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When a transfer has been confirmed stick it in here. I'll start........ Robbie Savage - Blackbrun to Derby �£1.5M Waste of money if you ask me.

Leaving Ajax on a free transfer in the summer. Excellent midfielder and only 22. Just in case your reading Walter.

Larsen agent in Ibrox talks over possible �£1.4m move Rangers have been offered Soren Larsen, the Danish international striker, as a potential replacement for Daniel Cousin. Larsen is available for �£1.4m from the German side, Schalke 04, and his agent, Ivan Marko Benes, met with Rangers chief executive Martin Bain yesterday to discuss a possible move for the 6ft 4in centre-forward. Rangers have also been linked with a move for the Hearts goalkeeper, Steve Banks, after Derby County reached agreement to take Roy Carroll to Pride Park. Paul Jewell, the Derby manager, had hoped to have the Northern Ireland goalkeeper at training this morning, but Walter Smith was only willing to sanction the transfer if he had another back-up to Allan McGregor in place. "The chairman has spoken to his agent and Walter Smith and hopefully we can get that one over the line today or tomorrow," said Jewell. "If he comes, Roy Carroll is a top-class goalkeeper." Banks has reclaimed his first-choice status at Tynecastle after the recent failed experiments with Eduardo Kurskis and Anthony Basso. Hearts caretaker manager Steven Frail is reluctant to lose the Englishman, who also doubles as goalkeeping coach, but moving to Rangers would be more lucrative for him. Benes left Bain with a DVD of Larsen's scoring feats for club and country in an attempt to expedite a deal. Rangers are in the market for a centre-forward regardless of Cousin's future but while no deal is imminent, Larsen fits the bill. He scored six goals in his five international matches for Denmark two years ago and has been nicknamed Die Waffe - The Weapon - for his prowess alongside his countryman and former Rangers attacker, Peter Lovenkrands, in the Bundesliga. He has scored 17 goals in 55 starts but wants a new challenge. He would cost around �£1m per year in wages but his physical prowess is ideally suited to the rigours of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg and FC Copenhagen have already enquired about the 26-year-old - who was linked with a move to Celtic in August 2006 - but Larsen has no intention of returning home to Denmark. Smith was at the Emirates Stadium last night on a scouting mission at the Carling Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Bolton and Middlesbrough have been alerted to Cousin's situation. Rangers are confident they can keep the striker, who signed a three-year deal in August, at least until the end of the season but may find a bid of around �£3m irresistible.

A year is a long time in football, as all connected with Rangers will testify. Last January, the Ibrox club were coping with the turbulence of Paul le Guen's shock departure, amid clashes with Barry Ferguson. A French revolution was in the air, but the former Lyon boss failed to take flight in Scotland, much to the surprise of many observers. The Glasgow club were disjointed, low in confidence and lacking purpose when Le Guen left, and chairman Sir David Murray - not a man to hesitate in a crisis - sent for his old friend, Walter Smith. Having enjoyed a successful spell with Scotland, Smith clearly saw the attraction of coming to Rangers rescue. And he appeared immune to any risks, as the man who made his reputation in leading the Light Blues to a golden nine-in-a-row era previously. From inheriting a mess at international level from Berti Vogts, the task facing him at Ibrox was of a similar magnitude. It was a move generally welcomed, for Smith's knowledge of the club, from his first spell in charge between 1991-1998, in addition to an upbringing steeped in Rangers' traditions, ensured that a sense of stability would become his priority. The new boss, and assistant, legendary striker Ally McCoist, returned to the top of the Ibrox marble staircase on 10 January. And the Scot swung into action with decisive effect, as results improved immediately, Dundee United the first to be accounted for in a 5-0 hammering. Celtic had cast a 17 point Scottish Premier League shadow over their old rivals and, with Rangers in danger of missing out on second place they eventually, however, took the runners-up spot with some ease. Major surgery has taken place in all areas, and the capture of players such as Jean-Claude Darcheville, DaMarcus Beasley and Daniel Cousin were imaginative. But Smith's number one priority was to reshape the defence, which was particularly brittle under Le Guen, who had been accused of underestimating the physical nature of Scottish football. Julien Rodriguez and Karl Svensson left, and the acquisition of the experienced David Weir proved to be a masterstroke. Since his arrival from Everton, the Scotland international has enjoyed an Indian summer, bringing some organisation to the rearguard. Weir's partnership with Spaniard Carlos Cuellar has a composed look to it overall, despite their exposure by the Lyon attack in the disappointing 3-0 home defeat which killed off the Light Blues' Champions League ambitions in December. Indeed, Smith's experience of the blue riband competition ended in disillusionment, the limp exit to the French outfit the most notable failure of his twelve months in charge. It was all the more disappointing, given that Rangers were in pole position to qualify for the last-16. Furthermore, the presence of Celtic when the Champions League resumes will have done little to douse the frustration of Rangers supporters, and an upcoming Uefa Cup tie against Panathinaikos will be a hollow consolation. That said, the capture of the Scottish Premier League title remains the key objective for Smith this season. And Rangers started 2008 in good form, beating Dundee United at Ibrox. Intriguingly, the first goal, supplied by the rejuvenated Chris Burke - who has relished his top team recall - and executed by Steven Naismith, hints at a bright new era, with the two young Scots rewarding Smith's faith in their ability. So far, the manager's reshaping of Rangers has cost �£10m, with Smith himself admitting his surprise at being able to spend so much in a relative era of downsizing at Ibrox. Rangers fans have witnessed more cosmopolitan squads over the years, but since taking over, the manager has placed his trust on a mainly Scottish core. The veteran Weir is the exception to a crop of young talent, with Naismith, Burke, Kevin Thomson, Alan Hutton, Steven Smith, Lee McCulloch, Steven Whittaker and Kris Boyd augmenting the vital presence of captain Ferguson. While there appears to be question marks regarding the prolific Boyd's long term future, Smith was undoubtedly boosted by Hutton's decision to reject a lucrative move to Tottenham Hotspur. Although the �£9m on offer could have helped fund a January transfer spree, the Scotland full-back's loyalty to his club's title chase is to be admired. Smith has yet to taste defeat against the green and white half of Glasgow, and there is no doubt that record will be put to the test when Rangers visit Celtic Park on 23 January. For his second coming to be considered a success, this most shrewd of operators must deliver the SPL title - which would be the first trophy in the Ibrox cabinet since 2005. With a watershed 60th birthday approaching and his reputation under scrutiny, Smith must ensure Rangers' new year elevation to the top of the table will be the shape of things to come. Walter's Way Scottish Premier League: P34 W24 D5 L5 CIS Cup: P2 W2 In Europe: P14 W6 D3 L5 Total: P50 W31 D8 L10

Rangers face a fixture backlog after last night's rescheduled Clydesdale Bank Premier League match against St Mirren was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch at Love Street. The latest delay exacerbated a pile-up that already includes outstanding away games against Gretna and Celtic. Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, bemoaned the latest incon-venience as officials at the SPL scoured the calendar to find a suitable alternative date. Ian Blair, the SPL's director of administration, will attempt to address the deepening problem first thing this morning. Finding a new date for the St Mirren game will be the priority since the original match, scheduled for November 10 last year, was cancelled to allow Scotland longer preparation time for their ill-fated Euro 2008 qualification decider against Italy. "Rangers have a lot of midweek games and are also involved in the UEFA Cup," said Blair. "Hopefully, they will be involved in more midweek European games, but it poses a problem for us domestically. advertisement "It is already proving difficult to fit in the outstanding games and this is an added complication for us. We are still trying to find a date for the Old Firm game but we will make the latest cancellation a priority." Rangers will play Gretna - a match postponed from Sunday, December 9 to aid the Ibrox club's Champions League pre-parations against Olympique Lyonnais - at Fir Park next Wednesday and may be permitted to play St Mirren the following midweek, but only if both sides negotiate their Scottish Cup ties without the need for a replay. Tuesday January 22 and Wednesday January 23 are designated as cup replay dates, but the SPL may seek special dispensation to play the match then, provided both clubs are free. Another possibility is to play the St Mirren game on the first midweek of March and delay the league split by playing the outstanding Old Firm fixture, cancelled on January 2 as a mark of respect after the death of Phil O'Donnell, on April 8. Smith will leave it to the administrators to alleviate the increasing burden but admitted that it was an unwanted complication. "There is a difficulty fitting in this game now and we've had enough trouble trying to fit in the Celtic game," said Smith. "We will need to sit down and discuss things again and will just have to fit the two games in somehow." Smith and his St Mirren counterpart, Gus MacPherson, agreed that the referee, Stuart Dougal, was right to postpone last night's game after torrential rain. Dougal made his first inspection at 6.15pm and with no sign of the weather abating decided to call off the match 20 minutes later. "The referee's decision was correct," said Smith. "It was not just a problem with the pitch but driving conditions for the fans on the roads. It is the proper decision." The cancellation has cost St Mirren around �£30,000 in lost television revenue, with Setanta Sports set to screen the match live, but Dougal was more concerned with player safety. "It was a bit of a lottery, or even worse," said Dougal. "It was just about playable after my first inspection but it was clear it was only going to get worse. "I had to take into account player and fan safety. In an ideal world, I would have liked another 15 minutes to make up my mind and but in my heart of hearts I knew it would not have made a difference. "I spoke to both sets of players and they came to the same conclusion." Alan Hutton's future, meanwhile, remains at Ibrox for the foreseeable future after the full- back rejected the latest offer from Tottenham Hotspur. The player and his agent were informed of the improved personal terms of the proposed �£9m transfer but the 23-year-old reiterated his intention to stay in Scotland.

Yesterdays win puts us 1 point clear with 2 games in hand on most and 1 on Celtic (who's game will be a tricky emotional trip to Motherwell). We have a hectic January with re-scheduled games against St Mirren and Gretna. They have to be banker wins but will be awkward games. If we win them then it sets us up nicely to drive onwards. But the best thing at the moment is we have given ourselves this chance following 2 years of being out of it at this stage. We'll also have the OF game to be played again and that game that could say a lot should we win the Gretna and St Mirren games. With the transfer window open and Alan Hutton set to stay on for the mean time it will be interesting to see if anyone leaves or any additions come in. Lets kick on and stay on top and bring the title back home.

By bmck: The Alan Hutton affair has resulted in a fury of figures for the average fan to digest. How much will be bid for him? How much would it cost to replace him? How much will Murray free up for Walter from the how much will be bid for him? How much will it cost to replace him be greater or lesser than how much Murray will free up, and by how much? How much would we value Hutton at, and would this much allow us to free up enough to replace him based on how much we think Murray will free up? Is this repeated refrain of ââ?¬Ë?How muchââ?¬â?¢ not better understood in term of the other important figure ââ?¬â?? our overall debt? Yes, increasingly complex speculations with plenty of hypothesising, and plenty of scope to get completely lost in a few pints into the discussion. But I think the danger in all this brutish number crunching is that we get caught in the cynicââ?¬â?¢s dilemma ââ?¬â?? plenty of speculations about costs, debts, transfer fees, percentages, budgets and the like, but none of the significantly more important issue of value. People have wrongly applied Wildeââ?¬â?¢s quote to economists, but the power in his aphorism is that it is cynicism that tends purely towards economics, and I think that itââ?¬â?¢s an overwhelming cynicism that is the real danger of our current situation. I think it is a Rangers fan disproportionately low expectations that knows the figures of Alan Huttonââ?¬â?¢s transfer, but not how much it would cost us in the less easily delimited world of reputation, ambition and vision. In pure economic terms, getting 8 million quid for a good, but ultimately promising, player is not bad going most probably. We have a ready made replacement in Whittaker, who, though not as good, would presumably be good enough for the SPL and could himself progress into a better player. So, it may not cost that much to replace him. Perhaps Murray would free up a portion of the money for a position we more severely needed, and the rest would go to the not ignoble more general cause: the reduction of our debt. I mean, you canââ?¬â?¢t keep a player when a lot of money is bid for him, and he wants to go, surely. But while all these things are to some extent true, they are the absolutely most pessimistic view of the situation. Tonight Alan Hutton is strongly rumoured to have turned down Spurs ââ?¬â?? perhaps this is because heââ?¬â?¢s waiting for Man United, but perhaps he thinks that he has plenty of scope to develop at Rangers. I think as a matter of general principle we as a club and a support should be reasoning about the departure of the most successful product of our youth system, a Rangers supporting Rangers player who is a first pick at club and country level in his early twenties, and who has played a starring role in our recent European adventures and minor successes, as a strictly worst case scenario. It shows the extent of our fall in our collective imagination: a club and support confident in their own stature, as a matter of principle, do not sell these sorts of players as a matter of course, though they can go if they really want. I canââ?¬â?¢t help but think that our expectations have been lowered disproportionately by the spin of recent years. We are far too quick to follow the clubââ?¬â?¢s, albeit to some extent necessary, obsession with figures ââ?¬â?? we are starting to live out Murrayââ?¬â?¢s, pragmatically understandable but to a fan convinced of our greatness unacceptable, cost cutting for a potential suitor. Just because we understand our financial situation, and understand Murrayââ?¬â?¢s cost cutting in terms of his own self motivation, it doesnââ?¬â?¢t mean that our expectations should be indistinguishable from his. It is our job to provide the demand for greatness, a continuing catalyst for Murray to put all his energies into making this so. It means fundamentally being disgusted at the cost, a cost beyond economics, of selling a player like Alan Hutton ââ?¬â?? it is the act of being disgusted in situations like this, even if economics prevails, that will maintain our all important tendency towards greatness in these more precarious and visionless days of supporting the club. If Alan Hutton does stay, I expect David Murray at least then to portray it as a sign of our continuing vision and ambition, and hopefully then it will start to filter out into our wider expectations again.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/...905079.0.0.php WALTER SMITH'S January transfer budget won't be hit by Rangers' failure to make the Champions League last 16. Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Lyon cost the Ibrox club a place in the knock-out stages, plus around an additional �£4m on top of the �£13m they have already made from Uefa payments and five home European ties. Rangers will need to reach the last 16 of the Uefa Cup to make up that lost money. A decent TV pull in the round of 32 draw a week today - with the likes of Spurs, Bolton, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina all possible opponents - would help offset some of the financial hit from the Champions League. Smith's funding for January was already in place, and any additional Euro revenue would not have been filtering through to him. He had cash left in the kitty after splashing out more than �£10m in the summer. That money will be used in January, along with whatever Smith generates from transfers. I understand Brahim Hemdani has an agreement to leave next month after failing to secure an exit in August. The French/Algerian midfielder wanted out before the last window closed but stayed on after Smith told him of his need for experience in the Champions League campaign. But Hemdani is unhappy at not featuring in SPL games and wants to play in the Premiership. He was watched by Middlesbrough and Reading against Lyon, while the man who signed him - Alex McLeish - could yet try to take him to Birmingham City. Hemdani has 18 months left on a �£20,000-a-week deal and is almost certain to get his wish for a move next month. He is likely to be joined by Daniel Cousin. Rangers have been far from impressed with the Gabonese striker's attitude in the past few weeks. The �£1m summer signing from Lens was hooked at half-time in the Lyon match and has already expressed a wish to play in England. He has a �£3m exit clause in the summer, but Rangers are likely to move him on in January for somewhere around �£2m. Thomas Buffel is being tracked by Anderlecht in his homeland. He is another player Smith would happily let go for around the �£1m mark, with the Belgian another high earner on �£17,000-a-week. Fringe players such as Ugo Ehiogu, Chris Burke and one or two others may also be shipped out. Smith would like to bring in three players - a striker, a left-back and another midfielder - and already has his eye on who he wants. But he is loathe to make too many changes after such upheaval in the summer, and it's unlikely any more than three new faces will arrive next month. With Stevie Smith and Andy Webster both set to return to the squad in the next month or so, Smith feels he would be well covered for the second half of the season SPL title battle and the Uefa Cup campaign.

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=549&Itemid=1 After a couple of weeks of supporting Scotland it's back to club business for us all this weekend and for the forseeable future. Not only do we have some important league games on the horizon, our fate in this year's Champions' League shall also be decided. Moreover, in January the excitement, hyperbole and disappointment of the transfer window means the rumour mill will soon be going into over-drive once more. Why not let Gersnet keep you abreast of the latest transfer gossip surrounding Rangers? Even better - why not get involved? * OUT First up we have the ever impressive Alan Hutton. Obviously his progress has alerted many clubs in recent months - not least in the last few days with his excellent display for Scotland at Hampden. Man Utd, Lazio, Newcastle and Spurs have all been linked with the right back but Gersnet have learned Bayern Munich have leapt to the front of the queue. With Willy Sagnol constantly being linked with a move out of the German league leaders, it seems Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ottmar Hitzfeld have ear-marked Hutton as their first choice replacement if the Frenchman does leave. Other players on their way out of Rangers may be Thomas Buffel, Andy Webster, Alan Gow and even the popular Nacho Novo who may all be moved on to free up space and finance for new players as Rangers hope to maintain their domestic and European challenges. * IN Next we have the ongoing saga of Kenny Miller. Although not many Rangers fans would welcome the return of the Scottish striker from Derby the former Celtic man has once again told Billy Davies he favours a return to Scotland to be with his family. Continual trips north have left Davies concerned about Miller's attitude and as such he wouldn't be difficult to deal with. Rangers have been contacted regarding the situation and rumours are rife that Kris Boyd could be the make-weight in any proposed deal. As well as a likely negative fans reaction to such a transfer, Miller's �£30K per week wages may also be rather large stumbling block. One to keep a close eye on over the next few weeks. Bizarre and disagreeable as it sounds there is an element of truth in this story. Another player being linked to Rangers is Laryea Kingston of Hearts. Although the Ghanian midfielder only joined the Edinburgh club last January, his fine creative form (and an alleged miniumum fee release clause in his contract) means several clubs are interested in his services. Any Rangers' new incoming players may be dependent on existing players leaving and the chatter is that a cash plus player deal involving Chris Burke may tempt Hearts into losing one of their prize assets. Ugo Ehiogu is another surprise (though less likely) link to the Tynecastle men in a seperate deal. Keep an eye on this column for the latest news! Even better - why not get involved? Submit your comments/rumours to us and we'll include them in our next transfer bulletin!

This pisses me off big time! I wish the yanks would piss off and leave football where it belongs. They dont have a clue how our game is ran and they are trying to take over and change it. The Liverpool owners think the transfer market is like their NFL draft system - and as Rafa put it - its not full stop. Ive been thinking for a while the Yanks will do anything for power and to win control over the UK public they would have to do something drastic and that means try buy out our biggest love - football. Piss off and stick to your baseball and handball

KIRK Broadfoot believes it will be impossible for Scotland boss Alex McLeish to ignore Kevin Thomson if he keeps producing the goods for Rangers. Thomson has been an ever-present in Walter Smith's side since clinching his �£2m transfer from Hibs midway through last season. The 23-year-old midfielder has shown he is not out of his depth at the top level in Europe this season as the Gers have moved to the brink of Champions League glory. And Kirk reckons that Big Eck will be forced to draft Kevin into the national team for their World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign. Just incase ye havent noticed Kirk he is 23 yrs old and in a B team plus he has done hee haw since he arrived at Ibrox

Oct 30 2007 By Keith Jackson Exclusive BRAHIM HEMDANI has moved to quash claims he is determined to quit Rangers. The ex-Marseille captain spoke exclusively to Record Sport to counter claims he is on the verge of agreeing a January switch to English Premier League outfit Reading. Reports have surfaced in France suggesting Hemdani may have already been granted permission to begin signing talks with Stevie Coppell ahead of the opening of the transfer window. But the player himself is adamant no such agreement is in place - and insists he has no plans to push for a move when the market opens up. When asked about the latest reports linking him with a move to the Madjeski Stadium Hemdani said: "Who? Reading? No. There is no change with my situation. "I have no problems at all and I'm not looking to go back to France or anywhere else. I am happy with the club and I am happy to play here. "That's why it's strange there are noises about Reading. I don't know where this has come from. It has not come from me or my agents." An unhappy Hemdani met manager Walter Smith in August demanding to be released from his contract after being frozen out of Smith's SPL plans. But the 29-year-old Euro specialist recently battled his way back into Smith's domestic starting 11 before being sidelined with a groin injury. But Hemdani expects to be back in action in time for Rangers' SPL clash with Inverness at Ibrox - and is hoping to reclaim his midfield anchor role for next week's Champions League blockbuster in Barcelona. Hemdani, who has 18 months left on his contract, said: "I just have to be patient and work hard to get my place in the team. I hope to be ready to play again this weekend and should be fit for the game in Barcelona." I would hate us to lose this guy as he is one of the few class players we have. I do think that unless smith starts to play him he will leave in January though.

Well that was the first old firm game of the season. and what a game it was. Celtic were so off the pace even Lewis Hamilton couldn�t have closed the gap. Well Lewis wasn�t in a gap closing mood at the weekend anyway. What is a tim in an Ibrox derby- Timid Word has it that Scott McDonald had been in touch with Tam McGowan before the game, seemingly he wanted to do a whole series of offside And then there was our big friend Artur Boruc, what a guy. After the game he wouldn�t give a hand to the Rangers players. Well he never got a hand to anything the whole afternoon anyway. Story goes that he was so upset he refused to go on the bus back to Parkhead saying he would catch a taxi. Wee Gordie replied well I hope you have better luck catching that. It is rumored that Celtic have a new transfer policy. They won�t sign a player who has been circumcised, You have to be a complete dick to play for them. There was a wee striker from Spain, For Rangers against Celtic he was play�n, Big Caldwell was slow, and let the ball go, For Nacho to head home again. Our captain had his mind set, a win is what we would get he wouldn�t let O'Day, get in his way, as he toe-poked the ball in the net. Charlie Adam made the tims sick as he mystified Sno with a trick, Evander thought he would shoot, then gave Adam the boot, Nacho stroked home the penalty kick. The Celtic supporters felt so proud, and were trying to sing very loud, but they all ceased their din, when the goals flooded in, now they�re a much quieter crowd. Before the game Boruc is a perpetual crosser, during the game a perpetual dosser, seemingly his god, won�t shake hands with a prod, or is he just a bad losing Tosser. Shunsuke Nakamura had asked Gordon Strachan to go for a drink with him after the game but Gordie had to renege. He was frightened of the Sak-i . Taxi!!!

Just saw this article on the UK's top 9 clubs. Gers sit at No.8

Thought i would put this on for the latest news and so there are not 600 different threads on the same subject.

Thanks to Gribz and the request to be pinned in a few sections. Hopefully the Mods/Admin can keep on top of further transfer business over the coming weeks. Cheers to Gribz btw

Miller, "Magic" Zurawski and Gravesen are all available for transfer. I wonder how much they'll get for those three

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/6966524.stm I don't understand this transfer. Great bit of business by Fulham, as Knight has been a liability for them for ages. He's up there with Titus Bramble for me...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/6966391.stm Jarosik reveals Celtic exit hope Jiri Jarosik has revealed he hopes to leave Celtic before the transfer window closes on Friday. The Czech midfielder, 29, has failed to force his way into Gordon Strachan's side since he moved from Chelsea last June for an undisclosed fee. He told the Herald: "There are still four days to go in the transfer window and I am just waiting for the call from my agent. "Gordon Strachan knows I want to move. I would prefer England or Russia." Jarosik moved to Chelsea in January 2005 from CSKA Moscow, but made just 20 appearances, only six of them starts. He spent a period on loan at Birmingham before signing a three-year deal with Celtic. Jarosik said he was resigned to leaving the SPL champions, with England or Russia his preferred destination. "It would be easier to do that because I know the language," he said. "I also have the chance to go to Germany but I don't want to have to learn the language." Yet another one of them could be on the way out. Would that leave their squad looking rather lightweight?

By Lindsay Herron IAN MURRAY has signed a contract with the Championship side Norwich City after agreeing a deal this afternoon. Rangers agreed tIan Murrayo let the versatile former Hibs captain go as he had found himself on the periphery of Walter Smith's squad. The Light Blues had initially looked for a transfer fee for Murray, who joined Rangers from Easter Road in the summer of 2005, but decided to let him move for free. Chief Exective Martin Bain said at today's Annual General Meeting: "We took a decision based on the players' wishes, the manager's wishes and where he sits on our books. Ian was not going to feature so we are saving money on the wage bill." Murray made 56 starts for Rangers in all competitions over the past two seasons but with the arrival of Carlos Cuellar, Kirk Broadfoot and Steven Whittaker he has been pushed down the pecking order. The deal with the Canaries has yet to be completed but manager Peter Grant would like to get it done today so that Murray can play in Saturday's game at Hull. Grant said today: "I watched him a lot when he was at Hibs as a boy and he was captain very, very young. "He has all the attributes you look for in a player. A top class professional, left sided and can play left-back, left midfield, central midfield and centre back - and he can do them all well." Sorry if this has already been posted but i couldn't see it anywhere.

BOSS Walter Smith has revealed that he is checking out a number of players and may make some more moves before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month. The Rangers manager, who has made 10 signings since last season ended, feels that he needs a bit more balance to his squad and may try to bolster some areas. Ally McCoist and Walter SmithHe has confirmed that Portsmouth defender Dejan Stefanovic is one of a number of players he has been looking at. Smith said: "Stefanovic is one of a few players we are looking at and will continue to look at until the transfer window is closed. "We have to continue to look for players for one or two positions where we feel we might be a little bit short. "We have been looking at some players but it doesn't necessarily mean that we will act. "Although we have a big squad of players I still think we are a bit thin on the ground in certain areas, but if we don't make any further signings I will be more than happy to go with what I have. "Some people are suggesting that subsequent transfers may be dependent on qualification to the Champions League group phase but that's not the case. "It's just that we are covered more than adequately in some positions and not as much in others. "We just want a slightly better balance to the squad." Similarly, Smith has revealed that some players could go if clubs come in for them. He added: "Having a slightly bigger group than last year means we have to watch that we don't get frustration from the boys that are not playing. "So if some clubs come along for one or two of the boys then we will consider what they have to say." I remember Stefanovic from his Dutch day's and thought he was a good player. I think we were also linked with him before he went to Portsmouth. A good replacement for Weir imo.

1. Question about SDM selling: He says not to anyone who would asset strip and they would need to have funds to take club on. 2. Was sale of retail division a mistake: no - bottom line profit and not too turnover important 3. Mad old lady asks if players will stay whole year: everyone laughs 4. Tommy Daniels asks about Scott Mcdonald transfer; Walter says enquiry made but they would not release at the time but was made available for transfer in the summer then Celtic came in 5. Gary Lynch called into question length of time for questions being cut year on year: SDM says they will stay as long as they need 6. Badge on shirt: why no name of Rangers - Bain says will look at for best one 7. Question about Murray to Norwich: best to let go to free up budget - SDM nips in to say 10m spent net backing Walter - Brown transfer would have screwdriver up wage structure 8. About agent involved with Boumsong and other deals: Murray says club is clean and paperwork in order - confident all dealings stand up to scrutiny 9. Questioner asks why as head of the Rangers family SDM does not defend his brothers and sisters: Murray says media advisers campaigns and legal fees mean cost of defending clubs reputation has cost 700k in last year 10. Bain just said he is going to SPL board this afternoon to defend club over ICT issue. 11. Murray just accepted principle of democratically elected director of the club and process in place in time for next AGM and club issuing consultation paper within the month 12. Punter asked if club ashamed of our identity with remove of the union flag from many areas: Murray denied absolutely 13: Increased capacity: Murray says plans in consultation to expand footprint of land around with development and capacity will come into that 14: Travel abroad: what guarantee of protection from foreign police - new security adviser praised for attitude; number in Belgrade city to ensure safety 15. Questioner wants club to strive to 20/20 vision always being in top 20 in Europe on and off the pitch: Murray talks down and says finances depend on being in champs league 3 out of + seasons otherwise problems - Murray calls for 'realism' 16: Policing and safety in Scotland questioned (Dundee Utd in particular): Bain says feedback taken note of and presented to clubs and authorities 17. Eddie brown from Springburn says brand not being exposed enough in USA and isn't not available: Bain says 10k kids in Rangers soccer camps in Toronto in recent years - SDMurray seemed to say better return on money promoting within UK 18. Betty aAuld from Troon asks last question - about u21 rule: Bain says various clubs not happy and is being discussed by sub committees THE END Lasted one hour.

Week 4 Saturday, 25 August 2007----------------Time Kilmarnock v Rangers---------------------12:30 Celtic v Hearts--------------------------15:00 Falkirk v St Mirren------------------------15:00 Gretna v Motherwell----------------------15:00 Hibernian v Aberdeen--------------------15:00 Inverness CT v Dundee United------------15:00 The first thing to note about this weeks fixtures is that Rangers visit to Rugby park, has a Saturday 12.30 kick-off. Beware all you guy�s who are dragged round the shops on Saturday morning. Rangers must be oozing with confidence after their 7-2 hammering of Falkirk, but Kilmarnock could prove to be a snake in the grass, as they too have remained unbeaten in their first three games. Steven Naismith will be looking to promote himself for a move to Ibrox but the current form of the Rangers strikers make this look improbable in this transfer window. Rangers should do the business and hold top spot. Parkhead will host their version of the Mad hatters ball when Wee Cheney meets Mad Vlad as Celtic get a visit from Hearts. Hearts have had a poor start to the season, with only a draw against lowly Gretna getting them off the mark. Celtic have recovered from an early hiccup against Kilmarnock to score seven goals in their last two games and should prove too powerful for hearts. Still we live in hope of a surprise result. Falkirk manager John Hughs will have dried his eyes after greet�n like a Bairn, after their 7-2 thumping against Rangers, and will welcome St Mirren to Westfield park. The Buddies had an excellent win against Inverness at the weekend, but Falkirk have been playing some of the best football in the SPL of late and should send Gus McPherson�s team home licking their wounds. Falkirk win. Gretna welcome the visit of Motherwell to Fir park or is it the other way about? Seemingly Motherwell keep claim to the home dressing room with Gretna staking claim to the home dugout. Motherwell have been playing well recently and were robbed in extra time against Killie. Davie Irons asked his team to show more steel but I don�t expect the steel men to buckle to the Weddingmakers. A Motherwell win,home or away. Hibenian v Aberdeen looks like the best bet for a draw on paper and probably will be one. I have a sneaky feeling that Hibs will win easily as Aberdeen are like a pint of Guinness. They don�t travel well. Considering Hibs lost so many key players since the turn of the year they have actually had an excellent start to the season getting two wins and a draw under their belt. Aberdeen�s have had a stuttering start and up until now only seem to be able to produce any form for forty-five minutes. A Hibs win for me. Inverness have had a disaster of a start to the season and have already lost their manager. Neil Warnock, Craig Brewster and Owen Coyle are top of the list to fill the role. Caley hope to have a new man in place possibly before Saturday, so he can asses the situation before the transfer window shuts. Dundee Utd lost their only away game this season to Kilmarnock,so they still have to prove they can pick up points away from home. Inverness will be hoping for the new manager effect, but to get anything from the game they will need to tighten their defense who went AWOL at the second St Mirren goal on Saturday. A draw for me.

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=472&Itemid=2 Already, much has been written about the start of the season. Some of it is based on our reasonable start; some of it on the challenges we continue to face; and some of it understandably on past issues. What disappointments me most of all is the continued theme of negativity throughout all these topics. While one can empathise with these feelings, I think itââ?¬â?¢s time we tried to move on from the last 2 years of non-success and the last 7 years of inconsistency. Obviously, although that in no way means we should be ignoring the continuing problems we face in some areas, Iââ?¬â?¢m firmly of the opinion positivity breeds success and such an attitude can only help our club. Letââ?¬â?¢s look at matters on the park first. Ten new signings, 5 decent results and 5 clean sheets resulting in our early position at the top of the SPL and an increased chance of our progression to the financial pot of the Championsââ?¬â?¢ League rainbow. Considering the number of new players, the short summer of rest and the fact we lost out on a few targets, all in all itââ?¬â?¢s a satisfying start. Obviously, itââ?¬â?¢s not without its concerns. Walterââ?¬â?¢s tactics continue to be best described as overly cautious, the team are playing too deep (especially at Ibrox) and the lack of a genuine creative player is all too evident. However, in this bearââ?¬â?¢s opinion, the good far outweighs the bad. Our central defence looks as solid as itââ?¬â?¢s been since the days of Richard Gough. Carlos Cuellar appears to be a better version of Jean-Alain Boumsong and David Weir gives the aura of an experienced teacher lending his skills and discipline to the younger players. Alan Hutton and Allan McGregor continue their development and both being called up by Scotland highlights their consistency. Sasa Papac has also contributed very well to our decent start and while Kirk Broadfoot has been less assured, heââ?¬â?¢s coped well with being thrust into the pressure cauldron of the CL qualifiers at both right and left full back. In midfield, weââ?¬â?¢ve seen much flexibility. Our wide players seem agreeably interchangeable and while creativity is certainly short; we do seem able to enforce our play more effectively in the latter periods of games. Organisation and hard work seems the key here and although frustration can result for the fans, discipline and patience is as much a part of football as gung-ho attack. Kevin Thomson goes from strength to strength; Barry Ferguson and Brahim Hemdani bring their usual composure while DaMarcus Beasley and Nacho Novo have made chances and scored goals from deeper areas. Last and certainly not least, the much maligned signing of Lee McCulloch has shown that the big manââ?¬â?¢s industry and commitment all over the pitch will serve us well for the next 2 years. Up front is less clear at this stage. It appears that all our strikers appear to be struggling with the lone striker role as well as finding an understanding when 2 forwards are actually deployed. Kris Boyd is short of confidence and Jean-Claude Darcheville works hard with few rewards though fortunately, Daniel Cousin has shown that he seems to have the right mix of target-man, pace and finishing qualities to get the nod. Certainly, our conservative outlook to our tactics and formations hasnââ?¬â?¢t helped the development of our forward line. With time Iââ?¬â?¢m confident that will come. All in all, our signings have started well enough and while their reputations are mainstream rather than spectacular, we should be encouraged at how theyââ?¬â?¢ve gelled quickly and helped attain this decent start. Not to mention the likes of Webster, Whittaker and Gow who have not yet had their chance to impress. Off the pitch, well, weââ?¬â?¢ll start with investment first. The playing squad needed Ã?£10million spent on it and we seem to be approaching that figure. Indeed, Iââ?¬â?¢d imagine qualification for the CL Group Stage will see another 2 signings. A much needed creative influence (despite the returning Buffel) and another left-back (if the rumours about Stevie Smithââ?¬â?¢s lack of progress are to be believed) should be the main targets. While none of us have reason to trust David Murray, he does deserve praise for belatedly matching the supportââ?¬â?¢s ambitions. One just wonders why this didnââ?¬â?¢t happen last summer. Perhaps, given PLGââ?¬â?¢s poor transfer market performance, itââ?¬â?¢s just as well for our finances he didnââ?¬â?¢t receive the same kind of kitty. Unfortunately, the spectre of sectarianism reared its ugly head again 2 weeks past. While the matter was again sensationalised and exaggerated by parts the media, it was good to see the Rangers fans (via the Trust, Assembly and Association) unequivocally condemn the minority of yobs with the offensive add-ons. Given the progress our wonderful support has already made in the battle against bigotry, Iââ?¬â?¢ve no doubt weââ?¬â?¢ll continue to show our detractors that we can win this war and give those of other clubs who have similar problems food for thought in their own fights. Thus, with the club AGM being held next Thursday, the board will be feeling a bit more confident of facing the shareholders. Let them not rest on their laurels though. Much improvement is still required at the club and 5 good results and even CL qualification should not hide that. Whilst this article urges a positive outlook, the chairman and the board of directors must invoke further decisive change at our club. Firstly, changes at board level must be sought. The debt has risen again and some directors appear bereft of ideas to change this. John McLelland, Dave King and Alistair Johnston should be doing much more to innovate, invest and improve all aspects of the club. If they canââ?¬â?¢t, itââ?¬â?¢s time they were replaced. We have several talented high net worth fans here in Scotland who have shown through their own business operations that they can provide this outlook. Are they ready to step up to the plate? Similarly, itââ?¬â?¢s imperative that the club appoints a fan to the board at last. While reasonable dialogue has been ongoing in recent times, rhetoric and open-ended commitments must be turned into real supportersââ?¬â?¢ representation. A democratically elected executive board member is an important stage to the fans being more involved in the decision-making of the future. Given our tremendous loyalty and unwavering financial commitment of the last 135 years, our rightful place at the table must be offered. Other challenges remain as well. Our PR continues to be well below average and our marketing and branding unacceptably poor despite the financial considerations of the JJB deal. We must also consolidate on our under 19s successes of last year and look to improve our training facilities and youth system to match the very best in the world. If Hibs can bring through and make millions on young Scottish talent, then so can we. Rangers are the world most successful club ââ?¬â?? do we want to keep that proud record? Thus itââ?¬â?¢s from the top of the league and off the back of a good home result against a dangerous Red Star team that I issue this rallying call. Yes, letââ?¬â?¢s ensure the relevant questions about the running of the club are still asked vociferously. Yes, letââ?¬â?¢s ensure the players (new and old) are aware of what we expect from them. Yes, letââ?¬â?¢s ensure the manager is constructively criticised to aid improvement. But, letââ?¬â?¢s start to look forward ââ?¬â?? not back. If we donââ?¬â?¢t do that, we start to put the positives in shadow, the light will fail and the vultures will circle again. Rangers are the proudest, most successful team in Scotland. Our fans are second to none ââ?¬â?? to none ââ?¬â?? and we seem to be emerging from a dark, dark time slowly but surely. None of us want to repeat the last couple of years. We want a brighter future and we want to be the best. Letââ?¬â?¢s show it by being positive and concentrating not on the negatives but by doing what we do best ââ?¬â?? being loyal; being proud; being steadfast and being supportive. We are the people!

Link Saw this and initially thought that the truth was coming out about the �£10mil we will spend, i.e inclding Thommo that would be it. However he goes on to say more is available, yet many fans quote WS as saying we are over budget. Which is it?