Search the Community

STEVEN DAVIS believes there is more to come from both him and his team mates as they prepare to finish 2008 with two home games against Hibs and Celtic. Steven DavisDavis has arguably been Walter Smith's most consistent performer since signing a permanent deal with the club back in August. But he feels there is still another level for him to reach as he comes to the end of a rollercoaster first year with Rangers. He said: "Overall I'm happy with how things are going although I know there is still a lot of room for improvement both personally and for us as a team. "We've made a decent start to the season albeit with a couple of slip ups where we would have liked to collect points that we dropped. "If we can iron that out I think we can look forward to another very successful season. "I like to think there's more to come from me too. I think no matter what age you are you can still improve as a player. Steven Davis celebrates scoring"There are always new things to pick up from different managers and different players in the squad so it's been good to come here and learn from some top midfielders. "In Barry, Pedro and Kevin Thomson we have some top class players and if you can take different aspects from their games it can only help you develop as a player." The Northern Ireland international has added goals to his game this season and trails only Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller in the club's scoring charts after strikes against Motherwell, Dundee Utd, St Mirren and Hamilton. "This year we've all got a bit more licence to get forward with the way the team is playing this season," added Davis. "The change in the mentality of the whole team and the way the manager wants us to play has helped me get goals. "It's a side of the game I enjoy and hopefully I can continue to add a few goals between now and the end of the season."

By Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH insists there's no advantage to be gained by Rangers if they win a day before Celtic play this weekend. The Light Blues entertain Hibernian at Ibrox tomorrow before Gordon Strachan's Parkhead side travels to play Falkirk at Westfield on Sunday. Walter SmithIt will be the fourth successive weekend that Gers have played before their Old Firm rivals and the two will then meet in the derby next Saturday in Govan. The gap between the teams at the top of the SPL currently stands at four points with 18 rounds of fixtures gone and the halfway point in the season approaching. But while some feel Rangers can strike a psychological blow to their fellow challengers by bringing the gap down to one - however temporarily - Smith isn't one of them. "I don't think playing before Celtic really matters," he said. "We operate under that sort of pressure every single week. "We just have to keep winning our games and the most important thing when we play Hibs tomorrow is that we get the victory. "We will see what happens after that. None of these things are that important - the pressure is simply on whoever is chasing and that is us at the moment. "We must accept that and know, going into each game, that our main objective is to win the match. The onus is on us to come out on top.Walter Smith in Kaunas "If we win our next two games, we will be in a far better position than we're in at the moment but we know doing that will be tough." Smith refused to be drawn on speculation linking Rangers with a move Spartak Moscow defender Martin Stranzl. There have been media reports saying the manager is keen on the Austrian stopper but he refused to confirm if that was the case. Smith did reveal Madjid Bougherra, who he hoped would be fit enough to play this weekend, is still doubtful for tomorrow's game with a thigh knock despite training today. If he misses out, he'll be one of five first-team players sidelined for the clash with the Easter Road outfit. Chris Burke has fallen victim to the flu outbreak currently sweeping across Scotland and is too unwell to be considered. Maurice Edu and Andrius Velicka are also unavailable as they both have ankle knocks. Long-term crock Kevin Thomson is the other casualty.

CRAIG THOMSON has been named as the referee for the crucial Old Firm game at Ibrox on December 27. The whistler - who has recently gone part-time in his job as a lawyer to help him concentrate more on refereeing - has plenty of experience in the fixture now and is regarded as the best whistler in the country. Thomson's last Old Firm outing was Celtic's 3-2 win at home in April.

Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s second era at the club began with a match against Dundee United so it is perhaps fitting and not entirely unexpected, football often throws up strange and repeated coincidences such as this, that yet again the Arabs will provide the opposition in a monumental encounter that will go a long way to establishing our title credentials. The prospect of 4-in-a-row cannot be contemplated and if we are to prevent that eventuality then we have to stop the trend of our performances against Dundee United. Whilst our overall recent record does not make for terrible reading against Dundee United, indeed since the 5-0 victory in Walterââ?¬â?¢s debut game in charge of his second tenure, we have won 3, lost 1 and drawn 2 of our encounters with the Dundee club. However those two draws have been highly damaging to our league aspirations. Two league points dropped back in April during our hectic run in ultimately contributed to our downfall in attempting to reclaim the league flag. The second draw, our only meeting with United this season back in November allowed Celtic to take a 2 point lead in the SPL over us for the first time this season. It is the worrying trend of our inability to consistently take 3 points on the road against the more capable opponents in the SPL that is giving particular cause for concern prior to heading to Tannadice this weekend. After having returned the points difference to 4 between ourselves and Celtic this weekend past, we cannot afford anything less than a victory on Saturday. However we have not returned from Dundee with the 3 points since a 4-1 victory in April 06 when Prso and a Boyd hat-trick secured the result. In the last 4 seasons, stretching back to 04/05 under Eck, we have travelled to Dundee 6 times, but only once have we made the return trip with and addition to the win column. 1 win, 3 draws and 2 defeats highlights just how difficult a game we have in store. This kind of record is not good enough for a side with title aspirations and it is this sort of form that demonstrated why we have found league titles difficult to come by in recent seasons. Why one team becomes another sideââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Å?bogey teamââ?¬Â is difficult to pinpoint. When a team is regularly thwarting your side season after season, despite numerous changes in playing and coaching personnel for both sides, how do you identify the key factors? Is it luck? Is it a psychological problem? When you have struggled against another team in the past perhaps it is distracting you even before you take the field? It is impossible to quantify or qualify what causes this over a sustained period. What we can do though, is look at the reasons for our recent trouble. Why have so many of these competitive fixtures followed a similar pattern? In Smithââ?¬â?¢s first and highly successful spell at the helm we regularly dominated all opposition in Scotland. We had the players and the managerial set-up to mastermind victories against all opposition and in any scenario. Since his return to the club, many believe the old campaigner has been out-thought by his counter-part at Tannadice whenever the two lock-horns. Whilst Smithââ?¬â?¢s record against Leveinââ?¬â?¢s United makes reasonable reading, 4 wins, 2 draws with just the solitary defeat, it doesnââ?¬â?¢t even begin to tell the whole story In the League Cup Final, a match that was decided on penalties, only the introduction of Boyd saved Smithââ?¬â?¢s blushes as we were out thought and out played for large portions of the game. In the league encounter a month later, 3 times we had to come from behind to secure what at the time looked a decent point in the title run-in, to continue a fairly miserable run of form up Tannadice. We will of course all remember the 3-3 draw earlier this season when the influential Thomson stole a point in a game we should have won handsomely. What has become the stingiest back line in the league this year simply did not turn up that cold autumn night and despite an impressive attacking display, defensive lapses cost us the points. So Smith has an acceptable record against Dundee United overall, however it is one we would all like to see improve. To begin that with a vital victory this weekend would no doubt boost the confidence of our squad during a critical period in the Championship race. If we are to gain the required result, Smith, his coaching staff and the squad must look back at previous fixtures to understand why we struggled and to ensure we are better prepared. The major issue surrounding what is often a fraught fixture for us Rangers fans is in controlling the game. Win the midfield battle and that can set the platform to win the match. We cannot surrender quality possession and territory to Dundee United time and again, and hope to sneak a result thanks to individual quality on our part and individual error on Unitedââ?¬â?¢s. As many other SPL managers appear to be becoming aware of, if they flood their midfield with players and restrict our quality midfielders the time and space they need to operate they can effectively stop us playing. The team then resorts to long ball tactics, up to players whose strengths are not playing as target men. When this starts happening we continually give possession back to the opposition and put ourselves under pressure. This tactic is more rewarding for Dundee United than many other sides because of the quality of player they can deploy in midfield. Willo Flood, on loan from Cardiff City, always appears a step above anything else we might expect from opposition in the SPL out with Celtic. Flood is ably supported by a previously unavailable wealth of midfield talent in Morgaro Gomis, Prince Buaben (excellent finds for Craig Levein who combine good technical ability with natural athleticism) and formerly Mark Kerr (now Aberdeen). Scott Robertson brought in to replace the departing Kerr, from city rivals Dundee, has become a key player making a significant impact at Ibrox as he scored their third of 3 goals. Flood, Gomis and Robertson appear to be the players in favour for a strong United midfield, with Conway and Swanson enjoying regular games too. Levein has often deployed a 4-4-2 formation this season, but it will be interesting to see if he reverts to a five-man midfield again this weekend to give his side the numerical advantage in the centre of the park. Even prior to losing Thomson to long term injury this season, Dundee United have already proven they have enough in their ranks to give us a hard game. Although in a change from recent encounters, our troubles were not caused by Dundee Unitedââ?¬â?¢s strength in the middle of the park but by our own defensive frailties and an impressive game by Sandaza. With Unitedââ?¬â?¢s ability to nullify and dominate our midfield identified, the loss of Thomson is even more concerning for this game than any other. Our current first choice midfield of Ferguson, Mendes, Davis and possibly Beasley is lacking the fighting qualities and the screening of the defence that Thomson brings. With Levein likely to pack his midfield and the hardworking and technically gifted talents of Flood, Gomis, Robertson and co. we are going to have to battle hard for the points this weekend. It may require Walter to consider bringing in a more defensively minded player, in the Thomson mould, to combat the effective United midfield unit and allow the flair players to hurt the opposition. That would mean bringing in Edu either for Ferguson or Mendes, or sacrificing a forward player to field a 5 man midfield and match United in the central areas. However the prospect of breaking up what is a burgeoning and exciting forward pair of Boyd and Miller would be counter-productive and will not be considered by Smith. Neither will sacrificing the attacking qualities of Ferguson and Mendes. Instead I think he may ask for a disciplined display by one of the midfield pair, most likely Ferguson, to sit in and fill the defensive role performed by Thomson. Whether this will be effective is yet to be seen, but I am not convinced. If, as we have seen before, United manage to dominate this midfield battle, we begin to see why United have enjoyed such impressive displays against the more celebrated opposition from Glasgow. With a lack of control of the midfield, the defenders and deep lying midfield continually look to hit the long ball to Boyd and his partner, in this case likely to be Miller. Neither player can play as a dominant target man and with the towering figures of Wilkie and Dods at the back, will prove even more ineffectual in the role. Dundee United have enjoyed a stranglehold on possession and territory thanks to these tactics and more of the same will be uncomfortable viewing for the light blues this weekend. If Dundee United control the centre of the field and Wilkie and Dods continue their success at the back, then Craig Levein has unearthed the man to hurt us. In a devastating 2 goal display at Ibrox, Sandaza along with a solo strike by Robertson almost secured an impressive victory for the Arabs. Plucked from Valenciaââ?¬â?¢s reserve team, Sandaza made a decent start to life in Scotland in Unitedââ?¬â?¢s pre-season games. However he struggled once the competitive matches got underway until the boost of an accomplished display in Glasgow. In a game where unlike recent showing, United struggled to contain Rangers, Sandaza took full advantage of a night off at the back. Having regained third place in the league and with the best home defensive record in the league, if Flood and the Dundee United midfield continue to outshine their Rangers counterparts, they will be confident of the backline defending the inevitable long ball football and also of taking advantage of the lionââ?¬â?¢s share of possession with Sandaza and most probably Jon Daly to seize upon any opportunities created.

We had 1 shot on goal the whole game and to be quite honest, what a perfect pick me up to give the ceptic after there champions league exit!!! now here's the question we need to ask ourselves here. were ceptic really missed being in the champions league, NO! after all every time they came home they won! we continue to miss fire in front of goal and continue to shoot ourselves in the foot and at times you really must question wheather walter and ally have what it takes to lead us to a 52nd title, its not looking good right now is it, the post mortem must begin into why we cant get it right on the park and the injury to kevin thomson is starting to hit us, immediate transfer activity in january is a must if we are to rescue this season!!!

Ok lads, plenty discussed after that nonsense. But for me the 4-4-2 isnt working due to WS selections. Ive said it for years that the way Rangers should go is 3-5-2. I like 4-3-3 and would go with that also. But my case for 3-5-2 is this: 1) We play 4 centre halves as it is anyway (Papac, Weir, Bougherra, Broadfoot)...why not lose 1 of them and add to a positon further up the park. 2) We still get 2 wide players in the team but they are attacking rather than full backs and we still have 3 central midfielders. 3) We still get Poacher Boyd in the team WITH another striker. Im sorry but we are Rangers! And in Scotland we should fear nobody and have a go at everyone with our game plan! _____________________McGregor___________________ _______Bougherra_______Weir________Papac_________ ______________Davis____________Ferguson*_________ ___Novo______________Mendes___________Beasley____ _________________Boyd_______Miller________________ *Thomson when fit / Edu until Ferguson match fit.

By Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH insists Hearts beat Rangers at their own game as they won 2-1 against the Light Blues at Tynecastle. Strikes by Marius Zaliukas and Laryea Kingston in quick succession gave the Jambos a commanding lead midway through the first half. Charlie AdamAnd although a Christos Karipidis own goal gave Gers a lifeline, the hosts packed their back line and held on to the three points despite having Lee Wallace sent off. A defensive approach helped Smith's men so often last season and he was frustrated at seeing his side stopped by the same tactic. He said: "Hearts did well but we made it easy for them and we didn't create an awful lot up front. "That was surprising because we've made a lot of opportunities in previous matches but never came up with any of note many here. "Hearts deserve credit. They had their players back in position and played very much in the manner we played in a number of games last season. They did very well. "We spent the last hour of the game almost entirely in Hearts' half of the pitch but never really created any opportunities to score." Smith was annoyed at the manner in which Rangers lost their goals, both of which came from poorly-defended set pieces. And he refused to hide behind the excuse that having key players such as Kenny Miller and Kevin Thomson out was a reason for a second away defeat of the league campaign.Steven Whittaker The manager added: "You're going to miss players of that quality but you're going to go through the season without some people and there are no excuses there. "We're still good enough without them. I felt in the first 20 minutes or so that we struggled in a defensive sense by giving away too many fouls. "That gave Hearts the opportunity to get the ball into our area and we ended up losing two goals from such situations. "With the consistency Celtic have shown, any points that we drop are a blow to us and it certainly means the three Old Firm games left are ones where the pressure is on us. "We deserve that because we didn't deal with set plays well today. Normally we defend well but against Dundee United we gave away two bad goals. "Those little bits of inconsistency have plagued us in games and that has been costly for us."

Review of the Season so far: Main site link: http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=711&Itemid=1

Good to hear big Magic is back as he also offers something going forward.

PUT it down to a conspiracy. Put it down to intimidation. Put it down to global warming, the credit crunch or Haringey social services if it makes you happy. But this morning, I�m putting it down as pure, bald fact. Celtic have now had FIVE blatantly wrong refereeing decisions go their way this season. And it�s driving managers, players, directors and fans of every other club round the twist. That�s not Celtic�s fault. They are the same as everyone else, happy to accept the breaks when they come along. It�s just a pity for the rest of us they come along so often. If you�re a Rangers fan, you�ll be convinced the SFA are deliberately trying to stop your team winning the league. You�re wrong, though. Fact is, we�re all suffering from Gordon Strachan�s rub of the green. We�re all feeling like they have 12 men on the park. In 15 games, Celtic have been handed crucial freebies against St Mirren � twice � Dundee United, Falkirk and Hamilton. August 10: Eddie Smith sent Saints defender Will Haining off for an offence he didn�t commit and gave a match-winning penalty they weren�t due. August 17: Charlie Richmond denied United a stonewall penalty when Gary Caldwell brought down Roy O�Donovan in a game that finished 1-1. August 24: Iain Brines allowed a Stephen McManus punch into Falkirk�s net to stand as a goal. November 16: Steve Conroy showed Hamilton defender Martin Canning a straight red AND gave a penalty for a foul on Cillian Sheridan that was two yards outside the box. And now we have Willie Collum. The SFA�s golden child. Personally mentored by Hugh Dallas. Off soon to handle his next big European tie. Giving a yellow card to Artur Boruc for racing out of his box and straight-legging Craig Dargo in the thigh. I�d have more sympathy with Collum had he missed the incident altogether. Because to see it and decide it wasn�t violent conduct simply makes him look incompetent. I�ve written plenty times that Collum�s the worst kind of referee, one who knows the rules inside out but doesn�t have a clue about the game. But don�t take the huff, chief. Because you�re far from alone. Five different whistlers have given Celtic those five vital calls and plenty more have supplied evidence to suggest this is the worst batch in our game�s history. Back in August, the hugely experienced Stuart Dougal missed James McArthur handling the ball into the net for Hamilton against Dundee United. Two weeks later, linesman Billy Baxter convinced ref Craig Thomson to disallow what would have given Rangers a last-minute winner at Aberdeen for an offside that never was. Our old pal Smith drove both sides crazy in the 1-1 Edinburgh derby in October, first by ruling out a Christian Nade goal for a shove on keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay no one else saw and then denied Derek Riordan what looked an obvious penalty. Mike McCurry sent off Aberdeen left back Charlie Mulgrew against Hibs and gave a penalty when the correct decision should have been offside against Steven Fletcher. For his next trick, he then gave Falkirk a penalty at Killie when Graham Barrett clearly cut across Jamie Hamill and went down without being fouled. Kris Boyd�s second goal in a 3-1 win at Hamilton last month was offside � to everyone bar referee Dougie McDonald and his officials. And in the 90th minute of last week�s Challenge Cup Final, with Airdrie and Ross County locked at 1-1, Callum Murray and linesmen Mark Doyle were the only people in the ground who didn�t see Diamonds defender Marc Smyth handle in his own box. Smyth would have been sent off, County could won the trophy. Instead, the Irishman rubbed salt in their wounds by scoring the winner in a penalty shootout. Though we only got that far after Doyle gave County scored their second from a corner when one of their OWN players clearly toed the ball out the park. In that final, I watched fourth official Crawford Allan spend two hours chasing Airdrie boss Kenny Black up and down the touchline. On Saturday, he refereed United against Hamilton in exactly the same way. Never in control, not seeing the incidents he needed to see, only the reaction to those incidents. That�s a recipe for failure. That�s why he booked nine and sent one off � yet didn�t deal with constant timewasting by Accies keeper Tomas Cerny or punish dreadful challenges on him by Jon Daly and Lee Wilkie. He was off the pace. Out of his depth. Chasing the game like a giraffe trying to catch a beach ball in a hurricane. I�ve listed plenty of clear-cut decisions here. Haven�t even touched the dozens more that have been debatable, the free kicks that go the wrong way and lead to goals, the fair tackles that lead to sendings-off. That should be incredibly worrying for the SFA, the SPL and the SFL. They should be moving heaven and earth to improve the standard pronto, to give the Collums and Allans of the world a crash course in how football�s played in the real world. Instead all we get is mumblings about how the more pressure we lump on, the more mistakes they�ll make. Well you know what? If they can�t take the stick, they shouldn�t be in the damn job. It�s time they toughened up, wised up and bucked up. But there are two chances of that happening. Oh sure, they want respect. In fact, they demand it. But did they ever think to try and earm it? Or maybe try to show some? Don�t be silly, son. This relationship�s a one way street, all take and no give. And right now, what they�re taking is the p**s. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/columnists/billleckiesports/article1962219.ece

By Danny Stewart Rangers face a fight to hang on to Pedro Mendes.RANGERS FACE a fight to fend off a bid from Spurs for Pedro Mendes. Itââ?¬â?¢s understood Harry Redknapp is poised to swoop with a Ã?£5-million-plus bid as soon as the January transfer window opens. Redknapp sold the Portuguese star to the Light Blues for Ã?£3-million in August while still boss of Portsmouth. At the time, though, the renowned wheeler-dealer insisted he was forced to make the sale in order to balance the books at Fratton Park. Willingness Mendes, he claimed, was worth more than the fee received and had only been the one to go because of his willingness to leave Portsmouth. ââ?¬Å?I am really sorry to lose Pedro,ââ?¬Â he said then. ââ?¬Å?I love him as a fella and a player. ââ?¬Å?He is great pro and a great player but I had to get some money in. It is the rules of the game.ââ?¬Â Three months on, Redknapp finds himself with cash to spend and a need for an experienced midfielder to play alongside young stars Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone. Redknapp actually signed Mendes for Pompey from Spurs in 2006, eighteen months after heââ?¬â?¢d arrived from Porto. Having loved Mendesââ?¬â?¢ attitude in the three years they were together at Portsmouth, Redknapp has decided he is the one he wants. Rangers have the player on a three-year contract and donââ?¬â?¢t want to sell. Returning Mendes, who provided cover for the injured Barry Ferguson at the start of the season, has made a huge impact in Scotland, returning to some of the best form of his career. On top of that, while Ferguson is now back, his fellow Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson has since been ruled out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage. The problem Rangers will face is what happens if Mendes himself gets sold on the idea of a quick return to the English Premier League. The Portuguese has taken to life in Scotland and has expressed his admiration for Glasgow as well as the quality of the football played in this country. Without doubt, though, Redknappââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Ë?big projectââ?¬â?¢ at Spurs has captured the imagination of fans and players alike throughout the whole of the UK, and Mendes may be tempted to be part of it. http://www.thesundaypost.co.uk/postindex.htm

This was the original squad according to the BBC: Obviously Miller, D Fletcher, S Fletcher, Gordon, McCormack and Morrison have dropped out with just Robertson (Dundee Utd) and Miller (Aberdeen) called up. So who would you start, and if you're really adventurous you can try and guess who Burley will pick. I think he'll go for: McGregor Broadfoot McManus Caldwell Naysmith Brown Ferguson Hartley Robson Iwelumo McFadden Not exactly inspiring is it? Could do with a decent CB in there. A new LB is needed. Burley insisted on playing basically the entire Celtic midfield in the next game after they got destroyed at Parkhead by our midfield. Having a fit Thomson in beside to beef up the midfield would've been nice. We could drop Hartley then, who is hopeless. Oh to have Kris Boyd upfront. But have no fear, Iwelumo is available. He may well play with 5 in midfield though, drop Iwelumo and put Maloney wide left with Robson playing more centrally.

LEGENDARY Rangers manager Bill Struth and sensational striker Derek Johnstone have been inducted into Scottish Football's Hall of Fame. Struth, who bossed Rangers for an incredible 34 years, and DJ joined an illustrious band of men when they were announced at a dinner in Glasgow tonight. They were inducted along with John Thomson, Billy Liddell, Archie Gemmill, Jim Leighton, Ian St John and Bobby Evans. Football fans from all over the world nominated players whom they thought should be recognised for their contribution to Scottish football. Derek Johnstone at the Nou Camp with Cup Winners CupThen a panel of experts from football and the media considered the nominees and had the difficult task of whittling them down to eight. During Struth's remarkable tenure Rangers won 18 Championships, 10 Scottish Cups and 2 League Cups, which makes him the most successful British club manager of all time. He presided over the some of the greatest years in the Club's history, when it established its name in World football. He is, also often accredited with establishing many of the great traditions of the Club and has been a role model for many of managers who followed, most notably Scot Symon and Willie Waddell. Johnstone, of course, famously burst onto the scene in the League Cup Final of 1970 at the age of 16 when his header defeated Celtic and gave Rangers their first trophy in over four years. He was a natural footballer who could play equally adeptly at centre half or in midfield and did so regularly throughout his career. At the age of 18 he played at the back in the Cup Winners' Cup Final of 1972 when he and the rest of the Barcelona Bears became legends. However, it is as a striker that Johnstone made the best impact scoring 210 goals for Rangers, including 132 in the league. Only Ally McCoist has scored more in the post-war era. Those already included in the Hall of Fame are Jim Baxter, Billy Bremner, Sir Matt Busby, Kenny Dalglish, Sir Alex Ferguson, Hughie Gallacher, John Greig, Jimmy Johnstone, Denis Law, Dave Mackay. Danny McGrain, Jimmy McGrory, Billy McNeill, Willie Miller, Bobby Murdoch, Bill Shankly, Gordon Smith, Graeme Souness, Jock Stein, Willie Woodburn, Alan Morton, Alex McLeish, Bobby Lennox, Charles Campbell. George Young, Jim McLean, Joe Jordan, John White, Lawrie Reilly, Willie Waddell, Alex James, Davie Cooper, Tommy Gemmell, Richard Gough, Henrik Larsson, Brian Laudrup, Sandy Jardine. Billy Steel, Willie Ormond, John Robertson, Tommy Walker, Willie Henderson, Walter Smith, Gordon Strachan, Allan Hansen, Ally McCoist, Rose Reilly, Eddie Turnbull, Willie Bauld, Eric Caldow and Jimmy Cowan.

MARK HATELEY has backed Rangers to get over the loss of Kevin Thomson through Barry Ferguson's return to the team. It's agony for ThomsonMidfielder Thomson faces several months on the sidelines after a scan confirmed he has severely damaged cruciate ligaments in his left knee. The 24-year-old's season is over and he will travel to London to see a top knee specialist on Wednesday as he starts out on the long road to recovery. While the former Hibs player will be sorely missed, it is likely club captain Barry Ferguson will replace him in the side after recovering from ankle surgery. Former Gers striker Hateley said: "Losing Kevin is a huge blow. We've seen how much he has improved since he came to the club and he was missed when he was out before. "He has been inspirational this season and his link-up play with Pedro Mendes has been great. They've been very solid and play well off each other.Barry Ferguson, Rangers "At the same time, Rangers have a quality player coming back into the team again in Barry and that is fortunate. "It is often the case that when a player becomes available again, the manager has a headache about who to pick and then one of them gets injured. "That has been the case here and now it becomes a simpler task to bring the skipper in once more. "The team could certainly have done without losing Kevin and it is never nice to see someone suffer that kind of injury. "It sent a shudder down a few peoples' spines when they saw the incident but at least there is someone to come into the side in his place. "Barry is a top-class player and has been for many years. When he's out of the side, the team is weakened but Rangers should get stronger when he comes back in." Lee McCullochWhile Ferguson is the obvious choice to replace Thomson, Hateley knows other players will be eager to come back into the team too. The likes of Lee McCulloch, Brahim Hemdani and Charlie Adam are likely to see this as an opportunity to challenge for a place. Hateley added: "When you look at the Rangers squad just now, most people are fit again and ready to play. "Lee McCulloch's available, Steven Naismith isn't far away from being fit again and Chris Burke is there too. "Steven Whittaker's another one pushing for a spot. He came on for a few minutes on Sunday and scored a great goal in that time. "It is great to have so many alternative options. The team has been short of them in the last couple of seasons but has an abundance of them now."

Any word on how serious the injury is? It looked a bad one and to me it looks like he could be out for some time Anyone heard/know anything on this? Crap, spelt his name wrong, can someone go in and change this please

Kevin Thomson knows it will be tough to hold down a place in the Rangers midfield now captain Barry Ferguson is fit again. More...

RANGERS midfielder Pedro Mendes has hailed Kris Boyd the most lethal finisher he's played with. The Portugal international has supplied the ammunition for some of Europe's sharpest strikers during his time at Porto, Spurs and Portsmouth. But in the wake of Boyd's weekend hat-trick against Inverness at Ibrox, Mendes insists he is now playing with the best of the bunch. Mendes' former team-mates include the likes of Robbie Keane, Kanu, Benni McCarthy, Nuno Gomes, Jermain Defoe and Freddie Kanoute. But the player who has quickly become a favourite among the Ibrox support reckons only McCarthy, whom he played alongside in his homeland, comes anywhere near Boyd for ruthlessness in front of goal. Boyd, who last month called time on his Scotland career while George Burley remains in charge, destroyed Caley Thistle with a first-half treble that took his season's tally to 10 goals in nine starts. Mendes said: "I haven't really seen anybody as clinical as Kris. When I was at Porto, Benni McCarthy was similar and scored a lot of goals but Kris is fantastic at that." Kenny Miller and Nacho Novo also struck against Craig Brewster's men after an awesome first 45 minutes on Saturday. Miller bagged his first goal at Ibrox since his controversial summer return to move him on to five for the season while Novo put the disappointment over Scotland aside with the opener. Mendes said: "Rangers at the moment have a great balance of forwards. They have forwards that can run into the spaces like Nacho, Jean-Claude Darcheville and Kenny and top finishers like Kris. It is a case of balancing those qualities. "When all these things go together and you find the balance then it is easy and we can score more goals." The Rangers attackers can also look back with a great degree of confidence seeing the likes of Mendes, Barry Ferguson, Kevin Thomson, Steve Davis, Charlie Adam, Steven Whittaker, Lee McCulloch, Maurice Edu and DaMarcus Beasley all jostling for positions in the middle of the park. Ferguson's second-half return on Saturday would have hadWalter Smith and the supporters rubbing their hands with excitement but Mendes is a fan of the skipper too. Mendes has also rubbed shoulders with some of the best midfielders in Europe but reckons none of his previous managers had better options than his current boss. Deco, Luis Figo, Maniche, Costinha, Michael Carrick, Rui Costa and Nico Krancjar have shared the midfield over the years with Mendes and the player said: "I am proud to have played alongside some great midfielders. "At Porto and in England I have been lucky to have played with some top players. "But I was very pleased when I moved to Rangers and I discovered how many good midfielders we have here. It is a pleasure to play with so many good players again. "Throughout my career I have always been blessed to play with some of the best players so I'm very fortunate. "It is good to come to Rangers and play alongside Barry Ferguson, Kevin Thomson, Charlie Adam and the others who weren't even involved on Saturday." Mendes spent just over 30 minutes on the field with Ferguson on Saturday but insists he already knows how vital the captain is to Rangers. He said: "It is good to have him back. It is the first time I have played alongside him but I can see he is such an important player for the team. "He is such a great footballer so it is good to have him back. "I can see from his time in the training sessions that Barry is a fantastic player." Some people have suggested Mendes and Ferguson cannot play in the same midfield as they are too similar but the Portuguese insists such claims are way off the mark. The 29-year-old said: "Each player has his own style and plays in a different way. I think we can play in the same team. The amount of good players we have is better for the team. Every one of the players can play alongside each other." Mendes has certainly settled in well since his summer move from Pompey and his �£3million price tag already looks a bargain. He said: "When you move to a different club, a different country and of course a different environment, it is difficult. But if you start performing well quickly that helps you to settle. "I am happy with how things are going here and I want to keep that going and help the team to win even more games. "Every player has their highs and lows but I am happy now." He is in good company at Ibrox because every one of the players appeared to be enjoying their football as they swept the Highlanders aside with ease. Mendes said: "After the game you can say it was an easy afternoon's work. But you have to look at the game and the performance we put in. "The way we played and moved the ball around, particularly in the first half, we made things easy for ourselves. "We started in the best possible way by scoring the goals with the chances we created and we seemed to take them all." Right now Boyd certainly doesn't look like he is going to squander any chances Mendes creates.

REMEMBER, remember the 1st of November. Rangers were five up at half-time, Kris Boyd scored his sixth half-trick, Barry Ferguson made his comeback and Rory Loy had the pleasure of his debut. It was a quite astonishing day as the Ibrox fans saluted the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who were special guests of the club on their return from duty in Afghanistan and Iraq and they all witnessed a massacre akin to Glencoe The poor men of Inverness were dead buried inside 20 minutes, which is all the more remarkable because Rangers had failed to score in this period in any other match this season. Boyd blasted his sixth treble in Light Blue in the space of just 14 minutes taking his extraordinary goal tally to 81 By half-time Caley were pleading for mercy as Rangers scorched to an incredible 5-0 lead. Rangers got the early breakthrough they were looking for from a set piece scenario which thrilled the bench. There was just six minutes on the clock when Ross Tokely barged into the back of Kris Boyd 25 yards out just left of centre as the Rangers striker tried to collect Kirk Broadfoot's cross-field pass. Steve Davis touched the ball short for Boyd whose low shot powered through the wall. Michael Fraser spilled it and Nacho Novo was quickest to react, stabbing the ball into the net. It wasn't a good day for Fraser. His poor clearance in 13 minutes was intercepted by Pedro Mendes who slipped a great ball through for Kenny Miller who quietly squared for Boyd who clipped the ball into the net. Inverness were unhappy because Boyd looked offside when Miller took possession but was deemed not to active. Rangers stormed to a three goal lead in 18 minutes and it was another howler from Caley's point of view. Don Cowie was dispossessed by Mendes as he tried to take Doug Imrie's pass and the Portuguese star beautifully rolled a pass in for Boyd who gleefully tucked the ball behind Fraser. It was game over but Rangers struck twice more in a remarkable first half. Kenny Miller was crudely brought down by David Proctor to the right of the six yard box in 27 minutes and it was an easy penalty decision for Crawford Allan to award. Boyd just doesn't miss from 12 yards and he completed his hat-trick adding to trebles against Peterhead (January 7, 06), Dundee United (April 4, 06), Kilmarnock (February 11, 07), Aberdeen (March 17, 07) and East Stirling (January 23, 08). Miller should have scored in 38 minutes to complete a terrific Rangers move which started with Davie Weir and ended with a perfect pass from Boyd but he shot over the bar. However, he made amends with a fabulous right foot strike from Novo's cut back just a couple of seconds before half-time. Almost inevitably, the second half was a pale shadow of the first but the pluses from it were the return of Ferguson, who replaced Kevin Thomson in 56 minutes and the introduction of Rory Loy for his first taste of top team action. Ferguson eased himself back into the action with some good combination play with Mendes and some trademark slick passing but Rangers were unable to increase their lead. Boyd had the ball in the net again in 71 minutes when he headed Broadfoot's cross home but referee Allan decided he had pushed Proctor in the back before hand. It mattered little. Rangers were emphatic winners.

By Andrew Dickson MO EDU says he is ready to make his mark at Rangers after taking time to adapt to the Scottish game. The American midfielder is in line to play against Hamilton in the League Cup tomorrow night and could replace Kevin Thomson as he is struggling with an ankle knock. More than two months have passed since Edu signed for the club on the five-year deal from MLS outfit Toronto FC. So far he has made just one 65-minute appearance against Kilmarnock and he has been a more regular feature of Tommy Wilson's reserve team. But having finally got to grips with the game in this country, the 22-year-old feels capable of stepping back into the first XI again and making a positive impact. Edu said: "I hope I can play against Hamilton. Every week I prepare myself for the event that my name is called and it has been no different this week. "I'm just working hard in training. Every footballer wants to play but I knew I was joining a winning team when I came here. "There's a lot of talent in there already and with the summer signings that were made, that has increased further. "I knew it would be difficult to get on the field so I have been training hard and I've stayed patient. "The SPL is definitely a step up from the MLS and it's a hard, physical game. I've done well as I've adjusted so far and I'm more comfortable than I was when I got here at first. "I knew it would take time to adapt. Any time you increase the standard, there's a little period where you try to change and settle in. "I think I've had a chance to be here for a while now, train with the guys, see a few games and play in one and I've been getting positive feedback from the staff. "I feel a part of things now and as time goes on, I'll hopefully get some more matches under my belt and I'll continue to develop." Rangers will come up against Hamilton for the second time in four days in the quarter-finals of the Co-operative Insurance Cup following their SPL meeting on Saturday. Walter Smith's men won that one 3-1 but Edu knows that means nothing ahead of their re-match at Ibrox. He added: "I think it'll be difficult and playing any team twice within the space of a few days is hard. "After playing them at their place, they'll have a bit of a chip on their shoulder when they come to play at our home. "Any team that comes here wants to do well because it's a great club to play at and it's a huge event for them. "Hamilton will come here really motivated and it's difficult to beat the same team twice in a row so we'll have our work cut out."

Oct 24 2008 by Hugh Keevins WEST BROM will go back in for Rangers’ Kevin Thomson in the January transfer window. The midfielder was a target for Tony Mowbray in the summer and the Midlands club have been monitoring developments since. The return of Barry Ferguson from long-term injury plus the signings of Pedro Mendes and Steve Davis may reduce Thomson’s chances of a regular game at Ibrox. The right transfer fee could tempt Rangers to part with the player they bought from Hibs for Ã?£2million 18 months ago. Thomson has recently had to contend with becoming the victim of mindless vandalism, having had his car daubed with slogans in Edinburgh. Last week in an interview with Record Sport, he told how he hoped not to become part of the Old Firm goldfish bowl. He said: “If I wanted to draw attention to myself I could. But I’m a quiet-living guy.” West Brom have made a decent start to the Premiership after winning promotion last season but last Saturday’s 4-0 hammering from Manchester United convinced Mowbray new signings are necessary. He said: “We know the positions that need to be addressed and we’ll be doing that in January.” Not the most reliable of sources, I know, but still thought it was worth discussing especially considering the whole 'Who gets dropped?' question surrounding Barry's return. Personally I'm a big fan of Thomson and would be sad to see him go especially to a rotten mob like West Brom. I hate how we're so narrow-minded (not so much us as fans but because we know how unambitious our management are with team selections) that it has already been pre-determined someone drops out for Ferguson. Considering our apparent lack of natural width I'd be happy to see Walter try a genuine 4-3-3 (none of this '4-3-3 when attacking and 4-5-1 when defending nonsense) with the 3 consisting of Thomson holding and Ferguson and Mendes further forward with possibly Boyd or Miller as the figurehead and the likes of Lafferty and Novo either side but playing as genuine attacking threats as opposed to in the midfield. But that's just one way of fitting in all 3 . So is it set in stone that Thomson gets dropped? If so, may we aswell cash in on him?

Rangers' Walter Smith says Kenny Miller and Kevin Thomson should be fit to face Hamilton on Saturday. More...

IMO it should be....Mendes should only get dropped if he loses form...so the central midfield slot should be between Ferguson and Thomson. Ive never been a big fan of Thomson but he holds the shirt at the moment so Ferguson should have to oust him first. Ive also been a critic of Ferguson due to his inconsistancy...but i still know if he is on his game then he is top notch! But WS will play 4 central defenders, with 4 central midfielders and 2 strikers. As soon as Aaron signed i said throw the kid in...but i bet he wont be touched - i was shot down saying negative Gribz - Yet its october and ive seen more halloween partys than Aaron. - PLAY THE BOY - id love to see him on the left...If we have Mendes and Ferguson pulling the strings with Davis/Novo on the right then we could be awesome

Oct 17 2008 By Ian Dow RANGERS star Kevin Thomson's car has been vandalised by thugs outside his Edinburgh home. The slogans "IRA" and "Bobo's gonnae get you" were scratched into the paintwork of his Land Rover He's the second Ibrox player to be targeted by vandals this month. The attack on Thomson's Land Rover happened late on Sunday evening. The midfielder called police to report damage to the valuable vehicle. A Lothian and Borders police spokesman said yesterday: "Our officers are investigating malicious damage to a vehicle in the west of Edinburgh. "It is obvious that this was not a random attack and we would like to hear from anyone who has any knowledge of it." Just over a week ago, vandals scored graffiti on Rangers keeper Allan McGregor's Bentley and the Range Rover of his fiancee, Leah Shevlin. The words "Holly Goaly"- a reference to Celtic's Artur Boruc, who is nicknamed the "Holy Goalie" - were gouged into the Bentley's silver paintwork. It was the second attack on the international keeper's car. In March, acid was poured over it, causing damage which cost thousands of pounds to repair. A spokesman for Rangers said last night: "This is the latest in a line of unacceptable attacks and threats against our playing staff. "The club has been working closely with the police with regard to recent incidents which we strongly condemn." Thomson, who turned 24 on Tuesday, was the victim of an unprovoked attack in an Edinburgh nightclub in March this year. He and his girlfriend were among 150 guests celebrating Hibs' striker Steven Fletcher's 21st birthday. A tumbler was thrown at him, which hit him on the forehead. Gatecrashers were blamed for the incident at the party, which was also attended by Celtic star Scott Brown. A witness said: "Kevin was the target but the glass struck another party-goer before being deflected, which undoubtedly saved him from serious injury." Teetotal Thomson grew up in Peebles in the Borders. Rangers beat Celtic and several English clubs to his signature in January last year. They paid Hibs �£2million for the midfielder. Seems to be a trend developing here.....................

Hadnt heard of this conspiracy theory before but how ridiculous is this!? Liking Broadfoot more and more and glad he has the belief in himself and continues to prove his doubters wrong.

by Lindsay Herron KENNY MILLER is out of Scotland's crucial World Cup tie with Norway on Saturday. Miller has been suffering from pain in the hamstring area for a few weeks now and Rangers have had to act in their best interests. He is receiving an injection that Rangers believe will cure the problem but he can't train or play for five to six days and that means he has had to pull out of the Scoland squad for the Hampden clash with the Norwegians. The hamstring problem forced Miller onto the bench for the Iceland game last month and also ruled him out of the Co-operative Insurance Cup tie at Firhill against Partick Thistle. Rangers boss Walter Smith told the official web site: "He has a problem at the top of his hamstring and he has had that for a few weeks now.Kevin Thomson injury "It needed an injection and it means he has to rest for five or six days before he starts training again and hopefully that will settle the problem. "From our own point of view it is something that had to be done but unfortunately it means he misses the Scotland game. "Although he played last Sunday against St Mirren, it is something that has been aggravating him and causing him pain. "Hopefully the injection will clear that and he will be ready for our game next week against Dundee United." As expected Kevin Thomson has also been forced to withdraw after suffering an injury in a challenge with St Mirren's Gary Brady on Sunday.