Search the Community

Before I start 3 points. 1) Yes, there are other players more deserving of abuse. If you believe that to be the case, start a thread on said player. This is discuss a particular player and issue. 2) I fully admit I start this thread because he is in direct competition with a player I rate, but bear in mind the levels of abuse him and Boyd receive (Boyd gets about 1000x as much abuse) whilst also acknowledging Boyd costs us about 1/10 what Lafferty did. 3) The main reason for starting this is from reading continual bollocks on FF, but if I posted this particular thread there it wouldn't last 2 seconds. Lafferty is plain crap. He is tall, but poor in the air. He can't time his jumps and too often jumps with his arms giving away "obvious" fouls (I disagree, but we'll look at it from a ref's point of view) much the same as Boyd. Taking the St Johnstone game as a good example, he is off side far too often, often through lazy play. I.e. just not walking back onside after the last attack. His touch is poor. Why is he untouchable? Why does Boyd get so much stick. What do we expect from a man who cost �£400k whilst ignoring the failings of a player who cost nigh on 10x that amount. Is Boyd lazy? Or is he just lacking in athletic ability and just plain not very good? But does he at least hit the back of the net. Why does a man who cost us not much (a reflection of his quality, lets be honest) and who not many rate get so much abuse, yet another player who cost almost 10 times the amount and is supposedly blessed with an abundance of abilities afforded so much good will from the fans? I'm not saying Lafferty is a terrible player. I'm not saying he doesn't have potential. But he has in no way developed into a decent striker yet. We were absolutely mugged by Burnley (I think). Almost �£4mil for a player who is that "rough". It's a fucking shambles. Boyd rightly gets stick for his contribution at times. But is it that much worse than, Miller (sometimes yes), Naismith, Lafferty and Novo (Over his Gers career most certainly yes)? On a game by game basis, no. If Lafferty, or any of our other forwards for that matter, were this Drogba-esque striker then fair enough. Quite frankly i'm back to the point where the man who knows where the back of the net is starts every game and we accept it wont happen every game. Speaking of our other strikers. Miller was twice played in on the left hand side of the box (whilst it still mattered) and was a complete shite bag, even he has no confidence in his shooting ability. Even Novo, a man of little natural ability, would have pulled the trigger. Miller wasted the opportunities. I'm not extolling the virtues of Boyd. I'm just pointing out all our forwards are sadly lacking in numerous areas, so lets play the one who has the biggest plus of all. Goals!

A famous sports’ quote, mistakenly accredited to legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, but one of my favourites. It defines my stance on sporting endeavour. I admit it. I am everything that is “wrong” with the modern Rangers fan. I spent the 90 minutes of today’s match berating the team for not being able to do the basics competently. As you may expect from my opening gambit, my patience only began to wear thin after we meekly surrendered the lead. My ire only subsided once Papac, one of the few to earn his wages today, secured a vital victory. Allied to the fact that Celtic only managed a goalless draw at home to Motherwell, today’s victory allowed us to return to the summit of the SPL. With that permutation of results I went from resembling eye-ore to a grinning Cheshire cat. I’ve always been obsessed with competition, with victory. I remember in primary 4 my teacher had us compete in a maths game in which each time you answered a question right you got to take a pace forward and the winner was the one who got to the end of the ladder first. I had to win at that, I loved competing with and beating my class mates. Growing up as one of four brothers, even eating dinner was competitive. It was like a monkey’s tea party and it didn’t matter if you ended up wearing half your dinner, because if you cleared your plate first you got first choice of desserts and hence the biggest portion. Much like my attitude to supporting Rangers. It doesn’t matter how we get there, so long as we are the ones parading the trophies at the end of the season. My dad has a favourite story of playing beach cricket on holiday and how we almost managed to make the game interesting as accusations of cheating led to my brothers and I wielding the bat and stumps like weapons in a cross between the Ashes and the UFC, but I think you get the picture now; I like winning. There is an argument that this short-sighted thinking is what holds us back. I am not convinced. There is plenty that holds us back, playing in the SPL for starters. My enjoying being top dogs pales into insignificance in comparison to the real issues. We have the likes of Cammy and MF, perhaps rightly, arguing that it was better in their day (sorry guys ). No doubt if you spoke to their elders they would chastise these two whipper-snappers for the very same thing. The fans are right in that we are nowhere near the quality of the team that went to Barcelona, or the legendary Nine in a Row team. I often hear how the quality is declining on a yearly basis. Nonsense. Was the team that Smith took to Manchester in his first full year back in charge worse than the team of the previous two years? No. However, there is an obvious decline to this point from 10 or 15 years ago. What went before, though, should not prevent us from enjoying the present. Admittedly, it is difficult to enjoy performances such as today, when we were dominated by a team assembled for a fraction of the cost, but I will enjoy any casual glance of the league table reading Rangers in first place. “You can only beat what is put in front of you”, as that old maxim goes. In this two-horse race, in respect of a full league campaign, that means not only winning the Old Firm games, but collecting more points in the rest of the fixtures than Celtic do. Whilst I may be accused of having a parochial view, it must be remembered we can only challenge ourselves on a grander stage by being top dogs in Scotland. And one thing Walter Smith brings is domestic dominance. Just a few short weeks ago Celtic travelled to the South Side with talk of an insurmountable 7-point lead at the top of the league. Predictably Smith sent them home with a confidence sapping dent to their title challenge. Smith’s teams may not play with the attacking freedom of Guardiola’s Barcelona or a classic Brazil team, but they are not short of many other qualities befitting the status of Champions. Already this season we have shown we are capable of winning after suffering a setback. Something I was never confident of under his recent predecessors. Vitally, like all great sides who end the gruelling league season with the title, this current Rangers team know how to win when they are not playing well. Admittedly we have demonstrated that far too often for the fans liking, but it is an essential quality of a team wishing to challenge for top honours in a 30-odd game season. No team can complete a full set of league fixtures without throwing in the odd poor performance. It is the teams who manage to turn no points into 1 or 1 point into 3 when suffering this drop-off in their level that will emerge victorious. I opened this piece by saying that I am everything that is “wrong” with Rangers fans at present. But I make no apologies for that. There are some fans that cannot and will not let go of the ideal. The idea that on paper we are far superior to our opposition and so we should demonstrate our superiority in every encounter. Whilst they should be applauded for their stance, realists will acknowledge that sport never works out like that. I am happy that we will demonstrate our superiority come the end of the season, as shown by a brief glance at the league table and the trophy count. Of course better performances and demonstrations of silky football would be preferable. But winning is the ultimate aim. Everything else is secondary. Winning in football is an absolute. The team with the most goals takes the points. I have never been a fan of subjective sports such as gymnastics or diving where the winner is decided by no absolute criteria, but merely opinion. The minute real sports are judged on aesthetics and how pretty you look whilst playing the game is the minute that pure sporting competition dies. I have no desire to watch a game where the winner is subjective. The arbiters of our game show a worrying inconsistency in officiating contests that deal in a relative black and white. Would you expect parity with our rivals if suddenly there were rewards for artistic interpretation? In real veneration of Vince Lombardi; “show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser”. As long as we are winning, the debate over the quality of football should continue. It is only when we are no longer emerging victorious that debate becomes redundant and discussion of the real issue (“why aren’t we winning”) would emerge. Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing!

I think the kindest words that can be used to describe our early season form is ââ?¬Ë?erraticââ?¬â?¢ both on the domestic front and in Europe. There have been a few highs (2nd half against Stuttgart, first half against Seville, victory at Tynecastle and our recent OF victory) but these have been outweighed with negatives. We have failed to win another away game since that memorable victory in Edinburgh and have failed to score against Motherwell, Killie and Aberdeen. Thankfully we managed to get back on track against Celtc and earned a well deserved 3 points to close the gap to one point when most feared that weââ?¬â?¢d fall 7 points behind. It isnââ?¬â?¢t only the results that are worrying, some of the performances have raised alarming questions regarding the quality of our squad, especially once we have injuries and suspensions. There are also credible concerns regarding our discipline after receiving three red cards in our opening three SPL away games. In saying that, it could be argued that all three decisions were incorrect (however, it can as easily be argued that all three were correct depending on your interpretation of the rules). We continue to have a sound defensive base to build upon with us ensuring that goals against are at a premium and its undeniable that we are hard to break down (unless your Seville!). It is further forward we are appearing to struggle. Our midfield is constantly being chopped and changed and none of our strikers have set the heather on fire so far this season. It can be argued that they are being starved of their usual quality service as our creative players have been limited with injuries and suspensions. Hopefully this is improving as we are slowly but surely getting most of our players match fit and ready for action. The only exceptions are long-term absentees Kirk Broadfoot and Mo Edu. With all due respect to Kirk is exclusion from the squad whilst being missed, in my opinion, it is the enforced absence of Mo Edu that has hampered us this season. This is an extraordinary admission from myself as when I first heard we had signed the young American for Ã?£2.6M I believed it was money thrown away. The early sightings of the slight American hardly filled me with confidence but when injuries forced our management team to unwrap the cotton wool from the youngster and throw him into the title race, I quickly realised that we had a very promising prospect on our hands. For one so young he appears to be able to read games very well. His slightness hides a physical presence that he is able to channel correctly. His game also allows others around him to play with a freedom. Not one single player can take any extra credit or glory for overhauling Celtc last season but Mo Edu can be proud of his contribution in the nail-biting finale to the season. This included a brillaint OF debut where Mo helped Rangers to a 1-0 victory over Celtc at Ibrox. His energy in that game was outstanding as was his general performance. I was looking forward to Mo taking this form and confidence into the new season but the knock he took in the final game of season was more serious than first imagined and we were informed that heââ?¬â?¢d be missing for a prolonged period. As said above I believe that this has had an impact on our early season form especially given the fact the Kevin Thomson is also just coming back from serious injury. It is encouraging to hear that Edu is on the road to recovery and I for one canââ?¬â?¢t wait until he makes his comeback into the Rangers starting 11. Cammy F

Been on a much-needed holiday so was no surprise to come back to further debate about the recent 'articles' by Michael Walker and, of course, that fearless crusader of all things bigoted (as long as they are blue), Graham Spiers. Of course, ill-informed and imbalanced media comments are nothing new so while I was annoyed as the next bear about these articles, I was more interested to see the Rangers Supporters Assembly finally wade into the media debate. Looking around online their suitably succinct statement seems to have been received reasonably well which is certainly good news given many fans still harbour (valid) doubts about the quality of that organisation. Nonetheless, I'm sure these same cynics welcome the Assembly's efforts to be more pro-active in this regard. Utilising the Trust's experience in this field is also agreeable. I hope this is further evidence of an improving Assembly willing to act on mandates from interested fans. As ever though, it needs to be considered how to reach offline supporters so they are made aware of the Assembly's stance. To that end the club should be looking to help - even if asking them to ban Graham Spiers is unlikely to yield their agreement. Nevertheless, would it be possible for the Rangers News or a forthcoming match-programme to publish such Assembly statements? I'd also love to see them on the Jumbotron screens home matches but perhaps that is less feasible. Certainly, if the club are serious about combating unfair media coverage then, while making martyrs by banning journalists may not be realistic, helping the supporters publicise the worst of the offenders' work is something they can do to apply pressure. The club have stated a few times that if fans are not happy with media coverage, then don't subscribe to the platform involved. Of course that applies in many cases but our chances of success would improve if the club helped disseminate the information. Unfortunately the 'don't buy' mantra doesn't apply to the problems we've seen at the BBC in recent years but out of small seeds.... Unfortunately, with Sir David Murray still the majority shareholder, even the appointment of a new chairman isn't likely to warrant a large-scale change of tact in the way the club defends itself and its fans. However, the Walker and Spiers issues are open goals for the club to show they really care about their fans' image. With the club-funded Assembly speaking out - an organisation the club are quick to highlight as representative of all Rangers fans - the remit has been given more strongly than ever for the club to do more. The upcoming club AGM will be an opportunity to see exactly how Alistair Johnston feels about an issue which remains one of the most important to many supporters. The media challenge is one that unites most fans of otherwise different opinions and backgrounds. Do the club intend leading from the front and finally joining with us in addressing it? To conclude, the media debate may not be the biggest off-the-field challenge facing Rangers FC but it will give us an interesting insight into whether Alistair Johnston is his own man or a pawn for a regime which continues to allow hostile mischief-makers to say and do what they like. Moreover, this will be an interesting gauge to see if the Assembly are capable of creating the necessary pressure to force the club into change.

To the majority of fans of club football the weekend�s set aside in the fixture calendar for international competition prove no more than an unwelcome irritation. This early into a new season few wish to see their team�s momentum interrupted World Cup qualifiers or friendlies, whilst others do not wish to wait two weeks to see their heroes arrest a run of poor results. With Scotland failing to secure second spot in group 9 and thus not having to concern ourselves with the makeup of the play-offs for a place on the plane to South Africa a friendly fixture the other side of the globe was not going to whet the appetite. That goes for the players as well as the fans, with Scotland�s few players of genuine quality declining the call-up due to injuries, whether real or imagined. Given Rangers last competitive fixture was a home victory in another bruising Old Firm encounter you would imagine that a break in the season is the last thing Walter Smith and the players would want. However, whilst we secured the three points last time out, it would be difficult to argue that we were building up a head of steam on the domestic front with our 3 previous league encounters ending goalless. The hard-fought Old Firm victory merely reduced the deficit to 1 point. It has been a false-start to the season so far, but hopefully the break in club football will allow us to regroup and return to SPL action with real purpose. The threadbare nature of the first team squad is often on the lips of fans, players and journalists around the country. We cannot afford to be missing too many key players as we simply don�t have the reinforcements. Kevin Thomson was perhaps rushed back into the first team thanks to injuries and suspensions wish has led to him suffering a reaction to the lack of proper recuperation. It was no surprise when the young midfielder was withdrawn from the Scotland squad that travelled to Japan. A couple of weeks training and recovering at Murray Park should allow Rangers to reintroduce him to the first team at full fitness. Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller started the Old Firm encounter in ominous form if in unfamiliar roles as the Boyd turned provider for Miller�s deadly finishing on the day. It was therefore disappointing to see Boyd removed from the action before half time after a clash of heads left the big Ayrshire-man with an eye-socket injury. Boyd could be out for as much as four weeks, but with Boyd having removed himself from International consideration it is fortunate that two of those weeks fall during the international break. Kyle Lafferty�s return against Celtic should help soften the blow of Boydie�s injury lay off. Worryingly, Lafferty was forced to withdraw from the Northern Ireland squad to face the Czech Rep. with a chest infection but I would expect that should not keep him out of the Rangers squad to face St. Johnstone in our next fixture. However, some of our key men are away on international duty and as Rangers fans we will all be concerned about the condition they return in. Pedro Mendes found himself back in the engine room for Portugal as they won handsomely over Hungary to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Star man Madjid Bougherra is away with Algeria whilst Whittaker again filled the right back role for Scotland. We will all be hoping that these key players along with our other internationals return unscathed. Before the Old Firm victory 7 days ago, the squad were misfiring; the midfield could not dictate the play whilst the forwards could not hurt the opposition feeding off the meagre scraps their team mates provided resulting in three disappointing goalless draws. At least the miserly defence were keeping the opposition out at the other end. Closing the gap at the top to just one point was essential, even this early in the season as we could not afford to slip 7 points behind if we are to retain our title. However, the two-week break between SPL matches will allow the management team to examine our performances and pin point our deficiencies before communicating this with the players. Even in spite of the absent international stars it is vital that Smith, McCoist and McDowall use this break productively to get the team firing again and iron-out the issues that saw us slump 4 points behind in the title race after a solid if unspectacular start to the season. No disrespect to St Johnstone but the club could not have handpicked a better game in which to test if the players can deliver an improved commitment and coherence.

Since Madjid Bougherra should be playing for Algeria tonight I thought I'd try and tune in somehow. Unfortunately, it appears that neither Sky or ESPN are showing the game, so I might be looking for a stream online. If anyone finds a good quality stream please PM me a link.

Youââ?¬â?¢ll hear it repeated ad nauseam between now and Christmas if the latest news on Maurice Edu is accurate, so you might as well read it here first: when he regains match fitness after more than four months sidelined through injury, Maurice Edu will be like a new signing for Rangers. Thereââ?¬â?¢s very little arguing with that statement: Edu showed in a short spell towards the end of last season that he has enough raw talent to make the Ã?£2.6m paid for him in the summer of 2008 look like a very shrewd investment indeed. And if Sundayââ?¬â?¢s Old Firm match was anything to go by, such talent will surely find itself in considerable demand as this season progresses. It was in the aftermath of the ââ?¬Å?boozegateââ?¬Â affair that Edu found himself called on by Walter Smith last term. Barry Fergusonââ?¬â?¢s enforced exile from first-team affairs left a breach in the middle of the park during the SPL title run-in into which the 23-year-old stepped with precisely the degree of confidence and assurance you would hope for in an American. Prior to that, his first-team appearances had been rationed. Since Rangersââ?¬â?¢ championship-winning display at Tannadice on May 24 they have been non-existent: a Darren Dods challenge just before half-time in that game put paid to his ability to train for the next three months. His return, therefore, brings a much-needed injection of quality to the Rangers engine-room, but equally valuable might be his versatility. That, at least, is the view of Steve Nicol, the former Liverpool and Scotland stalwart, who was hugely impressed by Edu when he was a Major League Soccer player with Maurice Johnsonââ?¬â?¢s Toronto FC. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s a player who can perform in a number of different roles,ââ?¬Â said the 47-year-old coach of New England Revolution of a young Californian who has played for his country in midfield, at centre-back and at right-back. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s not just a central midfielder. Thatââ?¬â?¢s probably where he prefers to play but heââ?¬â?¢s got that ability to step in to other positions. If you can play at centre-back itââ?¬â?¢s obvious that you have the ability to read the game, so he is a real asset.ââ?¬Â Edu, who was drafted by Toronto as the first overall pick of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, is visiting a specialist in London this week and expects to be given the green light to return to full training after several weeks of gym sessions and running. Having signed a five-year contract at Rangers last August, he was forced to bide his time in the reserves before circumstances propelled him centre-stage in April. At the time Rangers were barely hanging onto Celticââ?¬â?¢s coat-tails in the title race, but suddenly they became a far more competitive unit, in part due to Eduââ?¬â?¢s hunger and energy. Where Fergusonââ?¬â?¢s performances had been inconsistent and not infrequently flaky, Edu was physically adept, robust in the tackle and resourceful in terms of supporting the front men. Arguably his most impressive performance came in Rangersââ?¬â?¢ 1-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox in May ââ?¬â?? a shift that spoke well of his maturity and composure in the most fraught of environments. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s not easy to step into Barry Fergusonââ?¬â?¢s shoes, as he was asked to do towards the end of last season,ââ?¬Â says Nicol. ââ?¬Å?When Rangers signed him heââ?¬â?¢d had less than a full season as a professional, heââ?¬â?¢d come out of college and been picked early in the draft by Maurice Johnson. Compared to most other Old Firm players, heââ?¬â?¢s inexperienced. But I think now youââ?¬â?¢ll probably see the best of him. As far as I know heââ?¬â?¢s impressed when heââ?¬â?¢s had the chance, but itââ?¬â?¢s not easy to make the switch from a completely different environment after one season as a pro, and it usually takes a while for a player to settle. ââ?¬Å?In the MLS, for such a young player he was someone Toronto relied on. You knew he was a player of real quality when you came up against him, even though he was inexperienced. He picks good positions, he defends well, but he also distributes the ball well, so youââ?¬â?¢ve a guy who has a lot of ability.ââ?¬Â Rangers may not have made any permanent signings in the most recent transfer window, but thereââ?¬â?¢s a fair chance one of their 2008 investments could be about to start paying dividends. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/maurice-edu-can-be-like-a-new-signing-for-rangers-1.924522

Wrote this before the Aberdeen game but couldn't get it posted right on the main site before it. Given an impotent attacking display it's still relevant though.

When you sit down and think about what is happening in Govan tomorrow night you will start to feel a tingle through your body, a shiver down your spine and your smile getting wider. Yes europe's elite's competition is back at Ibrox, this time we are the only Scottish Team & the Scottish Champions. I know we haven't been playing too well recently, we have been all having moans etc, but lets get right behind our team tomorrow night. This is our reward for winning the league last year, seeing top quality teams play in our back door ! It's our back door and lets not make it easy for them like the Sevilla manager thinks it will be. Get the players chasing everything at the start of the game, hit a few digs and the Rangers fans on top of the pitch roaring Derry's Walls, Follow Follow and other classics will surely put them at unrest. Lets advance on that 1 point we have, give us another point against the Spanish giants, or are we in for another triumphant victory. We Are Rangers The Scottish Champions Bring On Europe !! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubr5-gEY3uA&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Rangers fc song - We'll be with you[/ame]

With another enthralling Champions League encounter upon us I have spent my free time scouring the internet for debate and discussion of the upcoming European midweek. Instead of joining the excited chattering over the expensive talents of Sevilla against whom we are about to test ourselves, I have been greeted by a thunder of grumbling and groaning over an anticipated anti-climax. No doubt our appalling league form has contributed to the lack of enthusiasm for the forthcoming fixture. Not only are we struggling for goals and victories, but our pot 1 opponents are in excellent form having taken maximum points in each of their fixtures throughout September. Whilst we have managed just a solitary victory over Division 1 Queen of the South, Sevilla have swept aside all in their path with only Real Zaragoza managing to breach their goal. Even if were hitting top gear, only the most blinkered of fan would not admit that it will be a tough fixture. However, previous such matches have been greeted with fear and hope in equal measure. Too often I have read comments of fans who would not attend the game even on a complimentary ticket as they will not suffer the indignity of watching their team play for a nil-nil draw. Apparently, the only games of football in which you should follow their team are against inferior opposition where attacking with reckless abandon is the order of the day. Perhaps a greater interest in the “sweet science” of boxing may prove enlightening to such fans. Their preference for football would be akin to two pub drunks flailing away, swinging hay makers and taking as much damage as they might be able to inflict. Students of the “gentleman’s sport” will more keenly appreciate the need for a great defence is as important as a great offence. Come out swinging against a superior opponent and your night could be over in the opening rounds. Despite its brutality, boxing is a thinking man’s sport and time and again Walter Smith and his Rangers team have shown an ability to soak up the opponent’s early pressure before delivering a knockout blow in the Championship Rounds. Success in prizefighting, or indeed any other sport, is achieved through maximising your strengths, minimising your weaknesses and taking advantage of your opponents. In much the same way any football manager must look to maximise the qualities of his squad, play to its strengths and look to exploit any deficiencies in your opposition. With the quality of opposition dispatched on the way to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final it would be a little unfair to dismiss that run as merely luck. As such, Walter Smith had struck on a winning formula for that squad. Suggestions this pre-season were that Smith may utilise a more attacking outlook this season and certainly that has been the intention of setting out in a 4-3-3 formation, even if it has not yet been perfected. I do not expect an expansive attacking game from Rangers on Tuesday. I expect Smith to set out with the game plan that maximises our chances of obtaining a positive result. Building a game plan on defensive solidity and playing for 0-0 draw is not the same thing. Defence may be attack’s unfancied sibling. A dirty word in the corridors and changing rooms of the Nou Camp. It does not grab the headlines and the column inches in the same way that offensive prowess can. However, it is every bit as important if a positive result is to be achieved. Defending is not a crime. But playing with no sense of attacking ambition is!

When I turned on ESPN this Saturday, the first Rangers game broadcast by the American Network that puts Sky�s coverage to shame, I was shocked and pleased in equal measure by the starting line up Smith had chosen to tackle Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. Since Smith and his management team have returned to the club I have at times been frustrated by his unwillingness to utilise his full squad. It can be argued that at the end of the 2007/8 season as we battled on four fronts to win silverware that had Smith been willing to utilise the full benefit of his large squad we may not have come up just short in our assault on the title. I may be being a little unfair Walter and his deputies as hitherto before unseen backlog of fixtures is what ultimately cost us the league crown. However, it still stands that at times he has been reticent to rotate his squad and gain the benefits of fringe players who are fresh, fully fit and eager to contribute. So as posters in the main forum will have noted, prior to kick off, I was pleased to note the changes made from what was an excellent point earned in Germany. Kris Boyd, who prior to this weekend�s game had a scoring record of more than a goal a game against his former employers, returned to the starting line up as a toiling Kenny Miller made way. Davie Weir returned to the first XI and with Bougherra suspended it was vital our captain was fit with few other options for the centre-back position. I had assumed the veteran defenders experience would coach McCulloch through another game in his new defensive role. In came Fleck and Novo as Thomson and Rothen dropped to the bench. There could be little complaints about the formation and line up the manager had selected for this latest fixture. A willingness to freshen up the first team and attacking intent in abundance. We had pace and trickery in wide areas from Fleck, Novo and Naismith. Mendes was partnered in the centre by the diminutive Ulsterman Steve Davis, moved in from the right flank where he is able to have more influence on proceedings. With Scotland�s deadliest marksman feeding off this supply on-loan Celtic keeper Mark Brown must have been expecting a far more difficult afternoon than he endured. However, as the draw in Stuttgart highlighted, defying popular opinion of so called experts and bookmakers, football is played out on the field not on paper. Despite the supposed gulf in class, despite the abundance of attacking quality available to Rangers, we rarely troubled the Kilmarnock goal. Yesterday was not a game for the neutrals. Had I not such a deep emotional attachment to my football team, I might not have been watching until fulltime. It was the kind of contest where you would not open your curtains had it been played out in your back garden. Time and again I have argued from the position of football fanatic, not customer. I am not terribly interested in the so-called product so long as positive results are being obtained. Where that argument falls short and where those who wish to be entertained as well victorious are hard to argue against is after a fixture like Saturday�s. A poor performance married with a poor result that saw Celtic usurp our position atop the league table. Fortunately with fixtures against Aberdeen and Celtic next up on league duty we have ample opportunity to make amends and return to our rightful position at the summit. Before that of course we have a Co-op cup fixture with Queen of the South and our first Home Champions League game against La Liga cracks Sevilla. A worrying trend in an inability to motivate ourselves from the first whistle has continued into the new season. Away in Germany we can be forgiven for having to survive a first half onslaught. Stuttgart, as the home team, were under pressure to take maximum points as results achieved at home so often determine the outcome of the Champions League group stage. The German outfit are also blessed with greater financial clout and therefore individual star quality. At half time Smith was able to galvanise his team and they produced a second half performance worthy of the Rangers to take an excellent point on the road. There are no excuses for not being able to take the game to a vastly inferior Kilmarnock team. Much like we have managed to do on our European travels under Smith and McCoist, Killie managed to produce a team performance to outfox a team with greater resources and quality. Like we have shown in our march to Manchester, a good team ethic can defeat superior opposition. We, therefore, no better than anyone that approaching any fixture with the right mental attitude is vital if we are to avoid dropping silly points as we mount our title challenge. I put last week�s drab draw with Motherwell down as a one off. It is rare any team can complete a perfect season. Rangers have managed it just once in our history. But if we have serious ambitions of retaining our league title and extending our world record to 53 titles we cannot afford to put together a string of dropped points. I had hoped the 0-0 draw at Fir Park would serve as sufficient motivation to approach our league fixtures with the correct mindset. It was disappointing therefore that we would again drop points in the very next fixture. Last weekend we were fortunate that our errors were not punished by Celtic as they could not take advantage of our slip up. We were not likely to get away with it two weeks running. Perhaps this weekend�s disappointment was a result of a Champions League hangover. If that is the case it is a worrying scenario for the season ahead with a minimum of 5 more Champions League fixtures to be negotiated. We are all aware of the importance of competing at Europe�s top table. This summer�s transfer window was a bit of non-event as far as Rangers were concerned. Imagine the disaster that may have unfolded had we not guaranteed Champions League participation. Star players such as Bougherra and Davis may no longer be plying their trade at Ibrox. We therefore understand the importance of ensuring we retain our league title and are entered into the draw in Monaco next summer. It is essential then that Walter Smith gets this first half malaise drilled out of our players. Queen of the South are up next at Palmerston this midweek and I expect them to be on the end of a Rangers backlash. There are many players with a lot to prove ahead of vital fixtures with Aberdeen and Sevilla. Kris Boyd, Pedro Mendes and Kenny Miller have flattered to deceive so far this season. They are all seasoned and experience pro�s and their performances should be helping guys like John Fleck and a now injury free Steven Naismith to settle into the team. I am unsure as to whether we should stick with Miller and Boyd and hope that what should be a formality of a fixture will allow them to play their way into form, or drop them to the bench and hope that that serves as the motivation to find their form from the first whistle.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g90i2tlUip4&feature=popular]Quality![/ame] Two guys who are in it for the banter and not to act like pricks!

JORG ALBERTZ was absolutely delighted to see Stuttgart stuffed by his hometown club Hamburg at the weekend. Tonight he would love nothing more than to witness his other favourite team pile on the agony for the Bundesliga big guns in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Albertz, the German who became an adopted Scot during a hugely successful five-year stint with Rangers that ended in 2001, isn't predicting a Champions League victory forWalter Smith's men but does believe they are capable of securing a precious point. However, that's only if they ditch the backs-to-the-wall tactics that paid off so spectacularly the last time they visited Germany competitively. Albertz remembers vividly the battering Rangers withstood from Werder Bremen en route to the UEFA Cup Final in 2008 but believes a similarly defensive philosophy won't pay dividends against Stuttgart. He said: "I was at the Bremen game and I watched it through my fingers. I know the circumstances are different this time. Back then, Rangers were defending a two-goal lead from the first leg and basically put everyone in their own penalty box and letWerder Bremen hammer away at them. "They eventually lost the game but went through on aggregate and that was down to Allan McGregor's performance in goal. He was unbelievable but nobody can expect him to play like that again. It was the performance of a lifetime. "If I'm being honest, Rangers were lucky to survive that night but I was delighted they did. They can't afford to play like that against Stuttgart because if they invite them to attack for 90 minutes, they'll eventually lose goals. "I am not saying they must attack without caring about their defence but if they go forward at the right times and put pressure on their defenders, I am sure they can get a goal or two. "That might depend, though, on what kind of night the Stuttgart goalkeeper has. Everyone knows Jens Lehmann from his Arsenal days - he can be world class and unbeatable in one game and then lose the easiest goals in the next match. "Rangers must hope Lehmann has one of those nights when he makes mistakes. If he does they will have a real chance." Albertz is a big pal of Stuttgart manager Markus Babbel, the former Liverpool defender who was his team-mate at Hamburg, but his love for Rangers overshadows his desire to see his fellow Germans claim a victory tonight. He added: "Everyone knows what Rangers mean to me. I love the club and always will. "They will be looking at Stuttgart's start to the season, which hasn't been great, and hoping they can take advantage but this is still a quality team." The news that Stuttgart playmaker Alexander Hleb is almost certainly out has brought a smile to Albertz's face because he believes the former Arsenal star, currently on loan from Barcelona, would have pulled all the strings tonight. He said:"It will be a massive help if Hleb is out injured because he makes Stuttgart play. It looks like he has an injury but their captain Thomas Hitzlsperger is a world-class midfielder who must not be given the chance to shoot from 30 yards out. "He has a lethal left foot and, on the other side, the striker Cacau can also hit them with his right, soWalter has to make sure the team doesn't give away free-kicks around the box. "But they have lost Mario Gomez to Bayern Munich and he is just a goal machine. The man they have bought to replace him Pavel Pogrebnyak is a fantastic striker and proved it with Zenit St Petersburg but he is still settling in Germany. "It can be difficult for a player to come from another country and feel comfortable with his new team-mates and his new lifestyle straight away. I know I managed it no bother when I came to Rangers but not everybody is like me. For Rangers' sake, I hope Pogrebnyak takes a little longer to settle." Albertz is looking forward to the managerial match-up between Babbel, and his old gafferWalter Smith. He has immense respect for both men and added: "Markus is still learning but he had real success in his first season last year when he almost took Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title. "They ended up finishing third but this season has not been good so far, although it is early. They have won just one of their first five games and lost 3-1 in Hamburg at the weekend. "To be fair Hamburg played great and are top of the league on merit. They will give Celtic a very hard test when they play them in the Europa League. "The Stuttgart fans have high expectations and they aren't happy at the moment. They are very passionate, which is great when the team is doing well but can work against it when the players are struggling. "I am sure the stadium will be filled with 55,000 fans for the first game in the Champions League and there will be a great atmosphere. But if Rangers start well and Stuttgart don't, it would not surprise me if their fans start to get very angry with their team. "The last thing players need is their own crowd to go against them but it would be a great thing for Rangers if they could make it happen. But I hope Markus does well over the season because he is a great guy. "On the other sideWalter has all the experience in the world and it was amazing when he took Rangers to the UEFA Cup Final. He has followed that by winning the league and I am sure he will come up with a plan for Stuttgart. "But I am also sure he would sign right now for a draw. Taking a point from Germany would be a great result and it wouldn't surprise me if Rangers get it - as long as they don't defend for 90 minutes looking for a 0-0 draw."

Some very valid points made by S_A regarding the performance and its long term affect on the national team: http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=828&Itemid=1 We as Rangers fans are perhaps more aware than most that performances can almost be as or more important than the result itself. How else do you explain the fact that a manager who has had us competing in the final or to the last day of every competition we have entered since his return (last yearââ?¬â?¢s European run aside) still having his doubters and detractors? Walter Smith in his second spell, I need not remind you, has won 2 Scottish Cups, 1 SPL trophy, 1 League Cup. In his two full seasons back we have won 4 of a possible 8 trophies available, finishing runner up in 3 with the other tournament being last yearââ?¬â?¢s Champions League. Add that to his previous tenure and NIAR and you wonder how some are still not convinced. The major criticism appears to be in the manner in which this fantastic run of success has been achieved. Team, work, organisation and defensive solidity are favoured ahead of skill and flair (though we may see a change in that this season). So can it be that the performance is more important the result? Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s Wednesday night defeat by the Dutch lends support to that way of thinking. In the context of a one off match a 1-0 defeat to the third ranked side in the world is not a terrible result. In the context of our disastrous World Cup campaign it was the result which condemned us to at least 14 years without an appearance on the International stage. Going into the recent double header, George Burley was a stick on for the sack. A minimum of 6 points was required just to give us hope of a play off place. In truth 3 points against Bert Van Marwijkââ?¬â?¢s side, who had collected maximum points in every game so far was highly improbable. Most Scottish football fans, whilst resigned to another unsuccessful qualifying campaign, were looking forward to seeing the back of bungling Burley and hopefully a return for some of our star players most notably Kris Boyd. In a qualification group were we scored only 6 times in 8 matches and with Chris Iwelumoââ?¬â?¢s howling miss still fresh in the memory it would be a particularly stubborn fan who would not admit that Scotland cannot do without such a prolific talent. Yet are Kris Boyd and indeed some of his fellow exiles any closer to a return to Dark Blue? In spite of another bad result ending our World Cup aspirations for another four years, because we turned in one of our few good performances of the campaign, suddenly all talk of Burleyââ?¬â?¢s successor is less certain. Whilst most expected him to fall on his sword after the inevitable occurred against the Oranje, Burley is still here. The SFA have made no telling statements. And what is more worrying, rather than the typical press conference called for the following morning, the SFA will not review this unsuccessful campaign until next week. Perhaps an indication that the manager will be given a stay of execution? The performance against Holland was in stark contrast to the rest of the campaign. We had fight, we had spirit and we had an equal measure of quality. All we missed was a decisive finish, or perhaps a slice of luck. Miller struck the bar and Zorm pulled off a wonder save from the ever-willing front man when the keeper spilled a long range Naismith effort. Miller had another snap shot spilled just round the post when even the Dutch Goalie feared it was rolling in. Scott Brown nudged past the post when the goal gaped at the back stick and Naismith had the ball in the back of the net only for the linesman to wrongly flag offside. And of course, as we chased the game, the Dutch struck the killer blow. This performance was night and day from anything else we had produced. But how much credit should the manager get for that? Weir only returned to the side because Barry and Paul Chuckle had been ruled out through suspension and injury respectively. And whilst some may try to lump the blame on the veteran defender, two key points should be remembered. 1: Our qualification hopes were wrecked long before the do or die game with one of the best sides in the world. And 2: In the four games Weir has played under Burley we have gained 3 clean sheets with only this solitary goal conceded to World Class opposition. For the 4-3-3 formation and the quick, agile and tricky attackers employed Burley does take credit. Miller was highly unfortunate not to score at least one. Naismith, but for a marginal linesman error, would have given us a priceless lead and produced a performance that belied his relative inexperience at this level. Maloney was somewhat less impressive but the right blend of abilities was found in the attacking trio. However, should one good performance that ultimately ended in more glorious failure atone for a calamitous campaign? Terrible results home and away to Norway and in Macedonia. Poor man management. Poor tactics and team selections. Burleyââ?¬â?¢s deficiencies in all areas of management at the very top level were laid bare time and again. Booze-gate. The Iwelumo/Fletcher ââ?¬â?? Boyd fiasco. ââ?¬Å?Limited abilityââ?¬Â. Perhaps it is Burley and not Kirk Broadfoot who should know his place and his limitations and not dream to strive beyond his own capabilities. The list of errors is endless and is another article in itself. Should another night of glorious failure trump all that? Should we forget what went before it and pretend that this was a qualifying campaign on par with the Smith/McLeish led European Championships campaign that was so cruelly ended against the reigning World Champions after home and away victories over the vanquished foes of that same World Cup final. Letââ?¬â?¢s not diminish the work of Walter Smith and Alex McLeish any more than Burley already has by pretending they are in anyway similar. It is a worrying sign that the manner of this latest failure may yet see George Burley keep his job and in so doing, the impressive performance of Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker and their team mates may in fact turn out to prove more damaging than the 1-0 defeat that ultimately ended our World Cup ambitions for South Africa 2010.

Interested in hearing everyone's opinions... Like I said last night on the STS thread, I think having a forum is a positive development in terms of creating open debate but if a supporters organisation is to do this, they need to be extremely careful in how they approach it. As such, I'm a bit disappointed with forum software - the Joomla extension they've used is OK but not ideal, not secure and lacks functionality. That needs to be addressed immediately. VBulletin (or some recognised paid alternative) needs to be used and its registrations bridged with the Joomla CMS. After that, it is up to the Assembly to ensure the site is well moderated. Not to censure debate but to ensure the debate is of a quality deserving of the supporters genuinely interested in representation. As it stands it seems anything goes which won't work as those of differing/hostile agendas use the place as a soap box. The site itself is reasonable. I'm not a huge fan of the Rocket Theme used (there are other better ones) but it serves its purpose and if updated often enough will be a useful place to visit in conjunction with (and not instead) of the existing sites in the community. Hopefully all can continue to complement each other. Room for improvement then but this should be seen as an opportunity to contribute to that improvement as opposed to token criticism of an organisation that does appear genuine in their attempts to address their faults.

Overall this qualifying campaign has been a disaster from the performances on the park to the boozegate stuff off the park and the way that was handled. For us to not even get 2nd in the group reflects it in the end. I wanted to see us in South Africa but had we sneaked in the back door it would have been through sheer luck more than anything else. the likes of N Ireland have gave their group a real go and far deserve a play off spot more than Scotland do. The SFA dont help things, its now 11 years and counting since we were at WC 98 but we have a mess of a organisation running things who ban 2 key players and hamper qualification. The whole system needs sorted out in scottish football from top to bottom including those who attempt to run it and the structure of the domestic leagues. The Craig Brown days look glorious compared to what we have right now. How Walter managed to pick up us in such mess and put is in a great position is beyond me. We've falling like a pack of cards again since then. I think we have some good players that just need coached right. We have 3 quality keepers in Gordon, McGregor (has to be recalled) and alexander. Our midfield looks good if K Thomson comes in to play with Brown, Fletcher, McFadden and Commons. We just need a manager who will come in and get them playing well again.

You couldn't make this up.... Yet again knuckle draggers within the rotten ranks of the Scottish media circus are twisting things to suit a very very specific agenda. Fresh off the back of the hypocritical situation Celtic FC found themselves in this week following the Eduardo & McGeady diving incidents, The Sun newspaper are today publishing an article entitled "I was a dirty Rothen cheat" written by David Barnes. The article is accompanied by a photo of Rangers Football Club's new left sided midfielder Jerome Rothen with the caption "SCOUNDREL ... Rothen" underneath the image of the Frenchman proudly holding up his new Rangers jersey. The article itself is a lesson in how to (possibly illegally) fabricate complete & utter lies by sensationally twisting something beyond recognition in order that it fits in with a specific point of view or in this case, agenda. The writer David Barnes opens the slanderous article with the following statement in bold:- "RANGERS new boy Jerome Rothen has admitted he once CHEATED in a bid to land Real Madrid superstar Zinedine Zidane a red card." Now, that is a serious statement Mr. Barnes!! Careful you don't get your employer sued for slander now, won't you!! Here's the full article from the Sun's website so that you can see exactly why I've said what I have about this rotten article - http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2621462/I-was-a-dirty-Rothen-cheat.html How sports articles of such poor quality, agenda driven bias & containing such obviously slanderous statements manage to make it past the editorial stage & into print is simply staggering. Welcome to the Republic of Scotland Jerome!

Looking for a bit of help here guys. I'm currently travelling round South America so I canny watch the highlights of the games on the BBC site as they only show in the UK. The highlights on youtube are mostly of terrible quality. Is my only option to pay up and join Gers World? Or does anyone know of a decent free site? I'm planning to try the pay per match thing on the fishul site when I get to a country with broadband but for now it's very frustrating. The thought of missing out on CL games is driving me mad too so any help there would also be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

I have been watching with interest a lot of the Championship in England. More than anything it is because of my beloved Scunthorpe. However, i like watching all the other teams and i think most of the teams have very high quality players in there that Rangers should be tapping up. Anyway, i noted the magnificent progress of Scotland reserves, erm i mean Cardiff City and an old name in particular keeps popping up with assist after assist and good attacking play and trickery. I for one feel Cardiff city must be thinking they have got an absolute cracker for nowt. So, with that in mind, was it a mistake to sell him given that we need a flair player to hold up the ball, start attacks, whip down the wings throwing deadly balls in, and generally take the piss out the oppsition. I was at Chris Burkes first team debut against Killie? when he beat about 4 players on the right wing and thumped into the net. At that time i thought we had cracked it with the youth players. But i'm not sure why he never continued on from there because he certainly has the ability and has shown that, albeit, in dribs and drabs. Should we have let him go, especially now we see another team benefiting from one of our youth products?

Exclusive by Matthew Lindsay RANGERS youth supremo Jimmy Sinclair today backed Walter Smith's refusal to rush Murray Park's kids into first-team action. Smith has already confirmed he will resist the temptation to play talented 17-year-old centre-half Danny Wilson too much this season. That is even though the Gers boss has revealed he will not field veteran defender Davie Weir three times a week in the new campaign. Kirk Broadfoot, Lee McCulloch and Sasa Papac, as well as Little, will all be asked to stand in for the 39-year-old captain in the months ahead. advertisement And Sinclair, who oversees the development of the stars of tomorrow at the Ibrox club's multi-million pound training complex in Milngavie, reckons the gaffer's approach is spot on. "Danny certainly has lots of potential," he said. "He is training with the first team just now on a daily basis along with a few of his contemporaries, Jamie Ness and Andy Little. "But, as the manager has already stated publicly, he believes that a centre-back in particular needs to have a certain amount of maturity." He added: "I know he rates Danny very, very highly, but there is an element of patience required with him. Experience is paramount in his position. "A youngster who is player playing further up the pitch can make an error and it is not a catastrophe. In defence, though, an error can cost a goal. That is a lot to take for a young boy." Sinclair also feels Smith, and his backroom team of Ally McCoist, Kenny McDowall and Ian Durrant, have taken the correct approach with John Fleck. Fleck, still just 17, burst into the Rangers first team in a blaze of publicity last season and was tipped for great things after some fine individual performances. However, since then, he has struggled to hold down a regular first team place and he was dropped from the squad altogether after swearing at McCoist in a bust-up during pre-season. But Fleck came back into the first team in the Scottish champions' opening league game against Falkirk last weekend and did well in a 4-1 triumph. Sinclair reckons the prodigiously skilful youngster's return to form has a lot to do with the strict stance Smith has taken with him. He explained: "John is on a steep learning curve just now. He has been, and continues to be, a talented footballer at his age group level. "But to get into the Rangers first team, and then to try and stay there, is the biggest challenge that he has had to face so far in his career. Again, patience is required to ensure the introduction is done properly. There is nobody better than Walter to oversee that. John is in good hands. "I think John is comfortable playing anywhere. He is the type of boy who is happy to do that. But I think if you asked him specifically where he would prefer to play, he would like a central role. "For a 17-year-old, that is a big ask. As often happens with younger players, they are introduced into a wider area to get used to first team football. It seems to be working well. "For a young boy getting into the Rangers first team it is important to deal with not getting picked when you think you should be. "The setbacks are as important to his development as the good things which happen to him. Apart from the wee blip he had this summer, John seems to be settling in well." Meanwhile, Sinclair has endorsed the Glasgow club's decision to withdraw from the Reserve League - and predicted locking horns with English sides will improve the quality of games the Ibrox kids take part in. He stated: "We will replace formal fixtures with a type of game that we would require and prefer. "We will be travelling down south to play first-choice teams, as well as hosting them at Murray Park, and will get a better level of competition. "The Reserve League games had to be played regardless of the injury situation of a club. "There are a number of things which did not suit this club and I am sure we will overcome them in the coming season with the flexibility to arrange our own matches. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2526534.0.0.php

SOLDIERS from the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland took part in a landmark friendly yesterday wearing strips kindly donated by Rangers and West Ham. The soldiers are in Afghanistan to train the Afghan National Army and they teamed up with their counterparts from 7 Scots to take on the new recruits. Scots soldiers take on Afghan troops in a friendly in KabulThe donation of the Rangers strips follows a visit on 26 July by Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development. Whilst there, he learned over lunch with the soldiers at Camp Souter that one side had no football strips and he arranged for them to be kitted out. Back in Britain, the Scots minister linked up with the Light Blues and immediately arranged to send a team strip to Afghanistan. The Afghan National Army players wore the Rangers kit, with the international side sporting West Ham's strip colours. The match took place at the Kabul Military Training Centre, where international mentors including British soldiers and Royal Marines train Afghan Officer and Non-Commissioned Officers. The final score was 2-2 and the international team's captain, Rangers supporter Major David Jones, heralded the game as a huge success. He said: "The Afghans that I'm training are very fit young men - they do a lot of sport and weight training. All of us, particularly the Afghans, have been looking forward to the game for a while. It's the first full match we've played against one another and it was very competitive. "The quality of the cadets on and off the pitch is very good. They're very keen to serve their country and they're very keen to help in the fight against the insurgents. Scots soldiers take on Afghan troops in a friendly in Kabul"We're extremely grateful to both Rangers and West Ham United for the donation of the kit. Being a Rangers fan myself, having their strips here made the game even better!" Colour Sergeant Gary Buchanan, 36, from Arbroath, plays in midfield. He has previously served in Iraq, but this is his first mentoring role. Speaking before the match, he said: "When we first came, I wasn't sure what to expect of the Afghans as my previous experience was working with the Iraqis. "I've been here for five months now and it's been rewarding work. They're keen, enthusiastic and fit - fitness is obviously a key part of soldiering. "They're also a very good standard considering their Army was only established six years ago. I hope the same skill won't be applied on the field! "Obviously this work is very different to the work the boys are doing down south in Helmand, but it's just as important. "This is what is going to allow the Afghans to have control for themselves and what will get us as a coalition out of Afghanistan." http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Headlines/0,,5~1754386,00.html

This rant was formulating in my mind on Wednesday night, but I didn't have the opportunity to write/post it then.

Apparently he's signed for the tims on a hush hush deal for a fee believed to be around 850k according to some sheepy and timmy forums. Another big name signing! How do they manage to attract players of this quality?

The game is one week away and i must say i am gradually getting more excited as it gets closer. When the fixture got announced it didn't hit me as a big game like Chelsea, Liverpool, AC Milan over recent seasons in friendlies, but with City signed quality players during the summer this game is as big as those other so called glamour friendlies. Also it's the first time back at Ibrox since that Championship party in May, can't wait to get back into the stadium and cheer on the Bears !!

Noticed this in Times Online, any signing we might make could be in here. The Sunday Times asked two men who specialise in assessing football talent to pick teams of Football League players capable of prospering in the top tier. Some have played in the Premier League already, the majority are in the early stages of their career, and the common complaint was how to narrow down their selections to 11. Ewan Chester is Rangers’ chief scout with a Scottish silverware count of 33 trophies in 20 seasons. In between his two spells at Ibrox, Chester helped Livingston escape relegation by bringing in nine players before leaving to head and restructure Fulham's scouting department. “It was a wrench to leave Fulham and a league of the quality of the Premier League,” says Chester. “I only left because it was Walter Smith and Rangers asking.” Lee Matthews is a football consultant for Sports Management International, an agency that includes former pros Neil Cox and Chris Whyte, and works closely with BHP Sport, headed by former Liverpool striker David Hodgson. A contemporary of Jonathan Woodgate and Paul Robinson at Leeds United, Matthews’ playing career was blighted by injury as he hopscotched around 10 clubs before retiring in 2007. “We’re a young, ambitious group who want to build good relationships with the clubs rather than make a quick buck,” says Matthews, who helped striker Robert Snodgrass move from Livingston to Leeds last year. “As former pros, it’s easier for us to understand how precarious life is in the lower divisions.” The experts pick their winners Lee Matthews’ XI (Football consultant, Sports Management International) Jason Steele (Middlesbrough, goalkeeper, age 18) Adam Matthews (Cardiff, right-back, 17) Mark Beevers (Sheff Wed, centre-back, 19) Miles Addison (Derby, centre-back, 20) Joe Mattock (Leicester, left-back, 19) Robert Snodgrass (Leeds, right wing, 21) Joe Ledley (Cardiff, centre midfield, 22) Fabian Delph (Leeds, centre midfield, 19) Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough, left wing, 22) Ross McCormack (Cardiff, forward, 22) Connor Wickham (Ipswich, forward, 16) Ewan Chester’s XI (Chief scout, Glasgow Rangers) Joe Lewis (Peterboro’, goalkeeper, 21) Gianni Zuiverloon (West Brom, right-back, 22) Andre Bikey (Reading, centre-back, 24) Zak Whitbread (Millwall, centre-back, 25) Joe Mattock (Leicester, left-back, 19) Adam Lallana (Southampton, right midfield, 21) Fabian Delph (Leeds, centre midfield, 19) Graham Dorrans (WBA, centre midfield, 22) Kris Commons (Derby, left midfield, 25) Tamas Priskin (Watford, centre-forward, 22) Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough, left wing, 22)