term dream of running out at Ibrox. Morrison said: â??Football can sometimes shoot you down when you start thinking ahead too much. But I could definitely see myself playing in Scotland. I'm a bit of a Rangers man so it would be nice to play there one day. â??The Old Firm games are quality and I try and get up there as much as I can to watch them.The Ibrox lads have sorted me out with tickets a few times. ì I could definitely see myself playing in Scotland. I'm a bit of a Rangers man so it would be nice to play there one day. î James Morrison â??Rangers is just a team I've followed since I was a kid so it would be great to play there in the future.I'm still young and hope to play at the highest level I can. â??No disrespect to the SPL but at he moment it's not where it should be. But one day in the future, who knows.â? Morrison had a chance to join Hibs as a kid, but Middlesbrough blew that idea out of the water so a move to Rangers would be second time lucky for Scottish football. Morrison added : â??When I was 18 Hibs tried to sign me on loan when Tony Mowbray was in charge. Middlesbrough goalkeeping coach Stephen Pears knew Mowbray from their time together and they spoke about it. I was up for it but the club said no.â? Morrison is a key member of Craig Leveinâ??s Scotland set-up and has become a fans favourite with his clever brand of attacking play. The former Middlesbrough player will start tomorrows clash with Cyprus in Larnaca and is itching to get the Euro 2012 failure out of his system. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/282783/Scotland-star-James-Morrison-wants-to-sign-for-Rangers?

5 players of note to talk about, mostly very positive indeed. 1: Sasa Papac - since the signing of Wallace the Bosnian's game has improved tenfold. His block on the line yesterday was top class and he was involved with a lot of good work at the back. I'm quite happy seeing him in the team these days - it's as if he's been in an easy comfort zone for too long, never extending himself - but now he is and the improvement is drastic. 2: Steven Whittaker. Had a truly awful start to the season, and became a figure of 'dislike' shall we say. But has steadly got his game together over the past 3 or 4 matches and imho was the MOTM against St Mirren. Looking much better, and more worth the wages he's getting. 3: Carlos Bocanegra. What the American lacks in height and strength he makes up for with absolutely superb positional sense and cracking use of the ball. His lob for Jelavic yesterday has barely been mentioned, but was pinpoint. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time and makes timely interventions regularly. He doesn't go sliding in much, and lacks muscle, but has a lot of intelligence and that more than makes up for it. 4: Dorin Goian. Here's another Goian fact for you - he's a bargain. Ally really excelled himself bringing in a high quality Romanian stopper for such a low price. Goian doesn't quite class as a 'bruiser' but he's a strong, fit, and agile CB who is not scared to put his foot in and times his tackles brilliantly. He's also very good in the air. Along with Carlos we have a truly superb central defence. 5: Lee Wallace. Been a little unlucky with injury so far, but shown what he can do in patches. Very dynamic full back - his defensive game isn't imperious by any means but like Hutton in days gone by he gets forward with aplomb and gives us a good balance on the left when he plays. Is this why we've conceded only 4 goals this season? Could well be. It's the best defence we've had for some time. And there's Bartley in reserve! Also think David Weir is well and truly being faded out now. After being used against Liverpool he was axed again from the squad on Sunday.

RANGERSâ?? impressive start to the defence of their SPL title would suggest Ally McCoist has more than managed to build a strong starting line-up. But on the evidence of last nightâ??s friendly fixture victory over English Premier League giants Liverpool, the Ibrox manager also has plenty of strength in depth which could prove vital in the coming months of the campaign. It is often argued Celtic boss Neil Lennon has far greater resources at his disposal than his counterpart across the city, but it now appears that such an argument is outdated. With no European football this midweek in light of their failure to reach the Champions League or qualify for the Europa League, Rangers took the opportunity to invite Kenny Dalglishâ??s Liverpool north of the border. Naturally, the main thinking behind such a fixture would have been in financial terms, as the men running the club desperately try to claw back even a fraction of the money they lost out on at the start of the season when they were knocked out of both European competitions. On the pitch, though, it also proved to be a successful night as McCoist used the game to have a closer look at several of the players he has waiting on the wings and hoping to break into the first-team. It was an opportunity for Australian internationalist Matt McKay to show what he can do and try and stake a place for a competitive outing after spending most of his time on the bench following his move from Brisbane Roar. And he didnâ??t disappoint. His positional sense, and his overall awareness and knowledge of the game, impressed McCoist and he now provides the Light Blues boss with an alternative to youngster Gregg Wylde for the role on the left of midfield should the youngster lose form. On the other flank, Juan Manuel Ortiz managed to make a reasonable impact on occasions and as much as he hasnâ??t set the heather on fire, he is still a player who can deputise in a few positions across the back and in midfield should he be required to do so. A third summer signing, Alejandro Bedoya, was also decent enough against Liverpool without being outstanding and once again, he is another player McCoist knows he has waiting on the wings should the time come when he is required to make changes. When you then factor in that Kirk Broadfoot and Davie Weir came in to play at the back, with the latter looking particularly comfortable against £35m striker Andy Carroll â?? especially considering he hasnâ??t played for some time â??and that Kyle Bartley is still to return, McCoist probably has more viable defensive options available to him than Lennon. With Lee McCulloch getting some much-needed game-time and John Fleck coming off the bench as well as fellow youngsters Jordan McMillan and Ross Perry, there is actually an extremely strong squad of players in place at Ibrox. McCoist, as you might imagine, was really pleased with the 1-0 win which came courtesy of McCullochâ??s strike but it was the chance to see so many of his fringe players in action which delighted him more than the win over the Anfield club. â??It was a good exercise from the point of view that a lot of our lads got a game under their belt,â? explained McCoist. â??We managed to play a number of players who havenâ??t played that often for one reason or another and that was pleasing.â? He added: â??Big Davie came in at the back as did Kirk Braodfoot, Lee McCulloch started in the middle and we managed to start McKay, Ortiz and Bedoya â?? and I thought the three of them played well, as did the others. â??A few of the younger boys also came on at the end, so it was good to give everyone that needed a game some time on the pitch. â??And it is always a good workout when you are playing against a team with the quality Liverpool had out there. â??I thought we played very well on the night. We kept good possession of the ball and were well organized and restricted them to very few opportunities. We might have scored a second goal but overall it was a worthwhile exercise. â??With the two clubs not having European football this season, it was good to get a game and it sets us up nicely for going to Tynecastle on Sunday.â? McCoist might have everyone available on Sunday but there will come a time when one or two of his players start to drop out through injury and suspension. Knowing he has players ready to come in will provide the Rangers manager with a lot more confidence to deal with those problems when they inevitably arise. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/fringe-men-on-centre-stage-show-ally-mccoist-has-a-deep-pool-of-talent-1.1130115

Thankfully Killie didnt take 3 points.... Lennon must stay !! Sponsored by Celtic boss admits he feared for his job at half time By Stephen Halliday Published on Saturday 15 October 2011 19:46 CELTIC manager Neil Lennon has admitted he feared for his job when his team went in at half-time 3-0 down to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. On an astonishing afternoon in Ayrshire, Celtic looked certain to sustain a fourth SPL defeat of the season as calamitous defending helped an impressive home side race ahead through goals from Dean Shiels, Paul Heffernan and James Fowler. But for the first time in their history in a domestic fixture, Celtic avoided defeat after falling 3-0 behind. A double from Anthony Stokes and a Charlie Mulgrew header, all of the goals coming in a frenzied seven minute spell, completed a salvage operation which perhaps prevented Lennonâ??s position being seriously considered at the club last night. Asked if that had been a concern at half-time, Lennon replied: â??Of course it was. All those sort of thoughts go through your mind. But you have to try to motivate yourself and your players in that situation. â??It was as important a half-time team talk as Iâ??ve ever had to give. Another defeat, in the manner we were playing, would have been very difficult for me to take. It could have been a huge loss for us. â??I was as angry as I could possibly be at half-time. Defensively we were very, very poor. The midfield were poor, the two front boys were poor. As a collective, their performance was nowhere near acceptable. We did have a great chance to go one up, which Anthony Stokes missed, but the goals we conceded were awful. It was long balls over the top which we just were not dealing with. It is something we have to eradicate very quickly. â??I asked the players to find some belief, will and guts, to dig deep in the second half. They did that. Iâ??ve got mixed emotions now. Iâ??m angry, but Iâ??m also proud of how they came back in the second half. â??Overall, though, Iâ??m disappointed. We canâ??t afford to keep dropping points because Rangers have been very consistent so far. We have to make up a lot of ground already.â? Lennon was scathing in his assessment of Celtic after they completed the first round of 11 SPL fixtures. â??We havenâ??t been good enough,â? he said. â??We have lost three games already and thatâ??s far too many. We have also conceded too many goals. We have problems at the back which we need to find a solution for very quickly. It is the same personnel as last season, but there seems to be a nervousness about them. I donâ??t know where it comes from. We have to look at ourselves as well, the backroom staff, but we are not doing anything different from what we did last season.â? Lennon has a fresh injury concern to contend with ahead of Thursdayâ??s Europa League match against Rennes in France. Striker Gary Hooper failed to reappear for the second half yesterday after suffering ankle damage. â??Weâ??ll just have to wait and see how he is,â? said Lennon. â??But we will have Kris Commons available again after suspension and hopefully Georgios Samaras will be fit.â? Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels was left to reflect on another match from which he felt his team did not emerge with their just deserts. â??When you are 3-0 up after 72 minutes, you expect to get all three points,â? said Shiels. â??But the Old Firm always have the quality which can get them back in a game. Thatâ??s 11 games in the SPL now and, apart from against Rangers at Ibrox, we could easily have won them all in terms of our performances. â??Even after it went to 3-3 today, we had the best chance to win it through Paul Heffernan. We dominated the ball for long periods and it wasnâ??t as if Celticâ??s goals came as a result of incessant pressure on us.â?

Looks like he's doing very well and they appreciate us giving them a quality player - http://www.wearethistle.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/4484-just-in/page__hl__kyle%20hutton

With tonight's closure of the transfer window now looming closer by the second it's becoming crystal clear that staying in Europe or more specifically, the Champions League this season was paramount to the ability of the new manager to start building a new, deeper and higher quality squad. That may well seem like stating the obvious, but I think we should ask ourselves if Ally was really afforded the opportunity to strengthen for our European campaign given that the club were very public about supposedly bidding for and trying to bring in the players who might have helped keep us in Europe, but either failed or backed off on the deals. Obviously it's all history now, but I wonder what players like Roland JuhÃ?¡sz, Wesley Verhoek and David Goodwillie might have offered the manager in terms of team selection options in our Champions League and Europa League games had we signed them up and registered them instead of messing about with low bids and flimsy attempts to acquire their services. Despite it being too late to help us in Europe, we finally brought in Alejandro Bedoya after a lengthy period of the club saying 'we want him NOW', but if we're to believe media reports, we supposedly went back to Ã?â??rebro with a lower offer than we had previously made just a couple of weeks earlier. No matter what anyone says about the player having been on the last X amount of games of his contract, if it's true that we did that, then it highlights one aspect of our new and somewhat bizarre concept of transfer market dealings. Is it a concept which involves telling the fans, the media and other clubs that there's money there for these new players the club are bidding for, then that money just seeming to disappear into thin air when the bids all fail? Imagine an episode of South Park where illusionist Paul Daniels is running a football club and dabbling in the transfer market with a top hat, a dove and a pile of magic money. No you see it, now you don't. It's Magic! Another strange series of events was the attempt to sign Carlos Cuellar from Aston Villa, now managed by former Gers manager Alex McLeish. In this case, the Scottish press reported that Villa had accepted a Ã?£2m bid from Rangers for the player. Fans were literally ecstatic about it because Cuellar aka 'King Carlos' was a cracking, no nonsense defender who was absolutely brilliant in our run to the UEFA Cup Final, a run which ended in his sale to Villa for almost eight million pounds. Good business to get him back for Ã?£2m then, but what happened to the deal? We had the bid accepted and it was supposedly still on the table until we went out of the Champions League. Then, all of a sudden the deal was off because he was still injured when in actual fact the club knew that he was injured all along. Am I missing something here? Did the guy's return from injury being slightly delayed put us off buying him back for nearly Ã?£6m less than we sold him for? You have to wonder.... Roland JuhÃ?¡sz? Were we really ever intending to buy this guy? After a drawn-out saga of us being told the club were making bids and having them rejected, we were reported to have made a final Ã?£3.5m bid for the player. In actual fact we must have bid significantly less than that for the deal to just fall apart because both JuhÃ?¡sz and his agent were keen for the deal to come to Ibrox to happen and Ã?£3.5m is what Anderlecht were reportedly seeking for the player. I'm intrigued as to what really happened to that deal, but if I was taking a guess it would be something along the lines of going out of the Champions League meant that there was no way the club could afford to spend Ã?£3.5m on a defender no matter how good he is. I think we'll skip all the details of the Goodwillie saga here because it was another drawn-out affair and in this case there were extremely unusual circumstances involved regarding his personal life, but it's worth noting that yet again we failed to sign a supposed top target. I can't help thinking that if we were ever serious bidders and the club really wanted to sign him, then David Goodwillie would be a Rangers player. We certainly need another striker because Kane Hemmings was going to be one of our back-up strikers in the squad this season and now he's out till Christmas or beyond due to an injury requiring surgery. Ally actually said he wanted another striker before Kane got injured, so maybe we need to bring in two strikers now? One thing is clear in my mind and that is that we haven't actually replaced Kris Boyd or Kenny Miller with another deadly goal-scorer. Nikica Jelavic is a fantastic player, but we need another 25 goal a season striker to partner him and fill the glaringly obvious void left in our attacking arsenal since the Boyd and Miller partnership moved on. It's time for our new owner to put the top-hat, dove and magic money back in the box of tricks and get his really money out because this isn't a scathingly satirical magic show on an episode of South Park; this is Rangers Football Club and it's real life. The transfer window closes in a few hours time and we need another striker Mr. Whyte.

Super_Ally discusses why some people seem to prefer the negativity over enjoying our unrivalled domestic success. The Rangers Rollercoaster - Do You Enjoy The Ride? From the slopes of dear old Ibrox to the underfoot gravel of Recreation Park (Alloa) I, like no doubt many other fans, have been and taken in a game of football at a variety of sporting venues. Some great, some small. Some empty, some full. Some noisy, some quiet. Whatever the make-up of the spectators, however, there is one constant; they are all there to watch their team hoping for a victory and a performance to match. Fans up and down the country pay their money to sit amongst a few hundred or tens of thousands. To watch their heroes and cheer them onto glorious victory or demoralising defeat. They travel in numbers from one corner of the country to another. We Rangers fans pay more than most for the privilege of watching our team at Ibrox or away. We of course pay for more than our smaller competitors and down through the divisions. Yet the other side of that coin is that we get to watch international footballers playing at a far higher standard, watching in relatively far greater comfort as our team competes week in, week out for national and European honours. More often than not we watch our team win. Take last season�s SPL matches; Walter Smith�s team emerging victorious on 30 occasions out of 38 matches played, witnessing just 5 defeats. We secured a League and Cup double winning 2 of 3 national trophies for the third year in a row, competing in European competition against Manchester United and Valencia. Going back to that comparison with one of the countries smaller teams then. In 36 league games Alloa fans enjoyed the thrill of victory on just 9 occasions. Defeated in the Cup by Hamilton in the fourth round, League Cup involvement lasted just two rounds. Rangers are a huge name known across the globe with everyone aware of and respecting our derby game. We have won a world record number of league titles and over 100 major honours. We play in Europe, to a greater or lesser extent, pretty much every year. When at home we watch our team in one of the few stadia ranked 5* by UEFA. It has to be asked then, why do fans of these so called diddy clubs seem to enjoy their football so much more? Most probably standing not seated, in driving rain and wind. Cold and wet watching a standard of football you probably think would make your own game of 5�s look like a Champions League clash. Yet fans of the smaller clubs do at least appear to derive some enjoyment from their fanatical following of their team. It is an uncomfortable fact that Rangers are no longer as strong as we were even 10 years ago. The quality of player plying his trade in our blue shirts has undoubtedly decreased. We in theory have a reduced ability to compete in Europe and certainly we compete with an inferior calibre of team for potential new signings. This is not an appeal to accept lower standards. We have not fallen so far as Leeds, from Champions League Semi-Finalists to England�s lower divisions. Liverpool have fallen from a side who dominated their domestic league to a side with a forlorn hope of regaining the title each year, despite it never really looking likely. Even Real Madrid currently have to suffer as Barcelona�s whipping boys as the Catalans sweep all before them. Football, like any sport runs in cycles. There are winners and losers and you are never always one nor the other. As a fan of any side, you have to be able to take the rough with the smooth. Support your team through thick and thin. At Rangers we are fortunate enough that we get to enjoy far more of the good times than the lean. We routinely see our team lift silverware on an almost yearly basis. Is it that familiarity with success, that expectation of victory that fuels this unrealistic demand for continual, unyielding success? Rangers are purportedly more than a club. Many of the older generation of fans like to remind us that it is about more than just the football. Why is it then, that we only seem to sing when we are winning? There are a vast number of our fans who are too busy ruing the missed opportunities. To engrossed in the negatives, that they cannot enjoy what we are achieving. Hot on the heels of 3-in-a-row and 8 trophies in four years we are once again top of the table and pace-setters in the SPL. Cause for complaint for some at Ibrox. The sort of troubles your average Alloa fan can only dream of. That goes, too, for the Hibees, Jambos or Arabs. Once again, this is not to urge the fans to lower their expectations. To demand, and strive for, more as the players and manager must surely due. It is merely a reminder to enjoy the good times that are also here. A look at the likes of Nottingham Forest, at Liverpool, at Feyenoord or Monaco show that a glorious history is no guarantee of a successful future. Rightly bemoan the wrongs and ills of the club. Question the poor results, the bad signings and the incorrect tactics. But every so often, take a moment to enjoy the league titles. The fantastic football players of international fame. The glorious and picturesque old stadium. The world records. The table topping league position. The knowledge that you are a true Rangers supporter and wouldn�t have it any other way.

The thing that I find is really lacking and costing us at the moment is a presence and leadership, more so from the management than the playing team. WS had a presence about him in abundance and therefore could get away with his style of play because it brought success. At the moment it still seems like the management team are 3 young boys without their parents. There has been a call by fans over the summer for AM to bring in a experienced assistant like Ray Wilkins to lend that bit of cool advice when needed like ââ?¬Å?its time for a sub Allyââ?¬Â or ââ?¬Å?change this.....ââ?¬Â. I respect AMââ?¬â?¢s decision to stick with his guns and feel his team is the right one but IMO iââ?¬â?¢d have preferred to have seen a Wilkins type guy in there. AMââ?¬â?¢s decision might pay off over the season if he brings home the title. I canââ?¬â?¢t complain about our SPL away form, it is good, but are we papering over the cracks after some dismal home performances so far? On the park Naismith has a bit of presence because he is a mouthy pest to the opposition, but I find this effective especially when he is in his correct position of midfield. What I have noticed about McCoist is a change in style. As assistant he was out there on the touch line every week in his shorts and t-shirt screaming at the players for 90 mins, yet now he has a more reserved place in the dug out and this means the more quiet Kenny McDowall is doing more of the instructions. I personally would still like to see AM being his own man and getting the shorts and t-shirt back on and screaming at the players. His tactics seemed to have changed also. For the last 3 seasons he has been in charge of the team in domestic cup games where we always went out on the attack but he has opted for the more flat defensive 4-4-2 with Edu and McCulloch still being preferred for some bizarre reason, this irritates me as I believe we have some good footballers in the team and capable of much better. We saw towards the end of last season how good Rangers can be when on the attack so why we donââ?¬â?¢t make this our approach all the time is beyond me. Whilst missing out on first choice targets in the transfer market we still have managed to bolster the squad and boast good numbers ââ?¬â?? see below. I canââ?¬â?¢t recall our squad being so good on numbers and options covered for a few years now, this after last season when we couldnââ?¬â?¢t fill the subs bench. However there is still a lack of that extra quality that Davis and Jelavic can offer. But Iââ?¬â?¢ll reserve judgement until the new guys have had 10-15 games plus Bedoya and McKay have settled in to see what they can bring. McKay has been one of the top performers in the Aussie league so I am expected him to be a good signing. So the current squad is like this with a number of players being vertisile. The only position I think needs changing is upfront. Id prefer to get Beattie off the books and bring in a striker. Millerââ?¬â?¢s return would have been perfect but that wasnââ?¬â?¢t to be. Young Hemmings is someone id like to see partner Jelavic. In midfield I still think Davis is the key man when in centre midfield but needs a bit of steel behind him of someone who can break up play and still pass a ball. McGregor / Alexander Broadfoot____Goian___Weir____Papac Whittaker___Bartley___Bocanerga___Wallace McMillan____Perry Bedoya_____Davis____Ness____Wylde Naismith____Edu___McCulloch____Ortiz Hutton___McKay Jelavic___Lafferty Healy___Fleck Hemmings__Beattie

A lot of folk have namedropped a comparison with PLG, but I've never really felt that. But the match against Aberdeen felt like a return to the days of Eck. A grotty win, playing very poorly, with an unglamorous squad with a few good players. For Dado see Jelavic. For Klos see McGregor. Ally wasn't the most thrilling appointment, and Eck certainly wasn't. The latter also struggled to sign quality, although when he had good money from the sale of Boumsong he bought the players who won us the league. But the standard of football was never very good - in fact it was a very up and down era - from the heights of the last 16 of the CL to the lows of watching Nuno Capucho come on at Old Trafford when we were 3-0 down or whatever the score was. The management staff also remind me of that time. Ally reminds me a little of Eck, and McDowall is a carbon copy of Andy Watson. I am not calling for Ally's head - although he has made some mistakes so far - a rookie manager always will. But he is under pressure to continue our SPL results (in light of the absence of much else to play for this season) if not form. Because while we can complain about the football our SPL record is 4 wins and a draw. That's not bad. See, I can be positive

Rangers go back to the SPL summit despite unconvincing display at home to Aberdeen. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=438:rangers-2-0-aberdeen-player-ratings-and-mom-poll&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67 One fantastic save to claw Boca header away from his post, once again we had to rely on the 'keeper's quality.

Ok, first off, I am absolutely not blaming Ortiz for our dismal European displays, but for me he's been a symptom of our failings. Quite simply we've been atrocious in the transfer market for a long time now. In order to fix this ailing squad we needed Craig Whyte to put his money where his mouth was, and cough up �£15M for a serious squad injection. A couple of �£3M players, 3 �£2M players, and a few squad players - and if we were lucky, another top quality �£4M player like Jelavic. This squad needed more Davises, Naismiths and McGregors. Not more Edus, McCullochs and Broadfoots. I will admit Wallace seems like a decent signing, but that he's our marquee signing (unless you count Bartley) of the summer shows how little cash we have actually spent (plus we've received �£1.7M for Bougherra). If you spend half millions all the time, that's the quality of player you'll get. A Sasa Papac. An honest enough player but your team will struggle at higher levels with 5 or more of them in it. The reason Rangers are struggling in Europe is because our squad is utterly shite at that level - it's decent enough for the SPL where teams outside the OF cannot afford much more than about �£100k on a single player. But try it against a similar level team from another nation and we look like what we are. We have 4 top players (Davis, Jelavic etc), a few decent-good players (Lafferty, Wallace, maybe Goian), and the rest are average. Add to that a rookie management team and an owner who doesn't seem to be spending the money we were promised and it's easy to see why, outwith of the backwater piss league that is the SPL, we'll struggle. I saw Ally has said he cannot see a Scottish side making the CL group stage for some time. Sadly, that looks to be true.

El-Hadji Diouf has told BBC Radio Scotland that he wants to come back to Rangers. The Senegalese forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Ibrox but is now back at Blackburn Rovers. Rovers boss Steve Kean says Diouf is not part of his plans for the campaign ahead, so the player is asking Ibrox boss Ally McCoist to take him back. "I would definitely go back for him and for the fans. I don't want to play for Blackburn any more," Diouf said. "I've got a lot of clubs contacting me just now. "I don't want to go somewhere where I am fighting a relegation battle. I'd rather be fighting to win a title again like last year when I won with Rangers. "It is a big team, I enjoyed winning the title and making a lot of fans happy. "I want Rangers to win the title again this season because Coisty is a good guy." And Diouf told Sportsound that he is unconcerned by the perceived gulf in quality between the top leagues in Scotland and England. "I came to Scotland because of one thing: I knew Rangers were a good team. "Celtic against Rangers is 10 times better than Liverpool against Manchester United or something like that. "The Old Firm game is the number one game in the world. What I feel about this game I have never felt in my life. On the pitch it is like a war, but beautiful. A good war." Diouf has been joined at Blackburn Rovers by new Scottish signing David Goodwillie, but admits he would have advised the former Dundee United striker against a move to England. "I speak to David Goodwillie every day at the training ground," he commented. "I tell him that if he has the chance to play for Rangers he should jump at it, because it is one of the best clubs in the world. "I am very surprised he chose Blackburn. He's a good guy and I will do everything I can to help him." Nice words, but you've had your time El Hadji. And didn't do a lot with it.

These young guys are very very good players. They're slightly inexperienced at professional level, but what they lack in experience, they seem to make up for in other parts of their game and they both showed it today. I think now is the time for these guys and if they play like that again for us I'd be signing them up on new deals or contract extensions because we can't be losing our younger players of that quality unless it's for decent money. How long do they have on their contracts?

The stench of fear from the BHEASTS has begun: Bobby Peru Today, 10:47 PM Post #6743 Member Avatar The Maestro Admin Group: Admin Quantity not quality. The huns are in an awful position they really have to bulk up their squad. Buying 2 x �£2.5m players would really be no use to them so they have to try to pick up the odd gem. Celtic showed last year that with good scouting it is possible to find excellent young players who will stand out in Scotland. The huns are picking up journeymen though. Bocanegra, Goian, Wallace, Ortiz, Bedoya, Healy, Kerkar, Bartley (Loan), McKay (awaiting Visa) It's possible Bedoya and McKay could turn out to be really good players, i know nothing of either of them but it's not really a collection of players that worries me at all. TheHumanTorpedo 58 minutes ago Post #6750 Member Avatar Bring it on Peru...BRING IT ON! Group: Backroom Staff Not really seen Bocanegra since his Fulham days when he was at his best OK but prone to being woefully out of position. Used to chip in with a few goal iirc. I'm sure he'll cope with the SPL but hardly a signing to worry about. Mickeybhoy84 50 minutes ago Post #6761 Member Avatar Living the dream Group: Snr. Member It'll be funny if they had already registered Bedoya as the wildcard and UEFA don't let them change it. Tim Waits 38 minutes ago Post #6770 Member Avatar Str8outtaLurgan Group: Backroom Staff TheHumanTorpedo 17 Aug 2011, 10:52 PM Not really seen Bocanegra since his Fulham days when he was at his best OK but prone to being woefully out of position. Used to chip in with a few goal iirc. I'm sure he'll cope with the SPL but hardly a signing to worry about. The 2011 Bocanegra is a lump of wood. No offence, Carlos, but you are. Which of course is not to say that lumps of wood cannot find success and happiness in the SPL. But he's nowhere near the form he was a few years ago. Paul__1888 37 minutes ago Post #6771 Member Avatar First name on the team-sheet Group: Members stalking up players that will be able to kick us off the park. dirty effing carrots. I cant wait til this all falls on mccoists horrible wee face. straubo 37 minutes ago Post #6772 Member Avatar I'm new. Be gentle. Group: Members Favourite all-time player King Henrik Slow, exposed by pacy forwards and not shy of a sneaky dignified foul or 6. Sounds like a far younger Weir who's been at the centre of their defence for the past 3 years. Henrik The King 28 minutes ago Post #6779 Member Avatar screwby Group: Snr. Member Bocanegra will likely do OK for them. A fairly powerful player and a leader with experience. I don't expect him to set the heather on fire as he's past his peak but he'll probably do OK in the SPL. He'll give a bit of balance and strength but when he comes up against Hooper and Stokes he'll struggle with his lack of pace. We've still got a far stronger squad of players at our disposal. I'd be very glad if Jelavic left so here's hoping. Jinkys 7 26 minutes ago Post #6788 Member Avatar The Man Group: Snr. Member Favourite all-time player CM Punk. Henrik The King 17 Aug 2011, 11:26 PM I'd be very glad if Jelavic left so here's hoping. I'd prefer if McGregor left before Jelavic tbh but would be over the moon to see both of them go.* McGregor saves them time and time again and wins them at least 15 points on his own each season. *I'm aware that McGregor has jsut signed a new contract. packrat 11 minutes ago Post #6796 Member Avatar Getting on a bit Group: Snr. Member More than ever the huns need to be liquidated and all of their players released on frees. Tired of Americans signing for them. the meter reader 3 minutes ago Post #6800 Member Avatar And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? Group: Snr. Member This is the hun trying to sell jerseys. Remember that cock of a marketing director a few weeks ago with the plan to turn Ibrox into a car park. He mentioned at the time that there was huge markets that the hun need to tap into. Three Americans on the books, ones a the national team captain, and of course two of them where bought for pennies. Pre season tour of America on the cards, guarenteed. BHEASTS, We're here for 4 in a row:spl::spl::spl::spl:

We got a new owner, out of debt, and after all the previous financial restrictions it seemed there would now at last be some money to spend on critically needed new players. Not just average players, but players to improve the squad and strengthen the side in key areas. Am I the only one on here who is a little bit underwhelmed by the amount we've spent and the players we've brought in with it? Wallace = �£1.5M (our big money summer signing thus far) Goian = �£800k Ortiz = �£500k McKay = 400k Bedoya = �£400k Bartley = loan Bocanegra = �£500k Total = about �£4M give or take. We seem to be in an average market, bringing in inexpensive players to increase the size of the squad, but very few players who actually obviously improve it. Goian looks good, Bartley is one who we know what he can do, and Wallace has impressed. But I'm just a bit disappointed that we appear to have had such astonishingly limited funds despite new ownership. I was hoping for maybe 3 or 4 squad players, and 3 or 4 (�£2M+) really good players to genuinely enhance our quality. /rant.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/11/08/06/SOCCER_Rangers_Quotes.html&TEAMHD=scotspremiership&BID=425 Ally McCoist could ask his old mate Andre Villas-Boas for some of his Chelsea fringe players in a bid to bolster his squad. The Rangers boss and Villa-Boas first met at coaching courses in Largs and they were reunited again on Saturday before a strong Chelsea side cruised to a 3-1 friendly win over the Scottish champions at Ibrox. McCoist was delighted to see defender Kyle Bartley return to his defence for a second loan spell from Arsenal and did not rule out asking Villas-Boas for players who might not be involved at Stamford Bridge this season. The former Rangers striker said: "I had a good chat with Andre before the game and I am going to see him now and we will talk about out a few things "But obviously when you get somebody of the quality of Kyle Bartley coming in, that's a great thing as you can see. "He hasn't played a lot of football but he looks comfortable. "But it would be ridiculous of me not to use the good contacts that I have and I will certainly use every contact that I have to bring in the best players available to the club. You can be sure of that." Asked if he was closer to bringing in new faces, McCoist said: "We are working very hard to get players in. "I am as hopeful as the next man but time will tell. There is no point in me getting frustrated."

By Tom English YOU don't have to be in Ally McCoist's company for very long to understand what his favourite word might be. When he gets earnest, which is pretty much most of the time in these early and troubled days of his reign, he has a way of speaking, a McCoistian sincerity, that is hard to miss. "To be honest with you..." "To be perfectly honest..." "I'm going to be honest here..." "The honest truth is..." Such a lot of honesty, so let's continue the theme. Rangers had every right to hope for the best in Malmo last Wednesday evening, but the sensible ones among their support, the ones, if you like, who knew their history, would have been totally prepared for the worst. In the analysis of their demise in Sweden there has been talk of McCoist's inexperience as a manager and, of course, the frenzied knee-jerk that paints the job as just being too big for him. There is a time to make that assessment but it sure as hell isn't after four games. In any event, what happened to Rangers on Wednesday has been the kind of thing that has been happening for some years now. Even the old maestro, Walter Smith, suffered the same fate repeatedly in recent times. Before Sweden, Rangers had won just one of their previous 20 games in European competition. The last time they secured the kind of away result that would have been deemed good enough in Sweden - a victory - was over three years ago. To illustrate how long ago it was, Christian Dailly played in the match, a 2-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon. So did Carlos Cuellar. And Jean-Claude Darcheville. There is a strange dynamic that takes hold in Scottish football sometimes. We decry the quality of the product here and bemoan the falling standards of the elite teams at the top. And yet a form of arrogance - in the media and among the support - takes hold at times when they enter Europe, an assumption that bad and all as the Scottish teams are, they're surely not that bad that they can't beat an "average lot" like Malmo, or "pub teams" like Kaunas and Artmedia Bratislava. McCoist wasn't the only one who fell at such hurdles. Far, far more experienced managers - Smith and Gordon Strachan - have been undone before him. Malmo was a missed opportunity, though. Rangers actually played reasonably well, better than they have done away from home in Europe for a little while. They lost because of indiscipline, not because they were outplayed or outclassed. They looked comfortable. There is a modicum of consolation in that for McCoist. Something to hold on to as he watched the Champions League millions floating away on the breeze. They were hampered, too, by a terrible false economy at work in the Rangers transfer strategy. Craig Whyte has money to spend, and he will spend it. Wesley Verhoek, the Den Haag winger, and Roland Juhasz , the Anderlecht defender, have been the subject of bids and may soon join Rangers. But Whyte should have had more players in the door by now, should have had more new talent in the starting line-up already. It's a failure of philosophy and this cringe-making 'low-bidding' process that they have been engaged in. Low-bidding has cost them dear. "I wouldn't say deep frustration," said McCoist when asked about the transfer strategy. "The problem with transfers is that in an ideal world you go in and get the job done and get out and everybody's happy. In the current climate that's very seldom the case. What's been a little unfortunate for us is that every deal has been scrutinised to the maximum. "I can understand totally the frustration and some of the criticism that's coming our way because players are not coming in as quickly as we all hope. You want to get the deal done and get out. It's the job of you guys (reporters] to find out (what's happening] and the next minute it's leaked and when it's leaked, prices go up, values go up, wages go up. I'm not complaining about it, but that's the way it is. If you're asking me if I'd rather go in, grab somebody, sit them down and say, 'Right let's do it right now, get the papers signed' then yeah, great." So why doesn't he? Who's been talking to these players? Whyte? Ali Russell? Gordon Smith? "I've been in constant dialogue with Kyle Bartley, for example," said McCoist. "Constant dialogue with Lee Wallace's agent. Maybe I need to use my phone more. Believe me if I get an opportunity to speak to any player I speak to them and that's the case." Is there a coded message in there? McCoist is a deal-closer whereas some of the others at the club are not? On Verhoek and Juhasz he comes across as a man who is expecting them to walk through the door at any minute. "The bids went in on Wednesday. I just want them done. We are very, very hopeful." If nothing else, the Malmo game offered up a test of McCoist's attitude when dealing with players who had clearly let him down. Namely, Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra. The Algerian doesn't matter so much now that he has left the club, but Whittaker remains and he has had a rough week. Did McCoist give him a verbal blast or was his treatment more subtle? What exactly is the McCoist way of doing things in these situations? "I'll be really honest with you, I haven't spoken to them. A couple of reasons and the most important reason is, well, they know. They know. I'd be really disappointed if Steven did that again. Really disappointed, because he's an intelligent boy and looking at Steven at the end of the game I don't think I needed to say anything to him. Sometimes you judge a situation and the decision is made for you. "You know, the indiscipline has definitely cost us but the indiscipline, dare I say it, was more stupidity than malicious. It doesn't help because we're out of the tournament, but sometimes you can forgive a little stupidity as long as you don't make the same mistake twice. Everybody makes a mistake but the crime is making the same mistake twice. Steven is the only one who can help himself. Effectively, there's nothing that anybody can say or do. I'm disappointed. I don't want to sound flippant here but I'm not overly worried." Keeping your head when others are looking for it is a big part of managing the Old Firm. Keeping your head and freshening your team. He can do the first part. The second he would want to get on with pretty damn quickly. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Tom-English-The-woes-of.6814359.jp

After what seems the shortest summer break in history, competitive football in Scotland begins again this Saturday lunch-time as Champions Rangers welcome Hearts to Ibrox Stadium. After 54 League titles including the last three in a row, can Rangers continue on the success trail under new rookie manager Ally McCoist? Despite the loss of a few players from last season's title winning squad, confidence amongst the support should be high that we can retain the title. While our progress in the transfer market has been steady rather spectacular, we do have the same core of players that have been so successful while at the club. Of course it is somewhat disappointing that (so far anyway) links with exciting players in the media haven't actually resulted in the likes of Carlos Cuellar wearing the shiny new strip. However, the re-signing of existing players on extended contracts should not be under-estimated in value to our chances of success. After all, the likes of McGregor, Whittaker, Davis and Weir have all been hugely important in our march to 3IAR. Add in Naismith and Jelavic, then you have the kind of spine that won't accept second best. Such squad continuity is invaluable. On the other hand, our squad is too thin. The loss of guys like Weiss, Bartley and even Foster reduces our flexibility and it won't be difficult for opposition managers to guess, then limit, our style of play. In saying that, the capture of Juanma Ortiz and the introduction of youngsters like Bendiksen and Hemmings should help to keep things fresh. I'd also hope fringe players like Fleck, Broadfoot and Healy will be reliable deputies when called upon. And there is still time for more new signings - at the right price of course! Moving onto Saturday's SPL curtain-raiser, I think the first thing to do is acknowledge that Hearts have done what we haven't and brought in new signings quickly and efficiently. Sure, they may not be genuine top quality but the likes of Sutton, Hamill and Taouil offer a consistency and experience Hearts did miss from their foreign contingent. As ever, this won't be an easy match after the league flag is unfurled but I'm actually glad of such a tough opener though as, with Malmo in the CL 3rd Qualifying Round on Tuesday night, we need to be up and running quickly. Indeed, because of that European banana skin, we may see a slightly less adventurous XI as to what finished the SPL campaign last term. In the last few games of season 10/11; we were superb to watch and brushed all aside in a flurry of great goals and exciting performances. I'd expect a more conservative outlook this weekend though. Let's have a look at the manager's options. While our defence should have a familiar look for most of the start of the season, captain David Weir is suspended for our opening match. This means McCoist will need to decide between Broadfoot, Papac or Whittaker at centre-half. All of this shuffling about highlights we do need to sign another central defender but if we could persuade Bougherra to re-sign then such defensive stability would be ideal. In the mean-time we still have a strong, experienced defence so we need not overly worry about the tasks ahead. Moving into midfield, again despite the dearth of signings we do have a variety of options given everyone appears to be fully fit. On Tuesday night in Blackpool, the new manager opted for an orthodox four though and I think we'll see the same unit start against Hearts. Some fans are worried at the inclusion of both Edu and McCulloch but these guys provide the solid platform for the likes of Davis and Ortiz to get forward effectively and it was no coincidence these guys provided both goals. Sure, against other opposition we may only need one of those holding players but it may be more prudent to avoid unnecessary gambles early in the campaign. Not to mention the fact that Edu can get forward well when required. Also eager to be considered will be Fleck, Hutton, Bendiksen and Wylde but they may have to be content with a place on the bench. Into attack and the injury to Kyle Lafferty is a blow - both in terms of the player's own development after an impressive end to last season and to our general options up front. However, again we do have suitable cover via Naismith, Healy and Beattie - not to mention young Kane Hemmings who has shown up well in pre-season. Obviously Nikica Jelavic is the first name on the team-sheet so it will be up to the others to show they're capable of scoring the goals to partner him. All in all, we still have a core of players more than capable of competing strongly again for the league title. Yes, a few new players would be agreeable but I'm hoping everyone will focus on the task at hand and that's getting off to a good start in the league while progressing in Europe. With a stadium wide card display on Saturday and the newly combined 500 strong Broomloan Front singing section; the fans will be ready to back the players and Super Ally as they bid to 'Step up and Play' once more. Possible team (4-4-2): :sw: :mb: :kb: :sp: :sd: :me: :lm: :jmo: :nj: :sn: Here's to 55! :spl:

STEWART Regan is confident the Scottish Football Association's new disciplinary system, which takes effect today, can play a significant role in stemming the flow of negative headlines which blighted the game last season. Speaking at Hampden as he unveiled the Judicial Panel Protocol rule book which will form the basis of what Regan believes will be a "speedy, robust and transparent" replacement for the previous disciplinary procedures which were scrapped as part of the radical changes approved at the SFA's historic annual general meeting last month. SFA chief executive Regan is determined to see Scottish football portrayed in a more positive light in the campaign which kicks off today and has made his feelings clear to leading managers and players. To that end, it emerged yesterday that Regan effectively gatecrashed the Scottish Premier League's annual pre-season gathering of club managers and captains on Thursday to both explain the workings of the Judicial Panel and underline what is expected of those on the pitch and in the technical areas. "The managers and captains were told we are starting a new era," said Regan. "There is a clear message going out and they were reminded of their responsibilities. We want to make sure we are talking about the game of football this season. All of our club officials were also fully briefed on the new disciplinary set-up and they were both supportive and appreciative of the work done in such a short space of time to put it together. "I'm sure there may be teething problems as it's a brand new system. It won't be plain sailing but we will learn as we go along." A total of 205 disciplinary rules now come under the powers of the Judicial Panel, replacing the Disciplinary and General Purposes Committees which were subjected to so much criticism for both the expediency and effectiveness of their work. The SFA are currently recruiting a full-time Compliance Officer to lead the Panel. In the meantime, the role will be filled by a solicitor seconded from the SFA's lawyers. Any offences missed by a referee during a match will be referred to the Compliance Officer who will decide if there is a case to answer. If so, three members of the Judicial Panel will be called upon to sit on a tribunal for each case. Hearings will generally be held every Thursday, allowing the SFA to adjudicate on reported offences within a week, as opposed to several weeks or even months under the previous system. The Judicial Panel, which will ultimately have up to 100 members to call upon, will include club representatives, SFA council members, lawyers, private sector company executives and representatives from other sports. The three members for each tribunal will be picked on a 'cab rank' system, working through the list, to ensure no-one with conflicting interests can sit on any case. It was possible before for someone from a club in a certain division or league to sit in judgment on a case involving another player or club from that same division or league," explained Regan. "That isn't helpful and we have removed that possibility. "We are really pleased with the quality of individual we have for the Judicial Panel so far. Putting this system together, we have drawn on best practice from the disciplinary processes of Scottish Rugby, the Heineken Cup and both the FA and Premier League in England." Other notable changes include the end of the disciplinary totting-up procedure which saw players earn suspensions for accumulating points for bookings and dismissals up to an 18-point threshold. The new system will instead see players earn an automatic one-match ban after collecting six bookings in a season. Any appeals considered frivolous or merely intended to delay a suspension will see a further ban added. Among new rules introduced is one to deal with the increasingly prevalent issue of social networking sites used by managers and players. Any criticism of match officials through such a medium will be subject to a minimum three-match or maximum 20-match suspension. Further protection to referees is provided by a new rule making it an offence for any player or club official to comment about a match official in advance of a fixture. http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Stew...-to.6806199.jp

If Kirk Broadfoot thinks he should be playing every week as a first choice regular, he's dumber than someone who microwaved an egg.

If we sign Cuellar and Bartley I doubt whether Weir will be a 1st choice and I think he knows this but he's absolutely good enough to play in the SPL when called upon. If we don't sign Cuellar and Bartley and Weir has to play in just about every game, then I'll have no issues with it. He's quality. So, are you happy Weir has signed a 1 year contract extension? PS Sorry Danny for nicking your poll.

ALLY McCoist is hopeful Steven Davis will be next to pledge his future to Rangers following long-term deals awarded to Allan McGregor and Steven Whittaker on Monday. Rangers goalkeeper McGregor penned a new six-year deal while defender Whittaker has signed up for five and McCoist is keen for Davis - in the final year of his contract - to extend his stay in Govan. McCoist, who was last night hoping to secure Spanish midfielder Juan Manuel Ortiz as his first new signing since becoming Ibrox manager, told Rangers TV: "Hopefully Steven Davis will follow Allan and Steven. "I don't want to tempt fate, but contract negotiations are continuing with Steven and his representatives and I would be very hopeful that we could get something organised with Steven as well. "He certainly comes into the same category as Allan and Steven. He has been a top player for us and instrumental in the spine of the side. "I'm thrilled that Allan and Steven have signed new deals with the club that keeps them with us for a long time. "They are smashing lads and great players who have been part of the success that we have been lucky enough to enjoy in the last three years and hopefully there is more to come. "There were clubs looking at both players and that was not a surprise because they are valuable assets to the club. "When you have players of their quality then they do attract interest from elsewhere. "They had to weigh up their options and they had important decisions to make. "I think we all feel - and they do too - that they have made the right ones. "It was well documented that Bursaspor were after Steven and there were one or two clubs sniffing about Allan which is no surprise because he has been nothing short of sensational in the last few seasons." McCoist spent time in South America over the summer checking on targets and returned believing that he has an excellent core of players at Ibrox already. He said: "I was in Argentina over the summer watching about eight or nine games and I saw some good teams and some good players. But the best thing to come out of the trip was that it reinforced my belief that we have some very good players at this club. "Sometimes you look about, but the grass is not always necessarily greener on the other side." As well as the Whittaker and McGregor deals being signed this week, striker David Healy, utility man Andrew Little, left-back Sasa Papac and winger Salim Kerkar had already penned new one-year deals. And Whittaker expects more new signings to arrive before too long. "There is a long time to go before the window shuts and I'm sure we will have some new faces in before it does," said the defender. "Deals can be done very quickly and I'm sure he (McCoist] is eyeing up the right people to bring in. He obviously doesn't want to kind of panic buy and I'm sure he will bring in the right faces." Rangers head to Germany today for an eight-day training camp which will also involve games against Sportfreunde Lotte tomorrow, Bochum on Saturday and then Bayer Leverkusen on 13 July. McCoist said: "We are off and running. It doesn't seem so long ago that we were dancing about Rugby Park and then at Ibrox, but that's history now. We have to go and retain the championship. "We are off to Germany and it has a place that has been very good to us in the past. The facilities are very good, the games are ideal and the people are great." http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Ally-McCoist-hopeful-Steven-Davis.6796613.jp?articlepage=2

Taking on from the Stuart Munro comments on other thread, just wondered if we have a list of unsung hero's. First one that springs to my mind is Gordon Durie. Always thought Durie was bit underrated and was a quality alround striker.