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A player of "limited ability" saves a manager of limited ability?: Time for braver management. After George Burley's embarrassingly ill-thought out comments regarding Rangers' right back Kirk Broadfoot, he should be both apologising to the utility defender and thanking him. The opening line; "A player of "limited ability" saves a manager of limited ability?" was actually a text I sent to a few friends at half time in the Iceland game. How better for Kirk to shut up his detractors and throw more egg in the face of Burley for his managerial inexperience, than to come up with the opening goal in what was already a make or break game for both Scotland's World Cup hopes and for George Burley's tenure as the national team manager? Some journalists actually praised Burley for his straight talking, perhaps in an attempt to prevent this creating any further distractions in the Scotland camp prior to the beginning of an increasingly important qualifying campaign. It is a shame therefore that these same journalists did not do any "straight-talking" of their own. His commments were foolish at best and showed up his inexperience for dealing with players at the highest level. However I digress. My real reason for posting this is that it has reinforced a long standing belief I have that there are very few "brave" managers in modern football in this country. This is based on two major forms of decision making required by a football manager. Namely, squad and team selections and making substitutions. The situation with Broadfoot accurately sums up the first point. Scotland is a small footballing nation, with fewer players at grass roots level than the larger European super-powers of football and consequently fewer world-class or elite level performers. Take out Ferguson, Hutton and maybe even the two keepers, Gordon and McGregor and we really are struggling. Consider the players comprising the squad for the Macedonia and Iceland games to illustrate this point. With Alan Hutton out injured, their are few in form right backs available to Scotland of genuine quality. Burley called up just two players to cover this position. Alexander and Broadfoot. Alexander is an average journeyman-pro who is likely a beneficiary of the Berti Vogts era where caps were handed out like jelly babies. There are numerous players who recieved caps during the dark days of Vogts time. Some who even served us fairly well. However, we do have a stronger group of players now and these older stalwarts' time has come and gone. Alexander is a 36 year old, Championship defender with Burnley. Whilst he perhaps once was a useful back up player in the squad, with his ageing years and a question mark over whether he ever truely was good enough for the international scene, it's time to look to players who can carry us into 2010 and beyond. And this is where the lack of "bravery", as I see it, comes in. In a straight choice between Alexander and his younger, more athletic team mate, Burley went for "experience". Alexander undoubtedly has greater international experience. However, Broadfoot has played consistently for one of Europe's biggest clubs, competing in the Champions' League and even a UEFA cup final. Broadfoot is also currently playing th better football, combining solid defensive displays with a willingness to get forward that is just not possible for a man of Alexander's years. Burley however, hid behind the banner of "experience". Alexander as a more senior member of the squad got the nod as he had previously been capped. Ignore the player's' ability. Ignore their current club form and the fact that one of the club's has been operating at a higher level of football including elite European competition and instead take the easy option of picking the guy who has the most caps. Burley is not alone in doing this. It is a feature of management throughout Britain and perhaps across the globe. I am not advocating throwing a whole team of untested players into a team for games of such importance. But what happened to the saying "if you're good enough, you're old enough". It's not as if leaving out Alexander for Broadfoot would greatly affect experience in the squad. Not with guys like Gordon, McFadden and Fletcher who have experience of Premiership football, European football and two victories over a decent French side. Not to mention the fact that whilst Broadfoot may not have international experience he has significantly more big game experience than Alexander. The other area in which many manager's show a lack of bravery is in making substitutions. Waiting until there's 6 minutes left to change a game when it's been obvious since half time that the current tactics and line up just aren't working. Expecting a striker to come on, get up to pace with the game and slot away a winning or equalising goal in the last few minutes, when the rest of the team couldn't do it in the previous 80-minutes. Something also demonstrated by Burley when he waited til the last few minutes to throw Boyd on to rescue the game against Macedonia. Certainly this approach of waiting and hoping for some fluke occurence or refereeing decision to throw you a lifeline rather than taking control and trying to change the game for themself is not solely the preserve of Burley. Neither is his treatment of Boyd. Former Scotland manager McLeish was guilty of that, as is Walter Smith at Rangers. If you don't trust a player to perform from the first minute and demonstrate that to the player by regularly leaving him on the bench, don't continually expect him to save your arse by doing what everyone knows they do best. Although here I'm getting into another well trodden path of arguement. The only manager I know of who is prepared to change a game early when it's not going right is Jose Mourinho. In one Chelsea game in which they were 2 down at half time he made a triple substitution and they were 3-2 up midway through the second half. Obviously modern football is a results business and it is the manager alone who lives and dies on the results he achieves. However I feel the success of Broadfoot and Hutton in replacing their more decorated peers (in terms of caps earned) shows that a modern football manager has to show bravery and sometimes it is necessary to put your faith in the up and coming star at the expense of the ageing journeyman.

The Glasgow Rangers player Kirk Broadfoot has today revealed that he has been part of the Channel 4 TV show faking it for the last 3 years. The player broke the news today at a hastily arranged press conference as it emerged new Scotland manager George Burley had drafted the " player " into his squad for the up coming world cup qualifiers. Broadfoot who told the waiting press that he was in fact a carpet fitter from Fife said " This experience has been great but I now feel that I would totally be out of my depth and there was no way I could let the country I love so much down by pulling on the dark blue jersey" Channel 4 have defended there decision to allow Broadfoot to move to Rangers from St Mirren. Saints have issued a statement saying " The program makers approached us with there plan we where only to willing to be a part of there experiment we started that season with 4 or 5 new players and knew one was from the program".The only real surprise said saints boss Gus McPherson is that the player is not Will Henning considering how he has had a terrible start to the S.P.L season. Rangers would not be drawn on the future of the player at Ibrox only saying in a short statement " Kirk has been one of our most consistent performers over the last 18 months". Gers boss Walter Smith was unavailable for comment. The S.F.A chief Gordon Smith was quick to back Burley after some sections of the tartan army turned on the manager and pointed out what they have always know that any carpet fitter from Fife could get a game for Scotland if he worn an OLD FIRM strip. Aberdeen where quick to reassure fans that Jamie Langfield had not also been part of the experiment.

As he won't get a game under Walter it is probably better for everyone if he leaves. I would have liked to see him playing with Mendes for a game though.

he must hit the ground running now and start earning the new contract he was given. If he does not put in a decent effort this season i think we should be looking to off-load him. One good season in+- five is not good enough.

Us: Raised from sales: �£22m Spent on arrivals: �£30.67m Net spend: �£8.67m Them: Raised from sales: �£7.15m Spent on arrivals: �£19.86m Net spend: �£12.71m details here: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2441504.0.transfer_table_how_walter_smith_and_gordon_strachan_have_fared_in_headtohead_transfer_windows_figures_are_estimated_compiled_by_gary_smith.php walter can incur a certain extent of transfer criticism, but i think he's been fairly shrewd. obviously time will tell with the new signings, but i'm quite happy to see decent money's been spent on youngster while still strenghthening. now it will interesting to see whether they get played.

Andrew H Smith is a former Editor of ra Sellik View, his nickname at the Blatt was, 'Bombscare'. He left ra View and these last few years has regularly made an arse of himself at Scotland on Sunday, normal behaviour for such a strict adherent of Spierism. He mirrors Spiers absolutely in his weekly Diary, 'Stramash'. Here is an example of recent contribution : "Sources close to Frank McGarvey allege that Frank's brilliant and frank autobiography Toatal Frank isn't being stocked in the Celtic shops because it is too political. In the book Frank reveals his support for the SNP. Is republicanism in all it's forms to be avoided in official circles at Parkhead"? The last I looked, the SNP's committment to constitutional monarchy remained firm, they accept the present monarch as Queen of Scots and see an independant Scotland as part of her realm. One can only assume that Andrew H Smith's interpretation of nationalism is completely tainted with his immersion in pejorative Irish nationalism, republicanism being a willing bedfellow. Singing the songs of hate and taking the loyal oath has never been a problem to the established west of Scotland Labour Party apparatchiks before. I suspect the real reason why McGarvey's tome has been disavowed at ra Sellik shops, is because all those former and present cabinet members, either sitting on the Boards or in the Main Stand(John Reid, Des Browne, Brian Wilson, .......etc) are concerned as to their future standard of life. Obviously afraid of a former player with an obsession for the GGs and Bookies providing a ringing endorsement to Alex salmon? Confused? You won't be, well not nearly as much as Andrew H Smith's confusion over the meanings of both nationalism and republicanism.

"Smith revealed Rangers had agreed a �£250,000 deal for Ibrox outcast Alan Gow to move to Blackpool but the player knocked back the move as he would prefer to stay in Scotland." I know this is spiteful but, rejecting 3 moves in 3 months? Let him rot in the reserves, the teams in Scotland aren't willing to pay what he wants and he isn't good enough to play for the teams who can. You aren't getting these years back, Mr Gow.

KEVIN THOMSON is hoping he can play the role of lucky mascot tomorrow when Rangers face their oldest rivals at Parkhead. The midfielder was gutted to miss both meetings between the sides at Celtic Park last season, but sitting out the two defeats has left Thomson with a 100 per cent record from four Old Firm ties. Thomson grabbed the winner in a 1-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox back in March but was helpless as he watched his side slip to defeat twice in the East end of Glasgow in April. But he has tasted victory at Parkhead in a light blue shirt when he played his part in a 1-0 victory there in Walter Smith's first Old Firm game after his return to Rangers. And Thomson now admits he is desperate to continue his record with another victory on Sunday. He said: "I've got a 100 per cent record and I'm quite happy to put that on the line on Sunday and look forward to it and hopefully after the game I'll be able to say I still have the same record. "I got a win there in the first season after I joined when big Ugo scored. I don't know how he did it. Someone suggested it was an overhead kick but I'm not quite sure about that. "The league was dead and buried at that stage, but it opened my eyes to how much it means to the fans and to the players. "The manager said just last week that, no matter how early they come, matches away to Celtic are a big part of the season. They might not be critical to deciding the league but we don't want to give them a lead. "If they were to win it would open a three point gap but we can go there with every confidence and hopefully we'll have an advantage come Sunday night."

Thought I'd start a new thread about this as they're bound to start happening soon and in fact, have started already, with one of those which just won't go away. No, its not Robbie Fowler or Alan Smith, but that Kenny Miller story just won't go away. Apparently he's going to be our first signing of the summer according to the Sun. Which normally I wouldn't put any stock in, but this story has been around for months and months. Any other rumours yet?

I never like going to the Piggery but was very downbeat driving to the game today, even with the tunes on in the car. It was weird walking up Springfield Road as the whole grassy bit has been fenced off and we had to stick to the road. The usual burger vans were not there because of this and therefore I bit the bullet and bought a burger and coke inside the ground. We think Azure is bad? The coke was flat and the bottom of the roll was brick hard and the burger tasteless. I was sitting near the back of the bottom section. Iââ?¬â?¢ve never sat there before. What an atmosphere with the top stand overhead. It still moved up and down when we did the bouncy. Can it be 100% safe? Congratulations for 2 crackers of banners. Firstly to TBO for their Ambulance Chasers ââ?¬Å?since 1888ââ?¬Â and the CDL for their ââ?¬Å?God save our Queen, God save your Queenââ?¬Â one. Both excellent efforts, guys. Well done. To be fair, I thought the Bungle Boys ââ?¬Å?Hereââ?¬â?¢s what you could have wonââ?¬Â with Bully was quite clever, but the one with the priest (presumably Walfrid) and something about ââ?¬Å?inclusionââ?¬Â lost me. And who says Celtic fans donââ?¬â?¢t do irony. Team selection was one that nobody could have predicted with Adam being brought back and Miller and Cousin starting upfront. As it happened Adam gave the team some balance despite not having the best of games, but ideally we could do with more width in the future. Cousin was up for it and gave a great performance, which resulted in a superb goal using his strength and speed to skin Mark Wilson on the right wing and then drive it past the hapless Boruc at his near post from what appeared to be an impossible angle. Despite Rangers starting the brighter, Celtic were slightly the better team at this point in the game. Celticââ?¬â?¢s equaliser two minutes later was a comedy of errors from the Rangers perspective. Firstly Mendes lost the ball in the midfield when he incorrectly assumed Davis was taking it from him, then Broadfoot failed to stop the cross from our right, Weir seemed to miss the ball when it came to his feet which meant that Papac didnââ?¬â?¢t expect the ball to fall to him and he hit it off-balance to Samaras who easily put the ball away. Maloney turned 2 Rangers players and tried to curl the ball into the net early in the second half, but Rangers responded with the much maligned Kenny Miller scoring his first goal on his second spell at the club volleying a cross from Thomson which Boruc was unable to keep out despite his ample size. Remember the fuss that was made when a paper cup was thrown at a Celtic player at Ibrox? I wonder if the same fuss will be made about the beach ball that was thrown at a Rangers player? I doubt it though as the bal was thrown back into the crowd on numerous occasions to allow them to do it again. No action was taken by the stewards, so obviously this sort of action is condoned by the club. Rangers third goal was a peach. A corner was played back to Mendes who was standing 30 yards out and he hit it first time low and hard straight into the bottom corner. Referees have been quite correctly been getting stick for their pro-Celtic decisions and today was no exception, although thankfully it didnââ?¬â?¢t affect the result. Rangers were denied two stonewall penalties with Adam being brought down just before half-time and Cousin being brought down in the lead-up to the second goal. In the second half the ref also seemed to have decided to penalise Cousin for every challenge which resulted in a booking for consistent fouling. Two fouls later and het got his second yellow for a challenge that he actually won. He can be clearly seen concentrating on the ball and went for it so how a foul was given against him is beyond me. Thank fully the ref couldnââ?¬â?¢t avoid sending off JVOH a minute later for his two petulant kicks at Broadfoot. With both teams with 10 men, Rangers scored their 4th from a Boruc blunder as he fumbled a straightforward Broadfoot cross straight to Miller who couldnââ?¬â?¢t miss the open goal that he had been presented with and send the good guys in the stadium into delirium. Celtic scored a consolation second in injury time although most of the Celtic fans had left the ground by that point. McGregor seemed to take this out on Miller for reasons that escape me other than perhaps he has fallen into the trap of some others by blaming Miller for everything. It was a team performance and Smith had everyone pumped up for it. mcGregor looked more assured than some recent performances. Broadfoot struggled a bit with McGeady but, on the whole, did fine. Papac put in some crunching tackles. Bougherra looks sound. The midfield and attack did a power of running, with Mendes shading it for man of the match, despite his part in their first goal. All in all, a great performance and a great day. A great airing of the Pedro Mendes song,and I particularly like the new Edu song. Iââ?¬â?¢m sure Iââ?¬â?¢ve heard the tune somewhere before.....

Andrew Dickson reports from Parkhead WALTER SMITH paid tribute to his Rangers players after their magnificent 4-2 derby win over Celtic at Parkhead. The Light Blues manager raised eyebrows before play began by selecting Daniel Cousin to partner Kenny Miller up front. But his decision paid off when the Gabon hitman fired in the opener - and he was even more ecstatic when Miller then struck a second-half double. Pedro Mendes was the other scorer with a screamer from 25 yards and there's little doubt the visitors deserved to take three points from the first Old Firm clash of the season. While Smith will be acclaimed by many Gers fans for choosing the side he put out, he was keen for the men at his disposal to take the credit instead. He said: "We are obviously pleased to win the game. It was quite open and we were delighted to get the first goal then disappointed at losing one shortly afterwards. "It was a scrappy one from our point of view and 1-1 was probably just about right at half-time. "But whoever gets the first goal of the second half in Old Firm games often goes on to have the have the upper hand. "We managed to score then add another quite quickly and it was always going to be difficult for Celtic to come back after that. "You are always on edge when you come here but in the end, it was a terrific victory at a place where it is very difficult for any team to get a win and our players did very well." There was obvious focus on Miller as he returned to Celtic Park just two years since he joined Gordon Strachan's side after a previous spell with Rangers. He famously scored his first goal for the Parkhead team against the Light Blues but made away fans forget that with a wonderful brace today. His first effort was a brilliant right-footed volley across Artur Boruc's goal and the second was a tap-in after the Pole fumbled the ball. Miller's return to Ibrox has not gone down well with some supporters, who have made their feelings on the matter known over the last few weeks. Smith is hopeful the Scotland hitman's contribution today goes some way towards appeasing them. When asked how much pressure he thought Miller was under ahead of this game, the manager joked: "Not as much as me. "I thought Kenny played well. It seems to be the case quite often in football that people score against their former clubs and that was the case here. "I'm just pleased we managed to get the goals we needed and it doesn't bother me who scores them. "But Kenny played well today and if his performance doesn't win people over, we've got a bit of a problem. I don't know what he would need to do. "He has got his goals now so it is over with and hopefully he can go on to get a few more as the season goes on."

WALTER SMITH is hoping that his side can enjoy a successful away day at Parkhead this weekend but is fully aware just how difficult it will be to take three points in Glasgow's East End. The Gers' last victory at the home of their greatest rivals came on March 11, 2007 when Ugo Ehiogu's was the unlikely hero with a stunning overhead kick. A similar result this weekend would do just fine for the gaffer who is looking forward to another explosive encounter. "When you go to Celtic Park at any time you expect an extremely difficult game and that will be no different on Sunday," said Smith. "Historically, Rangers and Celtic don't lose a lot of home games and if you do then your position as manager can be in trouble. "So Celtic have an excellent record not just in the SPL but in Europe over the past five to ten years. "It's a tough place to go, as is Ibrox, but there is no doubt we can get a big psychological lift if we can get a good result on Sunday. "That is what we will set out to achieve." Several Ibrox stars including Perdo Mendes, Madjid Bougherra and Kyle Lafferty are likely to make their Old Firm debuts this weekend but Smith has no fears about throwing them into the world's biggest derby. He said: "Most of our players have a lot of experience, even the new lads, and they will be able to handle a situation like this. "They have been involved in important game throughout their careers including internationals so they will know what to expect. "At the end of the day playing in an Old Firm game is a great experience for any player as it doesn't come much bigger than that." Smith confirmed that Lee McCulloch is out of Sunday's game due to a knee ligament strain.

MAURICE Edu has expressed his delight at finally signing for Rangers and is hoping he can quickly play a part in the team with an appearance against Celtic on Sunday. The midfielder jetted in to Glasgow early on Friday and after a short training session, admitted he felt ready to be involved in Walter Smith's squad for the weekend's derby match at Parkhead. Smith will assess the 22-year-old in training on Saturday but Mo's initial reaction to life at Murray Park after a delayed flight from Canada has been positive. He said: "I'm excited to be here, it's what I've been waiting for, for the past couple of weeks. Now everything is finalised so I'm here and I'm happy. "I've managed a jog this morning and got the legs going again, so I'm fine, I'll be ready. I don't know what's been finalised but I hope to be part of the squad and part of the game too." The former Toronto FC man insists he knows what to expect from Sunday's Old Firm meeting if Smith deems him fit enough to play a part. He added: "I've seen a couple of the games on TV and I've spoken to Mo Johnston about them. He explained how great a game it is and how competitive they are. "He just advised me to be prepared, to go out there and play my game, enjoy the atmosphere and really just enjoy the experience." The US international's move from the MLS has been a protracted affair with the club having to secure a work permit before finalising the deal. With that now done and dusted Edu is delighted to have the opportunity to become part of the setup at Murray Park. He said: "I came out here a little while ago when I saw the Hearts game and I had a chance to explore the city and the facilities here. "They are probably the best I've ever seen and now I have the chance to be here and train at this facility and be part of the team so I'm excited to be here." And despite there being no European football to look forward to at Ibrox this term, Edu admits the appeal of regular involvement in the premier club competitions was an added attraction when deciding to trade the MLS for the SPL. He added: "The MLS is definitely improving, but over here this team plays in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup against the best players in the world. "For me it's a step up but I think it's the right choice because I feel I'm going to improve as a player, playing with better players every day. I'll get good coaching and I can develop as a player, which is important to me. "I'm a box to box midfielder. I can make tackles and break up the play but at the same time every now and then I'll get the occasional goal so that's what the fans can expect to see from me. "It's up to the manager how he sees me fitting in, but I think I can bring something that can compliment the team and benefit it in the long run."

by Lindsay Herron KENNY MILLER will become the first player in over 100 years to cross the great divide twice in Old Firm derbies if he plays for Rangers at Parkhead on Sunday. Tom Dunbar is the only other player to have achieved this feat and that was back in the late 19th century when Rangers and Celtic were quite chummy rather than fierce rivals. It could be a daunting prospect but Rangers boss Walter Smith has no doubts that the Scotland striker will handle it all. He told Rangers World: "I don't think Kenny will be bothered about going back to Parkhead. I'm sure there will be the usual banter between fans, but it is not something that is going to affect him. "He is an experienced enough player to handle it." Smith could have a number of new faces in his line-up on Sunday. Pedro Mendes, Kyle Lafferty, Madjid Bougherra plus the returning Steve Davis and Miller are liable to start with the potential of Maurice Edu and young Spaniard Aaron also taking part. Smith certainly has no qualms about introducing some or all of them to the unique atmosphere. He said: "Old Firm games can inspire you. If you want to be in football then these are the games you want to be involved in. "Any player worth his salt would want to play in this game. "During the match you can't say you enjoy it. If you manage to get a win then you do but if you lose then it's the end of the world, so to speak."

UCF2008 posted the above in the other thread. my original rent-a-cause-reactionaries comment was about their general make-everyone-love-us philosophy. their persecution complex and immediate support for anything, no matter how contradictory, to maintain their romantic rebels image. that being said, i do think his point is worth a debate. recent times have seen ranting as never before. its seen protesting. a whole culture of complaining has developed - but i do think that there are also valid societal reasons for this (information culture/credit crunch/anxieties about pluralism) as well as good arguments for the fact that everything is not as well as it could be within ibrox (murray wants out/rangers fans consistently paying their money to be called bigots by all and sundry etc). that said, i think the anti-murray/anti-smith tone has just got rabid in recent times - a kind of rabid that can only happen on the faceless internet and in small groups. when it takes itself to real life (like the reported protest the other week) it falters. but, then, i begin to think it is all justified again - the protests seem to have spurred the new signings, and it took for mass protests etc for celtic to get turned around. so, all in all, have we become bitter tims?

MAURICE EDU is hoping to make a dream Rangers debut by lining up at Parkhead in next Sunday's Old Firm showdown. The 22-year-old US midfielder got work permit clearance on Friday and will fly across the Atlantic to begin his Rangers career once all of the paperwork has been completed. And the former Toronto FC star hopes he can go straight into the squad for the derby with Celtic. He said: "It's something I would love to experience right away. I don't know how my involvement is going to play out but I really look forward to that if that was possible. "I know there is a huge rivalry between Rangers and Celtic. What a potential first game that would be, to play in the biggest derby game in world football. It would be unbelievable. "If it works out like that I would be more than excited. I can't think of a better debut than that. "I'm excited about this new chapter in my career.I will miss Toronto, and the team's amazing supporters and fans. Toronto FC will always have special meaning for me because it's the club that gave me my professional start." Edu will become Walter Smith's eighth summer signing when he joins later this week. Edu told the Mail on Sunday: ""It all happened so quickly for me. I heard a little whisper when I was at the Olympics but at that tim was trying to focus on getting the United States out of the group stages. "We lost and I came back home. I flew into San Francisco on the way to Toronto and I got a phone call from my agent. He said that the league had taken a bid and it was from Rangers. By the time I got to Toronto we heard there had been approval. "I have some things to tie up but hopefully I can be in Glasgow by midweek."

By Andrew Dickson RANGERS' 100% record in the SPL Reserve League came to an end this afternoon as they drew 0-0 with Hearts at Murray Park. Tommy Wilson's men were the better side, particularly after the interval, but couldn't convert any of the chances that came their way. Failing to break the deadlock means they've now taken four points from their first two matches after the 5-0 win against Falkirk a fortnight ago. The first half was a fairly even affair, with Gers shading it for the extra possession they enjoyed. Things might have been different had William McLachlan seen a red card rather than the yellow he received for a late foul on Hearts' Branimir Kostadinov after just 90 seconds. Indeed, it was a shaky start by the home side and Craig Sives should have headed the Jambos ahead with six minutes gone but somehow nodded wide from two yards. Rangers hit back and Rory Loy, who scored a hat-trick against the Bairns, drove low at goal but saw his effort smothered. John Fleck then skipped past two men as he cut across the 18-yard line and found the target too but also had his shot held. Paul Emslie was proving to be influential for the Light Blues and he had a go himself but his rising drive was always flying over. Hearts responded through Kostadinov and Jordan McMillan had to react sharply to block his teasing pass across goal. Rangers continued to have more of the ball after the break but while Fleck almost struck at one end, Juho Makela should really have broken the deadlock at the other. The best chance so far then fell to Spanish winger Aaron, who had experienced mixed fortunes in the opening period. He showed the class that tempted Walter Smith to bring him to Ibrox on loan from Valencia when he burst in from the left past two men and curled just beyond the far post. It was an opportunity he created from nothing and if he keeps producing like that, it won't be long before he is pushing for a first-team place. Gers were getting closer and it seemed Loy had finally given them a lead with 25 minutes remaining after Fleck and Andrew Shinnie combined to play him in. But just as his shot across Jamie MacDonald was sneaking inside the far post, the keeper stuck out a strong hand to divert the ball wide. Loy saw a similar attempt trundle past the frame and with that, frustration started setting in. Wilson threw on Giorgos Efrem and Andrew Little for Aaron and Loy in a bid to make his team's pressure finally count. But they couldn't get themselves a lead and had to settle for a share of the spoils instead with their capital opponents. RANGERS: Gallacher, Lowing, McLachlan, McMillan, Dailly, Emslie, Shinnie, Adam, Loy (Little 83), Fleck, Aaron (Efrem 68). Substitutes: Robinson, Furman, Craig, Harvey. HEARTS: MacDonald, Kelly (Thomson 67), Armstrong, Park, Sikes, McGowan, Kostadinov, Stewart (Copil 67), Makela, Wallace, Templeton. Substitutes: Bjornsson, Balatoni, Mulrooney, Docherty, Mackie. Referee: Ross Haswell.

The following article on the Rangers website: Steve Davis. My Rangers Delight suddenly got me thinking about our summer transfer dealings. I don't want to discuss the fact that it was done far too late. We all know that, there's not going to be any interesting views raised on that point. I also know it's too early to judge players, i'm merely talking first impressions. However approximately a third of the way down the page is the following paragraph: Immediately I thought that's a fairly impressive transfer spree and I wondered what everyone else thought of the inidividual signings and how they have improved or otherwise the squad. Beginning with Davis then. As long as he's not played on the right he could be a great signing. Needs to rediscover his form of his first few games at the club and the signs last night suggest he's in good form. Competition for places in the middle of the park is incredible. Kye Lafferty - A vastly inflated transfer fee, although it suggests signs of forward planning and long term thinking from the club. the only way this transfer made sense to me was to buy up a young rising star on a long contract, showcase him at a big European club and in Europe (ok not thsi season now but in future) and sell him on at a profit. His qualities as a player do not suggest a �£4million pound player, but if we can sell him on for more than that after a couple of seasons of good performances then it could be the way forward for a club that does not have the mega bucks of a bigger league. Is a risky strategy that relies on the ability to spot players. Andreas Velicka - Looked a very good prospect in pre-season. In fleeting appearances he did more than some of our other forward players. A physical presence with an eye for goal. Outwith Boyd perhaps our only other genuine goal threat from our strikers. Madjid Bougherra - Huge boots to fill with the departure of last year POTY. Should have seen the writing on the wall regarding Cuellar when Madjid was brought in. Early signs are promising, strong, defensively sound and comfortable on the ball. With the realisation that star players with such large transfer fees as Cuellar will be sold on the club has to be able to bring in replacements at a reduced fee that the management believe can pcik up where the old player left off. Can madjid do this. Who knows, but certainly we might have struggle to find a better replacement. Need to find him a long term partner now. Pedro Mendes - Again hard to comment with just one appearance to go on. What an appearance though. MOTM in his first game, running the midfield and therefore the match. Forged an excellent understanding with Thomson immediately that will be encouarging to all fans. Again adds to the excellent choices in the centre of the field. Will be really exciting when Ferguson is back to link up with the former Pompey star. Aaron - An unkown to myself, but highly rated in Spain. Sounded very exciting in a bounce game with killie. Could really light up our play down the left flank and help us lose the winning ugly mantra. Will Smith trust a relative youngster though? Edu - Signing will hopefully be confirmed tomorrow as a work permit is agreed. Again an unkown but already a international and few players seem to leave the MLS for multi million pound fees suggesting this player may have something different to your average US player. Worried by the noises that he is a utility player though. Look at Dailly and to a lesser extent Ian Murray to see why. Miller - �£2mil wasted on a goal-shy forward. A significant part of our early transfer spending wasted on him that no doubt contributed to our early European exit, costing us approximately �£12million. Getting what we expect. A lot of running but little end product. The headless chicken act. Law of averages as a forward player for Rangers you're going to have the odd good momment such as the run v Hearts to create the goal that sealed the points. Needs to show a killer instinct if he is to win over the fans, but his career suggests that is unlikely to happen. Why some fans and supposed experts of the game laud a player for trying hard and running about a lot is frankly mystifying. 8 signings, 5 of which impress me with 2 i've yet to really see. Obviously all have a long way to go to prove themselves at the club but the early signs are encouraging. Yet again we have the strongest squad in the country, on paper at least. Without the distraction of an extended European run we have to fancy ourselves to win back the title and anything less should not be tolerated.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/08/20/manual_180947.html&TEAMHD=scotspremiership IFK Gothenborg defender Mattias Bjarsmyr claims he has been approached by Scottish giants Rangers. Danish side FC Copenhagen have already had an offer for the Sweden international turned down this summer. Rangers boss Walter Smith is now said to have joined the race for the 22-year-old, with Goteborg thought to be demanding more than �£2million for the promising youngster. "I don't know much about that (Rangers), but I have also heard that." Bjarsmyr told Expressen. "There was a guy who called and told me about Rangers, but I told him to talk to my agent Martin Dahlin. "Martin is handling all that and he has not told me that there is something serious."

THE last time a Scotland team represented their country at a major championship, Rangers front man Kris Boyd was just 14 years old. Like so many youngsters watching the action from France 98, he too dreamed of one day pulling on the dark blue shirt to go in to battle with his national team. But a decade later few who watched helplessly as Scotland slipped out of the World Cup on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Morocco in St Etienne now find themselves in Boyd's position. As he prepares to face off against Northern Ireland in a friendly tonight, the Gers No.9 can realistically target a place in South Africa in 22 months' time. And, if he's handed a shirt by Scotland boss George Burley when his side depart Glasgow next month to face Macedonia and Iceland, he can have a say over whether Scotland will return to the global scene after a dozen years on the outside, looking in. Boyd turned 25 earlier this week and on the back of the most remarkable season of his career he admits that joining Scotland in the World Cup in South Africa would be the highlight of his football life. He said: "As a player they are the best moments in football, both the European Championships and the World Cup. "To be part of that would, I think, be the highlight of your career when you look back on it in years to come. "Every player wants to be there and the likes of Davie Weir and Christian Dailly have already tasted it and they say it's the best thing they've done in their career. "I'm sure we'd all be no different. We want to get there and hopefully we can get off to a good start and then finish the job this time." It's a revealing statement that points to the hurt Boyd felt at coming so close to a place in Austria and Switzerland during the summer, before falling at the final hurdle against Italy. The striker had helped to get his country off to a flying start with two goals in their opening qualifier for Euro 2008 as Walter Smith's side chalked up a 6-0 over the Faroe Islands. But he was a dejected figure as he watched from the Hampden touchline as Christian Panucci's header sealed a 2-1 win for the visiting Italians and ended Scotland's dream. He was stripped to come on as a sub with the scores tied at 1-1, but as he replaced Lee McCulloch he knew qualification had slipped away and that experience still lingers. Boyd said: "It was obviously disappointing the way it ended but if we'd been told at the start of the campaign that we'd take it that far we would have been delighted. "But once you get so close you're obviously disappointed that you don't quite make it but that's life, we have to move on from that and we've got another chance to qualify for a World Cup now." The Gers forward will take the first step on that journey in tonight's friendly at a stadium he enjoyed huge success at last season. Putting aside the disappointment of that meeting with Italy, Boyd went on to score doubles for his club in two triumphant Hampden cup finals. He added: "I enjoy playing there. It's a great surface and a great stadium and to play there with your national team is a bonus. "It's good to meet up with the squad and start preparations for the World Cup campaign with the game against Northern Ireland. "There are a good few of us from Rangers in it and it's always a special occasion to go and play with your country so I'm looking forward to the game."

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=663&Itemid=1 Carlos Cuellar has gone then and going by recent years it’s extremely unlikely to be a case of ‘The King is dead; long Live the King’. The 21st Century has seen a large number of quality players leave the club with the chairman proclaiming they will be replaced with players of a similar standard. In almost all cases – particularly with regard to our midfield – that has not been the case. From the Van Bronckhorsts to the Reynas, to the Numans, to the Amorusos; the decline in quality has been a steady one since our club’s downsizing began in earnest. It’s now reached the stage where not only the continuity of the team is threatened but the very future of the club is being brought into disrepute. What options does that leave us with? Do we protest or will our apathy contribute to our downfall? Firstly, I think it’s important that we address the issue objectively. It is far too easy to be vocally critical and while that may satisfy for a short while; it won’t do any good without solutions for the problems we face. One of the biggest and most valid criticisms of the Murray reign at Rangers is that of short-termism. We shouldn’t be guilty of the same flaw. Thus, if we are to protest – and I certainly empathise with that view – we need to be careful in how we go about it. ‘Murray out’ is the cry from many. ‘Walter Smith’s time is up’ is even more prevalent. Fair points as both deserve a lot of criticism for their work recently. Unfortunately, neither is likely to be replaced and I see little alternatives offered by those who shout loudest. Quite simply, while it may be agreeable that it’s time for a new owner (none more agree than Sir David Murray), we don’t have a knight in shining armour with a spare Ã?£100million to put into Rangers. Let’s face it – any new owner(s) would need around Ã?£20-30million to buy the club; Ã?£20million to underwrite the existing club debt; and at least Ã?£50million in reserve, to not only supply an annual transfer budgets equalling the last two years but to implement the various improvements we’d all like to see to the club. A new ticket office, a better youth system, a museum, stadium development (not to mention upkeep), improved retail/marketing and a genuine worldwide scouting system would need considerable investment just to get off the ground; never mind run on an annual basis. Not many investors have that kind of money to hand – especially when one considers the market we operate in. Even if we discount the problems we face on the field, the last paragraph shows just how serious things are at Rangers. The most positive supporters can surely now see how the under-performance of the club generally is affecting the general malaise at the club. There’s no doubt while some people may exaggerate some of these issues; there’s also no doubt the challenges we face as a club are serious ones and need urgent attention. In fact, most of them have needed attention for a number of years but it’s only now some supporters are awakening to them. And that’s where my concern is. Realism regarding the financial climate needn’t be an acceptance of under-achievement and inefficiency. Football fans – and particularly Rangers fans – are demanding sorts. Success should be regular, failure is not an option and everything is measured by an SPL title-winning barometer. This is how many supporters view our club but in my view it’s far too empirical and it’s this flawed vision that has helped put us in the position we are today. More seriously though, it’s not just the support that is guilty of this – the Rangers board of directors are similarly short-sighted and far more culpable. My single biggest criticism of Sir David Murray’s Rangers’ tenure is one which goes against how the man made his impressive business reputation. After a successful initial period, investment into the club (out with transfers) wasn’t enough, was only ever based on the short-term and failed to ensure our club’s position as the number one football club in Scotland. Remember we were Ã?£30million in the black around 1998 and only a few short years and Ã?£100million later we were Ã?£83million in the red - with next to nothing to show for it. Sure, at the insistence of Dick Advocaat, Murray Park was built but even that has taken a number of years to deliver while only showing inconsistent performance given it’s not the Youth Academy many believed it would be. Where are we then? Are we any further forward than late 1988 when SDM bought the club? Of course there are lots of positives during those 20 years and they shouldn’t be forgotten or ignored in the haste to vilify. However, the fact remains, the last 10 years of the reign have been inconsistent, lacking in quality, ambition has been lost and our future bleak. Much like what was happening under Murray’s predecessors it could be said. Protest is the answer then? Yes, it is, but probably not in the way some agitators would prefer. Firstly, we need to ensure that our support of the team and players isn’t compromised. While Walter Smith is just as much to blame for our current woes as anyone else and while we all agree certain players are simply not good enough to play for Rangers, difficult times require extra support – not less. I’m not suggesting blind loyalty – that would be equally wrong – but enough support to help the team regain the confidence and form to win matches. After all, not winning the title would only make things much, much worse. However, I’ve already said winning titles should not be a barometer of how successful our club is. After all, we didn’t win the title last season but generally it was a successful one in terms of European performance and incoming finance. Importantly though, it’s how we use this success that really matters. And that’s where we’ve failed this summer and in previous times. We’ve simply not achieved consistent domestic and European success. Ergo, that’s where any protest must be focussed. Thus, while bizarre 60 minute walk outs may indicate our displeasure; and while fans reps in the media provide further obvious methods of channelling our frustration; neither will be successful without constructive alternatives. By all means protest but it has to be done at the right time and place. The status quo is unlikely to change because a few hundred fans walk out unnoticed or because a few congregate outside the front door. That will only result in further division and problems. Genuine protest has to have a goal behind it. While the ultimate goal may be one of regime change, that’s not one that is immediately possible or one that would yield immediate results anyway. As such, any protest should have aims that are possible. Obviously, that is also much more difficult to achieve. What can we do to improve the club? How can we reach the people to responsible for that improvement? Can we catalyse them via workable solutions? That place is the Rangers AGM in the next month or so. That’s where ALL the guilty parties will be present. That’s where ALL the relevant questions should be asked. That’s where ALL the board of directors can be brought to task on their under-achievement. That’s where the manager can be challenged. That’s where positive change can be implemented. That’s where the Rangers supporters can rise to the challenge. That’s where leadership can be sought in the presence of ALL the people who can make the difference. We can help shape our future. We can never be accused of not being loyal or being supportive of the club through difficult times. Let’s continue to do so by cheering the team to victory over 90mins and keeping our criticism for the place where it really matters.

Best move for him i think. at least he will get some senior experience.

....according to Darryl Broadfoot. In a day of frantic transfer activity, Celtic last night completed the �£3m transfer of Glenn Loovens from under Rangers' noses. Walter Smith responded by securing the �£2.5m transfer of Pedro Mendes, the Portsmouth midfielder. Mendes will arrive at Murray Park today to undergo a medical and his likely capture will offset the disappointment of losing Cardiff City's Dutch defender to their Old Firm rivals. http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2425965.0.Celtic_snatch_Loovens_but_Mendes_is_Ibrox_bound.php

According to Spiers he is on the way. Rangers will attempt to prise James McFadden from Birmingham City as Walter Smith, the manager, and Sir David Murray, the chairman, set about restoring confidence at Ibrox after the abrupt sale of Carlos Cu�©llar to Aston Villa. Last night Smith was said to be closing in on McFadden, who is still intent on leaving Birmingham since their relegation from the Barclays Premier League last season. Glenn Loovens, the Cardiff City defender, Steven Davis, the Fulham midfield player, and Mark Bresciano, the Palermo midfield player, are also being pursued by Rangers http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article4526438.ece

what is our real level of ambition? when alan hutton left for spurs and quite a few of us asked the very question. Now we know. Suddenly a player who hasnt been fit enough to kick a competitive ball for Rangers is fit enough to sign for Aston Villa. We are told that "he wanted to leave" when in fact the player himself has stated that he was only too happy to stay and see out his contract at Ibrox. The bottom line is we have been lied to by our club. Cuellar has been touted round the premiership since the end of last season (I even posted the news on this site) and it has come to be. Our real level of ambition? Weir, daily, McCulloch, Miller, Broadfoot, whitaker. makes great reading doesnt it. At this moment i have to say i am considering my position as a Rangers supporter. I feel i am being taken for a fool by Murray, Bain & smith. we have been fed with mediocrity on and of the park for far too long and unless that something changes significantly very soon i will be hanging up my scarf and will have nothing to do with the club untill all three are out the door. those three are a damned disgrace. To us and the club that we love.