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Its great that were top of the league, league cup winners, in the quarters of the Uefa cup and still in the Scottish cup. In fact you would have bitten your own hand off for that lot at the start of the season. all so soon after the disasterous moonbeam era of Paul leguen. But i have to ask, Should we be taking a bit more pride in the quality of our game play? To watch Rangers at the moment you need a skin like a rhino to see the game through, in fact if walter & co turned up to play in your back garden you would try and sell your house! We are terrible to watch. There is very little flair or immagination in our game play. Our performances in the Ufea cup alone have left a lot to be desired as it seems we are tring not to lose rather than win. As for the League Cup final, it was every bit as embarrasing as our away performance against Bremen. No will to win what so ever. defend for your lives and hope to get a lucky break, which we did on a few occasions throughout the match. Now im not ungrateful for where we are at the moment but I will say that i am being bored to death with every game that goes by. Our standard and Quality of play is well below what i would call Rangers class. We have the personell to play more attractive football but we choose not to. We have the ability to be better an i certainly hope walter changes his ways fast. You can only grind out so many results in one season and i think weve had our fill already. we can and really should be a lot better.

Huge weekend of fixtures with the relegation threatened sides all playing at 3pm and a huge Super Sunday. Saturday 12:45 Tottenham v Portsmouth: Spurs are coming off yet another classic game following there 4-4 draw with Chelsea in midweek. They could have ended up with all 3 points had Berbatov's injury time chance not been brilliantly saved by Cudicini. Portsmouth are very much in the european chase and there away form this season is good. I think both sides will cancel each other out. Draw 3pm: Aston Villa v Sunderland: A few weeks ago Villa were in the hunt for the 4th Champions League spot. This now seems a bit beyond them after Liverpool finding 4 wins from nowhere. Sunderland have been relying on there home form but have lost the last 2. They sit just outside the bottom 3 but face arguably the toughest match of the bottom sides this weekend. Home Win. Blackburn v Wigan: The form guide here would suggest an away win. Wigan have been on the up of late and plucked out some good points. Blackburn have had a slight blip of late and must turn it around if they want to make Europe. This will be far from a classic and I was leaning towards a draw but i think Blackburn may nick it. Home Win. Bolton v Man City: Bolton are the current side who are cant find a point from anywhere. Now the UEFA cup is out of the way they can solely concentrate on survival. Man City have picked up a few points again recently in there charge for europe. This will be a tough Lancashire derby but I dont see much goals and a 0-0 is likely. Draw. Middlesboro v Derby: This game could result in 2 things - Boro's survival and finally doom Derby which has been coming since October anyway. Boro have been decent of late and are probably the better side out of those fighting relegation, they must be rubbing there hands at the thought of this weekends fixtures. Derby were impressive against Man Utd last weekend and unlucky not to get a point but that was due to the occasion rather than quality. This will only go one way - Home Win. Newcastle v Fulham: We have some huge games this weekend and this is one of them. Fulham have picked up 4 points in there last 2 games and did well last time out against Everton. The gap between them and the rest no longer seems so large and they would be happy with another point in the North East. Newcastle still havent won this calender year or under Keegan. They fought back well against Birmingham last week to get a point. They surely have to win sometime. Home Win. Reading v Birmingham: This is as big as the previous match. Both sides will look at this and think its winnable and will give them a huge chance of staying up. Reading got back to back wins before a expected defeat at Anfield but wont let that knock them down for this one. They will fancy there decent home form to get them through here. Birmingham will think the same that they could go to the Madjeski and take all 3 points but would probably be the happier with a draw. Tough game to call, Im nearing towards and home win but will sit on the fence - Draw. 17:15: Everton v West Ham: The home side have been impressive all season but are now playing catch up for 4th spot against Liverpool. They will see going out the UEFA cup and losing at Fulham as blips and will expect to get back to winning ways here. The Hammers finally stopped the 4-0 thumpings of earlier this month to pick up 3 points last week, but they still look a bit like a side who dont know each other. I dont like to say it but - Home Win. Sunday: Man Utd v Liverpool: This game is always set up for a classic but normally is a boring draw or one by a single goal. Maybe we are due a classic. Man Utd just keep winning at the moment despite a few iffy performances but Ronaldo is on fire at the moment. Liverpool are on a great run with 5 consecutive wins in all comp's and Rafa Beneitiz has given up the rotation at the moment and letting Torres loose with Gerrard behind him - its working a treat. I can see Liverpool getting something here - Draw. Chelsea v Arsenal: Chelsea will be gutted about throwing away the league at Spurs in midweek 3 times. Had they won that they would be level with Arsenal going into this game so they will be kicking themselves. Arsenal have thrown away a 5 point lead in the league with 4 draws on the trot that should have been wins. Eduardo's injury marred things at Birmingham along with a dodgy penalty, the pitch at Wigan didnt help but its been there home form that they have struggled - they should be beating Middlesboro and Villa. They will need a master performance like the win in the San Siro to beat Chelsea but I just cant see them breaking down a solid looking Chelsea side. Tough to call and im edging towards Chelsea but - Draw.

Saturday BPL: Blackburn v Fulham: Fulham need 3 points to have any chance of staying up. With the clubs above them finding a bit of form they could see a gap opening up which would be too big to claw back. Personally I think they are down but the Premier League is a funny game at times, West Ham produced an amazing comeack this time last year - Can Fulham do the same? Blackburn are pushing for europe and Mark Hughes side go abot there business quietly and can match up to any team in their day. They stole 3 points at Newcastle last week in the 92nd minute and they should get another 3 today - Home Win. Liverpool v Newcastle: Eastenders v Coronation St here, 2 clubs who are nothing but soap opera's. This actually makes for a tasty game with Keegan and Owen returning to Anfield. These clubs served up arguably the best premier league game in history when Keegan was first in charge with his team going down 4-3 and then the same scoreline occured the following season. Liverpool have found a bit of form with impressive wins of Inter Milan, Bolton away and West Ham. Its no coincidence that this it due to playing his best team. Newcastle cant buy a win or score a goal, im baffled as to why Viduka and Martins dont play upfront for them. This game could go anyway but the form guide suggests a Home Win. Reading v Man City: Reading finally stopped 8 defeats on the trot with an away win at Middlesboro last week. Could that be the turning point in there season? They went from mid table to the relegation zone during that run which firmly makes them a contender to go down. They will fancy getting a home result against a Man City side who are a shadow of there early season exploits. City can still make europe but they need to get there season back on track. They have got a few injuries to key players which shows they dont have quality in depth. A draw for me here. FA Cup: Barnsley v Chelsea: Giant killers Barnsley will be hoping to repeat there feat of knocking Liverpool out the cup by doing the same to Chelsea. However Chelsea are a different kettle of fish to Liverpool and provide much more quality all over the pitch. Chelsea just shut up shop at the back and allow there creative players to get the goals. Following reported in house problems after the Carling Cup final they have came out and battered West Ham and Olympiakos. Barnsley will get a bit of the same - easy away win. Man Utd v Portsmouth: Tie of the round but its a shame Pompey got an away tie as they would have faniced there chances in the cup this season. Man U are playing well at the moment and look like they could go on a winning streak which could give them the double or treble again. The signings of Hargreaves, Anderson and Nano have given them the cover they needed last season and now the have the likes of Giggs and Scholes fully fit for a run in. Ronaldo is on fire at the moment and has got 30 goals this season - amazing for a winger. Pompey have a good away record this season but going to Old trafford is beyond them - Home Win Sunday BPL: Sunderland v Everton: The home side know there only hope of survival is to win there home games. Unfortunatly they are up against one of the toughest teams in the league in Everton. However the away side are on the back of a tough defeat in Italy in the UEFA cup last Thursday. Davie Moyes will get them back on track with that again and wont want to let the chance of 4th place slip away. Roy keane doesnt have much quality in his team but has fighters. In the Premier league you need that bit of quality to keep you in the league and thats where they may struggle. Im going for an away win here. Tottenham v West Ham: Big London derby for two mid table sides who have collapsed in there last couple of games. West Ham have been solid on there travels this season but just cant get that 2 or 3 wins to put them in the european places. They have been thumped by Chelsea and Liverpool in there last 2 games so will need to put an end to that. Spurs were goign very well in all fronts and lifted the carling cup last month. Since then they were stuffed at Birmingham and lost at home to PSV in the UEFA cup. I fancy a draw here. Wigan v Arsenal: The pitch may play a massive part in this game and if it does it could have an effect on where the league title goes. The home side have done well of late and Steve Bruce has got them out of the bottom 3 and are only 2 points behind Newcastle. They are still very much in the thick of the relegation battle but its in there own hands. Arsenal produced an amazing performance in midweek by becoming the first English team to enflict a defeat on the mighty european champions AC Milan. This is on the back of 2 poor draws when people were once again expected Arsenal to collapse. Wenger wont let it happen and he will be prepared for the poor pitch. He knows they can go 4 clear of Man U again with there closet rivals not in league action - Away win. Sunday FA Cup: Bristol Rovers v West Brom: What a chance for both these teams to get into the last 4 of the cup. If the old hot and cold balls arent used in the semi final draw then a place at Wembley is up for grabs. West Brom are going for promotion back to the Premier league and that has to be there priority. The home side arent out of the play offs in league 1 yet but have a bit of work to do. Tough one to call but - away win. Middlesbrough v Cardiff: Boro would have been rubbing there hands with a home tie against lower league opposition. Gareth Southgate has done a good job of late in the league getting Boro up to the top of the mini relegation league but they are far from safe yet. Cardiff have had an up and down season and are a bit off the Championship play offs so will put everything into this cup game. Home win.

I remember some comments online roughly around early Jan, were some fans were not overly happy with things despite us being top of the league. There arguement being that we were worse off points wise than Celtic were at the same point last season. Arguing essetnially quality in the league was diminshing. So after our continued run of 10 league victories I was wondering if anyone knows how Celtic and ourselves were sitting after an equal number of matches last season to that which we have played now?

Really enjoying this lad's contribution this season. Nowadays, ~�£2.3million and �£15-20K per week in wages is a lot of money for our club and any transfer is risky - not least when a player is coming from a league where the style of play and defending can be different from the SPL. Add in the changes in culture, language and weather, i's not always easy for new players to settle quickly - even if they are expensive ones with reasonable experience. As such, considering the Spaniard's form this season, I think we have every right to be delighted with the consistency and quality he's offered generally. He seemed to find a good understanding with Davie Weir very quickly and I think his solid, unselfish nature allowed Alan Hutton to express himself offensively to the level we witnessed before his big move. I'd contend the best part of Cuellar's game is his positioning and anticipation so this allows others to feel safe that he'll put his defensive duties before anything else. Of course it's not all been good news. The big man did struggle against Hearts earlier in the season and also didn't look too hot against Gretna and Hibs lately. I also think he sometimes struggles when defending set-pieces with regard to man-marking. His distribution can also be inconsistent. However, once again on Saturday he was by and large extremely solid and made two last gasp tackles on the edge of our box to help secure the points. Overall, what we have here is a very reliable defender. Off-the-field he also seems extremely professional and his attitude is as positive as I've seen for a while for an ambitious, quality player at our club. No public dreams of big EPL moves and agent rumours yet - touch wood! Unfortunately, going by his form, as was the case with Hutton, we may well be unable to keep him long term but he does represent a huge asset in playing and financial terms in the mean-time. To conclude, this is the kind of player we should be looking to sign in the summer. Affordable, good attitude, consistent and of a high quality. Virtues that have been missing for far too long in our scouting but will be essential if we've to move forward in the coming months and years.

Playing devils advocate here, who got the better of the recent transfer window? Based purely on numbers, it has to be Celtic who have brought in Robson, Mizuno, Hutchison, Hinkel and Samaras. Robson's form this season suggests he will beef up their midfield and Hinkel is an international standard right back and if he can avoid further injury he should help beef up their defence. Mizuno is, if you believe the hype, the next Nakamura with amazing potential. Big deal. He scores amazing free kicks but does bugger all else so why get excited just because the Tims bring in a younger, more naive and untested version of said dead ball expert? Hutchison is 20 years old and has had a few first team opportunities but is surely not a first pick and has yet to show he can cut it at the top level consistently. So, again I ask, what is there to get excited about? Samaras is perhaps slightly different. He scored some good goals when he first arrived at Man City but quickly faded and showed that he is pretty inconsistent. Putting my cards on the table, I would have quite liked him to have signed for Rangers so the fact he has only a short term deal is prudent on Strachan's part as he strikes me as the type of player, like Lovenkrands, who disappears until it's contract renewal time. This makes him a dangerous commodity for the rest of the season. So, in summary, Celtic have bought some untested potential in Mizuno and Hutchison but have added solid squad players in Hinkel and Robson. Samaras could be dangerous in the SPL but he doesn't have this bear too worried. Turning my attention to Rangers, I have heard all the doom and gloom merchants and I have to agree that, on the face of things, we lost one of our best players in Hutton and didn't replace him. We also lost back up players in Carroll and Ehiogu but neither have played any more than a game or two and wont be missed. We have replaced both with Alexander, a Scotland squad regular, and Dailly. The latter is not a popular signing but he has been given a short term deal to provide squad cover. He wont be first pick for any of the back four or central midfield positions but he has the pedigree and experience which should be more than adequate to do a decent job in the SPL so lets not get our knickers in too much of a twist over this one because what else is the January transfer window for if it's not to add squad cover, in whatever positions are needed? Rangers undoubtedly needed cover for the midfield given that Thompson is out for around another four weeks so to see Steven Davis arrive from Fulham is a shrewd move. A bluenose all his days it shouldn't take him long to settle. He hasn't found himself in Roy Hodgson's plans at Fulham but he is a tidy wee player who has played regularly in the EPL so I would put him in the same bracket as Barry Robson in that he's a good solid squad player who is likely to play pretty regularly in the remaining games of the season. Daniel Cousin's switch in the opposite direction should be reviewed by FIFA next week and I will be surprised if he isn't allowed to go and good riddance I say. Whilst he was on the pitch and scoring goals I supported him as I do every Gers player but he annoyed the f*** out of me with his lazy play. It was all the more annoying when you saw flashes of the player he can be and you wonder why he couldn't do it more regularly. His comments in the press slagging of his team mates show him up to be a poor team player who is only interested in himself. His blatant mercenary attitude to getting a move to the EPL merely serves to highlight this further so au revoir Danny boy, thanks for the goals and good luck to you but you wont be remembered too fondly by this bear. Returning to an earlier point about the transfer window. You dont often see clubs splashing out and bringing in lots of players unless they have just brought in a new manager, or they are struggling to compete. This is exactly where I think Celtic are. They are competing with us, just, but they've been poor and are four points behind so advantage Rangers in the title race. Celtic's ropey defence has been their biggest downfall and Hinkel should help but it's the centre half position that they should have focussed on in my opinion. It's not like they've gone and splashed six or seven million on a top quality player that is likely to make a significant difference. Rangers are weakened in the right back position but if Smith and Webster can return to full fitness it will be like signing two new players. Darcheville, Boyd, Naismith & Novo should be more than capable of scoring the goals to win the title so bring it on - we welcome the chase. Stewarty

After another not so glorious defeat in Europe under Walter what does the near future hold for the club? Some fantastic early performances have meant we exceeded most of our expectations in the toughest CL group but unfortunately we couldnââ?¬â?¢t go that extra two feet to snatch a draw and qualify ââ?¬â?? the whole campaign falling apart with JCDââ?¬â?¢s horror miss near the end last night. Down and out then ââ?¬â?? but still all to play for! Firstly, can I first say I obviously share everyoneââ?¬â?¢s disappointment at last nightââ?¬â?¢s result. First half we just werenââ?¬â?¢t good enough and while we managed to have plenty possession in the second, as has been the case for a few years now, we lacked the genuine creativity and width to cause Lyon problems. The two late goals made the result look worse than it actually was but one may accurately contend cancelling the game against Gretna resulted in a team who took 30mins to get into their stride while our inconsistency in selection must be addressed to avoid our constant ââ?¬Ë?Jekyll and Hydeââ?¬â?¢ displays during the actual game. On the other hand, itââ?¬â?¢s been just over a year since we were being turned over at home to St Johnstone so progress has been decent and we shouldnââ?¬â?¢t be overly critical in our analysis of the team. There is a lot to be proud of and the potential is certainly there for further improvement with a renewed challenge for the SPL. As such, we must all immediately lift the heads and move onto the next game which as we know is a tough home game against Hearts. How vital this game is cannot be stressed enough ââ?¬â?? Celtic being 5 points head but with us having two games in hand means in real terms weââ?¬â?¢re top of the table. Therefore, we must ensure we get the chance to develop that potential one-point advantage instead of stumbling right away as we have done too often this season. Unfortunately this will have to result in more changes in personnel. This means the invisible man himself Sir David Murray must again back the club with Her Majestyââ?¬â?¢s currency. Lurking at the back of the Directorââ?¬â?¢s Box last night and lurking in the shadows out with Ibrox on a day-to-day basis, itââ?¬â?¢s time Murray delivered on the grand promises of old. Around Ã?£12million was spent in the summer and thatââ?¬â?¢s a fair amount in todayââ?¬â?¢s climate but we need more. To help facilitate that Walter Smith needs to make a few tough squad decisions. Although all the following players have their positives and we could all make a case for them staying, they donââ?¬â?¢t play enough and unless the manager intends playing them, they have to be moved on to create funds for at least another two first choice players. Ehiogu, Webster, Hemdani, Burke, Buffel, Boyd and Cousin are just 7 players who appear surplus to to requirements, either via injury proneness, general attitude problems or simply not fitting into Smithââ?¬â?¢s way of thinking. We cannot afford passengers to if theyââ?¬â?¢re not going to be played ââ?¬â?? they must go in order to bring in the missing links that will affect our future. These are: 1. A creative attacking midfielder. Last showed that Barry Ferguson cannot play this role effectively enough. The skipper is a fine player but he plays better dictating things from deeper positions and thatââ?¬â?¢s where he must play alongside the ever improving Kevin Thomson. Having an attacking, creative player to feed off the recycling skills of Ferguson and the combative nature of Thomson is something the team has been missing for a long time. Is Thomas Buffel the answer? I doubt it and because of that we must find someone who can play that role consistently with the quality required to unlock defences home and away. 2. Another centre-half. As I wrote last week, we have a dilemma regarding Davie Weir. His effect on the team has been admirable but last night his limitations were exposed. As such, if Webster cannot prove his fitness (or legal position) we must find another experienced ââ?¬â?? quick, physical and aerially competent ââ?¬â?? to compliment Carlos Cuellar. Short-term pain for Weir; long-term gain for the team. 3. A left back. Not as crucial as the first two priorities but if Steven Smith cannot resume playing quickly; another left back would give more balance to the side. Sasa Papac has done well for periods this season but his limitations affect the team and too much important is placed on our right flank. Alan Hutton cannot be expected to deliver our only wide threat indefinitely. 4. A winger. With DaMarcus Beasley out for the rest of the season and Chris Burke almost as anonymous as our chairman, we have an obvious requirement for width. For all his physical positives, Lee McCulloch does not provide that and that results in all too predictable long ball tactics. Letââ?¬â?¢s utilise McCullochââ?¬â?¢s threat properly by having him win headers in the 6 yeard box, not 30 yards from goal out wide. A new winger (right or left sided) would help facilitate that. Unfortunately, buying 2-4 players of the quality required would cost a fair amount of money. Having already spent Ã?£12million, the chairman may not share our eagerness to build the team further. His medium-long term future is questionable and we have direct experience of his lack of genuine vision and ambition. However, we also know of Murrayââ?¬â?¢s ego and the great business skills he does retain. I have personal experience of the chairman scoffing at suggestions heââ?¬â?¢s not a real Rangers fan and how he supports the team as much (if not more) that any other bear. Is that emotional support compatible with more financial support? Well, we need both. At the same time, while these requested changes to the squad may well be imperative, we must also keep changes to a minimum. Weââ?¬â?¢ve already brought in several new players and our general inconsistency is testament to how the manager is taking time to find his best players. His initial target was to make us hard to beat and that target has been achieved. Now itââ?¬â?¢s time to move to the next stage ââ?¬â?? weââ?¬â?¢re hard to beat defensively but we need to make teams worry about our attacking threat again. Bringing in a new creative player (all suggestions to E. Chester, Murray Park please) is imperative to this development. The potential of players like Whittaker, Thomson and Naismith is exciting and all three will play an important part in every game between now and next summer. But they need help. For all their positives every one of them lack the experience to affect games in a creative sense so we must take that pressure off them and bring in an experienced player who can. Despite all the above I cannot stress enough itââ?¬â?¢s not all negativity at the club. Improvement has been obvious and just need to build on that. Our fans have been incredibly loyal in recent years without any success. Season ticket sales are still at record levels and no-one can question the financial backing or emotional support we give. Itââ?¬â?¢s time to repay that faith. Starting from the chairman right down to the dressing room we need to build on the relative advancement weââ?¬â?¢ve seen since January. Letââ?¬â?¢s move in the dead wood quickly and effectively. Letââ?¬â?¢s take the game to all our opponents. Letââ?¬â?¢s bring the title home. Time to get the battle fever on!

Spent a fair bit of time on the major Rangers forums since last nightââ?¬â?¢s defeat in Spain and I think itââ?¬â?¢s fair to say some of the reaction has been somewhat surprising. The adjectives in the article title are just three examples of the negativity Iââ?¬â?¢ve experienced. Letââ?¬â?¢s be frank though. Last night we were outclassed by one of the best club teams in the world. They had over 60% of ball possession and probably a lot more territorial advantage. As a result, they scored two fine goals and could easily have had another two as well but for poor finishing and a couple of decent saves from the ever-reliable Allan McGregor. Once again, as discussed on Gersnet on Monday, Walter Smith set his team out in his favoured 4-5-1 parent formation ââ?¬â?? this time, as in Lyon, opting for the 4-1-4-1 variation. Indeed it was this very system that was such a success in France on match-day two. That night Lyon also dominated possession and territory for long periods but the main difference was that evening we took our chances when we did create them. We also managed to defend better and had more success on the ball than we did last night. We managed to avoid losing an early goal and with all due respect to Lyon, their attacking players and their defence are nowhere near the quality of Barca. In saying that, if we hadnââ?¬â?¢t snatched the lead and if that Juninho free-kick had went in, it may well have been a massively different conclusion. That was one match where our system worked well, where we used the ball well, supported the lone striker effectively and got the breaks to ensure a fine victory. Last night was different. In many ways we still defended reasonably well and we were actually decent on the ball (until the last third anyway). Unfortunately, unlike in France, we struggled to support Daniel Cousin and possibly didnââ?¬â?¢t get the breaks we did in other games. Losing the first goal so early didnââ?¬â?¢t really change our game-plan but it certainly helped the home team (and support) settle. The fact the goal was scored by Henryââ?¬â?¢s hand is irrelevant really but it is one example of misfortune. It also came from Sasa Papac being drawn inside leaving an abundance of space for Messiââ?¬â?¢s fantastic header - the kind of defensive lack of concentration that didnââ?¬â?¢t really happen (or wasnââ?¬â?¢t punished) in France. Some fans felt at this point we should have changed tactics and attacked more. They may well be right and for a spell we actually did do that. We won a couple of corners and had some good periods in possession. However, we couldnââ?¬â?¢t manage to capitalise ââ?¬â?? Beasley heading wide when he could have utilised the unmarked Cousin and one dangerous Adam corner kick almost controlled and hit by one of our defenders. Then of course, we lost the second goal. This was a well worked goal where we quite simply couldnââ?¬â?¢t cope with the pace of the one-two. Again though, McGregor saved well and it could be argued that Barca were fortunate that the ball landed perfectly for Messi. Thus, in the second half we did have to change things whilst maintaining a necessary amount of caution. Would it have mattered if we were beaten 6-2 instead of 2-0? Probably not but while we could have opted for a ââ?¬Ë?gung-hoââ?¬â?¢ approach Barca had already shown they could compete physically and defend well in the face of our attack. Even when we did bring on the pacy, direct styles of Novo and Darcheville we still struggled to give genuine support due to our midfield tiring. All in all we were soundly beaten and while some people are perhaps going too far in their pride of not being over-run score-wise, I think over the two games, weââ?¬â?¢ve given a reasonable account of ourselves. Were we too defensive? Last night I would probably agree that we were. It might have been interesting to have really taken the game to Barca once we conceded the second goal but other than that, as the system showed in Lyon, keeping it tight and looking for positives on the counter was the best approach generally. To conclude, while I can empathise with some peopleââ?¬â?¢s negative reaction, I think itââ?¬â?¢s an exaggeration to suggest we were somehow humiliated or embarrassed simply because of our defensive outlook. Quite simply, we were beaten by a better team and our limitations would have been shown-up no matter if we attacked more or put 11 men across our goal-line. As such, rather than dwell on the negatives and question past strategy, we need to peruse our CL Group, where upon weââ?¬â?¢ll see that weââ?¬â?¢ve secured third position (a fine feat in itself) and appreciate that our displays and performances so far have ensured weââ?¬â?¢re in a great position to do what most of us thought was unlikely when the draw was made. Indeed, with the pressure off in terms of not finishing bottom or genuinely embarrassing ourselves in Spain, now we can look to open-up and perhaps employ a more aggressive system firstly away in Stuttgart then at home against Lyon. Hopefully in these games we can express ourselves in attack and give our magnificent fans (outstanding in their numbers and behaviour in Spain) even more to cheer about. Itââ?¬â?¢s been a decent start to the season and if one looks back to a year today where we were actually embarrassed and humiliated in a CIS Cup defeat at Ibrox, one may actually be slightly more realistic in their criticism. We are the people!

Not like me to post an overly negative thread but yesterday (and in other matches) our set-pieces were absolutely dreadful. Barry Ferguson and DaMarcus Beasley seem to be the worst culprits since they take most of the corners but even our throw-ins in offensive areas lack any sort of imagination. No team can expect such set-plays to be perfect or yield goals/chances every time we have one. However, yesterday and against Dundee Utd in recent weeks, we seem incapable of getting the ball past the front post. Front post corners are all well and good (see Lyon) but more often than not we don't even have a man there to aim for. The reason I'm posting about this is because this month we have a lot of away games including two especially tough CL encounters in Spain and Germany. This means we will have to maximise our chances of scoring and scoring via set-pieces is one good way of doing just that. Currently that looks very doubtful. Let's hope we can get back to the quality of corner we seen against Lyon and on a couple of other occasions earlier this season. When you think of the tall players we have in the team (Hutton, Cuellar, Papac, Weir, McCulloch and Cousin) there really is no excuse for poor delivery or minimal imagination at corners, free-kicks and throw-ins.

Quality stadium. Only holds 8000 at the moment but looks like it has potential for a lot more. http://www.mkdons.premiumtv.co.uk/page/stadiummk/0,,10420,00.html Im sure Calscot and Wija know a bit more

Yesterday 'Well scored one good goal and hit the bar with a dipping freekick. Other than that, despite getting in behind Papac a few times I can't really remember any/many other chances were they should've scored. You could argue that the defensive aspects of the game were not our main downfall yesterday. Remember sometimes you just have to accept the opposition will have periods of pressure and create the odd chance. Upfront, early on Boyd linked well with Naismith and we created some early chances. We also hit the woodwork twice during the game. At HT JCD replaced Whittaker with Nasiy moving right. This left Boyd more isolated with JCD quickly going back off. Boyd was most guilty of missing chances although no real sitters. On another day he would have got another goal or two. From the above it is clear our major failings were in creating and taking chances. Based on this can someone explain how a player who sweeps up in front of the back four intercepting the odd pass and playing the ball backwards or sideways would have made any great change to the outcome, because I cannot see it. I would argue what was missing was an inform Fergie or even more so a Thomas Buffel style player who can play the killer pass or find that bit of space to open up the opposition. Genuinely stumped how Hemdani is the savour of Rangers, regardless of the game, the quality of the opposition and how the individual game is going. As people like to point out with Boyd for example, how standards have fallen if he is the answer. Give me a Stuart McCall in midfield any day. (Ps. He should start in the middle 3 in europe as the trio of BF, KT and BH appear to compliment each other well in these games which suit Hemdani's style of play.)

In Pete's absence I'll quickly do this: Saturday, 22 September 2007 Falkirk v Motherwell, 15:00 Gretna v Dundee Utd, 15:00 Inverness CT v Hearts, 15:00 Kilmarnock v St Mirren, 15:00 Sunday, 23 September 2007 Hibernian v Celtic, 14:00 Rangers v Aberdeen, 15:00 Mark McGhee's Motherwell have been impressive so far this season and following their win in Aberdeen last week they make the trip to Falkirk who are conceding goals for fun despite trying to play a bit of football. This game doesnt look attractive on paper but probably wont be a bad match for the viewer. Id say a narrow 2-1 to Motherwell but a draw wouldnt send any shock waves. Gretna are now finding their feet in the SPL and may be getting used to playing at Fir Park. They entertain Dundee Utd who were my tip for a top 5 finish this season. Craig Levein has got something about him with this team and they are IMO back as a top 6 team where they belong. They have a winning streak about them and the chairman is getting on well with the manager and morale is high. I cant see anything other than an away win here. Hearts have finally kicked off there season with 2 good wins at Motherwell then against Rangers. They play a Caley side who are being beaten every week despite Craig Brewster returning to the team. Brewster has been a bit unlucky fixture wise since returning with trips to Hibs and Celtic so will expect better in his first home game in charge. I can see a draw here although Hearts will start as favourites. Kilmarnock v St Mirren - This has to be a banker home win. Killie have started well and have a chance to open up a gap between them and the bottom clubs here. The Saints are a never say die team but they dont have the quality to win every other game. 2-0 to Killie. Easter Road arguably has the game of the weekend on Sunday. Hibs are playing well again this season and are tough to beat at home. They have started well and like always will fancy there chances of getting something when the Old Firm come to the captial. Celtic are coming of the back of another away loss in europe despite a good winning run in the SPL. Should be an entertaining game and a score draw would be my prediction. Finally the other game of the weekend see's rivals Rangers and Aberdeen meet. The home side are on a high after getting their champions league campaign off to a winning start. They lost last time out in the SPL for the first time this season so that will be in the back of there minds and spur them back onto winnings ways. The Dons travel down to Glasgow with a disappointing return to Europe. They only managed a 0-0 with there Ukrainian opponents and now have it all to do in the 2nd leg. They havent won at Ibrox since 1991 and that will remain the same - I cant see anything other than a banker home win by 2 or 3 goals.

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=492&Itemid=2 Since its international week (good luck Scotland!) and Rangers news seems thin on the ground, I think now is as good a time as any to discuss the ongoing relationship between our club and the Scotland team. Itââ?¬â?¢s fair to say in recent years the Rangers contribution to the national team has not been as valuable as in the past. The Dick Advocaat era, as well as the cheap, foreign Bosman import meant not as many Scottish lads were coming through of a quality to make the Rangers first team. As such, the numbers in the international squad also dwindled. From the days of having Richard Goughs, Ian Fergusons, Ally McCoists and Andy Gorams, we went to fewer and fewer players being involved. Indeed, only Barry Ferguson could be considered a genuine regular in the first XI this century. Is it no coincidence that our qualification for the big international tournaments has also become pretty much non-existent? Obviously, in more recent years our club have struggled from financial problems. While this has resulted in 6 years of sporadic domestic success and a few years of downright underachievement; one good thing that may come out of this bad spell is the re-emergence of Scottish players at our club. It certainly appears obvious that Walter Smith is building his team around a home-grown spine and not only is this helping Rangers currently, Alex McLeish will also be delighted. If we start in defence, well no-one can doubt the quality in the current Rangers team. Craig Gordon is certainly a fine goalkeeper and it was not much of a surprise when Sunderland paid Ã?£9million for him. However, in the last year, Allan McGregor has certainly come of age. Consistency is his best quality and while he may not be the best at dealing with crosses, his overall game is very good and he is now a very capable goalkeeper. Certainly, the most obvious deputy to Gordon available. At full back Rangers also have 2 fine young players. Alan Hutton was excellent for the majority of last season and has taken this form into the new campaign. Athletic, strong and excellent going forward, he has all the hall-marks of being the Scotland right back for years to come. On the other side, Steven Smith has also done well in the Rangers first team. Unfortunately, his progress has been held back with a bad pelvic problem but when he retains fitness, heââ?¬â?¢ll be another player capable of staking a claim for the national left-back position. In the centre, one of the main features of Rangersââ?¬â?¢ return to form has been the experienced figure of David Weir. Now 37 years young, the big centre-half has shown age is no handicap to quality. While he has never been the fastest of players and his distribution not his strongest point, his sheer presence and composure has already helped Carlos Cuellar no end. Andy Webster should also benefit from this experience and go onto to regain his place in the Scotland central defence if, as expected, his loan deal at Rangers becomes permanent. Midfield is more hotly contested in the Scotland squad right now. Darren Fletcher and Shaun Maloney are both fine players and while not out and out regulars in their respective EPL teams, their quality cannot be denied. Similarly, Scott Brown has made a decent start at Celtic and although there may well be an element of hyperbole about his early contribution, thereââ?¬â?¢s no doubt he should be part of any Scottish international team. His Celtic team-mate Paul Hartley hasnââ?¬â?¢t had as good a time at club level in recent times but has done reasonably well for Scotland so will also always be looking to feature. As such, the Rangers contingent in the Scottish squad frame has a lot to live up to. Thankfully, Steven Whittaker, Barry Ferguson, Kevin Thomson and Lee McCulloch have all done well so far this season. A more solid midfield is difficult to name and all four will become important parts of future national squads. The forward line is another area that will provoke further debate. James McFadden, Kenny Miller and Garry Oââ?¬â?¢Connor have all scored important goals of late and all 3 can lay claim to a first team berth. Again though, we have two Rangers players more than capable of challenging them. A better goal-scorer than Kris Boyd we do not have and while his overall contribution may detract from his international chances, already heââ?¬â?¢s shown if we need goals, heââ?¬â?¢ll get them - at any level. Steven Naismith is a more rounded player and his SPL form of recent years suggests when he does make the step up to the ââ?¬Ë?Aââ?¬â?¢ Squad, heââ?¬â?¢ll be difficult to ignore. If we put this altogether, then the following international side is not out of the question if injuries and suspension affect the national team: ________________________McGregor_________________________ Hutton___________Weir__________________Webster________Smith Whittaker_______Ferguson_______________Thomson____McCulloch __________Naismith___________________Boyd_________________ Obviously, as much as this team looks attractive and extremely solid, itââ?¬â?¢s also unlikely to happen. David Weir is too near his international retirement and a few of these guys too far from consistent national selection to see a complete Rangers/Scotland merge in the near future. However, what is clear is that the Rangers contribution to our national game is increasing. Add that to Walter Smith turning around our fortunes in such a short period and Alex McLeish following on rather nicely, the Rangers/Scotland connection is rapidly coming back to the days of old. Letââ?¬â?¢s hope this starts with qualification for Euro 2008. This should then give these players exactly the kind of experience required to substantially increase our chances of a Scotland appearance in South Africa in 3 years time. Thatââ?¬â?¢s good for Scotland, good for Rangers and good for our game as a whole.

A lot has been said about Walter Smith now having a much bigger squad compared to Paul Le Guen's last season; however, I disagree. It seems to me that 14 players have left since the start of last season, and 14 have arrived, keeping the numbers constant. The massive difference is in the quality and experience of the players. Out --- Letizi Klos Bardsley Ricksen Rodriguez Svensson Ponroy Sionko Rae Clement N'Diaye Martin Prso Stanger In -- Carroll Smith Braodfoot Wier Webster Cueller Ehiogu Whitaker Thomson Gow McCulloch Beasley Darcheville Cousin Stayed ------ MacGregor Hutton Papac Murray Smith NOvo Burke Ferguson Hemdani Adam Sebo Boyd Buffel Looking at those that stayed, there are 13 players who play reasonably often enough to consider them first team players; therefore, Walter has had just over a 50% turnover in first team playing staff. That amount can reasonably be expected to significantly change the fortunes of the team and when you think what Walter did with 3 changes in January (not counting Webster who didn't play), you have to wonder what he can do now with what he could call his own team. The amazing 100% start to this season looks to be an excellent appetizer for the main course to come, with the players able to shut up shop and force a win while still not gelling with each other and then score 7 in a game when the jelly is starting to set. To further dwell in our improvement it's interesting to look at the teams you could make up with the players which Smith, Le Guen and McLiesh have latterly brought in, as well as a team made up from the Rangers youth ranks (including a few older ones for experience). Smith ----- Carroll Braodfoot Wier Cueller Webster Whitaker Thomson McCulloch Beasley Darcheville Cousin Le Guen ------- Letizi Bardsley Svensson Ponroy Papac Sionko Clement N'Diaye Martin Sebo Stanger McLeish ------- Wattereus Rodriguez Andrews Kyrgiakos Murray Novo Hemdani Buffel Rae Prso Boyd Murray Park ----------- MacGregor Hutton Pressley McLean Smith Burke Ferguson Hughes Adam MacCormack MacLean To me Smith's team look by far the best, with Le Guen's looking by far the worst. That in itself suggests we should have a much better season this year; especially since Smith's squad includes some of the best players that he didn't sign - MacGregor, Hutton, Papac, Smith, Burke, Hemdani, Ferguson, Adam, Novo, and Boyd. What is also apparent, is that Smith is also a huge managerial improvement over both Le Guen and McLeish.

Bored and pretty much over the hangover so thought i'd try an start some debate on here. Put a value on each player of the first team squad players (as listed on official site) based on quality, squad length, what we could realistically get for them etc etc. I'm not bothering with some of the younger guys who I know little about, such as Lee Robinson who is out on loan to Morton. Will only include down to Cousin on the list in the link: Official site player profiles Goalkeepers: Allan McGregor �£4mil (if Gordon is �£9mil I don't think that's outrageous). Roy Carroll �£1-2mil Graeme Smith - �£250k Defenders Hutton - �£3-4mil Weir - Sod all really, will possibly retire when his contract expires. His value to the current first team is very high though. Papac - �£1.5mil Ehiogu - �£500k Murray - �£1mil Broadfoot - �£1mil Webster - On loan from Wigan Cuellar - �£6mil+ Smith - �£2mil (If he recovers from injury:( ) Midfielders Buffel - �£2mil maybe Fergie - �£4mil Hemdani - �£2.5mil Thomson - �£2.5+ His value should have increased already imo, but hard to gauge by how much. Adam - �£2mil Gow - �£750k Burke - �£1mil Bealsey - �£2mil maybe more McCulloch - about �£3mil Whittaker - �£2mil Attackers Boyd - at least �£4mil Novo - �£1.5mil maybe more Darcheville - �£1mil Sebo - whatever we can get for him. Maybe a few hundred thousand. Cousin - �£2-3maybe. Looks a player, but is 30. Hope I haven't missed any. I am very open to movement on my valuations due to being unsure of how long many of the players are contracted to the club.

i will be absolutely gutted if we sell him, especially if he goes for the coppers being offered. This guy is a quality player, the kind we have been crying out for for countless seasons and after so many duds clambouring round Ibrox you would have thought we would be looking to hold on to such a player. Not so. It shows a real lack of ambition by the club when we let one of our best players leave. Its a step backwards from where we want to be and it flies in the face of what we are trying to achieve. I just hope it doesnt come back to haunt us.

Stumbled across an old thread bumped on FF detailing the Rangers and Celtic squads of as of 1/9/06 (Age in brackets): It makes grim reading now although there was a lot of confidence in the squads being evenly matched at the time, at least accodring to FF. Considering first the goalkeepers. With it taking a while for AM to cement his place as our number one and with erratic early season form, Celtic were stronger in terms of their no. 1. We had the better backup but due to Boruc staying relatively injury and suspension free squad strength never told in this position. Onto the defence. Bardsley was no better than Hutton early season and Hutton only took the jersey due to discipline problems from Bardsley. Hutton became the best right back in the country, but by this point the Tims had the league wrapped up. At the start of last season Celtic probably had the edge at RB, with us becoming strongest here at the season's end. Neither had a decent replacement. At LB we have the better player on his day. Smith is superior to a fairly decent Naylor. However Smith has injury troubles and I would give Celtic the nod for the LB position on last season's squads. Again a lack of a decent replacement is noted. With PLG's squad Celtic easily had a stronger pairing at CB with capable cover. Walter has taken the initiative here. We are now far stronger here but more of that later. Looking at the midfielders listed in that squad we looked to have by far the better first picks in Hemdani, Fergie and Clement versus the likes of Lennon, Jarosik and Gravesen. However our lack of strength in depth is obvious looking at the squad list. Having said that, for reasons still noted in the current set up it did not pan out with us being stronger in this position. Then, as now, we lacked pace, a bit of steel and are devoid of creativity. despite stronger individuals they seemed to have a better midfield unit. Looking at the "attacking midfielders" or wide players. They were stronger again. I don't see much between Adam and "poty" Nakamura but they were stronger on the other flank with better replacements. Ignoring Sebo (sorry) our forwards looked stronger. JvoH and Zurawski were perma-injured (new word?) and Miller and Beattie are mince. Again not sure our individual quality shone through. Boyd won top scorer but we missed out on the big prizes. So this time last year, squad analysis was done on the above squads. General consensus was we matched up well but PLG's superior management would shine through . I beleive I was of similar opinion. In summary, on paper they looked stronger in goals, that pretty much held true. Their stronger looking defence held up to that supposition too. Our stronger looking midfielders did not perform better as a unit. Neither set of strikers covered themselves in glory although Celtic's forward line can bathe in the glory of winning trophies and progressing in Europe. The fact that so many bears ended up with egg on their faces for the bold predictions made this time last year should serve as warning. However I am going to fly in the face of my own comments and predict that (on paper at least) we appear a far stronger squad than this time last year: Goalkeepers Mcgregor is established as number one with experience of playing for the Gers and European exprience. His ability to come for cross balls has improved, although many still worry about him in that respect. We have got rid of Letitzi (a wasteful purchase in the first place) and got rid of the dead weight Klos became on the wage bill. Owing to AM's improved confidence at being No1 and improved play and with Carroll and Smith in for Letitzi and apast it Klos I would argue our first pick and back up options have improved. Left back Papac was signed as a CB and that may well prove to be his best position. However playing LB he has improved over the season from a PLG reject to a player many are happy to deputise for Smith. If Smith regains fitness and with Murray as further back up I would say we are better covered here than this time last year. Right back With Hutton's vast improvement here instead of Bardsley we are definitely stronger. No room for anymore red mist momments though Alan. Whittaker should prove a better back up than Bardsley. Centre Backs What needs to be said here? What an improvement. Weir and Cuellar (a potential POTY and signing of the season) start with capable back up from Webster, Broadfoot and Ehiogu. The major difference from the PLG era. Left Midfield McCulloch if he ends up on the left he will strengthen the team. Adam did well at LM for my money last year, contributing goals and a dead ball threat. He needs to kick on from there with a vast improvement on recent performances necessary. With Beasley in too, the options are there for LM. An improvement on last year for this bear. Right midfield An undoubted weakness for us. Will Whittaker prove to be the man to fill that hole. McCulloch has filled in here although has been bought for LM or up front. Novo and Burke have filled in, sometimes well, sometimes not. Neither are the long term answer. An opportunity for Whittaker to make the position his own. Time will tell if it's an improvement on last year. Centre Midfield The only major change occured in January with Thomson replacing Clement. Clement may go on to be a stronger performer, but for Rangers KT is the better choice, he wants to play for us not just for one man. McCulloch can fill in here if needed increasing cover. As touched on earlier, in this case the stronger individuals (compared to Celtic) does not equate to a stronger whole in terms of the midfield unit. As stated we lack pace, dig and creativity. Debbte rages as to how to include the quality individuals of BF, BH and KT into an effective Rangers midfield. One of Walters big problems at the momment. Forwards Boyd needs to rediscover the goalscoring touch. When he's scoring he's our main and only real (CA aside) goal threat. A wee rest may do him good, however Sebo-esque backing might do wonders for the player too. Many want to give Sebo a chance, others want him sold. Walter says we wont pay anyone off and noone would pay a fee for him, so we continue to hope he comes good, but I have my doubts. Darcheville is not as good as Prso at his peak, but that is not the Dado we saw last year. Novo is a useful replacement who still lacks composure and a decent touch but is held in high regard for his work rate. If Boyd is off form we are very weak upfront, not much has changed from last year then. As I say it is clear there has been a vast improvement in squad depth across all playing positions. Some major improvements have occured since PLG's era in quality as well, notably in defence. However the improvement in quality has not been enough for some fans, with no "star" names brought in this summer. According to SDM we will have one or two more to come to complete this squad. It looks a lot stronger on paper, but on the field two main issues seem to arise. The lack of pace, creativity and obvious first picks in central midfield. Secondly, where the goal threat comes from one Boyd is not banging them in. The next step is to compare this year XI to that from the other side of the city. (Sorry for a long and possibly boring post, but seeing the aforementioned thread on FF tonight sparked a lot of thinking for me).

Murray tips Celts to retain the title By Ron Scott SIR DAVID MURRAY fully expects to spend well in excess of Ã?£10 million on new players before the transfer window closes. Yet the Rangers chairman admits Celtic remain favourites to win the title. ââ?¬Å?They have won the Championship for the last two seasons and the bookies have made them favourites this time, too,ââ?¬Â he conceded. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s difficult to disagree. ââ?¬Å?But we must make a serious challenge and be there or thereabouts. We canââ?¬â?¢t afford to be so far behind Celtic again.ââ?¬Â Rangers have already spent around Ã?£5 million on new faces, but Murray insisted, ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢re not finished yet. Weââ?¬â?¢ll make at least two more quality signings, if not three. We definitely want another top-class striker.ââ?¬Â Rumours Murray played down rumours in France that his club are about to sign 30-year-old striker Daniel Cousin from Lens for Ã?£1 million, and re-iterated they wonââ?¬â?¢t be increasing their Ã?£1.5 million bid for Kilmarnockââ?¬â?¢s Stevie Naismith. Heââ?¬â?¢s determined not to break the clubââ?¬â?¢s wage structure. ââ?¬Å?Meeting the Ã?£4.4 million transfer fee to Hibs for Scott Brown was not a problem. But we were not prepared to pay the Ã?£25,000-a-week heââ?¬â?¢s reputedly on at Celtic,ââ?¬Â said Murray. ââ?¬Å?Before you know it the deal ends up costing around Ã?£14-Ã?£15-million by the time you add on wages for a five-year contract. ââ?¬Å?We must have parity in the dressing-room. ââ?¬Å?Young Scottish players coming through can expect to earn between Ã?£2000 and Ã?£3000-a-week, rising to Ã?£6-7000 if they get a decent run in the first team. ââ?¬Å?By the time theyââ?¬â?¢re regulars, the figure is between Ã?£10-12,000, going as high as Ã?£16,000-a-week with bonuses. ââ?¬Å?The key is to reach the Champions League proper. Thatââ?¬â?¢s where the club makes money and the players earn huge bonuses.ââ?¬Â Revealed Rangersââ?¬â?¢ financial figures will be revealed this week and itââ?¬â?¢s anticipated they will show a debt of around Ã?£12 million. But Murray insisted, ââ?¬Å?Our debt is totally manageable.ââ?¬Â He has now entered his 20th year as chairman, and admits he wonââ?¬â?¢t go on for ever. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve won 13 titles in these 19 years, but some time Iââ?¬â?¢ll decide I donââ?¬â?¢t want to do this forever,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ve been on the dancefloor with a couple of interested parties, but Iââ?¬â?¢ll only sell my legacy if Iââ?¬â?¢m convinced the future of the club is in good hands. ââ?¬Å?There is no point someone having to beg, steal and borrow to buy the club then having nothing left to invest. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m re-invigorated since Walter Smith returned and I remain committed as proved by the money being spent.ââ?¬Â

I hope he at least has a good idea, or is prepared to change things and is not afraid of dropping the "certs" Ferguson and Boyd.

By Calscot http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=458&Itemid=2 A very positive, yet realistic, take on our current new signings. Great stuff! :cheers:

Press release Woo hoo.

McGregor Hutton Weir Webster Papic Hendami Fergie Thompson Beasley Boyd JCD -------------- IMO, the above team is a long way short of being thought of as Champions material and will struggle to overcome a decent and well organised European outfit. We still require at least 5 new signings - a left back to cover Smith, a centre half, right midfield player, a quality/ creative midfield player and a centre forward. I don't mean 5 'squad players, but 3 'first teamers' and 2 squad players. Over to you flim-flan man Cammy F

now, we've all been put under the impression that murray and bain will be delivering a few quality players this close season. as someone said, the statement that we don't want to spend all our money on one player, brown, implies that there is at least 4 million odd to spend. the general figure that has been bandied about in the press was ten million. but you sceptics think that perhaps neither will be realised. that there may even be a chance we get to the beginning of the new season without bringing any new faces in, or, at least, till after the qualifiers. this would, of course, gutting to all the players that came out to the press and stated their desire for more quality at the club, and would be contrary to all the promises made, but i get the impression that some people here think that, despite this, nothings going to happen. so, for those people, my question is 'how do you think david murray's going to portray this fact that we havent spent anything to the fans?', or 'how is he going to get away with it?'. yesterday the labour justice dude came out with a plain faced announcement that they would be releasing 25k prisoners early, despite, in an interview a few weeks earlier saying that it wasn't supposed to saying not one would be released early, and to do so would be 'wrong, wrong, wrong'. do you think murray's just going to do such a barefaced turnaround, or is there going to be something more subtle at work? cynics, lets hear ye.

Just running through each position for the team and IF (big if) the Beasley and Faubert transfers went through we would only be maybe a right back and keeper away from having good all round numbers. GK - McGregor / Robinson and possibly Graeme Smith to come in as back up? The fans are split on whether this is good enough or not, but whatever happens we have the numbers there again. Its just my opinion but id prefer a keeper with higher quality to come in. RB - Hutton is a hands down starter but Lowing hasnt nearly had enough games. He may make the step up next season but someone with a bit more experience may be the better option and allow Lowing out on loan for a season. This the the one position we need another body. LB - Smith / Papac / Murray - plenty cover, we could even release Murray. CH - Weir / Ehiogu / Broadfoot / Svensson - Plus Papac and Hemdani can fit in and Webster may sign on along with either Cuellar or Todd - enough cover there but a long term partnership needs to be resolved. Centre midfield - Ferguson / Hemdani / Thomson / Buffel? - 1 or 2 injuries would see us in a bit of bother here and Buffel is still not confirmed to be staying nor is a centre midfielder unless he is infront of diamond which is unlikely to be played. Would Quashie be a good signing here? Wingers - Burke / Sionko / Adam / Gow - They are the 4 currently on the books but Beasley and Faubert would be great additions and allow Sionko to leave making Burke and Adam good back ups. Novo can also play there. Strikers - Darcheville / Boyd / Sebo / Novo / Lennon - Every team needs 4 and we have that at the moment although Sebo and Novos futures still not confirmed. It may be we add here but time will tell. Young Lennon could make the step up this season. Gow can also play there Conclusion - So I would like a keeper as a priority. Weare linked with Danny Mills at RB, this could be a good loan signing if it could work that way to allow the development of Lowing. We are ok for numbers at centre half but age is against a few of them and there isnt a long term partnership, although I dont think its a top priority this season as Weir easy has this season in him.

I'd have have a few changes in the top 10 anyway. Where's Alec Cleland, GAry Bollan and Dave McPherson?