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  1. The Rangers Supporters Trust today announced that it has formed Fleshers Haugh Limited to produce a range of merchandise whose profits will be used to purchase shares in the club. Trust Chairman Gordon Dinnie said – “For a number of months now we have been selling red and black shirts but it’s obvious from the demand that fans also want other forms of merchandise. We set up Flesher Haugh to develop a range of quality merchandise which will be a credit to the club’s traditions and generate funds which will enable fans to buy more shares and make the club stable.” “I’m asking for fans with experience and skills in merchandising, design and manufacturing to come forward to help us build an enterprise which provides a real fans alternative.” More information to follow. http://www.therst.co.uk/latest-rst-statement/
  2. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/rangerstv/item/8064-90-in-90-rangers-v-falkirk
  3. ALLY McCOIST has challenged David Templeton to prove he is worthy of a regular Rangers starting berth. The winger came off the bench to net the final goal in the Light Blues' 3-0 win over Cowdenbeath on Tuesday night. McCoist elected to go with Lewis Macleod and Steven Smith on the flanks as Templeton had to settle for a spot on the sidelines. But the Gers boss knows the 25-year-old has what it takes to be regular feature. McCoist said: "Temps has absolutely made a claim for a place. How he played against Cowdenbeath is what we're looking for from David. "He gets up the park and takes people on and he's always got a goal in him - he's got two very good feet, two very quick feet and he's always very well placed. "It was really pleasing to see him coming on and scoring. He was great and we know he's capable of that. "All that we can ask of him is to put pressure on myself and the staff to give him a starting position." Templeton was not the only midfielder to find the net at Central Park, with playmaker Nicky Law scoring just three minutes in. And the Ibrox gaffer is pleased with the options he has available middle to front after another Championship success. "I just felt the boys [Macleod and Smith] deserved another crack at it after putting in a solid performance against Dumbarton on Saturday," McCoist told rangers.co.uk. "We have Temps who can come in on the left-hand side and now that young Airdy is out for a couple of weeks we need options - so at this moment in time we're very pleased that we've got one or two. "Big Jon Daly came off the bench and was a real handful and had a couple of good headers and probably should have scored, so we've got one or two options up front too." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/mccoist-challenge-to-rangers-wing-ace-templeton-187450n.25786073
  4. I wont document the fiasco involved in picking up public sale tickets etc at Ibrox, port-a-cabin queues a mile long etc (which I have to do when I want to take my son) as we are all fully aware. But just a few weeks ago before I went to Madrid I decided to see if I could get tickets for Athletico at home. I went online and was astounded when it gave me the option to buy online and print the 'ticket' off on my home printer. All I had to do was go to the turnstyle and get the barcode read. As easy as you like. What the hell is stopping Rangers from adopting a similar setup and saving quite a few quid in admin at the same time I would imagine?
  5. Apparently voting is now open for your favoured candidate in each section's short leet. I'm not a member myself but I'm sure someone can post the full list here if possible. http://fansboard.rangers.co.uk/
  6. how brilliant was it to focus on the game last night found it to be a bit of relief actually and it's got me checking out the rest of the quarter finals tonight..... Thistle lie down,Aberdeen scrape a win, Hibs go down on extra time penalties perversly I'm now looking at the Newcastle scores too Maybe I need help !
  7. Some words on recent events from yours truly via TRS: http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/330-the-fog-on-the-clyde
  8. Apologies for posting but I would to mention a couple of things. If it is true that Rangers will not earn anything/negligible from merchandise, then surely it presents an opportunity for the two organisations who are buying shares on the fans' behalf. Maybe manufacturing their own (classic style) unofficial (but official quality) Rangers tops could provide a serious income stream for the organisations. I would imagine that a football top could be manufactured for circa £5 either in UK or China. 30,000 tops at £30/£35 each would provide around £750,000 profit(after further costs) to be used to purchase shares with. Surely every website and supporters club could get behind such an initiative and drive sales. Given two or three cycles, a serious share position could be built by the fans. Well done last night.
  9. THE WAR is over. The retailer has won. This morning Graham Wallace will be fired from his position as Rangers chief 
executive and this crisis-ravaged club will belong lock, stock and smoking barrel to Mike Ashley. Quite what Ashley has planned for it is still a matter of conjecture but the ruthless manner in which he went about last week’s power grab certainly suggests he wants it badly and also sees a way to make a killing by rolling his tanks into Glasgow. He now has security over two 
of the club’s major assets, the 
Albion car park and Edmiston House, and when his placemen arrive in the boardroom this week he’ll have grabbed this club firmly 
by the throat. As with everything Rangers, Ashley’s arrival on the scene will be spun in a variety of ways. The dark arts were evidenced 
over the weekend when it was leaked that, without his intervention, this basketcase would have gone bust within 48 hours. There were even muffled whispers from the shadowy sidelines Ashley had in fact ‘saved the club’ but the very notion the Newcastle United chairman had ridden to Rangers rescue in some sort of philanthropic or heroic act is completely absurd. In many ways, what actually went on amid increasingly frantic 
discussions on Thursday and Friday was a throwback to May 2011 when Sir David Murray invited Craig Whyte to trigger this omnishambles and set in action the catastrophic chain of events that has now led to Ashley’s increased involvement. That deal was a great bit of 
business for Whyte and for Lloyds Bank in particular – the £18million they recouped from the sale remains the outstanding trade of the last three and a half chaotic years – but it was a spectacularly awful one for the Ibrox club. Similarly, by taking control of Rangers for the price of a £2m loan, every penny of which will be paid back, Ashley has pulled off a serious coup in more ways than one. This is why he is known as the biggest beast in the jungle but even the Newcastle owner must be laughing up the sleeve of his safari suit at the way in which he managed to pull this one off. It was typically bold and eye poppingly aggressive and it included issuing the remnants of the Rangers board with threats of legal action both collectively and individually, should they turn him down in favour of a £3m loan from Brian Kennedy. Each of these directors was warned of potentially devastating repercussions should Ashley not get his way and as a result Rangers is his now to do with as he wishes. And all for less than the cost of a Sports Direct poly bag. It was an extraordinary stunt and it’s no wonder Sale Sharks owner Kennedy left Glasgow on Saturday still unsure as to how on earth the dysfunctional Rangers board – a collection of directors who have run the business into the ground – could allow it to happen in spite of his impassioned pleas. The farce began with the rejection of Dave King’s £16m bailout offer by the mysterious bloc of shareholders whose 26 per cent voting rights are represented by Sandy Easdale. On Thursday CEO Wallace, who knew his £300,000-a-year neck was now well and truly on the line, reached out to Kennedy and pleaded with him to make a counter offer. Kennedy worked through the night with his legal team to come up with his £3m offer, dependent only on him being allowed to place one man on the current board. He flew to Glasgow at lunchtime on Friday in the hope of getting the deal done. Kennedy was wasting his jet fuel. Not one of these directors was even at Ibrox on the day it was determined Ashley should be handed the keys. The fact all these discussions were held via conference call, underlines how little feel for the club these men have. Wallace headed for a beach in Greece despite being urged by at least two key protagonists to 
postpone his holiday for 24 hours. Finance director Philip Nash went one better by resigning and washing his hands of the entire Ashley v Kennedy showdown. That Nash threw in the towel is an indication he suspected the game was up and that another director, Laxey’s lackey Norman Crighton, had jumped camps at the last minute. Crighton had voiced his concern at Ashley’s move and had even said the Cockney must be stopped ‘at all costs’ but he performed a 180-degree turn at the last minute to leave Kennedy’s proposal in tatters. Chairman David Somers is another who may have cause to be persecuted by his own conscience. At least Nash had the principle to resign from his £1,000-a-day post. While Wallace was clinging on for dear life for his pay-off, Nash wanted no part of it and this included telling Ashley’s people he was unwilling to work for their man in the event he was successful. Having previously called for the removal of Nash and Walllace, Ashley had a change of heart. It’s understood he wanted Nash on board after crediting him with making £5m worth of cuts since February. One of those cuts was to a contract worth in excess of £100,000-a-year to Ashley’s own PR firm Keith Bishop Associates. This agreement was done as part of the £1 stadium naming rights deal Ashley agreed with Charles Green and which was signed off by Imran Ahmad – who then sued Rangers for £300,000 in bonuses for all of his good work. Deals like these are precisely why Rangers should brace itself for the full impact of Ashley’s arrival. He already pockets 49 per cent of all income from merchandise sales but may think this arrangement can be tweaked and improved in his favour. With two of his men on the board, a compliant chairman and confirmed allies in James Easdale and Crighton, he can do pretty much as he pleases. The only comfort in any of this for the Rangers supporters is to be found in the depth of Ashley’s pockets. He will not allow this club to go under, that much is certain. But from here on in Rangers will be run his way and for his benefit. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/keith-jackson-mike-ashleys-rangers-4515761
  10. Mike Ashley moves into pole position to take control at Ibrox as Dave King bid fails http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-power-battle-mike-ashley-4499365
  11. Rangers boss Ally McCoist has warned Richard Foster he will be fighting a losing battle if he mouths off at his own fans again. The full-back was singled out for some heavy stick from sections of the Light Blues support as their side comfortably beat East Fife 2-0 to claim a Petrofac Training Cup semi-final slot. But the frustrated former Aberdeen defender let rip with his own four-letter expletive in reply during a break in play midway through the second half. That sparked another angry outburst from the away support at New Bay View, leaving McCoist to tell Foster there will only be one winner if he continues to take on the fans. He said: "You will never win that battle with the fans, but the irony is not lost on me that when they get a bit of stick back the toys come right out the pram. "Coming from someone who has had more than his fair share of stick from football fans when I played, I can tell you that you will never win that war. "These things happen. I didn't see the incident but I will have a wee word if it is needed - although I wouldn't have thought so.'' http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/439/9528333/-
  12. keith jackson @tedermeatballs · 9s 10 seconds ago OK bed time. Back page will be up soon. Suffice to say a multi million pound bailout offer has been made by a three man consortium. https://twitter.com/tedermeatballs/with_replies
  13. With today's LSE notice by Mike Ashley that he intends removing directors from the board which seems to be in obvious conflict with those who'd like to see a further new share issue to enable a Dave King led consortium to invest directly into the club, off-the-field matters have again taken prime focus with an international break ahead. Ahead of any possible general meeting, Gersnet would like the gauge the opinions of our site visitors. Are you in favour of a possible take-over by Dave King? Would you prefer the controversial style of Mike Ashley? Should we bring back Charles Green or Sir David Murray? Which current directors would you remove? Vote now! http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/281-the-battle-for-rangers-you-decide
  14. ...and turn down Cowdenbeath's bid to get league match back on the fixture list. THE Blue Brazil had argued that the criteria for the postponement had changed - with Rangers missing just TWO players due to international call-ups. THE SPFL have rejected a final bid by Cowdenbeath to get their postponed Championship clash with Rangers back on. The match had been scheduled for Saturday because Ibrox players – Marius Zaliukas, Bilel Mohsni and Dean Shiels – have been selected for international duty. But Cowden say the criteria for the call-off has now changed because of a two-match ban given to Mohsni that would have ruled him out of the weekend game. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/spfl-back-rangers-postponement-plea-4387751?
  15. I found some pics on Google and was wondering if anyone out there knows the history of the Stadium. I'm sure most of us know the Main Stand was built in 1928 because of the date on the side of the building, so these pictures got me thinking... This one from 1920 shows a small main stand, that says 'Bovril' on the front... ...the next picture from 1927 shows a building of sorts in front of the old stand... ...a close-up of the same pic...notice the shadow of the outer wall of where the main stand is today... ...this pic from around the same time (1927) shows what seems to be the main entrance as it appears today (well part of it) it definitely resembles the centre part with the first floor showing 3 windows on each side of the wider window above the door, all the 'arches' which are part of the Stadium today can be seen clearly in this photo... ...the next picture (dated 8th December 1928) although not of sharp quality looks to me as if building of the main stand is in progress, note the left side of the first floor has extended right across to the end, but the right side has not...and still no second floor... It looks as though the fascia is being constructed with the old 'Bovril' stand still in place, was this the case? If so, it seems (to me anyway) that the seating within the main stand may actually be older than the Archibald Leitch stand itself. What was 'bugging' me is the date of the last picture - 8th December 1928 - which begs my question: Is the date on the side of the stand 1928, the START date of the build rather than the completion date?
  16. Worth a read by John McIntosh http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2014/10/a-club-missing-footballing-philosophy.html?m=1 The Rangers Football Club of today is a club who plan as far ahead as the next game. Ally McCoist has told us many times there are reasons he doesn’t feel he can plan ahead for the future but nothing should be halting the much needed development of our once great club. Ally said in an interview that he wishes us to follow Ajax or Porto’s model, which I agree with, I just don’t believe he ever believed what he was saying as his actions in his tenure prove he doesn’t trust youth enough whilst we have no scouts - which is a disgrace. In the backwaters of Scottish football we simply can’t compete with the extravagant spending that happens at the top clubs in Europe’s top leagues due to TV rights and prize money. Ajax, Porto and Benfica have all realised the need to be “smart” to have any chance of being successful domestically while posing a threat in the premier European competition due to the league they are in and the lack of money. These clubs either; concentrate on implementing the most innovative training routines in some of the best facilities in football, alongside quality coaches who nurture their youth sides with seamless transitions to their first team - or they have some of the best scouts available in every continent scouring the world for the next exciting young talent. The philosophy is buy low, sell high. Very simple, but something we very rarely do. It’s simple business sense. Meanwhile these clubs never rest, they know they can’t keep hold of their best players. They accept they are now a selling club to Europe’s giants but they are already nurturing the next big thing from their academy or extensively scouting the player who will be next to feature for them usually for very small fees. Since 2003, Porto have won 18 trophies and have cashed over £550m in player sales. Yes, you read that right. This is no pipe dream. Can Rangers adopt and implement one of these models? Absolutely. The whole attitude at our football club needs changed and quick but we can implement one of these models definitely. Perhaps you think setting up a scouting network would cost too much? It wouldn’t, we are paying mediocre past it players £6k a week and more in some cases. Don’t sign 30-year-old+ past it players and instead adopt a youth development or worldwide scouting model. I know which one fans want. Promotion of our many talented u20 youngsters costs us nothing while hiring scouts and implementing an impressive scouting network may cost a small amount, but if we get rid of a few duds on extravagant wages you easily have money to bring in the next big thing through top quality extensive scouting. Ironically being in a poor financial state means implementing one of these models and planning years ahead is of major importance, massive money can be made on a yearly basis through high player sales within the Ajax model (youth development) or Porto/Benfica model (world class scouting networks). Another thing that I am a massive fan of is the Barcelona model that every single team from first team to their youngest age group all play the same formation and tactics, thus enabling seamless transition as youngsters move up each year and I fully feel we need to do this. Our u20 manager Gordon Durie at the end of last season said: “We look to only be losing one young lad for next season which is great.” This attitude stinks. Durie’s job is to have players playing well and to develop them with his success being that several of his young lads make it as first team picks through seamless integration to the first team. No longer should we, as David Murray famously said, “spend £10 for every £5 Celtic spend”. We should be innovative and look to the models of Porto, Benfica and Ajax raking in massive profits from player sales. As for McCoist it’s well known none of these models will be used while he is in charge, removing and replacing him is for another time but might I make a very ambitious possible replacement in a restructuring job – Ian Cathro working as head coach with a Director of Football overseeing all football matters. Would he come? Debatable. He has stated an ambition to manage but he is working at a very high level currently. We desperately need a footballing philosophy and a young hungry manager to take us back where we belong.
  17. ALLY McCOIST has been given a much-needed double boost with the news Lewis Macleod and Nicky Clark could both be fit for Rangers' Championship clash with Livingston tomorrow. The pair have been big losses for the Light Blues since being crocked in last month's 1-1 draw on Alloa's artificial surface. But after missing the league games against Falkirk and Hibernian, midfield ace Macleod has recovered from his ankle knock while striker Clark is fit again after injuring his shoulder. The news has cheered McCoist, who said: "I'm hopeful Lewis and Nicky will be involved at the weekend. We have missed them. "We have particularly missed Nicky and Kenny Miller up front, so the sooner we get all the boys back the better." While Clark is in line to return at Livingston, his fellow forward is likely to remain on the sidelines. Former Scotland star Miller has been out since the 4-2 win over Queen of the South in August. McCoist said: "Kenny's a little bit further away. "He had a first-degree tear on his calf, and I'm a bit of an expert on calf injuries myself, so I know he'll be a wee bit longer than the other two." Rangers will travel to the Energy Assets Arena in need of a win as they look to bounce back from Monday's 3-1 loss to Hibs. John McGlynn's Livi side have struggled this season and last weekend they were thumped 5-0 by top-of-the-table Hearts. But McCoist insists the Gers will take nothing for granted tomorrow. He said: "It will be a tough game. I have a lot of time for Livingston's manager, he's a smashing guy and a great coach who loves the game. "So John will definitely have them really well organised. They'll see this as an opportunity to get a result with no real pressure on them. "After three defeats in a row they'll be a wounded animal - as hopefully we will be after a mad 20 minutes against Hibs. "After a defeat you can't wait to get back on the pitch playing again. "This gives us an ideal opportunity to do that." Pressure has piled on McCoist since the Hibs loss that leaves them six points off the title pace. He came under fire for selecting Steven Smith and Arnold Peralta to start ahead of David Templeton and Fraser Aird. Both wingers made an impression after being thrown on as substitutes but they couldn't inspire the Gers to a comeback. Defending his decision, McCoist said: "Temps got a kick in training before the Hibs game. After we spoke to the medics we felt we would probably only get 20 minutes out of him, so that decision was taken out of our hands. "We also felt that after the previous two games Airdy perhaps needed to be taken out to give himself a breather. "But we got a terrific reaction from him when he came on against Hibs. Hopefully he can get back into the swing of things for the longer term now." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/boost-for-rangers-as-clark-and-macleod-return-182925n.25482829
  18. http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/7756-cowden-trip-on-hold? RANGERS’ scheduled SPFL Championship clash with Cowdenbeath next month has been called off because of internationals. A number of Light Blues players are in line to represent their respective countries in various matches around the world. It has been deemed enough individuals are expected to be selected for a postponement to be requested and that has been granted by the SPFL. Squads will be named over the next week or so and the identities of those being chosen to join up with their national sides will become clear in due course. Gers were due to visit Central Park on league business for the first time since 1971 on October 11. The fixture will now be rearranged for an alternative date but as yet a new one has not been agreed.
  19. It’s been quite an exercise in the art of survival. A board who have misled shareholders at AGM, hidden the identity of investors, stand accused by a section of the press of lying over the withdrawal of credit/debit card facilities for season tickets, who, in their “comprehensive” 120 day review hid/omitted to divulge details of “the sale of the century” regarding stadium naming rights, have failed to answer satisfactorily structured questions from fans groups pertaining to the long term plans for the club, who have by unethical and unedifying association with known fugitives embarrassed the name of the club, the aforesaid which sees them, again, accused of misleading supporters regarding the nature of that meeting, have found in the last few days that there is one aspect of the club that even the most resourceful or duplicitous cannot hide from the fans – the state of the product on the park. There is even perhaps a warped sense of irony, that in the battle for our football club the ammunition or language is no longer anonymous investors, percentages or proxied shares but rather tactical ineptitude, poor performance, ill-discipline and unexplainable team selection. The current board cannot on this occasion use the convenient “get out clause” of laying the blame on previous regimes – this time it’s their call, and as thousands of bears demonstrated on Monday night as our team capitulated to Hibs, they will be held to account. In fact they already have been by thousands, the empty seats providing ample supporting evidence on that one. I fear it will get worse, much worse before it gets better. There is nowhere, nowhere the board can hide from this one. Monday night was a culmination rather than a knee jerk, perhaps the saddest aspect of it all was that it came as no great surprise to anyone. The failings of management, signing policy, tactics and team selection have been the subject of message board forums, supporter’s bus conversations and pre-match blethers for months. It is not a time for emotive and unhelpful descriptive language, either positive or negative regarding Ally, but rather a regrettable acceptance and emotion free analysis that in the most important area – on the park – Ally is not capable of taking us to where we not only want, but also need to be. There was a moment on Monday night when the cacophony of anger from the Copland Road, directed towards Ally, saw him withdraw to the dugout. It was notable that Durranty was tasked with the verbal coaching from the touchline second half. The board should be thankful there was such a volume of noise, if they prevaricate any longer over what needs to be done, then perhaps next time we fail, it will be akin to the tree falling in the empty forest – there will only be an empty silence from the empty stands.
  20. Wednesday 1 October 2014 IS ALLY McCOIST'S POSITION UNTENABLE? No, not yet, but we appear to be trundling progressively closer to that state of affairs. Six points behind in the SPFL Championship is a surprising position for him to be in after seven fixtures and the situation is worsened by the fact his side have already lost at home to both Hearts and Hibernian, generally regarded as their two main rivals for promotion. The question is: how far behind must they fall before something dramatic has to happen? Eight points? Nine points? What will tip things over the edge? Will it be defeat at Tynecastle on November 22, or the latest in a long line of losses in knockout competition when St Johnstone pay a visit to Ibrox in the League Cup? So far, McCoist's players have done just enough to keep him away from the noose. They scraped an ill-deserved win at Falkirk thanks to a late, deflected mis-hit from Lewis Macleod in their second league match of the campaign and beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle to maintain interest in the League Cup was a big result. The team showed promise when winning 4-0 at Raith Rovers, but that has been shown to be a one-off and belief that McCoist can turn them into a side capable of providing entertaining football every week is dwindling. Supporters are not yet calling in significant numbers for McCoist's resignation or removal, but performances are nowhere near the standards expected. A number of bookmakers have already installed Hearts as favourites for the Championship and that is only sensible on current form. McCoist did agree a pay-cut, understood to amount to 50%, on the £825,000-a-year wage he enjoyed until January 2014, but his earnings are going to continue to prompt questions when his team plays as it did in the process of losing 3-1 at home to Hibernian. Open revolt in the stands, if it happens, would force the issue. SHOULD HE CONSIDER WALKING AWAY IF THINGS DO NOT IMPROVE? Tough one. Would you walk away for less than to what you are entitled when you had witnessed a number of others from the boardroom - all accountable, in part, for almost £70m being squandered in two years - receive pay-offs? HOW MUCH OF THIS CAN BE BLAMED ON THE ONGOING UNCERTAINTY CREATED BY THOSE ABOVE HIM AT BOARDROOM LEVEL? None of it. The players state ad infinitum, after all, that they do not focus on financial concerns. McCoist knows the pressures at Ibrox. Whatever is going on in the background, asking Rangers to set the pace in the Championship with a budget that dwarves anything available to other clubs in the division is not unreasonable. The money being spent on Rangers' football department means they should beat everyone in the game other than Celtic. IS SPECULATION OVER McCOIST'S FUTURE NOT A KNEE-JERK REACTION AT AN EARLY STAGE IN THE SEASON? Not really. Rangers fans have, generally, been scathing over the standard of football they have watched for the last 2½ seasons. The team did win the Third Division and then SPFL League 1 by a street, but they regularly struggled to dispatch teams of part-timers. McCoist's record in cup competitions cannot be allowed to pass either. Rangers did not, whatever he may say, spend the money they did purely to win Scotland's bottom two divisions. If they did, they spent way over the odds. Losses to top-flight sides such as Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Dundee United were dressed up as understandable and acceptable; questions over Rangers having a Premiership wage bill were glossed over. Defeats in the Ramsdens Cup to Queen of the South and Raith Rovers, who humiliated them in the final at Easter Road, were shameful in the extreme. WHAT WILL HAPPEN, THEN, SHOULD RANGERS FAIL TO WIN AT LIVINGSTON ON SATURDAY? McCoist will have to answer questions on whether or not he believes his time is up. ARE THE GROWING QUESTIONS OVER HIS TACTICAL APPROACH FAIR? Yes. Too many games have resulted in an over-reliance on long balls and there is a distinct lack of variation about the play. His team selections continue to raise eyebrows as well with players continually being played out of position. The side has been letting in goals too easily, but Darren McGregor, a centre-half, continues to be fielded at right-back while Bilel Mohsni remains a starter. McGregor admitted in the match programme for the Hibernian game that he had only played on the right "a couple of times with St Mirren". Wouldn't Richard Foster be a better bet there with McGregor in the middle? Lewis Macleod is a central midfielder who was being used on the left before injury. Rather than use attacking players with pace in the wide midfield positions against Hibernian, McCoist used Steven Smith, a full-back, and Arnold Peralta, a central midfielder. So much emphasis seems to be placed on sending Lee Wallace powering down the left flank, but Rangers are not getting behind opposition defences often enough and that is contributing to Kris Boyd's clear problems. He is a natural predator, but has failed to score in the league and has only hit the net in two of 12 appearances. There have to be greater signs of an established style of playing at Rangers. Regular supporters also note the absence of a Plan B. BOYD SCORED 22 TIMES FOR A POOR KILMARNOCK TEAM IN THE PREMIERSHIP LAST SEASON. WHY HAVE THE GOALS DRIED UP? He missed a number of chances at Raith Rovers and Alloa and looks a shadow of his former self, but he is not receiving adequate service. Rangers have lacked invention, variation and creativity. Boyd admits that he has been forced to feed off scraps at times. WHY HAVE SO MANY ESTABLISHED TOP-FLIGHT PLAYERS STRUGGLED AT RANGERS? Great question. Dean Shiels, Ian Black and Nicky Law all arrived in great form. David Templeton had just scored for Hearts against Liverpool at Anfield in the Europa League qualifiers. Marius Zaliukas, signed this summer, is not even deemed worthy of a start in a defence leaking goals left, right and centre. All these players are going backwards. Are they simply incapable of handling life in the goldfish bowl or are their collective troubles a reflection of wider failings within the team as a whole? Probably a bit of both. WILL THINGS CHANGE WHEN KENNY MILLER IS FIT AGAIN? Will Kenny Miller be fully fit again? He is three months from his 35th birthday. His career has been built on relentless workrate and selfless running. That catches up with you eventually. We are a month into the season and he has already been laid up with hamstring and calf problems. A NUMBER OF OLDER PLAYERS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN AND REMAIN. SHOULDN'T RANGERS HAVE USED THEIR TIME IN THE LOWER LEAGUES TO CONSTRUCT A STRATEGY BASED ON YOUTH? Of course they should. Jon Daly, for example, admitted earlier this week that he can no longer train two days in a row because of knee trouble. McCoist is not entirely to blame for the way Rangers have frittered away their millions, but they missed a trick. Two years in the bottom divisions could have been used to build a young, fit squad that could grow together. If those in the existing youth set-up were not good enough, a more structured, long-term and cost-effective transfer policy could have been employed. Instead, Charles Green was struggling to sell season tickets following his takeover and permitted McCoist to lure established top-flight players to the club. He needed quick results and could be understood in having gone for a quick fix. In the meantime, Rangers' footballing department was allowed to continue without a recognised scouting network. Rangers' development squad, for the record, currently sits close to the bottom of the SPFL Development League with three points from four games. EVEN IF HEARTS DO WIN THE LEAGUE, WON'T RANGERS STILL ACHIEVE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GETTING BACK TO THE SPFL PREMIERSHIP THROUGH THE PLAY-OFFS? Let's just say that anyone who has watched Rangers' two meetings with Hibernian so far would be reluctant to place money on that. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/...=email%2Balert
  21. A huge day ahead of every Scots person and I make no apology for posting about the referendum in the main forum today. I hope everyone takes another few minutes to fully consider the implications of their vote. Our decision will impact fully on the rest of our and our children's lives. This should not be a decision easily taken or based on hubris. I'd contend the overall quality of debate has been poor and I doubt any of us can say either side has won it. Nevertheless you must vote with a clear conscience and I'm glad that this website has people of opposing opinions while remaining neutral and, well independent, of trying to influence anyone. It's going to be one of the most important 24 hours in Scottish and UK history. Good luck to all.
  22. ....we won title by 21 points one season and lost it by 15 the next. BARRY says the next meeting between Rangers and Celtic can't come quickly enough and reckons, should they meet in a cup this season, his beloved Gers will prove they are closer to matching their rivals than people think. THEY might have been kept apart in the League Cup quarter-final draw but there is definitely a feeling an Old Firm collision is getting closer. A clash of the Glasgow giants could yet come in that tournament this season or even in the Scottish Cup with Rangers now getting deeper into knockout competitions. If it doesn’t then few would bet against Rangers winning promotion from the Championship which means we’ll have to wait only until next season for one. Personally, it can’t come quickly enough because it’s been badly missed and that has been the feeling of many Celtic fans in the past two years. But I’m not so sure they’re as eager for a crack at Rangers now. I’ve heard so much talk in the past couple of years about how Celtic are 10 years ahead of my old club. It’s a phrase that seems to have been trotted out whenever Celtic were at their highest or Rangers at their lowest. But there is no doubt the gap is closing. In fact I believe the squads are pretty evenly matched in terms of quality. But regardless of that I don’t think you can ever say one is 10 years ahead of the other. The thing about the Old Firm is that superiority goes in cycles. That’s always been the case and it probably always will be. They simply don’t get so far ahead that the other one can’t quickly catch up. And one of the best examples of that comes from a period when I was playing at Ibrox. Under Dick Advocaat we won the league title by a massive 21 points in his second season charge. It came on the back of a treble in Advocaat’s first season and, having won the final Old Firm game of that season 4-0, many believed the gulf had never been so great. Celtic were seen as being in disarray with Kenny Dalglish in temporary charge after John Barnes had left the club but Martin O’Neill was brought in that summer and things quickly changed. And what happened the following season? Celtic won the league by 15 points. So that was a 36-point swing in the space of just 12 months. If that doesn’t prove how much and how quickly things can change, nothing will. Nothing much at Rangers had changed and Celtic made only two signings, Chris Sutton and Joos Valgaeren, before the opening league game of that campaign (Alan Thompson and Didier Agathe followed in September, Rab Douglas in October and Neil Lennon in December). People have their opinions on the state of Rangers and Celtic just now but for me talk of being 10 years between them is exaggerated. It’s nothing like that. And it would be great to see them going at it for the first time since Celtic won 3-0 at Parkhead in April 2012. For a lot of people the Old Firm fixture is the only thing they associate with Scottish football and it’s been a difficult couple of years for our game without them. That’s a bit disrespectful to the other clubs but it’s the truth. I know Celtic fans would have loved a crack at Rangers at their lowest ebb in the last couple of seasons but it’s changed now. I don’t think Celtic have gone backwards because they still have a very strong squad. The personnel is pretty much the same but they have lost a manager in Neil Lennon who knew the Old Firm derby inside out while Ronny Deila is still learning aspects of our game. But I just feel Ally McCoist, right, has improved his Rangers squad greatly. He’s had a lot of younger boys in the past couple of seasons but now he has guys with Premiership and Old Firm experience. Plus it’s the old cliche of form going out of the window in an Old Firm game. Even those who do feel Celtic are 10 years ahead of Rangers would probably agree that in a one-off game anything can happen in that fixture. Again I can go back to that 2000-01 season for proof of that. Celtic beat us 6-2 at Parkhead in the first Old Firm derby of the season and we went out and beat them 5-1 in the next. Another big swing – this time all in the space of just three months. I feel Kenny Miller, although he’s been injured, and Kris Boyd are two huge signings and their experience is vital. I’m sure any Premiership manager would snap your hand off for those two. I know Boydie has yet to score in the league but it will come. It might just take one to go in off his backside and he’ll be on fire again. A lot of my friends are asking me if there’s anything different or wrong given the fact he hasn’t scored as many as some might have expected. But nothing has changed, apart from the fact he’s a much better all-round player than in his first spell at Ibrox. I don’t have any concerns about him. He’s a confident guy who believes in his own ability. That’s the kind of player you want in there and he’ll soon stick one in the top corner. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-ferguson-you-cant-say-4326012?
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