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I suspect this has been touched on elsewhere, maybe in the lynchmob thread, but with Boyd out for a while now, Lafferty finally has a serious chance to get played in his best position and soften the blow of Boyd's absence. As a number of us have said, he's generally excelled when played as a striker for us - it is his best slot, he has an eye for goal, and now seems like, admittedly belatedly, the opportunity for him to show his many doubters that he has the quality to play for Rangers. I don't know if he can get all the goals of messyrs Boyd and Miller, but we'd be seriously struggling up front if we didn't have Lafferty. I don't expect his harsh critics to give him an ounce of credit should he perform as I expect him to, but it'll be nice to know such passionate ire aimed at him was misguided.

After listening to various Radio station last night I am even more confused than ever , from Bitter Maguire stating that Rangers are indeed fortunate to have someone of the quality of Muir looking after their interests ( I nearly crashed the car at that point ) , to Radio Scotland going the entirely opposite way with regards to Muir and our present circumstance can someone please explain why Lloyds are taking this current course of action . I realise we have been making loses and indeed action was needed to avoid further loses , 12 players later and over �£5million in fees surely this has been addressed to some extent . �£22 million of our current �£31 million debt is being repaid at �£1million per year over 22 years I accept the interest will be sore but will also reduce every year , the current debt is being forecast at �£25 milion after this years C/L money so in effect we have �£4 million short term debt . So why are Lloyds wanting to get all the debt repaid this summer as is being reported or at very worst suggested by these supposed dramatic cuts to the squad ..

In the summer Hessleink, Nakamura, Hartley and O'Dea (loan) left the club along with a range of squad players left the club. As demonstrated by results they were replaced by players of inferior quality or who haven't settled yet in Fortune, N'Guemo, Fox and Thompson. Roll on January and Fox has already been punted, O'Dea has been recalled and installed as captain. Caldwell, Robson, Flood, Killen and McManus are also away to be replaced by Hooiveld, Rogne, Rasmussen and Ki. The new signings are not ready to hit the ground running being either injured or untried at this level. McDonald mya also yet be away. All the papers are rife with talk of the downsizing and pennypinching at Rangers, but the turmoil at Celtic is arguably worse. Sure we've not brought anyone in, but we've not been forced to sell the majority of our first team to take a series of punts on unkown players. Is Mowbray completely mad in trying to overhaul his entire playing staff in a year or are Celtic every bit (or nearly) as fucked as we are. If we flogged off Weir, Boyd, Bougherra and Mendes this summer and replaced them with unknowns the media stories would not be too kind. Something's not right at Fawlty Towers.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/sport-columnists/peter-martin-balance-act-tips-scales-to-rangers-1.1002144

Celtic attracted a paltry 41,000 through the turnstiles for a game against the current 3rd best team in the league - a team who are now only two points behind the east end mob. This figure can only get worse after a disastrous defeat which vastly lowers their hopes of wrestling back the title, and can only cause more despondency in the ranks – swelling the growing epidemic of empty green seats furter. That compares with a little over 47,000 at Ibrox for the recent Hearts game - a match of similar stature. This is about 150 lower than average for the season; however, both club’s figures could be seasonally adjusted due to the perceived, traditional end of January financial gloom of the nation. The comparison between the clubs; however, still stands. Their average has dropped to just over 51,000 in a 60,000 stadium giving an uptake of 85% with 68% of capacity at the game last night. That could be even lower when you consider their attendance stats are often a round thousand - which could suggest massaging of figures, not unheard of from a club which obsesses in perpetuating myths. Rangers have about 92% uptake on capacity which is fairly reasonable and as mentioned by our chairman, is currently one of the best in the UK. It also could demonstrate that the number of seats at Ibrox is about right for the current climate and plans to increase the stadium size are quite rightly shelved for at least the medium term. So Celtic are averaging about 4,000 more through the gate than Rangers, a gap which could lessen if Walter’s Winners tighten their grip on the SPL trophy, currently gleaming in the Ibrox trophy room. That is about half what is has been in recent years and cuts the annual financial reward for building a cheaper, low quality but ultimately larger stadium, from about Ã?£4M to about Ã?£2M (at a guess). Combine that with the difference in European money due to Rangers being the only Scottish representative in the Champions’ League while Celtic had to make do with the relative paucity of the Europa Cup, out of the League cup early on, and the Ã?£10M spending spree of Mowbray compared to SFA by his Govan based counterpart, and it seems that while Rangers are bravely weathering a financial storm, Celtic’s bank balance could be starting to take a bit of a battering. This could be exacerbated next year if Rangers again become the sole Scottish representative in Europe’s premier competition, when you consider how difficult it is to qualify as a runner up in the league, with far more affluent English, Italian and Spanish teams barring the way. It was expected by the Parkhead hoards that Celtic would start to flex some financial muscle while Rangers were reeling in a weakened state, and with a golden circle of success bringing income bringing success. They have brought in a new manager and thrown some money at him, but the return has been spectacularly poor, almost but not quite on the same scale of disaster as the ill fated, short lived, Le Guen era at Ibrox. Who next takes the lead in the ups, downs and almost outs of the off the park money game, all depends on how a proposed take-over of Rangers pans out. The club will surely benefit and vastly strengthen from releasing the manacles of a hefty debt and perhaps a small cash injection and a fan-based share issue, but ultimately the board will have to find a way to live within its means. This may mean defocusing on European success, and the removing the reliance on Champions’ League money, a prize which will soon become as difficult to win as the jackpot from your average puggy machine. For the largest two clubs to survive the financial barren financial future of post recession credit squeeze, post Setanta demise and during a time of incredible financial input into the bigger European leagues, they will both have to cut their cloth and concentrate on the more parochial goals of dominating the main three Scottish football competitions. It’s an Old Firm tradition which has sated most of its fanatical and vociferous followers for over a hundred years, and will have to suffice for the near future, until greed and mismanagement of banking proportions, bursts the fragile bubble of the likes of the English Premier League. The good news is that even with the profligacy of our long term owner putting us into a very difficult and constraining time, we could be competing on a reasonable level financial playing field – and with a much better team on the pitch.

Get right into these scum bassas the morn Rangers :spl: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR-hiAyFFIA&feature=related]YouTube- The Filth 2-4 Rangers (HIGH QUALITY)[/ame]

Starting with today's game we had probably the toughest run of matches possible ahead of us. Playing the 3 teams directly below us in the table with the Hibs and Celtic games being away. Hibernian at Easter Road was arguably the most difficult of the lot. So giving the 2nd best team in the league (on form) a confidence boosting goal in the first 15 seconds was not a good start. Which makes the manner of a our 4-1 victory even more impressive. The team is displaying huge amounts of character at the momment to compliment the quality of performance and this can be summed up no better than by today's game. So with the above said, there should be no excuses for not taking 9 points from 9 availble in this tricky run of games. And should we manage that we will be a minimum of 7 points ahead of our nearest rivals and romping towards another title. :spl: Bring on the arabs.

Andy examines the re-emergence of Hibs and what it means for bored Scottish football fans in this interesting pre-Xmas article! http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=187:hats-off-to-the-hibees-the-return-of-event-football&catid=1:articles&Itemid=67 Last week's round of SPL games saw Hibs extend their unbeaten run to 12 matches, which if not a club record must be the best sequence they have had for decades. This Saturday, though, they face the might of a resurgent Rangers, keen to slap down their challenge. I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to this game. Just as I was when Hibs, at the start of their good run, came to Ibrox and despite being fairly outplayed, grafted hard and earned a 1-1 draw. Just as I was when the Ibrox side travelled to Tannadice last week to play the then-hotly tipped Dundee United. What a difference from the usual predictable, dreary same as it ever was SPL fare. Great credit must go to both United and Hibs - or should it? For all they have done is assemble a decent squad (in Hibs' case, a good squad), get them playing to a system and have been consistent against the more mediocre sides, like Kilmarnock or Celtic. This is what should be expected EVERY year from at least two teams from Hearts, Hibs, Dundee Utd, and even Aberdeen - they have the support and the infrastructure to deliver such. They shoud be ashamed, bluntly, of their collective performances over the last decade and more. Yes, Rangers and Celtic will still divide the honours between them, yes, they will be a distance away from the others and yes, their best players have been plundered for other teams - but 25 points or more? Ridiculous. Even allowing for a haul of zero points against the Old Firm (and that doesn't usually happen) they should be more than capable of staying within a dozen points of so. But let that pass: this is supposed to be a tribute, not a complaint. The return of games you actually look forward to is bliss, to me. Even Old Firm games don't get me especially excited any more - there's too many of them, the quality is often bloody awful and the sanitised atmosphere has removed the pleasure to be gained from shrieking for 2 hours. So I offer tribute to Hibs, for (at last!) raising their game and making the trip to Easter Road something to shout about. I firmly believe that Rangers will win; but that's not the point. The only way up for Scottish football is for teams outwith Rangers and Celtic to offer a consistent challenge. To give THEIR fans something to believe in, to cheer for, most importantly to turn up for. If two of the three medium sized teams could consistently perform, they would find themselves becoming bigger businesses, find their stadia filling, and they would find Scottish football becoming more attractive to TV revenue streams. It's not rocket science, you find yourself bewildered as to why none of them have managed it before. Be that as it may. Well done to Hibs for their unbeaten run. Well done, too, to United for at least having a go. The game this weekend ought to looked forward to by fans, players and media alike. It's not often the Scottish league calender throws up a 'Super Sunday' type of game: let's hope it's a Christmas cracker.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/whether-by-accident-or-design-walter-smith-seems-to-have-hit-on-the-perfect-shape-for-rangers-but-will-he-remain-bold-at-celtic-park-and-easter-road-1.993668

Hi guys, I'm writing a dissertation on the topic of ticket pricing in the SPL and i'm looking to generate some fan discussion on the points below: What are your perceptions of ticket pricing in the SPL? - are tickets too expensive? - do you think you get value for money with regards to the quality of football on show ? In the face of this recession, are SPL teams doing enough with their ticket pricing strategies to encourage fans to attend football games? How satisfied are you with your clubs behaviour towards pricing? Importantly, given the poor financial situation of many SPL clubs, would fans accept a potential increase in ticket prices in order to ensure the financial stability of the club in the long term? I've created a survey to get a greater insight into what fans opinions are on pricing. Here is the link below: www.surveymonkey.com/s/splfansurvey I'd be grateful if you helped me out and filled in this survey, once i collect the data and make my conclusions i'd be more than happy to write you all an article on what the general consensus is. I'm surveying fans from all 12 SPL teams so if you know anyone who might be interested in helping out and filling in the questionnaire, feel free to pass the link on! Thanks for your time , rino.

I was definitely one of those who underestimated how good Sevilla are. I proposed them as being a top 15 European side while now I have to say they're comfortably in the top 10. They are a fantastic, fantastic team blessed with an abundance of world class players who truly play as a team. They're very much the modern form of the great Mendieta Valencia side who humbled us back in '99. So in this sense, being outclassed by a team of this quality is excusable. The problem for me is that it felt like an insult to their stadium and fans last night that such appalling footballers as us were their guests. It's not just that we're not good enough to handle Sevilla - hell, Real Madrid struggled to do so and lost at the same ground. The problem for me, wherever it happens to stem from, is that our club as a whole is out of its depth against any half competent team, whether it is a European side or a mediocre SPL one. Our excruciating inability to play football, to link up, to dominate possession, to look at ease on the ball, to comfortably defend, to pass and move, to create several good chances...against all but the worst teams is beyond the pale. I'm not even attributing blame anywhere, mainly as I'm unsure where it would exist, I just feel helpless and incredulous seeing how below average as a team we have become. Even in Eck's day we had guys like Kygiakos, Buffel, Ferguson, Lovenkrands and Prso who all looked a class above and at their level in the CL - we simply have no one of the quality of what these guys were, and for a club of the supposed grand nature of Rangers, it's unforgiveable. Last night made a bad team look atrocious - and a world class team look like Gods. Until we get money, this is as good as it gets. And that's sickening.

CELTIC want to transform the area around their stadium and link it with other venues that will be used during the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The clubââ?¬â?¢s long-term vision for the area around its stadium will be revealed this week. Officials have submitted a masterplan for ââ?¬Å?The Celtic Triangleââ?¬Â and it is expected to secure approval from city councillors on Friday. The plans include the creation of bars and restaurants around Celtic Park, a new club museum, walkways linking it with other 2014 venues, a plaza and the potential for a new hotel, casino or shops. It also has proposals for housing. No costs have been revealed and club officials insist the project will depend on its economic viability, but the deadline of summer 2014 ââ?¬â?? when Glasgow hosts the Games ââ?¬â?? will put pressure on the club to deliver some of the vision across the next 36 months. Celtic Park will host the opening ceremony of the Games and city councillors are concerned that the area around the stadium ââ?¬Å?does not provide an attractive settingââ?¬Â. They said ââ?¬Å?the current situation is not acceptable with regard to the councilââ?¬â?¢s ambitions to host a world-class event for the 2014 Gamesââ?¬Â. Celticââ?¬â?¢s plans will also tie in with a new four-lane carriageway that will cut through the East End linking the M74 and M8 via London Road. The East End Regeneration Route will cut through land used as a coach park, leading to an agreement between Celtic and Glasgow City Council over matchday access to the car park of the new National Indoor Sports Arena. The vision would initially see: * The refurbishment and extension of the Victorian London Road Primary School to incorporate a restaurant, cafe and bar, as well as a new club museum. * Landscaping of the immediate area around Celtic Park. * The creation of a plaza space. Phase two would see ââ?¬Å?a new landmark buildingââ?¬Â on the site where the East End Regeneration Route meets London Road ââ?¬Å?creating an iconic gateway to the stadium areaââ?¬Â, with early ideas including a hotel, more restaurants and bars, a casino and shops. A council report detailing the plan says: ââ?¬Å?It is recognised that the design of the new buildings at this location should be of the highest standard to reflect the importance of this corner of the triangle as a key gateway to the site, particularly on the approach from the East End Regeneration Route.ââ?¬Â A further phase, expected to be completed by 2014 and considered by the council ââ?¬Å?to be the most critical element of the public realm strategyââ?¬Â, would see walkways linking the stadium to the route and the Indoor Arena. The plan claims there is potential for a residential development to the west of the stadium and at the corner of Springfield Road and London Road, as well as ââ?¬Å?further small-scale commercial or light industrial developmentââ?¬Â to the north. The report, which is calling for council approval in principle this Friday, states: ââ?¬Å?It is recognised that market conditions may influence future land use proposals with regard to these more long-term ambitions for the site and these aspects of the masterplan will develop in discussion between the city council and Celtic FC.ââ?¬Â Strathclyde Police was consulted on crowd control issues and Celtic officials also had talks with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and the Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Course over safety matters. The police are said to have broadly welcomed the proposal because it will improve crowd management on matchdays, while Archi*tecture and Design Scot*land, which advises the Govern*ment on ways to get better quality in design and architecture in the public and private sectors, said the plan would address the poor setting of the stadium. A Celtic spokesman said: ââ?¬Å?Clearly, this proposal is very preliminary and has a long, long way to go. ââ?¬Å?We are working with Glasgow City Council and Clyde Gateway in a sensible and pragmatic manner but ultimately, the project will depend on a range of factors, including of course, economic viability.ââ?¬Â Councillor George Ryan, who is responsible for business and the economy, said: ââ?¬Å?We are interested in the details of this masterplan, which could contribute to the regeneration of the East End, and we are keen to see the first phases of the project delivered before the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/editor-s-picks-ignore/celts-big-plan-for-paradise-1.990425

It seems every time I travel through to Ibrox this season, the weather is dreadful. Heavy rain, low cloud and an atmosphere of foreboding seem the norm no matter the time of year. Add in the less than positive mood of the Rangers support then we could change the club colours to grey, bring in John Major as manager and sell boiled rice at the kiosks and it would probably reflect the general feeling at the club well enough. Yet, conversely, the chat online has been a bit more interesting of late: potential new owners interviewed by in-the-know journalists; fan groups releasing statements about ownership schemes; strong arguments between bears who share the same goals and objectives; and general excitement about a new era sans Sir David Murray. Unfortunately all the (largely positive and interesting) debate surrounding the ownership of the club was turned on its head for the time being with yesterday's damp squib of an AGM. With new chairman Alistair Johnston in charge, the format was changed from recent years with an in-depth statement from him and Martin Bain (available in full from PLUS Markets) pre-empting much of the more difficult questions from the 3000 strong shareholder crowd. Amid farcical scenes early in the meeting, the token (but important) gesture of the majority present voting against the re-election of Donald Muir was as interesting as it got. Sure, the huge proxy shareholding of Sir David Murray meant any such vote was always going to be futile but Rangers, MIH and Lloyds bank (delete as applicable for Muir's real employer) will have taken on board the opinions of these active supporters. This shows even widespread media coverage surrounding Muir's appointment didn't sway the opinions of many bears giving an increased realisation that even David Murray can't spin as well as he could do in the past. Alistair Johnston's comments added to that rather bluntly at times. Moving onto the new chairman's speech, Johnston spoke rather well and held the attention of the crowd despite the 20mins he spoke for. An undoubtedly clever man, his awkward appearance in front of the media cameras a few months back was forgotten about here in this confident performance. Most interesting were his comments that he'd lead a Rangers Board that will become increasingly independent of the Murray Group - qualifying this by discontinuing all reimbursements to Murray Group for management services and refusing to take on four directors instead of two (Muir and McGill recently replacing SDM and Wilson) as representatives from MIH. It will be interesting to see how much further the board can go in this respect as SDM (or Lloyds depending on your opinion) still owns >91% of Rangers FC. The chairman also made regular references to a business plan that he had reluctantly agreed with Lloyds in recent months. Obviously, every Rangers fan is aware of the financial restrictions placed upon us, so the likelihood of no future transfers and the importance of winning the SPL was nothing new. The fact he did go until to express 'scepticism' and 'caution' for any new owner in terms of not only raising the initial capital to buy the club but, more importantly, being able to prove they can retain a working finance to maintain the business moving forward was a stark reminder to those who think buying then running Rangers is simple. I wouldn't go as far as some to say he has outright dismissed the aspect of supporter ownership (wholly or in part) but he quite rightly brought everyone back into the real world by way of showing the difficulties therein. In summary, Johnson concluded rather blandly that the club's commitment to the fans would remain a priority and touched on youth and scouting as two specific ways in which we could improve our operations. Martin Bain then took to the stage and was also given the same courtesy by the fans for his slightly shorter but more empirical speech. Concentrating on the individual issues that would inevitably have cropped up during open questions, Bain was clever to address these beforehand and also maintained an eloquent realism while again not really saying anything we didn't know. Despite the drop in season ticket sales it was comforting to know our percentage capacity in the UK remains something to be proud of. All the more reason then for he and his chairman not dismiss our opinions lightly in future months one would hope. By concentrating on the Dundee Utd ticket fiasco and JJB merchandising improvements Bain gave the impression the club did share our opinion on such matters though. Further comment on the importance of youth football and the mention of a new structure in domestic and European football were contributions we'd also heard before. No concrete plans were outlined on how were were addressing all the above which was somewhat disappointing. Nonetheless most major talking points were covered empirically before he opened up the meeting to the shareholders for questions. Pleasingly the time given for such questions was agreeable enough when compared to recent years. Perhaps it was the cold, cramped nature of the Bill Struth Stand or perhaps it was because the preceding speeches were delivered confidently but the quality of questions were by and large disappointing. The Jumbotron screens' condition, the discipline of players on international duty, and kick-off times dictated by TV monies didn't really add anything to the event and those that were a bit more interesting such as the contract status of players (including Boyd) and further media representation complaints were easily answered by Bain who was well briefed for these expected queries. Meanwhile Donald Muir again denied he was employed by the bank and/or that he was preparing the club for administration. Thus, two hours after it started, the always ill-at-ease and unimpressive John McLelland brought the meeting to a close. As everyone bustled their way to the exit (and the incessant rain) the media sat in wait to try and catch shareholders off-guard with their own questions. But the truth was nothing exciting really happened. Sure, the stadium re-naming rebuttal; the no-contract status of the management team; and the guarded nature of the discussion with regard to the ownership of the club kept people awake but all-in-all the debate isn't really all that further forward. Thus, the status-quo remains. We know the club is in financial difficulty. We know the current board appear to be in conflict with each other. We know Lloyds/MIH retain a key involvement in the running of the club. We know all the board lack the innovation required for obvious improvement. We know the ongoing financial underpinning of the club is dependent on our success. We know that club are wary of increased supporter involvement. We know the club is for sale. We know there are a few interested buyers. We know they lack the model or the backing to capture the imagination of the support at large. All the above was information we had at our disposal before yesterday's meeting - hence the title of this equally morose article on it. As such, I urge everyone involved to take a breather and stand back for the moment until such time where we do have more precise information on the club's ownership future. In the short-term the most important thing is that the team remain successful on the pitch so it is vital we continue to support them as vocally as we can. Winning the SPL is imperative no matter who owns the club. That is something we can all agree on. Let's build for the future on that positive note.

Rangers legend Richard Gough has told the powder-puff Ibrox side to do their fighting on the park. Madjid Bougherra and Kenny Miller had to be pulled apart during a training ground bust-up last week as we revealed yesterday. And nine-in-a-row skipper Gough insists it's time Gers showed more battling spirit in games. He said: "Looking at the last two games against Stuttgart and Aberdeen, Rangers should show more fight on the park. "Maybe this will bring something out in them. "Maybe Davie Weir will tell them 'let's not fight with each other, let's fight other teams more than we have done. "In the past two games, Rangers haven't laid a glove on their opponents. That will be a worry for Walter Smith." Miller and Bougherra scrapped after the Scotland star criticised the Algerian World Cup ace for returning from international duty late. Gough insists he understands Miller's grievance - but reckons he should not have slated him publicly. He added: "It's funny because, in my time, there were a lot of fights that didn't get into the press. "It seems this was only a wee flare-up but it got out. "Obviously, a couple of things have happened. "Bougherra has come back late and a couple of lads have criticised him publicly. "That wouldn't have happened in my day, either. "These things normally happen when you start to get put under a bit of pressure - and Rangers are under pressure because they are not playing well." Alexander Hleb helped Stuttgart cover themselves in glory at Ibrox. What Richard Gough can't stomach is that the Belarussian star wasn't covered in bruises. Rangers legend Goughie could barely believe what he was watching as his old club crashed to their latest Champions League defeat. Ex-Arsenal midfielder Hleb didn't so much run Gers ragged last Tuesday night. He strolled it. Gough thinks back to the nine-in-a-row days when opposition players really had to earn their Ibrox wins. Now he reckons they're being gifted them - with Hleb and others given far too much respect. Gough said: "We had a core of very strong characters and I think that's why there were bust-ups as, mentally, they were strong. "The Hateleys, McCoists, Gorams, John Browns, Stuart McCalls, Ian Fergusons - a lot of nasty people in the best possible way. "I think that is what Rangers are sometimes missing right now. A few nasty pieces of work. "I read a great quote after the Stuttgart game that I would have stuck up on the wall. "Hleb was their best player and he came off the park saying he didn't have a scratch on him. "I'm surprised Walter Smith hasn't got that up on the wall. I know the game has changed in terms of referees clamping down. "But when he comes out and actually says he expected a rough, tough physical game and didn't get a scratch, it's a surprise. "That should stick in the defenders' minds. "That should be an alarm bell, a light going off in the heads of the defenders. "When I was defending, I would say that if people are going to come into our area of the pitch then they're going to get hurt and we'll see how brave they are. "That was our job. If they wanted to come into our penalty box, they were going to find tough people. "Sometimes I feel that is not happening. It was too easy for Stuttgart to tip-tap their way around." Gough reckons the reaction of the fans to the recent defeats is what's most worrying of all. These days he believes they accept second best. He added: "I feel there is a dearth of quality. "But I was at the Stuttgart game and even the crowd weren't their usual selves. "They weren't getting on the team's back because they maybe realised it simply wasn't there. "It was a really strange atmosphere at Ibrox that night, like an acceptance. I was sitting with my friend and saying if it was 10 years ago, we'd be getting booed off the park. "There is a lack of something and maybe it just comes down to quality. "Stuttgart are near the bottom of the German league, yet played very well. The thing is, though, you can only play as well as you are allowed to. "It looked like men v boys last week and that was a disappointment. "It's funny because with the difference of three or four players - guys like Cuellar, Darcheville, Cousin and Ferguson - that team got to the UEFA Cup Final. "But having four or five players of higher quality in the spine of your team can make a huge difference." Gough has heaped high praise on Davie Weir in days gone by. Now he sees an ageing veteran beginning to look his years. He added: "Davie was going well, but then I saw him saying he was starting to feel tired. That happens when you lose a few games, though. It's okay when you're winning. "I was back here to see the Scotland matches against Macedonia and Holland, when he made a wee mistake. I think that has knocked him. "He seems a bit more tired than this time last year. "But he's 39 now and he shouldn't even be playing for Rangers when you think about that. He has done a remarkable job."

I attach page one of David Holmes' Chairman's Report from 1988. This should be required reading for any Chairman of the club as it ecapulates a lot of we as a club are about. The "Playing for Rangers and what it means" makes great reading and should be taken on board by a few of our current players. Apologies for the poor quality Chairmans report 1.pdf

Exclusive by Darrell King FROZEN out Scotland trio Barry Ferguson, Allan McGregor and Kris Boyd could all make a sensational return to the international fold - if the new manager wants them. On the day that former skipper Colin Hendry called for bad-boys Ferguson and McGregor to be re-instated, SportTimes can reveal that there is no 'sine die' ban in place from the SFA after their Boozegate shame last March. Legally, the governing body cannot impose any lifetime suspension on a player - although the duo were told in a fax sent to the club during their disciplinary process with Rangers that they would not be considered for selection whilst former boss George Burley remained in charge. It has always been a major bone of contention that the terms of the ban were never explained to them. Indeed, there has never been any dialogue between Ferguson, McGregor or anyone at the SFA since the entire Boozegate fiasco blew up. advertisement Now, with Burley axed after his shambolic tenure, a new man will have to make the call on whether or not he wants to select Ferguson, McGregor and Boyd who walked away of his own volition after being consistently overlooked. Whether the players would want to return to the national set-up remains to be seen. Ferguson - whilst admitting full blame for his part in the Cameron House fiasco - blasted the SFA for the handling of the affair in a series of exclusive interviews with this newspaper back in August. But whoever takes over as the new Scotland manager will make the call. If he wants to wipe the slate clean, there is a possibility they could all return. And Hendry believes that should be the way ahead - as the struggling national team can't afford to do without players of their ability. He said: "Scotland are limited in quality, so we need our best players - and that means Ferguson and McGregor should return. "We are not in a position where we can afford to dismiss players with their kind of talent. The same goes for Boyd, too, because he is a great goalscorer. "We are talking about guys with the kind of proven quality Scotland doesn't have in abundance. "Barry and Allan suffered a backlash from the Tartan Army but, if they came back, they would find time has been a big healer with the fans. We need our best players pulling together if we are to move forward. "I have watched Barry and he has done really well for Birmingham. He has been very consistent and managed to keep a low profile most of the time. This season, he has proved a few things to some people." Walter Smith - the man who severely punished Ferguson and McGregor for their part in Boozegate - is highly unlikely to be making the call. He has distanced himself from a return to the Scotland hot-seat, even though it is believed the SFA would consider waiting until his situation at Rangers is clarified before naming anyone else. Smith is out of contract at Rangers in mid-January. He is awaiting news on a potential take-over. But in all probablity - even if a change in ownership happens - he will remain as manager until the end of the season. But a return to Scotland is not on his agenda. Dundee United boss Craig Levein is now a front-runner. But SFA chief executive Gordon Smith - who was today ready to go public on the way ahead - could have a big job convincing him to quit club football. Graeme Souness and Mark McGhee have ruled themselves out of the running and Owen Coyle has reiterated his commitment to Burnley. Jimmy Calderwood and John Collins both want the job, while Jim Jefferies says he is flattered to be linked with the vacancy. Leo Beenhakker is the latest to throw his hat into the ring, but Smith is likely to look closer to home. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2535172.0.0.php

Nov 15 2009 Mark Guidi, Sunday Mail LUBO MORAVCIK reckons Celtic should take advantage of an untapped market in several European countries. Moravcik insists there are excellent young players in his homeland Slovakia and other places such as Slovenia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Hungary. But in order to find another 'Lubo' he believes the Hoops must invest heavily in scouting on the continent. And the way to find the money to do that is to reduce the first-team squad wage budget and plough that into finding the foreign stars of the future. Hoops hero Moravcik, 44, said: "Less than 10 years ago Celtic were paying out �£6million for players. But the days are over of buying in quality like Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson. "So there has to be investment in developing top players of your own. "Celtic do put a fair amount of their budget into their youth academy but there is more they can do. "There is no perfect solution. Nothing can be 100 per cent. But maybe the strategic planning has to be looked at. "It's not what the first-team manager would want but I would take money out of the top-team salary budget to use as an investment for scouting in Europe. "In my opinion it would be better to spend an extra �£500,000 or �£1m a year to bring through your own kids rather than give it to a player to come to Celtic who is only a squad player in the Premiership. Is there not more satisfaction in producing your own? Finding entertainers, stars who excite the supporters? "Recruiting players doesn't necessarily mean signing a 16-year-old kid out of school. "There are guys playing at a lower league level in countries all over Europe - in France, Slovakia, Czech Republic and other countries. "To get these players you need a proper structure abroad. "You need one guy to oversee Europe, delegating the work and with scouts and contacts working for him. The players are out there - you just need to find them or be told about them. "Would I be interested in something like that for Celtic? Of course I would. "Another thing that Celtic would have in their favour is that kids may well prefer to go to them rather than the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. "Kids and their parents would know they would get a better chance to play first-team football at Celtic than in the Premiership because those clubs can spend �£50m every year on transfers. "I don't have all the answers, I only have some ideas. Maybe my ideas are good, maybe some people will think not. But I believe in them." Moravcik recently quit as Slovakia Under-17 national boss. According to him he now spends too much time on the golf course and has a handicap of 29. He misses being involved in football. Back in Glasgow this weekend for a charity function, Lubo told MailSport: "It was a pleasure to play for Celtic and to have had the career in football I enjoyed. "But I'm old now. Unfortunately my time in the dressing-room has gone. "I hope the players of tomorrow at Celtic can taste the pleasure I had in Glasgow. "However, they must work hard and be able to cope mentally with the pressure. It's not all about being good with the ball at your feet. "You have to be a strong character to be successful at Celtic. That is so important." Moravcik is sad the Old Firm won't be playing in the English Premiership in the near future. The move was booted out last week and he said: "It was a nice dream. Now it must be put to one side and other ways found to advance the club. The �£20m or �£30m in television payments are not going to happen. "Other ways must be found to help bring success to the club. It will be a difficult job but it must happen." Meanwhile, Lorenzo Amoruso admits he's shocked at Rangers' cash woes - but hopes it spurs the club into restructuring it's scouting network to unearth some gems. During Amo's time at Ibrox a young Rino Gattuso was brought to the club for nothing from Italy and sold on four years later for �£4million. And the former defender now wants to see his old club focus on finding the stars of tomorrow to ensure Rangers have a bright future on the park and financial stability off it. Amoruso - who skippered Gers to the treble in 1999 - told MailSport: "I still keep in touch with what's happening at Rangers and things are quite scary at the moment. "There have been financial problems for too long now and it saddens me the club is �£31m in debt and unable to buy a player. I hope things are resolved quickly and Rangers can move on as it can't go on like this. "Whatever happens though Rangers should be planning for the future right now and reorganising the club. "Rangers have to employ more scouts. "Not only that, they must pay good wages for the right kind of scouts. "It's important to pay good salaries to get the best people in this department of the club. "And not just have people in Scotland and the rest of the UK. They should be looking all over, increasing their contacts abroad and building a global network. "You have to work really hard to get young players now. "Many clubs in Italy didn't pay much attention to scouting and youth development in the past but that has changed. "For example, AC Milan are now investing a lot of money in it as they know it's the right way to go. "Other clubs are doing the same and Udinese employ a minimum of 150 scouts. It has been a good strategy for them because they recently found a young striker from Chile called Alexis Sanchez. "He is top quality and they could sell him for millions of Euros if they wanted. "It's all about having the right people working for you. People with good contacts and a knowledge of young players. "Rangers managed to get Gattuso a few years ago and he was great. Profile "They must find more like him. But players like that will not drop out of the sky and land on the doorstep. "They have to be found and be persuaded that Rangers is the right club for them." Amoruso, 38, was back in Glasgow last week for a charity function. The Italian still has a strong affection for Rangers and wants to see them thriving again as soon as possible. And he'd welcome the chance to playa role in the future of the club. He said: "I hope a new buyer is found and things improve. "Rangers are the champions and will battle it out with Celtic again this season for the title and it is important Walter Smith and the players win it again. "Maybe time is running out but they'd like to have a new buyer in for January so they can bring in one or two quality players for the second half of the season. "But that won't happen until someone comes forward. We know people don't buy football clubs to make money. They usually buy it for the publicity and to increase their profile "But when the new owner comes in and everything settles down I'd be happy to work for Rangers and try to help them continue to move forward. "It's changed days from when I played for Rangers and the club were spending lots of money on players. "However, not spending millions and millions in the transfer market shouldn't be a reason for not doing well." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/11/15/celtic-and-rangers-need-to-restructure-scouting-network-if-they-want-success-say-old-firm-legends-86908-21823378/

IAN DURRANT claims Walter Smith stands on the brink of pulling off his greatest achievement with Rangers. The Ibrox coach has given a rare insight into his gaffer's defiant state of mind as he tackles the club's crippling financial crisis. He predicts history will one day portray Smith as the saviour of Rangers - in the same way Fergus McCann was credited with hauling Celtic back from the verge of ruin in the summer of 1994. Durrant's position as Smith's sidekick in the stand has given him a unique insight into what makes the nine-in-a-row boss tick. He describes the 61-year-old as a man on a mission, hellbent on steering the debt-ridden club through the rockiest times in its 135-year history. Durrant said: "Fifteen years ago, Fergus McCann and all the Celtic boys rallied round and saved their club. Walter's on a mission to save Rangers. And if he's at the helm, Rangers will succeed, it's as simple as that. "In a perfect world I think he could have stepped aside two seasons ago after reaching the UEFA Cup Final. Or even last season, when he won the double, if things had gone to plan afterwards. "I thought at the end of last season, after winning the double and getting the league back - which was the most important thing - that would have been the time to bow out. "But he said to us he had unfinished business and now everyone knows what that was. The club's financial situation has given him that spark again. He's got a motivation now to prove we can get through this. "I look at his desire and the fact is, he doesn't need this. He chose to come back when we weren't as strong financially as we had been, so he had to juggle things about. "He brought in Davie Weir, who has been unbelievable, then Ugo Ehiogu and they steadied the ship. It's been a constant battle ever since, though Walter's never complained. "He will hand the club over - whether it's to Coisty, Kenny McDowall and myself or someone else - and it will still be in place. "Getting us through the next six months will be his greatest achievement. And he will do it, because his desire to succeed will take him there. He's a Rangers fan and it's his club." Smith's contract expires in January, along with that of his No2 Ally McCoist, and there have been suggestions that pressure from the bankers could mean the pair are not offered a new deal or will be asked to take a pay cut. Durrant believes that would be a bigger own goal and costlier blunder than anything seen during the global banking crisis. He said: "If anyone tried to move Walter out, they'd be making a big mistake. "I'm not saying no one else could do it, but it's an unsteady ship and slowly but surely the weight on us has been lifted in the past two weeks. You can see a difference in the whole club. "The one thing about the gaffer is he gets the right reaction from players." As Rangers' money problems piled up, Donald Muir from Lloyds Banking Group was crowbarred on to the Rangers board. It was the first visible sign drastic changes were going on behind the scenes and rumours and counter-rumours began to fly around the Ibrox club. To make matters worse, results started to suffer, culminating in back-to-back 4-1 home thrashings in the Champions League by Spanish cracks Sevilla and Romanian minnows Unirea Urziceni. Smith had seen enough and called a crisis council with his trusted coaching staff then his players. Then he went public with a bombshell statement after a league match with Hibs to say the bankers were running Rangers - and all hell broke loose! Lloyds, then Rangers, issued statements saying Smith had got it completely wrong and the club was still in charge of its affairs. But Durrant believes, as far as what was happening on the pitch was concerned, no one can dispute that Smith got it totally right. He said: "The gaffer had to ask the players for one final push and the boys took a lot of belief from him. It's not a nice position when there's talk of redundancies. It leaves a stale feeling. "You know there are other people at the club who rely on you. People who have been working here for a long time could lose their jobs. "Football isn't their job but they are affected by what happens on the park. We know there's a recession on but we have to get on with it. It's the same with the gaffer. "Obviously, he's the manager of Rangers but he's also a supporter and he was hurting. There were times when he was low - we've all been low. "You want to get on with your job and play the game, but everything that was happening with the club was making the front page of the papers rather than the back. That got to him a bit. "You can hear the tone of his voice change and you know he's hurting. But he sees Coisty, myself and Kenny as a younger group and he sees us being bubbly round about him and he gets a lift from it. He's surrounded himself by good indians. "He'd never come in and let you see him at rock bottom though, he's too proud a man to do that. But since he said his thing about the bank, and it's come out in the open, there's been a freshness about the place. "For two or three weeks the staff were tip-toeing on egg shells and we didn't know what was happening. We were all hearing the banks were going to pull the plug and it creates a bit of uncertainty. "I'm not making excuses for the Sevilla or Unirea games, but there was uncertainty which may have affected the players. "I hope it didn't because that's what we're here to deal with, so we sat down and talked about it. "We weren't playing well and yet we knew we had a good group of players - guys who had bent over backwards for us the previous season by winning a double. "Walter just wondered aloud if that uncertainty was causing problems and since then I think we've played our best stuff of the season against Hibs, Dundee United and Unirea. They were great open games." Durrant has seen the pressure mount on the other side of Glasgow too as Tony Mowbray has come under the microscope in his new job at Celtic. At times, Mowbray has questioned the quality of his players and given them an ultimatum to shape up or ship out. That's an approach Durrant never expects to see from Smith. He added: "It's the hardest job in the world. I've known Celtic boys from years ago and we all know it's the same pressure as being at Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. "You have to win every game. Every minute now, you're being scrutinised. Walter never criticises the players publicly. He takes the responsibility, he's old school that way. In football, you always say 'get the dressing room on your side' and he has that. "He has one last piece of unfinished business and I'll be damned if he doesn't do it." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/587228/Legend-reveals-how-Ibrox-boss-is-suffering-through-clubs-crisis.html

The MIH accounts have been delayed until towards the middle of next year, so I thought I would take a quick look at a couple of major problems that they may be having, based on the last set of accounts that they issued as at January 2008. Property values/net assets Net assets (total assets less total liabilities) in the accounts were shown as �£157m. Included in this is property of �£545m. Commercial property values have fallen 30% since the start of 2008, which would equate to �£163m. If this new valuation was applied to the 2008 accounts then the Murray group would have net liabilities and would be technically insolvent. It is perfectly possible to be technically insolvent, while still being able to repay debt. This is the next area to be looked at. Repayment of debt The accounts show that MIH had �£4m of cash, but had loans of �£26m to repay in the year to 31 January 2009. Perhaps not the biggest problem in the world. However in the current year, MIH had a whacking �£406m of loans to repay, with no apparent way of doing so. Given the current banking crisis, it is not thought that MIH would have been able to renegotiate the payment terms of these loans, and must have resulted in MIH defaulting on some of its repayments and perhaps some related banking covenants. This would be what has allowed the bank to insist on the appointment of Donald Muir to the board of both Rangers and the Premier Property Group, and is apparantly giving him the power to over-rule the other Rangers board members. Lloyds obviously want to recoup as much of this cash as quickly as possible, and has them forcing changes on Rangers who had a managable financial situation, at least in the short term of the next 12-18 months. When people buy a house it is viewed a long term asset and they pay for it with a long term mortgage. Why MIH decided to finance the purchase of commercial property with short term loans is unexplainable and is possibly the biggest mistake David Murray has made in his career, and could ultimately result in MIH being wiped out. It has certainly put Rangers under threat but it must be hoped that Rangers emerge unscathed and looking forward to a bright future if a new owner can be found. Caveat - This is a very simplistic view and there are a number of assumptions made. I have not gone into technical details to make it easier for the reader to understand. Property values are said to have fallen 22.5% during 2008 and have fallen a further 7.5% in the 9 months to Sept 2010 (source IPD UK balanced Monthly Funds). However a well-respected fund manager told me that it was nearer 43%. MIH's property may be of a higher quality and may not have fallen by as much, but Ibrox is overvalued and as such I don't think 30% is unreasonable, although I am no expert on commercial property.

Super_Ally examines the case for the defence... http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=137:fortune-favours-the-brave&catid=35:analysis&Itemid=67

PRESS INFORMATION on behalf of RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB RANGERS LAUNCH PIONEERING ONLINE TV STATION Rangers Football Club today (Friday, 30 October 2009) launched a pioneering internet TV station - RangersTV.tv ââ?¬â?? which goes live at 5pm! RangersTV.tv is the first dedicated online TV station created by a UK football club and will offer fans in the UK and overseas the most comprehensive range of programming produced by any club to date. The online TV station will feature up to nine separate channels and will offer supporters the ultimate digital cross-platform facility. UK supporters can access full games on-demand as well as a library of Rangers most recent matches Fans outside the UK can subscribe to our live match service and enjoy the Clubââ?¬â?¢s own pre match build-up, half time and post-match analysis ââ?¬â?? hosted by the stationââ?¬â?¢s new matchday presenter Emma Dodds First-team players will participate in studio interviews and analysis Access will be available to an extensive archive library of classic SPL, European and Old Firm action Rangers Review & Preview news magazine style programmes will be screened on Mondays and Fridays featuring exclusive match action and reaction from the players and management team Rangers home and away European fixtures will be broadcast in full from midnight In-depth feature-led programming will be produced on all aspects of the Club Fan forums and panel shows with Rangers stars of the past and present will be broadcast Supporters have been unable to watch Rangers TV since Setanta ceased broadcasting in the summer but Rangers can now offer fans a new, improved and unique internet TV station which can be enjoyed FREE for a two-week period now. A dedicated TV studio at Ibrox Stadium will provide on-site production, editing and encoding facilities to supply a bank of content for distribution on all media platforms and the service complements our existing online offering ââ?¬â?? Rangers World ââ?¬â?? which features short-form video interviews and news. Phase 1 of RangersTV.tv commenced at the start of the season with the high quality streaming of live domestic matches and on-demand services to overseas fans and there are now three packages available for supporters to enjoy. The packages available are: Per month Per year Rangers TV.tv Ã?£5.00 Ã?£49.00 Rangers TV.tv Plus Ã?£12.00 Ã?£96.00 Rangers TV.tv Unlimited ââ?¬â?? includes live and on demand games $28.50 $299.00 (overseas fans only) Rangers striker Kenny Miller, who joined RangersTV.tv presenter Emma Dodds at todayââ?¬â?¢s launch, commented: ââ?¬Å?This is a fantastic service for Rangers fans around the world. Supporters will be able to watch exclusive news magazine programmes, on demand and live matches and dip in to the Clubââ?¬â?¢s extensive archive of classic SPL, Old Firm and European action. The relaunch of http://www.rangers.co.uk has already been a huge success this season and I am sure fans will be keen to take advantage of our unique online TV station.ââ?¬Â Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain commented: ââ?¬Å?We are delighted to launch our new internet TV station which we believe will be unique in world football. Most importantly, it will offer our fans a comprehensive and excellent service. ââ?¬Å?We are extremely excited about the opportunities that internet TV will bring and we have used feedback from the fans at every stage of the development process. The new online station has been developed cost-effectively and efficiently incorporating our existing digital media resources and we have already received positive feedback from the fans worldwide. The service will evolve throughout the current campaign and beyond and is another welcome addition to the Clubââ?¬â?¢s media platforms which include http://www.rangers.co.uk, Rangers News and Rangers Matchday Programme.ââ?¬Â Fans can sign up or find out more information on the range of packages by visiting http://www.rangerstv.tv.

WALTER SMITH was wrong when he said that Scottish football is dying. You'd get a death certificate for it right now. Still, I know what he meant. There's more pain to come before we hit the bottom. By that time the national side will be seeded in pot four for major competitions and the Old Firm, denied automatic entry to the Champions League, won't be good enough to negotiate the qualifiers. That, my friends, is what awaits us. We'll be rubbing shoulder with San Marino and the Faroes before long. Let's take the Old Firm first before we get to the real dross. I wasn't shocked by Rangers' drubbing against Unirea, just saddened. The speed of the Ibrox club's demise has been frightening. From Gascoigne, Laudrup and De Boer to the abject poverty of the current side seems to have taken five minutes. Smith will have to carry the can for this latest embarrassment and that's the way it should be in this business. The Rangers gaffer knew what he was getting in to when he answered Sir David Murray's distress call, although God only knows why he retraced his steps. Those now demanding his removal are entitled to be heard, they pay good money into the club, but they should think this through. Without Smith's contribution recently there's every chance Rangers would have gone bust. As the London bankers continue to call the shots on Edmiston Drive ask yourself this. Where would the club be without the �£10million guarantee from this season's Champions League or the money banked from the run to the UEFA Cup Final? In the grubber, that's where. Along the way he's lost what little quality he had as Alan Hutton, Carlos Cuellar and Barry Ferguson, left, were all punted to help prop up the balance sheet, yet somehow he outwitted Gordon Strachan to land the title last summer. Smith will take no consolation from Celtic's woeful Europa League campaign. He and Tony Mowbray are both in the same place. By Friday it was Mowbray's turn to feel the heat after Hamburg exposed the deficiencies in his team. Mowbray must be asking himself why he left West Brom for a set-up that's in freefall. Still, the humbling of the big two has given the anti-Old Firm brigade a good giggle. At this rate we'll have to listen to the sniggering for some time. One scribe wrote that he wouldn't open the curtains if the Old Firm were playing in his back garden and he's probably right but if the Glasgow pair are really so bad where does that leave the other SPL clubs? You know who I mean, the clubs who organise an open-top bus parade every time they beat the Old Firm but who can't mount a real challenge for five minutes. Much was made of Unirea's modest resources, coming from a town of just 17,000 people, which begs one obvious question. If a two-bob outfit can finish ahead of Steaua Bucharest to win the title in Romania why can't anyone in the SPL give the Old Firm a run for their money? They're on their knees for heaven's sake. Is there any chance these super young SPL coaches we keep hearing about might put the frighteners up the Glasgow boys? A good look in the mirror wouldn't do the rest of the SPL any harm. It's 25 years since the championship flag flew outside of Glasgow. Pathetic. Let's not forget the humiliations of earlier this season. Aberdeen battered by Sigma Olomouc, Falkirk pumped in Liechtenstein and Motherwell losing at home to the Llanelli male voice choir. What little is left of our co-efficient ranking was earned by the Old Firm. Both clubs made it to the UEFA Cup Final, both reached the last 16 of the Champions League. Meanwhile our other Euro entrants were running up the white flag. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/565521/Rangers-boss-knows-the-game-in-Scotland-cant-survive-as-it-stands.html

Celtic supporters have bad memories of Jorg "The Hammer" Albertz from his playing days with Old Firm rivals Rangers. All too often, a swing of the German midfielder's sweet left foot would send the ball fizzing into the net with unerring accuracy. Now that the Hammer has hung up his prodigious boots, he's predicting further heartache for his old rivals when Hamburg visit Celtic Park on Thursday on Europa League duty. Unbeaten in nine league games so far this season and sitting joint top of the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburg's start to the new campaign hasn't been too shabby. They were on the receiving end of a 3-0 drubbing by Europa League rivals Rapid Vienna but responded with a 4-2 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv. Celtic drew and lost to the same opponents and go into Thursday's clash bottom of Group C. The Germans don't have their injury troubles to seek: defenders Alex Silva, Collin Benjamin and Miroslav Stepanek, plus striker Paolo Guerrero, are all suffering from torn cruciate knee ligaments. Ze Roberto has impressed for Hamburg Ze Roberto has impressed since his move from Bayern Munich Defender Bastian Reinhardt and prolific Swiss forward Mladen Petric are also long-term casualties. Nevertheless, Albertz, who starred for Rangers from 1996 until 2001, believes Hamburg can absorb these injury blows ahead of the tie in Glasgow. "Hamburg have got a big squad of very talented players," he told BBC Scotland. "They've not been beaten for a long time and have a very strong side. Technically, they're very good. Of course, they've got some injury problems. "But, at the end of the day, the squad is big enough to bring a team to perform well at Parkhead. "I think it's going to be a tough game. Celtic at home, with their supporters behind them, are a very difficult team to play against. "They fight from the first minute to the last. That's what they need to do to get something out of the game. "However, Hamburg are a very experienced team in terms of European and international games." Albertz says the German outfit are playing as a unit and could benefit from Celtic's indifferent form. Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost and Piotr Trochowski Frank Rost and Piotr Trochowski are mainstays in the Hamburg side "It's very hard to beat Hamburg at home," he said. "They'll travel to Celtic Park knowing they're a hard team to beat, but they've got the players to do that. "The main positive for Hamburg at the moment is that they're playing as a team. "Ze Roberto, who came to the club from Bayern Munich, has proved to be a very, very good signing for them. Piotr Trochowski, the German international, is also one to watch. "Goalkeeper Frank Rost is very experienced and, as I said, the main factor is that they're playing as a unit. Everybody's working for each other." Throw Eljero Elia into the mix, the Netherlands striker who scored the winner in the World Cup qualifying win over Scotland recently, and the Germans look a daunting prospect. Albertz said the defeat by Rapid Vienna sent shockwaves throughout Germany, since Hamburg were favourites to win the game. "That was a shock, but I think the team is back on track now," he said. "It's going to be a tough game for both sides. "Celtic will have their backs against the wall. To go further in the Europa League, they must win the three points." Albertz doesn't believe Hamburg will be too cavalier at Celtic Park. "They know how hard it is to play against a team like Celtic," he said. "I imagine they'll sit back a bit, waiting for the counter attack in the hope of sneaking a goal." MY SPORT: DEBATE Can Celtic overcome Hamburg? Albertz said such was the quality of Hamburg's squad that many in Germany were tipping them to win the Bundesliga. "It's a long season, but they've got a big squad to compensate for injuries," he said. "They can go all the way. "I'd definitely go for a Hamburg win when Celtic travel to Germany. But, if Celtic are at their best on Thursday, maybe they can sneak a point. "But my favourites are Hamburg for Celtic Park as well." Could they win the Europa League this season? "If they can avoid too many injuries, they may cause a surprise," he added. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8318828.stm

We’ve all done it. In fact we see it on football forums across the World Wide Web at least once every season, often once the dirty business of the transfer window is concluded (or not in Rangers case this season). On every Rangers forum, a bear will start a thread comparing the relative merits of our starting XI and squad with our rivals. In the two-horse race that is the SPL, this really means only our enemy from the East End. It occurs to a lesser degree every time we discuss the next upcoming fixture. Whilst football is not played out on paper we are all guilty, to a certain extent, of pretending it is. We assess the merits of our squad. We compare our players with those of our rivals and mostly come to the opinion that we are the far superior team. Based on our team’s performances since Smith’s return, that is a difficult position to argue against. That is, until this season. Craig wrote an excellent piece discussing the various merits of the two squads. Unsurprisingly, Craig drew the conclusion that we were blessed with greater quality. Reigning Champions, who although we had not strengthened had not been greatly weakened it terms of quality. Celtic was a team in transition if not turmoil. Second best and losing the key players that had kept them just about hanging on to our coat tails. They have replaced those first picks with arguably inferior quality players. Just under a quarter of the way into the season, Craig's analysis stacks up fairly well. After an impressive Old Firm victory saw us close an early gap on Celtic, we regained top spot in the SPL with another victory in Perth. But it is only really down to a stumbling start to the season from Celtic. A start that has seen them pick up just 2 wins in their opening 8 home games in all competitions. This is no better highlighted than by the fact that Celtic had what was a relatively straightforward home game against Motherwell this weekend to maintain their position at the top. As we’ve seen, though, football is played on a large rectangle of grass and not on paper or on a webpage. Motherwell would abhor the thought that they were merely lambs to the slaughter and so it proved as they gained a creditable point away from home. Much like comparing Celtic’s starting XI to Motherwell’s, on paper Rangers are more than a match for anyone in the SPL, including our less illustrious rivals. Yet we have yet to demonstrate this dominance in any game of note this season. Sandwiching a creditable draw in Stuttgart, we went on a run of goalless draws against the dross of the SPL and threw in a narrow victory over Queen of the South. At Fir Park, Rugby Park and at home to Aberdeen, as well as in travelling to Palmerston we continually failed to show our superiority in class and footballing ability. Weekend after weekend, game after game, 45 minutes in Germany aside, we failed to demonstrate the quality of a football team that could spend millions on Steve Davis (Ã?£3mil), Pedro Mendes (Ã?£3mil) and Madjid Bougherra (Ã?£2.5mil). Whilst we are blessed with household names and international and former English Premiership stars, the likes of Aberdeen or Kilmarnock field players who would be anonymous in their own neighbourhood and earn a fraction of our players wage packet. Previous Rangers teams have gained from winning championships and trophies. It has developed a sense of invulnerability. A belief they can win against the odds and had many an opponent defeated before they entered the field of play. Look at the NIAR teams for a real strength of character and a winning mentality fostered on past successes. So why are our current squad so brittle? Why do they lack that strength of belief in their own ability? They are champions and should play with the confidence and swagger that brings. Of gravest concern is the midfield. Steve Davis is an international footballer and former premiership star of immense experience, even for his relatively modest years. He has demonstrated his superiority to the best of the rest in this country before as he ran the show in an Old Firm match in which he scored the vital winner. So why is he part of a midfield dominated by the part-timers of Queen of the South or the less celebrated SPL sides? Pedro Mendes, like Davis is an international star; recently helping Portugal get their World Cup campaign back on track in guiding them to the play offs. He has also played in a Champions League winning side. Yet the occasional deft flick and long range strike is barely acceptable from the most talented and experienced midfielder at Murray Park and in Scotland. What too of Kevin Thomson? Admittedly he is still regaining match sharpness. Perhaps that can account for his rash sending off in his first game back. In all truth he was probably rushed back due to suspensions and a dwindling squad. Can it still excuse an inability to execute the basics several matches later? Like Davis he has performed a starring role, complete with obligatory winning goal in an Old Firm game. In fact, we have won every derby encounter the former Hibs star has contested. If he is more than a match for the most difficult opposition we can face domestically, where does this ability go when facing the lesser lights of Scottish football? The term "Paper Champion" has a few connotations or meanings. It identifies a Champion who is merely a place holder. Someone who is the title holder in name, but really the sporting fraternity know they are not deserving and are waiting for a competitor of true champion quality to emerge and assume the mantle. Last season, few would argue, Walter Smith’s Rangers confirmed their place as the dominant force in Scottish football. On paper, we are in our own league. The Hibs, Hearts and Celtic cannot compete. Last season, this was certainly true. When the fixture calendar rolled round to Old Firm day or a contest with the capital clubs, more often than not our players demonstrated their greater quality that was evident on paper. But this season I am left asking myself if that gap in ability between ourselves and our challengers is really there? Was it an illusion? Are we merely paper champions? If my analysis of the relative strengths of SPL sides is worth anything and we really are the most talented group of players it is time we started proving it on match days. No more turning up and relying on a few star performers to save the skins of lazy players who believe they have made it and no longer think they have to work for victory against your Falkirks, St Johnstones and Hibernians. Starting this week I want to see a Rangers side filled with the quality of true champions and not the recent paper champions.

There's plenty of talk on here about whether the management should stay or go, so I thought I'd give my opinion on our main players who regularly get starts when they're fit for action. It's a brutally honest assessment that would need investment in new players if/when we have the money, as well as some youth being given a chance. I'll simplify this down to 2 lists - STAY & GO STAY Bougherra - Our best defender & a definite keeper, but we won't keep him. Papac - Our 2nd best defender & worth keeping. Davis - Our best midfielder & worth keeping despite his current form. Mendes - Our 2nd best midfielder & worth keeping despite his current form.. Edu - Haven't seen enough of him yet, but worth keeping based on what we've seen. Boyd - Our best goal scorer & worth keeping for his goals alone. Naismith - Still young, but probably our best all-round striking talent at the moment. Needs to start scoring goals. Novo - Great impact striker that almost always causes problems for defenses when brought on. Worth keeping imo. Fleck - Needs to be given a chance in attack/up front because he is not a winger. GO Weir - Once very good, but has no pace, no agility, poor distribution. Time to go. Broadfoot - Could be kept as back up cover, but we need better quality. Whittaker - Good player, but not a good right back. Prone to lapses of concentration/fuck ups & gives the ball away in dangerous areas constantly. McCulloch - Good enough for a poor Rangers side, but not good enough for a good one. Get rid of him. Thomson - Proving to be injury prone & appears very slow coming back to form on return from injury. If he's not back to top form by January, I wouldn't be disappointed to see an offer accepted. Rothen - Has a mountain to climb if he wants to earn a contract here. As it stands he'll be going back to PSG at the end of his loan. Beasley - Showed signs of real talent, but now totally out of the picture & is as good as gone now anyway. At least we only payed around �£750k for him. Lafferty - I'd bite anyone's hand off that was offering anything over 65% of what we paid for him. Miller - Poor ball control, shot shy, has proven to be an asset on the odd occasion that he turns up. How such a brutal footballer can show the occasional sign of genius is beyond me. Not worth keeping though. It's a sad indication of the state of football in our country that this guy has been & continues to be the national team's 1st choice striker. I think that about sums up what I think about our current team. It needs rebuilt. So what does everyone else think?