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Trust me Coisty, bring in all 3 of these guys and you've made your marquee signings right there.

Rangers director of football Gordon Smith can't agree with players who would choose the npower Championship over the opportunity to play in the Champions League. Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns agreed a move to Leicester despite interest from the Scottish champions, while another target, Craig Conway, opted for Cardiff. Reports suggest Conway's former Dundee United team-mate David Goodwillie could also make the move to the Bluebirds, with Rangers yet to make a formal bid for the Tannadice striker. However, former agent Smith insists players who choose finances over football are no great loss to Rangers. He said: "I believe it shouldn't always be about money. My own opinion is that players should be making decisions which are football decisions, rather than financial. "I tried to do that myself when I was an agent, I tried to say to the player to make the right football decision. "If I was a player coming through, would I go to a club playing in the Champions League or go to a club that's playing in the Championship? I know where I would want to go. "It's a shame because you lose players who don't quite see it that way. But we move on. "If a player decides not to come to us, we have to take the attitude that maybe it's not such a bad thing. "He's maybe not got the right attitude that we want because what we really want is people who see us as the place to come to." Smith added: "It is a different world these days. "We have budgets here, we have a certain amount of income and we have to be sensible spending the money. I think the fans realise that nowadays. "I'm very aware of salary levels at Premiership level, but the Championship level salaries have also rocketed. "There are clubs coming down from the Premiership into the Championship and they are keeping the wage scales going. "Clubs are getting new owners and deciding to compete to try to get into the Premiership because they know there is big money. So that's the market." New Rangers boss Ally McCoist has yet to make his first signing but Smith urged fans to be patient. He said: "I would tell them not to be frustrated. It is early on. "I've got a lot of experience of the transfer business and it's usually midnight on August 31 when a lot of the deals get done. "We're trying to do it in June now and we're trying to get up and running because there are games coming up. "We have a good set of players just now, it's not as though we are short of a team. But we are looking to strengthen the squad and that's what we are working on just now. "I would say to the fans not to be too worried or frustrated. We are working on it, we've got targets and ultimately we will be bringing players in." He added: "The squad definitely does need to be strengthened. Not in terms of right away because we've got a good team. "But we are going to try to strengthen the squad in terms of bringing in quality. Ally and I agree that we need competition for places. The other aspect is injuries and suspensions. "It's important that we get some players in. We are probably looking at at least three or four players to come in."

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1335&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=7920

THE case is compelling. The evidence impossible to ignore. Kyle Lafferty desperately wants new Rangers boss Ally McCoist to stick with him and Nikica Jelavic as the main hitmen for next season's four-in-a-row push - and with very good reason. Their partnership in last term's league run-in was sensational. Lafferty struck seven goals in the final six games of the season, Jelavic five in the same blistering period as the Gers powered to title glory. The big Northern Irishman loves playing alongside the �£4million Croat who missed three months of the season through injury - but still plundered 19 goals in 27 games. Jelavic has brought the best out of Lafferty who, for the third successive campaign, delivered when it really mattered, finishing on a career best 15 for the season. The 23-year-old's well aware that McCoist is trawling the transfer market for a new frontman - with Maccabi Haifa frontman Tomer Hemed, available on a Bosman, high on the list. He insists he welcomes the prospect of stronger competition. Lafferty is also convinced he and Jelavic can carry on from where they left off. More often than not, when Walter Smith selected both they scored, including a hat-trick for Lafferty and a double for Jelavic the first time in a 7-2 romp over Dunfermline last September. Laff told SunSport: "Nikica is the IDEAL partner for me. He's the dream striker to play alongside. "He's got everything that Boydy and Kenny Miller have rolled into one player. "He can be a second striker, he can be a target man. He's the striker that Rangers needed. "With the starts he had and the goals he got, well, it's just unbelievable really. "I think Nikica is brilliant and Rangers will have a fight on their hands to keep him, if not this summer then definitely in January. I love being his strike partner. "I don't know what it is that particularly makes us a good partnership. Every time we see each other we're high-fiving and I think we have a good bond off the field, although we don't speak that much away from games. "Nikica's English is good. He always talks to me before games, during and after. I take whatever he says on board. "If I'm on the bench I watch what he does but after just his first game for Rangers I knew right away he was a quality striker. "I knew I could learn a lot from him. "In fact, I've probably learned more this year playing alongside him than I have in my whole career. I really hope we can stay together. "I appreciate the fact that the manager will be looking at other strikers and a big club like Rangers will always be linked with signing quality performers. "Nikica and I linked up really well in the final months of the season. "Realistically, if our partnership is broken up then it will be because I've been dropped. Nikica will NEVER be dropped. I'll be the one who gets the chop. "I think the manager should give us a go at the start of the season. "I do still think we need another striker, whether that will be good for me or not, because I know I thrive on competition." Lafferty's at a loss to provide a reason why he truly hits top form at the end of a season. He said: "I train the same way from start to finish, I do all the same things. "Yet for some reason I really come on to my game in the closing stages. "It's in the last six weeks that I get most of my goals and my performances pick up. "I just wish I could score as regularly in the months BEFORE. "I don't want to be a player who is seen to be only turning up for the last couple of games to win the title. "Walter said to me at Kilmarnock after my hat-trick on the final day: 'We wouldn't have needed this if you had started scoring in the middle of the season!' We had a little bit of a joke about it. "Now I hope I can continue my form into Ally McCoist's first season as manager." Lafferty's never slow to confess when he's been foolish. The dive to get Charlie Mulgrew sent off two years ago, the red card against Hibs at the start of last season, the prank that led to a broken finger and cost him Champions League action against Manchester United and the Tweet which riled Celtic gaffer Neil Lennon after the Old Firm game in January are all right up there. His life with new partner and former Miss Scotland Nicola Mimnagh and impending fatherhood is helping to mature Lafferty. He also can't thank Gers No 2 Kenny McDowall and coach Ian Durrant enough. The �£3.25m former Burnley ace said: "I've met the right people on and off the field. They are looking after me. "I have no worries whatsoever. I've never felt happier with my life and my football. "I feel stress-free at the minute and I have been for a long time. "I'm playing my football with a smile on my face. "In football terms the people who have kept me going the most are Kenny McDowall and Durranty. "They can see when I'm down. They'll pull me over for a chat. "They will ask about myself and my game. "Kenny and Durranty stopped me from leaving Rangers. "I have always had a strong connection with Kenny. He's been like a second dad for me. He's been brilliant with me. "Every time I've scored I've gestured to him and he's responded. What I've achieved at Rangers is mainly down to Kenny. "I'm really delighted for him that he's become assistant manager. He deserves that. "So, too, does Coisty in being given the manager's job. "It's going to be a big ask in following Walter Smith. "There's no better man, however, because of his personality, his football brain, his attitude and heart." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3619903/All-I-want-is-a-chance-from-Coisty-to-show-IM-the-best-partner-hes-got-for-Jela.html#ixzz1OTpa9mI0

A legend. No ifs, buts or maybes.

AMSTERDAM â�� The 2010-11 European club season isn't technically done just yet. But the champions have been crowned and the standouts have emerged. With teams counting the days until summer break, itâ��s time again to see which American Exports are at the top of the class. Using a bit of our side's versatility, we have fashioned MLSsoccer.com's Europe-based Team of the Season into a 4-5-1 formation. By grading on a curve that marks a bit more heavily on importance to team than on league quality, we have allowed second-flight standouts a more equal footing to graduate here with honors. GOALKEEPER Brad Friedel (Aston Villa) The toughest pick of the bunch was for the spot between the pipes. The choice could have just as easily been Tim Howard. Though neither was top-shelf in the EPL this term, each was just below that level. Friedel, however, edges the nod for notching 10 more saves on the season, under greater pressure, in front of an ever-rotating backline of mediocrity. Honorable mentions: Tim Howard (Everton), David Yelldell (Duisburg), Brad Guzan (Hull City) DEFENSE RB - Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96) This one, meanwhile, was one of our easiest picks. The US mainstay may have suffered his first offensive shutout in seven seasons, but it was a willing sacrifice. After spurning free agent interest to re-sign, Cherundolo played nearly every minute of 33 games, captaining the Reds and anchoring their defense through arguably the greatest season in club history. CB - Zak Whitbread (Norwich City) Despite missing most of the pre-holiday action with injuries, the Canaries defender still managed 21 league outings, the team's second-highest total among defenders. While we could quibble over quantity, Whitbread's quality was beyond dispute. Promoted Norwich lost just once in his 20 league starts, leaking 1.15 goals per game. Without him marshaling the back, they conceded 1.35 while dropping seven of the other 26. The fans love him already for a reason. CB - Leo Krupnick (Maccabi Netanya) Had Clarence Goodson been able to work more than seven Br�¸ndby matches, extrapolated form indicates he'd be a shoo-in here. He wasn't, however, and this place goes instead to the former Red Bulls defender for his police work in one of Israel's bests defenses. Despite the Diamonds barely scoring a goal a game, Krupnick has helped them up to fifth with a game to play. LB - Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-��tienne) Though the US skipper has worked the last handful of matches at right center back, he spent most of this Ligue 1 season providing consistently solid play at left back. Both of Bocanegra's goals gave his side a lead and his measured approach to playing wide helped Les Verts flirt with a title run for a good while. Thanks to cup outcomes, 'Los & Co. still have a shot at capping the term with a Europa League invite. Honorable mentions: Clarence Goodson (Br�¸ndby), Eric Lichaj (Leeds United), Babajide Ogunbiyi (Viborg) MIDFIELD DM - Jermaine Jones (Schalke/Blackburn) Let's be clear up front: Jones' 2010 Bundesliga showings were nothing to write home about. That being said, the Miners' semifinal run was partially facilitated by the German-American's group-phase heroics. Since joining Rovers on loan, the US midfielder has provided hearty effort to fight relegation, essentially freeing top creator Morten Gamst Pedersen to run wild down the back stretch. RM - Timothy Chandler (FC N�¼rnberg, pictured above) Sure, he played nine of his mere 14 games at right back â�� but the impact of his inclusion was unmistakable. After a few sub appearances, Chandler barged into the lineup with a goal and assist blinder in a win at Stuttgart and stayed there. Along with a few other youngsters, he helped spark Der Club to the brink of a Europa League place with daring runs and nasty crosses practically falling out of his ears. CM - Stuart Holden (Bolton) Even though his EPL season was cut short at 26 games, the Wanderers busybody made a huge impact in his first full Prem season. Holden turned traffic director this term, ranking among the most active and cleanest tacklers in the league while also faithfully supplying the attack. With him, Bolton posted 10 of their 12 EPL wins, threatened a top-five finish and ran deep in the FA Cup. Had he been fit, they may well have reached their first final since 1958. CM - Maurice Edu (Rangers) Though asked to shift around the formation a lot, Edu adapted well to supply a steady stream of safe play as Rangers claimed the three-peat and a League Cup double. He also was terrific in UEFA play against the likes of Manchester United, Valencia and Sporting Lisbon in both the Champions League and Europa League. Some supporters moaned down the stretch that the American was ill-suited to the more advanced role, but he did bag a career-high five goals across all competitions. He also silenced those jeers with a strong finish as the Light Blues rallied past archrivals Celtic for the crown. LM - Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus) Though now breaking down defenses for the New England Revolution, let's not forget that Feilhaber started this season as a driving force on an AGF that looks poised to regain SAS Liga status with a second flight title. Finally given the chance to make plays, the US midfielder notched four goals and seven assists in 18 league matches, leaving with the club eight points clear at the top. Honorable mentions: Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Michael Bradley (Borussia M�¶nchengladbach/Aston Villa), Charles Kazlauskas (Helmond Sport) FORWARD Clint Dempsey (Fulham) Citing a lack of competition up top, we'll use manager's choice to install the versatile, hard-nosed Cottager at forward. Dempsey played a lion's share of his 34 league games on the front line, burying 12 goals with four helpers. Including an August Carling Cup tally, Deuce has struck at least once in every full month but December. He's also been consistently scoring records, having already bagged a new career high, the American standard for EPL goals in a season and the title of Fulham's all-time top Prem hit man. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/05/18/postcard-europe-team-season

KRIS COMMONS last night stood by his claim that Celtic are younger and fitter than Rangers - despite his words driving on the Ibrox men to the SPL title. The Scotland star's comments were used as motivation in the Gers dressing room in the vital final weeks of the campaign. But after yesterday's Scottish Cup triumph, Commons claimed again the Hoops are younger and fitter - and insisted they are now older and wiser too. Commons reckons the bitter experience of a last-day defeat in the title race by their city rivals has been a valuable lesson for Celts and will drive them on when the league kicks off again. The former Derby County man played a key role in Celtic's 3-0 Hampden win against Motherwell to secure the club's first silverware since March 2009. The scenes of jubilation by the Hoops players and fans were a stark contrast with their emotions last week when Rangers clinched the SPL crown on the final day. Kris' first taunt came on the eve of a crucial Old Firm clash at Parkhead - and canny Gers boss Walter Smith pinned his words on the Ibrox dressing-room wall. The rest is history. And the claims were thrown back in the midfielder's face by some Gers stars last week as they celebrated their three-in-a-row titles. Commons stuck to his guns and said yesterday: "It's my opinion and I stand by my words. Celtic are the younger, fitter, better side. "Rangers beat us by one point - and credit to them, they have quality throughout their team. "But they didn't beat us because they were fitter. "We can improve. Next year we won't be concentrating on matters outside of football, we'll be concentrating on Celtic and our own performances. "We are a good side that can score good goals. "Guys like Beram Kayal, Ki Sung-Yueng, Gary Hooper and Emilio Izaguirre are all in their early 20s and are still to peak. "They are outstanding prospects. I think we're going to be a force. "In the space of a week we have experienced losing and have now enjoyed winning. "The heartache and loss we felt last weekend will make us more determined next time. "You can't buy experience - look at Rangers skipper Davie Weir. "He's an outstanding leader and it was a pleasure to play with him when I was with Scotland. "Yes, Rangers winning the league was a great achievement. "But from the disappointment we'll get experience. "And you get experience from winning as well. Walking around the pitch with the trophy at the end, with the fans saluting you and throwing scarves and stuff, was magic and I want to sample that on a regular basis. "It's our driving force next year - we don't want to lose anything. We want to win big. "We're on a high after winning the cup and it has given us a hunger to kick on now." Commons admits he never had any self-doubt after Celtic stumbled in the closing stages of the league race to let their Old Firm rivals squeeze past. He said: "I wouldn't say there were question marks about our ability to get over the finish line. "Going into the last four or five games we felt like favourites - but in football nothing is certain. "So it felt great to win yesterday at Hampden to repay the fans for their constant support. "We've believed all season we've a good enough squad to win some silverware - and now we've shown that we can. "Hopefully next year we'll win a few more. If the team stick together we can achieve a lot. "We have a really good squad and when everyone's fit and fighting for places it's a healthy position to be in. Beram will be back after his injury and I hope we get off to a good start and carry on from where we left off." Commons - who had a hand in Celtic's first two goals - celebrated success on a big scale for the first time since winning promotion with Nottingham Forest He said: "I was promoted with Forest but we finished second - so there was no trophy. "This is a similar feeling - the champagne's out, the boys are buzzing." Commons praised gaffer Neil Lennon and said the players would be delighted if his future could be sorted out as soon as possible. The midfielder said: "If we can tie down Neil for another couple of years the lads would be delighted. "This has been a good way to end a long, hard season. "There's not much of a break in the summer before we're back in the swing of things. "I hope everyone comes back from their break for pre-season feeling fit and healthy." Commons is now due to team up with Scotland for the Carling Nations Cup double header in Dublin but said: "I'll be speaking to Craig Levein and seeing what the situation is." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/05/22/celtic-have-the-edge-over-rangers-despite-spl-title-loss-says-kris-commons-86908-23148440/

Neil Lennon has vowed to change the way he operates after reflecting on a season which has seen him make more headlines than his team. The Parkhead boss can sign off his first year in charge with a Scottish Cup win tomorrow. But, even before the curtain comes down on a season of unprecedented drama on and off the field, Lennon has taken stock and identified what he will do differently. He admitted he has had his eyes opened to how he is viewed by some people, but insisted: ââ?¬Å?That is their problem, not mine. ââ?¬Å?If they canââ?¬â?¢t really see what is going on, or they do see it and just wonââ?¬â?¢t admit it, then they are the ones with the problem and not me.ââ?¬Â Asked if, in light of all that has happened in the past 12 months, during which chief executive Peter Lawwell claims Lennon was demonised in some quarters, the manager hopes people will look at things differently next season, he replied: ââ?¬Å?They might do, but I donââ?¬â?¢t think they will because they are so tunnel vision in their ways. ââ?¬Å?Whatever I do, I canââ?¬â?¢t force them to change their views on things. ââ?¬Å?What I will do is I will view things in a different way in my approach to some areas of the job. ââ?¬Å?I will deal with that at the start of next year.ââ?¬Â The trouble kicked off for Lennon this season when he challenged referee Dougie McDonaldââ?¬â?¢s version of events after changing his mind about awarding Celtic a penalty at Tannadice. But Lennon remains convinced the fall-out from this ââ?¬â?? with McDonald and refsââ?¬â?¢ boss Hugh Dallas losing their jobs ââ?¬â?? vindicated his actions. He said: ââ?¬Å?What we were looking for was a bit of transparency in the way referees were dealing with things. ââ?¬Å?We as a club seemed to have the finger pointed at us. ââ?¬Å?We all know what happened. A referee or officials lied to me, then the story broke through with an official coming out and telling the story that that was the case. ââ?¬Å?It had nothing to do with our club.ââ?¬Â Lennon accepts he remains on a very steep learning curve, but believes he has got more wrong than right on the way. He told Channel 67: ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t think we have done a lot wrong domestically. ââ?¬Å?All managers make mistakes. It doesnââ?¬â?¢t matter if they are in their first year or their 25th year.ââ?¬Â He added: ââ?¬Å?We wanted to win the league. That was a priority, and it is a huge disappointment we have not done that. ââ?¬Å?But this is hopefully the start of something special at the club for the next four or five years. ââ?¬Å?Preparations have already started for next season in terms of adding to the squad and trying to bring more quality in, though weââ?¬â?¢re really happy with the players we have got here, and the improvements and progress we have made. ââ?¬Å?But Iââ?¬â?¢m here to win trophies, and obviously the championship is the big one for me.:grin: ââ?¬Å?We got 92 points, but that wasnââ?¬â?¢t enough, for some reason, and we will have to improve on that next season. ââ?¬Å?Statistics donââ?¬â?¢t mean a great deal. Whatââ?¬â?¢s so important to this club is having trophies at the end of the season. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve one more opportunity to do that, and we will give everything we have got because the players and supporters deserve it for their efforts this season.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/neil-lennon-i-will-change-1.1102655?40877

HE'S Craig Levein's bit of bling... the 24 carat jewel in Scotland's crown. Allan McGregor has certainly come a long way since Bevvygate. On Sunday night he was named the Scottish Football Writers' International Player of the Year. And Scotland boss Levein hailed the Rangers keeper as his DIAMOND geezer. Levein insists Gregs, 29, is now a model pro who sets an example to the rest of the Scotland squad. He said: "You form an impression of people when you don't know them. Everybody does that. "I'd never worked with Alan before and you form an impression of what you see and from what people's perceptions are. "From the moment I met Allan - I went down to Murray Park to speak to him about this Bevvygate stuff and all the rest of it - he was desperate to get back involved with the squad. "We were toiling when I'd left a lot of the Rangers lads out of the Faroes game and Craig Gordon had a little problem with his thigh and we were struggling for keepers. "Allan was desperate to come up. He drove up that night when I phoned him. He has been a delight to deal with. His training has been fantastic, his attitude has been great around the rest of the players. "You have to remember as well that he's maturing. "He's now at an age where I think he understands that football is everything for him, because he's at this stage in his development where he should be concentrating on making his career. "He has reached a certain level and he should now be concentrating on maintaining or improving on that for as long as he can. "I think he has got a new-found maturity. "I'm trying to explain that, when I looked at Allan from outside, I didn't understand him because I didn't know him. "But since I've been involved he's been an absolute diamond. "Allan deserves all of the recognition for his performances this year and him getting back into the international squad has been good for him and Rangers. "Allan is improving and is at a level where people will talk about him. "When you are playing at the same level every week, and Allan is an eight out of ten every game, that is the level I look for. "He is achieving that and somebody at some point will make an offer for him. "I'm sure Craig Gordon will be determined to oust Allan and it's brilliant for me. "I just wish I had two players in every position who are of that quality. Everything Allan does, he does with such enthusiasm. "In training and anything we want to do within the group, he is always at the forefront, setting an example to younger players." Levein has named his 24-man squad for next week's Carling Nations Cup clashes with both Wales and the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Celtic's James Forrest has been picked for the first time along with Norwich City right-back Russell Martin. Levein added: "If you look back at the squads recently I've tried to bring in players who will be international players in time. "What I don't want to do on the eve of an important competitive match is get a couple of injuries and have to call on a younger player to come in who hasn't experienced the whole situation. "So that's one of the reasons I've got Grant Hanley and Danny Wilson in this squad, because I feel they will both play international football. It might even be in this tournament. "It's about getting young players used to international gatherings and training with the senior players. "For me, we don't have an awful lot of players like Forrest. He's direct, he has real pace and is a goal threat. "In games you need people to be able to create things and to be able to do things in one-on-one situations. "Forrest is one of those who can do that and he's one I'm thinking about for the future. "Russell Martin is one we've been keeping tabs on. He's technically very good and he's a good age, 25. "And he's now getting a move into the Premiership with Norwich so that is another major plus." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/3586278/Gregg-isnt-a-bad-boy-now-hes-a-model-pro.html#ixzz1MesVxXDL

The Crucial Contribution of Vladimir Weiss Nobody really likes singling out individual players in a season that was all about team spirit, determination and a winning mentality because it's about more than an individual, it's about every single individual; it's about the whole team. Having said that, a few players have shone brightly...... Allan McGregor has saved us countless times this season. Most people (not just Rangers fans) see him as the best goalie in Scotland and amongst the top 5 playing in the British Isles. He's played 37 games, made 146 saves and kept 19 clean sheets. We've won the league and if one single man deserves our praise I can't think of a better one than Alan McGregor. Kenny Miller, our ex-player and SPL top scorer for the season, who's been sunning himself in Turkey and topping up the old tan, racked up a seriously impressive 21 league goals in 18 games that put us in a great position for the turn of the year. He managed 2 hat-tricks in that short spell too which didn't do his season's goal tally any harm and he suns himself with my blessing and a big shout over to Turkey of 'thanks for the goals Kenny'. Nikica Jelavic, our only big summer signing in 2010 and one which many fans were dubious of has turned out to be not just a gem, but a diamond. When you look back at this guy's contribution this season, consider that he was new to the team and only played 23 SPL games thanks to Ian Black of Hearts, then you get a picture of his quality, especially when a few of those games were sub appearances to bring him back from his injury. He had a smaller goals to games ratio than Miller, but he was new to the squad and considering his 4+ months out injured his contribution actually deserves to be classed as higher than Kenny Miller's because he racked up almost 5 times the number of assists as well. Miller = 1 assist in 18 games, Jela = 5 assists in 23 (including some subs being brought back from injury). What a player! Steven Naismith, our mouthy, but extremely talented winger come striker has played a massive part too. Message to Naisy - concentrate on your football. You're a quality player. 11 goals and 7 assists in 31 appearances in the SPL this season is no joking matter, but you need to watch your anger. The anger and passion is there in your game, but try to channel it as you have done when you've played your best. Weir, Lafferty & others I'm not missing you out here, but I need to make a point and it needs to made quickly. Vladimir Weiss scored 5 goals and provided 9 assists in 23 games. Some Rangers fans have labelled him as inconsistent just as they do all the time with players who have the odd bad game, but Vlad has got a cracking record here for a loan player. He's clocked up more assists than anyone in the entire team over the course of the season despite the fact that he only played 23 games from 38. Vlad... Thanks for your contribution, cheers and we hope you come back to Ibrox next season to help us win our 55th league title. You know you want to!

Sorry for the poor Quality as is was a bit dark. And i was pissed LOL

Rangers take all three points with authoritative home win over dangerous Dundee Utd side so are now just one away win from a record 54th league title. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=413:rangers-2-0-dundee-utd-player-ratings-and-mom-poll&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67 So fitting that our club captain was man of the match on his 41st birthday. By and large Weir has had another fine season and his performance last night typified the quality he has brought to the club over the last 4.5 years. Nods to Naismith, Davis, Lafferty and Edu who were all superb last night again. No coincidence that our midfield functioning properly again has resulted in more comfortable results. One more game lads - one more game! :spl:

All 4 goals in order folks... enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb0kIIMX_nM [video=youtube;-SqkR8GgKcs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SqkR8GgKcs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsDzSEXZASM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cESMi1PGILs

What happens if the Paul Murray deal goes through??? �£25m is ploughed into the squad in the summer & McCoist gets to rebuild the squad with some quality players....excellent news for next season!!! However, what happens then??? The pocket money's gone, but the wages still remain, as does the bank debt - even though I would imagine it being reduced further. The team would have a good chance of winning the league, possibly at least one other domestic cup, and would hopefully do quite well in Europe - more likely Europa cup rather than Champ league though.....all being revenue that has been achieved over the past couple of years. How will the club be able to afford to keep the new quality that McCoist has just brought in??? Does the club then develop into a feeder club for the big boys down south??? Profit being generated by bringing players in for a season, then selling on.... Also, How is the �£25m being raised??? My understanding is that it is being UNDER-WRITTEN by P Murray & his backers.....does that not mean that xx number of shares are put up for sale, and if the total value does not meet the target, PM & his backers make up the difference ie. Share sales raise �£15m, the PM & his backers have to stump up the additional �£10m. Who is buying the shares - THE FANS!!!! Possibly some large chunks being bought by various wealthy folk, but in the main it would be the average fan coughing up the money. If the share sales raise the full �£25m....it cost PM & his backers nothing!!!! My view is that the CW deal should bring the club onto a more financially stable platform ie no �£20m debt. Therefore any monies/profit generated stay with the club....this in itself should generate transfer funding & enable to club to turn round an overall profit. Time will tell the true outcome....

In order from 1 to 5 .... Enjoy!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfW1u8onYXI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDlPrnmfuPA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ELVSQxkSlI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkJ311RQZa8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2ZR8XQPcT8 :rfc::rfc:

HE'S looked at the figures and done all the sums. Ally McCoist doesn't think Rangers will be in trouble if the Craig Whyte takeover falls through. He KNOWS it. The Ibrox boss-in-waiting has had a long hard look at the club's financial mess. And he's had to draft up TWO lists of potential signing targets. One has star quality players he would love to sign if a new owner takes charge. The other is bargain basement Bosmans other big clubs have tossed aside. It's a scary situation facing a rookie boss - but McCoist insists it's the reality that can't be ignored. He said: "It's correct to say it's difficult. I have one list here on my left and another on my right - and one is cheaper than the other. "I can't move on either list right now and might miss out on players on both lists. "That's the way it is - it's not an ideal situation but we know that and have to deal with it. "If the wage bill has to get cut again I have another list. "If things stay the same I will have to cut quite severely and that's horrendous. "I'm attempting to say to the fans 'We're in trouble, BIG trouble'. "If these cuts have to be made then you just have to look at the squad we'll be left with and work out how difficult it will be. "We will always, always, always strive to be competitive - that's just the nature of our club. "But it will be very difficult. "I hate to say that because it might sound as if I'm making excuses before I'm in the job." McCoist can only hope that the loyal Rangers fans who buy season tickets every year don't opt to keep their money in their pockets - or the situation might get even worse. But he can understand if they are reluctant to part with their hard-earned cash. McCoist added: "The fans want to know the product first. "It's like buying tickets for a concert without knowing who you're going to watch - you just wouldn't do that, would you? "I'm totally with the fans on where they are coming from on this. I've no doubt they will come out again, but I understand completely why they would like to know the manager's plans and where the club is going first. "Of course I'd always encourage Rangers fans to support the club and season ticket holders are so important to us it's unbelievable. "But I would urge them to stay with us. "I don't think they do realise the extent of things. "I don't want to sit here and scare them with this and that going to happen, I just want their continued support." McCoist still hopes Whyte's long-running takeover will be completed by next week - by which time he'll be able to look at Plan A. That includes new contract offers to Steven Davis, Madjid Bougherra and Allan McGregor. Ibrox No 1 McGregor in particular has been outstanding with Gers offering him a SIX-YEAR extension to his current deal. And McCoist is desperate for him to stay, adding: "Allan can be anything he wants to be. It is entirely up to him. "He can achieve all his footballing dreams here because there is no better place to be successful. "There might be one or two bigger places, if you are talking Manchester United or clubs like that, but in terms of a place to be when things are going well, there is no better club in the world than here. "What I am saying is 'Stay here and enjoy your football'. "We've had top goalies like Chris Woods and Andy Goram. Those two boys were fantastic goalkeepers, but Allan is a fantastic goalkeeper as well, no doubt about it. "That's the one thing I'd have to say, Rangers have been pretty lucky in the past 20-30 years with some really, really top goalkeepers. It's arguably one of the most important positions in the team. We have been lucky and certainly in my opinion Allan is up there with any we have had. "He has great focus which is important for any goalkeeper, but especially at a top club. "I think the one thing about Allan is that he is fantastically dedicated to his job when he goes out on that park and when he trains. "He is a beast when it comes to training. "He is one of these boys, a wee bit like Gascoigne, who I think is at home on the training ground and the football park." As SunSport also revealed this week Vladimir Weiss is desperate to sign a new loan deal from Manchester City. And McCoist admits: "Vlad is an obvious one because he enjoyed his time here. "He did well, probably could have played a bit more. "We are not in a position to spend money but we are in a position where if you have an advantage of having someone who has been here before, you know them and they know you, it would certainly be a plus." Whatever happens off the park, McCoist plans to hold talks with skipper Davie Weir. He added: "I haven't spoken to Davie yet but we'll definitely sit down and have a chat. "I don't know what he'll do, but the most important person in all of this is Davie himself. "He has to decide what he wants to do. "The one thing is that Davie has earned his stripes and deserves a couple of weeks away to think about it. "He might want to stay on, he might want to do coaching after sitting his UEFA badges. No one can grudge him his choice." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3554139/Gers-fans-just-dont-know-how-big-a-mess-we-are-in.html#ixzz1KtkeTqNR

IT'S what this game of ours should be all about. Two next-door neighbours, coming head to head with the whole season at stake. One's top of the league, the other a point behind in second. No wonder no one's thought about anything else for weeks. And now it's here at last, there's not a spare seat to be had. From the moment the gladiators swagger side-by-side into the arena, you can't hear yourself think. Best of all, when it's done and every single one of them has wrung every single ounce of energy out of himself and into the the churned-up turf, winners and losers alike go home babbling about the only thing that matters. The football. But enough of Dunfermline against Raith on Saturday. This was Ibrox, 24 hours later. The anti-derby. The opposite of sport. Everything that this game of ours has been allowed to become. A day when the sight of cops everywhere you turn should be a reassuring one - yet which in reality only rams home how depressing a fixture it is these days, how little it has to do with joy or entertainment and how it's all about praying the lid doesn't come flying off a big box of mayhem. A day when the only result that matters to anyone who's not involved through choice is if they get through it all in one piece. The ref and his linesmen, those legions of cops, hundreds of stewards, the girls on the pie stalls, the media. Taxi drivers, bus drivers, casualty nurses and doctors. So many people put through the ringer just so the lawless, brainless element among two sets of fans can have their fun. A minority? Yes, they may well be. But they are the fleas on the tail that wags the dog - and leave the rest of us yearning for a right good fumigating. I mean, what chance is there of peace breaking out between these two when the one guy you'd think would want to keep his head down struts around the pitch winding up the world? Neil Lennon's been sent nail bombs in the post. Internet halfwits are being rounded up as we speak for running online death threat campaigns against him. So if anyone should have been happy to get away with a result and head home to open Easter eggs with the family, it was surely him. But no. He parades around the pitch at full time with both hands cupped to his ears, telling the Rangers hordes he can't hear them. And in one ill-judged gesture, he makes sure the whole firestorm of abuse and recriminations keeps on blazing away. He said he was only having a laugh. And if these were jolly occasions, the world might have seen the joke. But let's be honest, they offer all the fun of a night in intensive care. Or maybe that's just me, seeing as the official line from inside Ibrox was that everyone had a smashing time and Radio Scotland commentator Rob McLean announced that the occasion deserved "ten out of ten for atmosphere, noise and colour and good humour." Good humour? Yeah, maybe in the way French peasants used to crowd round the guillotine for a fun night out or passers-by snigger when an old lady trips over a dodgy paving stone and breaks her hip. From where I'm sitting on days like these, everyone hates everyone else. No one's happy. At every throw-in and corner, twisted faces hang over the barriers, pointing and screaming abuse. They're like angry mongrels barking at postmen. All over the pitch, players who every other week can pass and run and shoot with the best of them pull shirts and click heels, riddled with fear over the dire consequences of losing. OK, so the second half was way better in the first and you could only admire the brilliance of Rangers keeper Allan McGregor as he kept his side in it. But in the end, it sums up the overall lack of quality that it will be most remembered for a striker failing to tuck away a soft penalty given by a ref who - for the second Old Firm outing on the trot - got away with making the wrong decision when it mattered most. Between that messy incident and Lennon's antics at time-up, it was just about the most fitting possible end to a horrible week when this rivalry has felt more tired and tarnished than ever before. I have friends on both sides who once would have sold their granny for an Old Firm ticket, but who'd now rather watch in the safety and sanity of their living rooms. I've spoken to fans of many other clubs who used to tune in to gawp with a hint of jealousy at the craziness of it all but who didn't even put the telly on yesterday. Yet still those who run Scotland's top division insist that these are the two clubs around which everyone must be built, whose every demand must be met. EssPeeEll chief executive Neil Doncaster calls this need to pander to the Bigot Brothers "an unfortunate reality". Well, he was at East End Park on Saturday. He saw first hand how a local rivalry CAN be passionate without being poisonous. And I hope he went home ashamed that he and his cohorts are flatly refusing to open the door to more clubs who have something fresh and energetic honest to offer. If that's how the powers-that-be want things, if that's the respect they have for all those in this country who love football for football's sake, then the end if well and truly nigh. Last week, former Celtic striker Mark McGhee admitted he wished he'd had the bottle to walk off the pitch in protest when the sectarianism got cranked up into overdrive. What a message it would send to the halfwits who spoil it for the rest if a modern-day player could read his words and act upon them. In fact, how good would it be if EVERYONE who hates the baggage that comes with this fixture just got up and walked out and left them to it. Except that you instantly see the flaw in that plan. Which is that the halfwits wouldn't even notice. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3544479/The-shame-old-shame-old.html#ixzz1KUFasCRz

As Scotland's number one goalkeeper again helped deliver a crucial three points in Rangers' quest for a third SPL in a row, I turned to my mates and remarked just how important the lad is to our club. Surely the outstanding candidate for our player of the year this season? McGregor's time at Rangers has been a fascinating one for a 'keeper that is still a year short of his 30th birthday - a milestone that usually sees goalies mature on the field with their advancing years. Just over 9 years since he made his competitive d�©but for the club as an enforced sub for Stefan Klos in a League Cup tie away to Forfar, the Scotsman has been on a roller-coaster of a career so far. Considered surplus to requirements by both Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish, McGregor was one Murray Park product that seemed to be destined for mediocrity in the early part of this century. Respective loans to St Johnstone (04/05) and Dunfermline (05/06) suggested he was going to be just another promising youngster without a future at Ibrox. The arrival of Paul Le Guen (and to a lesser extent Lionel Letizi) changed that. While both of these Frenchmen had had impressive careers before arriving at Rangers, both struggled on arrival in Glasgow but if Le Guen can lay claim to one positive upon leaving 'by mutual consent' he can point to installing McGregor as the club's number 1 goalkeeper - even if Letizi's poor form and injury contributed to this decision. McGregor went on to be voted the club's Players' Player of the Year for that season (2006/07). Since then he appeared to take confidence in his own ability and has improved year on year also making his Scotland international d�©but that season. A genuine natural shot-stopper it says a lot for him that he can keep guys like Neil Alexander and Craig Gordon behind him. Unfortunately, with this rise to prominence the lad has had his fair share of controversy. From being made a joint scapegoat for a Scotland team 'bonding' session to stormy personal relationships that seem him on the front pages as much as the back, McGregor's well known nickname and chant are certainly apt. Conversely crude songs about erroneous assault charges are less funny and it is to the lad's credit that he's never reacted to them - unlike other players and managers who do use such excuses for poor behaviour. Fortunately, current Scotland manager Craig Levein is another person who realises that McGregor has perhaps been hard done by in the past so, despite a disgraceful sine die SFA ban, the former Dundee Utd and Hearts manager recalled McGregor back to the international fold at the start of this season and he has since made the Scotland No1 position his own with some fine displays for his country. In the meantime McGregor has maintained his form at club level and as Rangers once again became the sole Scottish club to challenge on domestic and European fronts, he has been one player that has shown a high level of consistency and quality throughout. He may not have scored the goals of Kenny Miller or provided the graft of Steven Naismith but McGregor's plethora of vital saves is as invaluable as anything else this season. To that end, it is a huge surprise he's not even mentioned on the official Rangers Player of the Year list - despite the inclusion of players that, with respect, have failed to deliver this season. During a difficult period for the club in financial terms, McGregor is arguably the most expensive asset we have at the club. Out of contract in 2013 and with a variety of clubs always interested in his availability McGregor has come a long way from unglamorous loan spells and unsavoury international incidents. He truly has matured as a player and as a person. Next term will be McGregor's testimonial year given February 2012 will have been 10 years since his first team d�©but and this summer 10 years since he signed professionally in 2001. In a sport that now sees players more motivated by money rather than loyalty it is quite amazing that a player of McGregor's quality is still at Rangers. More so when you consider the variety of external factors that never seemed to impinge on his own self-belief. Of course without a club takeover the lad may not see this exceptional milestone but if he does decide to move on McGregor will leave Rangers with our thanks and as Scotland's number one. Thus, if he continues to court consistency instead of controversy there's no reason why he can't have another ten years as Scotland's number one!

With another UEFA charge of discriminatory chanting being levelled at Rangers and ongoing summits at government level debating the subject domestically, I've found the media coverage of these issues extremely interesting. From the front pages to the back as well as carefully selected published letters, the topic has taken up a lot of space in our newspapers over the last month. There's no doubt some political grand-standing is taking place as elections close in. Obviously it would be unreasonable not to expect this given the controversy and interest this subject attracts. Not to mention the money that must be earned from it - be it increased hard copies sold, more hits on websites or larger listener numbers to radio phone-ins. However, are these media platforms being responsible with regard to their portrayal of the subject? For example itââ?¬â?¢s obvious that many commentators on Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s sectarianism problem blame it solely on football (or indeed often specifically one club). While football chants are indisputable symptoms of the disease, if other more important factors are not also highlighted and debated (e.g. separate schooling) then the whole argument becomes disingenuous. After all surely the hundreds of thousands of pounds of public funds granted to two successive failed Scottish Executive anti-sectarianism committees is worthy of scrutiny from those who genuinely wish to address this social disease? Moreover, the failure to balance criticism of football clubs with regular coverage of the impressive work they do in the community is disappointing. Yet we see none of this so it seems reasonable to assume that the media coverage isn't with the aim of curing the problem but is actually just another symptom of it. Let's go back 5 years to make our point. Scottish Labour are in power and they publish their findings into 'Sectarianism in Football' within Scotland after consultations with a variety of fans in early 2006. Within these findings the following is recommended: First of all, it is unapparent if these meetings ever happened ââ?¬â?? certainly ongoing polemic and objectionable contributions from the usual commentators suggests it hasnââ?¬â?¢t. Be it cartoons about 'h*ns' with Rangers scarves in The Scotsman or BBC Radio Scotland programmes where supposedly neutral hosts are unable to substantiate their claims that one club is much worse than the other alongside deliberately misleading chant comparisons; it is clear that some coverage is less than helpful. I'm certain fans of all clubs could add all their own examples. To that end any reasonable person would surely have concerns in the way that certain sections of the media portray and amplify the sectarianism problem ââ?¬â?? often without offering serious debate in how the problem can be addressed. Partisan condemnation appears to be the main aspect of their input and this certainly doesnââ?¬â?¢t always help our chances of success in communicating constructively with fans. Therefore, there is no doubt in my mind that there exists in the Scottish media an element of disappointing opportunism in terms of erratic commentary on the bigotry problem in football. This has created a severe problem for the authorities (both footballing and law) in that many sides of the debate feel they are unfairly targeted ââ?¬â?? leading to time being wasted on unsubstantiated claims of bias or inaction. Furthermore, the media pre-occupation with relatively small numbers of football supporters singing offensive songs based on tribal backgrounds as opposed to combating genuine sectarianism (and racism) via high quality debate is not only unhelpful but I'd contend increases tension, heightens defiance and thus causes more problems than it solves. To that end this new 'Joint Action Group' should, as a matter of urgency, establish a coherent strategy to ensure media coverage of the bigotry issue is fair, consistent and balanced. This would help avoid the current climate of subjective complaint after complaint based upon unjustified and inaccurate media reporting. Until this happens, I think it's fair to say the media are not the solution but are indeed part of the problem. Just don't expect to see that valid conclusion reported any time soon.

I really doubt Ally would say to any possible future boss to put up or shut up. It would be very stupid if he did.

We used to have the excuse that they had a bigger stadium than ours, as they spent less money on a bigger, lower quality stadium full of restricted views and breeze-block everywhere as well as a roof that doesn't cover all the seats. But the recession has hit and both clubs are well down on average attendances, and with Celtic down 8k and us down 4k, they are actually taking a bigger hit, which means we're now closer in income from gate money. However, their average is still 48.5k and ours is 44.5k, which means their total is still above ours but less than our capacity. If we have the same number of fans or more shouldn't we be able to match them now? There is the argument that more of their fans have chosen not to come any more and so percentage-wise ours are more loyal, and if you start with a higher number then there will be a higher number who are in the habit of going. In a recession, it's harder to get new people to buy season tickets. Or is there just more of them? Some might argue that our product on the pitch isn't good enough - but does that mean they play better football or that they loyally support their club even when the football isn't great. And besides, there are at least 70k more fans who pay similar money to watch lesser teams in the league who not only serve up less talented players who play worse football, who score less goals and win less games, but they also don't have much of a hope in hell of winning the title. I'm not criticising anyone for not going to games - I'm in England and get to very few. Just wondering if they actually have more fans whch means they will always have a financial advantage. One thing is for sure, it's lucky we didn't follow up any plans to increase the capacity of Ibrox...

As season ticket renewal time approaches next month, it has been interesting to note a sudden surge of information surrounding the running of the club. Whether it be Rangers Supporters Assembly statements inferring problems between the Rangers board and Lloyds Banking Group or Craig Whyte appearing from the smoke to sit beside wealthy Glasgow businessmen at Ibrox; the momentum is picking up on a variety of issues. Now, I'd consider myself a reasonably average Rangers fan. I have one of the cheaper season tickets at around �£420; I'm lucky enough to have a decent job/income; I'm married with two young children and I have a group of friends I enjoy going to Ibrox with 'Every Other Saturday'. I'd also consider myself fairly interested in the 'political' side of the club; like to sing songs when I attend games and obviously use the internet to pass on my words of wisdom. To that end, I'm more than aware that while the club is downsizing off the park - thus perhaps also downsizing our ambitions with it - my small annual investment is as important as ever to Rangers. A large (but serviceable) debt and tax 'queries' remain worrying obstacles to our continued success while the lack of interest of our previously less than publicity shy owner means ambition and plain old solid long term planning are difficult to find amongst the realism pleas from the board members who do engage with the support now and again. Indeed, it's that club-supporter relationship which is all-important going into the coming months and years. Despite year-on-year downsizing and minimal dialogue (or defence), Rangers fans haven't been slow to support the club - both emotionally and financially during these testing times. In fact, it was only in 2009 that key club figures spoke about our unwavering fiscal commitment and how vital it was to the club's viability. Ergo, while season ticket numbers have understandably dropped since then due to a worldwide recession, those words remain significant. With an absent owner struggling with his own empire problems (but still rich enough to buy vineyards, build Corstorphine mansions and develop Edinburgh green belts), a board of directors more interested in fighting each other than raising funds (or investing their own) and a bank who appear to change their debt demands as often as Diouf changes his car/hair colour; once again it will be down to the average fan to invest over the coming months. As it stands, �£20million (around 40,000 season ticket holders renewing at an average of around �£500) is the only cash that will be invested into Rangers this summer. Potential owner promises aside (I thought we were told not to accept money from strangers), no-one else will be putting in such a sum year on year. Obviously, for most of us, that investment won't be a financial one per se but merely our own small emotional gift to a club that means everything to us. However, that doesn't mean it is automatically given away to whatever bank (or majority shareholder) that needs to pay it's next multi-million pound bonus to. Therefore, while the Assembly's inferences are interesting and while hope persists about Craig Whyte's intentions, I can't be the only Rangers fan getting fed up of having to read between the lines. After all ticket renewals/attendances have been down the last two years and that's with a winning team. What will happen to those numbers if we don't win the league this season? For most of us supporting Rangers isn't a straightforward, logical choice but we all have ends to meet and will have to draw the line somewhere. It's with that thought in mind that the frustration starts to grate: 1. Are the bank financially supportive or are they not? 2. Is our budget to be increased or decreased? 3. Is this dependent on next year's European football income? 4. How does the HMRC tax 'query' fit into our budget? 5. If Craig Whyte is the real deal, why not partially reveal how he intends to take us forward? 6. New owner or not, where does the club see itself in 1, 3, 5 and 10 years time? I don't think the above questions are unreasonable or that difficult to answer. After all, myself and thousands other bears are about to blindly pay in advance for a service we just don't know the quality of. To be clear, most people don't want to withhold season ticket money (that would arguably just make things worse) but neither do we want to hand it over to see it swallowed up by people who contributed to our problems in the first place. It's with that thought in mind that I urge the club to revisit their comments of 2009 and ensure that our worries and opinions are addressed before they sanction the mailing of renewal forms. After all, most Rangers fans I speak with are realistic. Yes, we're ambitious (and often unreasonable with that) but we also acknowledge the challenges of the club and want to help face them. For that reason, I urge more transparency from the board and compel them to involve the supporters more than ever before. �£20million may not be a huge amount of money nowadays but it surely entitles those that pay it the same support and trust we continue to give the club and its custodians.

Given all this negative rubbish about Walter in Europe since he returned, here are the true facts: Played - 40 Won - 9 Drawn - 17 Lost - 14 Goals for - 33 Goals against - 40 This includes double headers against Barcelona, Manchester Utd, Lyon, Werder Bremen, Fiorentina, Valencia, Seville, Stuttgart (twice) and Sporting Lisbon (twice). Away from home our record is: Played - 20 Won - 3 Drawn - 9 Lost - 8 Goals for - 16 Goals against - 22 That's away from home, in Europe, aqainst on the whole quality teams as mentioned above, with 9 games in a tournament where the mhanks haven't won a game away in 25 years. We've won in Lyon and Lisbon, and got draws in Manchester, Stuttgart, Eindhoven, Lisbon, Florence and Athens. By any stretch of the imagination that away record is fantastic for a club in our position!! We're not playing diddy teams in the qualifying rounds, we're talking of competitions proper against Europe's elite. And for those of you reading that rubbish about 1 win in 20, that same run has seen us draw 11 of those games, 7 out of 10 which have been away from home. In this god awful run we've picked up 4 times as many away points in the Champions League than the mhanks have achieved in their entire history!! I'll quite happily take another 5 draws if it takes us to Dublin!! Okay, we could have done better at home at times under Walter, but in the last 4 years we've been to the last sixteen of the Europa League three times, including the final, and this season's not over!! So well done Walter!! You're an absolute legend. I don't agree with your tactics all the time, but most of the time you get results and i'll always remember you as the greatest Rangers manager of my lifetime.

By jim Traynor on Mar 14, 11 08:37 AM in ALLY McCOIST will fight his two-match touchline ban but he should accept the punishment. He'll need all his reserves of energy and will for more important struggles which lie ahead. Depending on what happens over the next two to three weeks he will be taking over as manager of a club about to be revitalised or one sliding deeper into decline. And many are convinced it will be the latter. With the passing of every week Rangers fans lose hope that their club will be bought over and dragged out of debt. They look at the paucity of Walter Smith's squad and they must feel like weeping. Lloyds Bank, on the other hand, are delighted. Rangers' debt continues to fall and the next set of figures, which are about to be released, will show the Ibrox club now owe less than �£20million. No doubt someone at the bank will take pride in a job well done and it shouldn't surprise anyone if that person is in line for a whopping bonus. After all, that's what the banks do isn't it? They reward themselves for squeezing and destroying hard-working ordinary Joes even though it was their greed and stupidity that pushed the country towards financial ruin. And then they grab our tax money to get them out of the mess. It's instead of being forced back to school to do their sums again they grow fatter and richer by refusing to lend any of the cash back to people trying to buy or hold on to their homes and businesses. And of course the less they lend out the more for them to share in bonus payments which would be enough to keep loads of little companies and households going. They slap one another on the back, oblivious to the damage they cause. However, they are themselves insolvent. They are morally bankrupt. No doubt Lloyds will credit themselves for reducing Rangers' debt but there is nothing sharp, or even intelligent, in putting in place a repayment plan that is making it increasingly difficult for Rangers to remain competitive. While the Ibrox balance sheet is looking much better you have to ask at what cost has this been achieved? The answer won't be clear until the end of this season but it does look as though Rangers don't have enough players to handle the run-in. It's also fairly obvious they can't cope with Neil Lennon's Celtic, who have won three and drawn one of the five Old Firm clashes so far this season. Of course if Rangers were to win the remaining two Old Firm matches everything would look so much brighter but the problems caused by constant wage cuts to keep the bank satisfied would remain. They were there when Smith steered Rangers to back-to-back titles and a glance at any of his team sheets this season proves the problems are even worse now. No matter what Rangers do on the pitch between now and the end of the season McCoist will be inheriting a squad lacking in genuine quality and experience. And he will have to give serious thought to selling one of his few assets, Allan McGregor, to fund moves for a couple of players simply to increase numbers. His task will be practically impossible and his only real hope is Craig Whyte who is still waiting in the wings. However, he won't wait much longer. Time is running out and if Whyte hasn't been given the go ahead by the end of this month don't be surprised if he closes his cheque book, puts it back in his pocket and walks away. Several vague deadlines have come and gone but Whyte is smart enough to realise that buying Rangers solves only half a problem. The other half involves rebuilding a squad and Whyte, I suspect, doesn't want to leave that part to the last minute. He knows clubs and managers are already working on the ins and outs of transfer deals for next season and he would want to give McCoist as much time as possible to improve his squad. But nothing can be done until Whyte's offer has been accepted. If it isn't - Rangers' standards will continue to fall. Whyte's �£33m bid to take the club off David Murray's hands and out of the bank's control, and his promise to spend �£5m on players each season for the first five years of his tenure appears to tick the relevant boxes. But still McCoist and Rangers wait. Of course, there is the potential tax liability should Rangers lose their court battle with the taxman but it is understood some kind of arrangement has been put in place to deal with that as well. But still Rangers fans wait. Now they have to ask why. After all, Whyte has provided proof of funding and Murray, who said he would never sell to anyone who couldn't support the club financially, appears convinced by the Scottish financier and it's understood he's prepared to do the deal. So why the hold up? Who might be stalling? Are Rangers being used as a pawn in a wider game? Is the bank playing hard ball? If so, why? Someone at Lloyds could probably provide the answers but because of market rules and the cloaks of confidentiality bankers wrap around themselves there is only silence. Rangers have cut back to the bare minimum to repay their debt and there is an offer on the table which would rid the bank of the headache, yet nothing continues to happen. If Whyte is ready to get going and help finance McCoist's rebuilding programme but finds he is being blocked then he should say so. Rangers fans are entitled to know why this deal hasn't been concluded. They deserve to know who is holding up progress and why. But they should also be aware that the Whyte saga is nearing its end. The next few weeks will make or break his ambition to own Rangers. That also means the next few weeks could make or break Rangers.

The general opinion seems to be that our squad is not only smaller than theirs, it's also lower in quality. Looking at their squad and ours, I'm not sure where the individual differences lie. If McCoist was given the same kind of money as Lennon, who would you want to replace as not good enough? Remember, you can't replace the whole squad... I think we can keep Weir's dignity by assuming he will definitely, definitely be retiring at the end of the season. For me, the ones performing the least when we really need them, seem to be Papac, Whitaker and Edu.