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Rangers manager Walter Smith has accused Celtic of encouraging a climate of mistrust and paranoia among their support and of attempting to increase pressure on match officials with their unrelenting complaints about the performances of referees and their appeals against punishments handed out to players and manager Neil Lennon. The 62 year-old, in his final season in charge at Ibrox, has had enough of the conspiracy theories emanating from Parkhead and, as he prepares to take his team to the east end of Glasgow tomorrow, he welcomed former Celtic manager Gordon Strachanââ?¬â?¢s declaration this week that there was no institutionalised bias against the club. It was a comment apparently aimed at Peter Lawwell, Celticââ?¬â?¢s chief executive, and chairman John Reid. The latter had claimed at the clubââ?¬â?¢s AGM in November that the Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders would not tolerate being treated as second-class citizens by the governing bodies, hinting at a historical discrimination. ââ?¬Å?We wonââ?¬â?¢t be treated as less than anyone else,ââ?¬Â said Reid. ââ?¬Å?Those days are gone.ââ?¬Â With referee Iain Brines about to take charge of his first Old Firm encounter tomorrow, Smith echoed Strachanââ?¬â?¢s sentiments. ââ?¬Å?It would have been difficult for Gordon to have said anything else, wouldnââ?¬â?¢t it?ââ?¬Â he asked. ââ?¬Å?When you win three consecutive championships itââ?¬â?¢s very difficult to say that there are people conspiring against you. ââ?¬Å?You canââ?¬â?¢t win three successive titles with people conspiring against you. This has been a situation Celtic have been happy to promote but when their former manager comes out and says that there is no conspiracy then you can realise why. ââ?¬Å?He was good enough when he was there to lead his team to three championships so, from a Rangers point of view, did people conspire against us during that period of time? And the truth is that they didnââ?¬â?¢t and the truth is that they donââ?¬â?¢t. ââ?¬Å?The truth is that if youââ?¬â?¢re good enough then youââ?¬â?¢ll win and Celtic were during Gordonââ?¬â?¢s time as manager so I agree with what he says. ââ?¬Å?I think that Celtic have tried to use that to their own advantage ââ?¬â?? I donââ?¬â?¢t believe thereââ?¬â?¢s any doubt about that but Gordonââ?¬â?¢s comments this week have led everyone to the actual truth. ââ?¬Å?Like I say, if youââ?¬â?¢re good enough youââ?¬â?¢ll win but it suits them to build up an environment where everybodyââ?¬â?¢s against them when, obviously, theyââ?¬â?¢re not or they wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have won what theyââ?¬â?¢ve won if then world had been against them. ââ?¬Å?Everyone has to remember that Celtic have won three out of the last five championships so if people are conspiring against them I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t like to see what theyââ?¬â?¢ll do once they stop. ââ?¬Å?So it suits them just now to gain some motivation from that 'everyoneââ?¬â?¢s against usââ?¬â?¢ type of attitude plus everything is new and fresh there at the moment but weââ?¬â?¢ll just need to wait and see what happens. ââ?¬Å?If people want to keep, promoting that thatââ?¬â?¢s fine: I prefer to look at the footballing side of the situation rather than anything else. Going to Celtic Park will be difficult ââ?¬â?? all Old Firm games are. The games up until now have been close and the fact both teams have lost at home adds another aspect to it. ââ?¬Å?For us, having extra games with a smaller group is an obvious difficulty but we have a pride in our performance.ââ?¬Â Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra believes it is essential for Rangers ââ?¬â?? five points behind, having played two games fewer ââ?¬â?? to win the two remaining league fixtures against Celtic because he doesnââ?¬â?¢t anticipate any of the other SPL clubs taking all three points from Lennonââ?¬â?¢s side. ââ?¬Å?I think thatââ?¬â?¢s the case,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?If you want to win the championship you have to win all your games but the Old Firm games are very vital. If we win the two games in hand it is still in our own hands. ââ?¬Å?For us, if we win the game it will be fantastic for us to take into the [return leg against Sporting Lisbon] next Thursday as well as for the championship. ââ?¬Å?Celtic are going very well this season and donââ?¬â?¢t look like dropping many points, so it is the best moment to close the gap.ââ?¬Â http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-premier/8334743/Celtic-v-Rangers-Parkhead-club-happy-to-promote-conspiracy-theories-says-Walter-Smith.html

Rangers winger Vladimir Weiss has revealed that manager Walter Smith went berserk at the players after they lost their lead in the dying moments of Thursdayââ?¬â?¢s Europa League clash with Sporting Lisbon. Steven Whittaker put ââ?¬Ë?Gers in front at Ibrox in the 66th minute but Sporting leveled in the 89th thanks to a Matias Fernandez header. Weiss said that Smith had a go at the Rangers side after the match and the Manc hester City loanee said he had every right to. "The manager was not happy with us because he felt we should not have backed off after we scored. "But we did and there is not a great deal he can do about that on the touchline." The Manchester City loan star admits Gers players have to take responsibility for the slackness that cost them victory. "It was our fault on the pitch we didn't win the game, but hopefully we can take the type of chances we created here in Lisbon. "We were terrific in the second half, especially in the first 30 minutes of it. "We scored and we should have had another one after that, but we backed off. "They needed to score and put us under pressure, but we were unlucky. "We were the better side and had more chances to score. Sporting may have had more possession, but they are a Portuguese team and you expect them to hold the ball. "But we had our chances to get a second and we didn't take them." http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/weiss-reveals-rangers-boss-smith-went-berserk-1458121?

EL HADJI DIOUF is now a dye-hard Rangers player - after colouring his hair BLUE. The wacky Rangers star left his Ibrox team-mates stunned yesterday when he turned up for training at Murray Park. Diouf, 30, showed off his new look and the on-loan Blackburn ace could be set to keep the striking image for the Europa League clash against Sporting Lisbon. Diouf normally sports a shaved head with white mohican stripe. But Scottish football's most colourful character has now opted for a blue crop as a tribute to Gers supporters. Meanwhile, Vladimir Weiss insists Gers gaffer Walter Smith pulled off a MASTERSTROKE by signing Diouf. The Ibrox boss stunned Scottish football by landing Diouf on loan until the end of the season but Weiss insists it'll prove to be a brilliant bit of business. He said: "He's not scored yet but that will come. It's only a matter of time. "He's been good on the ball and a great player to play alongside. He has a lot of experience and I look at him as someone I can learn a lot from. "I just think the timing of his signing is great. It's a very clever signing by the manager - very shrewd. El Hadji has a big personality - a lot of character - and I see it as a key signing. "He has something about him most players don't have. People talk about his reputation but he is a brilliant, brilliant boy. Personally I can't say a bad word against him. "He's got his own style which is funny sometimes. "He tried to put on his iPod yesterday, but it wasn't working properly, so we've still to check out his taste in music. "The players love having him here and I think he's enjoying it too." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3413953/El-Hadji-BLUE.html#ixzz1E6c8vN00 :grin:

Jamie Ness has been rewarded for breaking into the Rangers first-team by being named young player of the month in the Scottish Premier League. The 19-year-old midfielder made his league debut as a substitute in a 4-1 win over Motherwell on 26 December. He went on to play six games - Rangers won four and lost two - during January, leading to his Clydesdale Bank award. The Scotland Under-19 international had been poised to join Third Division side Clyde before breaking through at Ibrox. Ness was rested by Rangers manager Walter Smith for Saturday's 6-0 win over Motherwell. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9396241.stm

KYLE BARTLEY had no part to play as the Old Firm made history last week. Now the Arsenal kid is begging Walter Smith for the chance to create his own Ibrox legacy. Last Sunday's epic encounter in the Scottish Cup left Bartley gasping for breath on the bench. The 2-2 draw also means that for the first time ever Rangers and Celtic will have to meet SEVEN times in one season. Now Bartley - on loan at Gers until the end of the season - hopes he'll be handed a key role in the replay at Parkhead. He confessed: "It was something else last weekend. "I've been looking to get up to an Old Firm game for a number of years now so to actually be involved in it was an unbelievable experience. "It's part of football history. The Old Firm is such a massive game. There aren't many other bigger games in the world. "It's on a whole different level compared to Arsenal and Spurs. "The Old Firm runs a lot deeper than football and you can sense that with the atmosphere. "It's not scary. It's different for me because for a lot of the boys it's in their blood. "I am new to this environment and you have to get your head around it quickly. "Once you find out the reasons behind it it's easier to understand." Bartley has yet to feature for Rangers since sealing his deadline day move to Ibrox. The towering defender had spent the first half of the season on loan at Sheffield United. He jumped at the chance to join Gers after Ibrox gaffer Smith contacted his Emirates counterpart Arsene Wenger. The 19-year-old revealed: "I had a few options in January, there were a couple of clubs in the Championship who were interested. "Given the prestige of Rangers and given the competitions they are in it was a no-brainer in the end. "We obviously play in the Europa League next week and that was also a major factor for me. "I haven't spoken to Arsene Wenger since I made the move but I think he speaks to Walter quite a lot so that is good for me. Advertisement "Of course, the manager here was another plus. "The coaching staff are fantastic and I'm only going to improve as a player by working under someone like Walter Smith. "He has so much experience and he has achieved so much in the game. "Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant have been great too. "If you can't learn off these guys who can you learn from? "I'm thinking short-term at the moment. I want to get out on the pitch and win things with Rangers. "I see my long-term future back at Arsenal, however, and I have never hidden that." Bartley has been catapulted into the race for medals. Gers are gunning for the Treble in Smith's final season in charge while also eyeing Europa League glory. Bartley added: "Rangers are going for a lot of trophies and you get a sense of the feeling of determination straight away. "Second best is never good enough at a club like Rangers and that will bring the best out of me I'm sure. "It will bring me on and develop me as a player." Bartley has had to be patient since joining Gers. He's hoping that he can finally make his debut against Motherwell at Ibrox this afternoon. He stressed: "I'm realistic. When I came to Rangers I knew I wouldn't walk into the team. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully I'll get my chance. "The gaffer has a few problems so who knows, it might come against Motherwell. "I can play in a number of different positions. Right back, centre half, defensive midfield. "I even played up front on a number of occasions for Sheffield United when we were chasing a goal late in the game. "I can certainly give the gaffer some extra options." Bartley admits he'd relish the chance to play alongside veteran Davie Weir in the heart of the Gers defence. There's an astonishing TWENTY YEARS between them and Bartley insists he's already learned so much from just watching Weir in training. He added: "Davie is amazing and I can only learn from him too. "All the boys are in the canteen or getting ready to go home and he's in the gym doing his extra work. "He is a great professional and someone everyone looks up to." Rangers are boosted by the news that striker Kyle Lafferty is set to return to face Motherwell after a bout of tonsilitis. Ex-Well midfielder Lee McCulloch is out as he prepares to undergo knee surgery next week. Defender Kirk Broadfoot is still sidelined with a foot problem. Tickets for Rangers' Europa League tie with Sporting Lisbon are on sale now priced �£27 for adults, �£18 for concessions and �£14 for kids from rangers.co.uk , the ticket hotline 0871 702 1972, and Rangers Ticket Centre. Booking fees apply. Hospitality deals are also available. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3407307/Smile-Bartley.html#ixzz1DhEYsb00

Looks like we will receive some money from a Charlie Adam transfer, also Smith hopeful he can use any money we get for Miller. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/maurice-edu-we-can-cope-without-kenny-miller-1.1079256 Maurice Edu today insisted Rangers can still retain the SPL title ââ?¬â?? as top scorer Kenny Miller gets ready to leave for Fiorentina. The 22-goal hitman, who has rejected terms on a new contract, had been targeted by Birmingham in a Ã?£650,000 deal, but looks set to snub Alex McLeish and move to Serie A by the end of this week. Miller has been offered around Ã?£40,000-a-week on a two-and-a-half year deal, and the Italians are now locked in talks with Gers chief executive Martin Bain over a fee for a quick sale. Despite reports today of a Ã?£700,000 fee already being agreed, sources at Ibrox said nothing had been struck with the Italians. And they will only resume their pursuit of Dundee Unitedââ?¬â?¢s David Goodwillie once a fee for Miller is banked. Whether they can scrape together enough cash for the Ã?£1.5m-rated 21-year-old ââ?¬â?? with Fiorentina reluctant to match Birminghamââ?¬â?¢s offer ââ?¬â?? remains to be seen. Asked if he was confident he would be able to use any proceeds from the sale of Miller to go back in for Goodwillie, Gers boss Walter Smith said today: ââ?¬Å?I think we will (get the funds to re-invest) ââ?¬â?? I would hope so.ââ?¬Â But Edu, who made his return in the 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock after two months out, believes his side can cope if Miller departs. He said: ââ?¬Å?Kenny has been a big player. He has scored umpteen goals but, as with any situation where a player leaves or gets injured, it is an opportunity for another player to step in.ââ?¬Â Edu has been impressed with how Rangers handled the loss of Kris Boyd, who joined Middlesbrough on a Bosman last summer. And he is confident the likes of Kyle Lafferty, James Beattie or Nikica Jelavic ââ?¬â?? who is close to returning after recover-ing from injury ââ?¬â?? can supply the goals to win three-in-a-row. Edu said: ââ?¬Å?People were questioning what would happen after Kris left. But this is another situation where the team has to come together. We have the personnel here to cope without Kenny.ââ?¬Â Meantime, Gers are keeping an eye on Charlie Adamââ?¬â?¢s situation at Blackpool. Sources at the club confirmed they are on a 10 per cent sell-on of any fee over Ã?£500,000 for their former player. Aston Villa are set to go back in with a Ã?£3.5m bid for the Scotland ace after an initial approach was rejected, and that would land Gers a much-needed Ã?£300,000 windfall should it go through.

RANGERS and Dundee United may be forced to play four league games in eight days so that the SPL split can take place on April 16. The SPL faces a fixture backlog as a result of both sides falling victim to match postponements, cup replays and Euro ties. Rangers boss Walter Smith and United chairman Stephen Thompson, right, have been warned by the SPL about the threat of chaos. Rangers must fit in a game against St Mirren - forced off by burst pipes at Ibrox on December 18 - as well as rescheduled visits to Pittodrie, Tannadice and McDiarmid Park. United have played fewer matches than anyone else in the SPL due to the big freeze. An SPL spokesman said: "We're doing everything we can to avoid four games in eight days. "We could use bank holiday weekends to play on Friday and Monday." A lot will depend on how far Rangers progress in the Europa League. Sporting Lisbon aren't the force they were and it's not unreasonable to expect Smith's side to reach the last 16. SPL secretary Ian Blair has asked the SFA to help in future by scrapping Scottish Cup replays. This stinks of favouring Celtic to say the liest, they will be rubbing their hands in glee knowing that we will be forced to play these games, a complete useless friendly last night being played, rangers should go to town with the sfa on this

HE could have gone to Liverpool and he could have gone to Tottenham, but here he was in Renfrewshire. If either of those Barclays Premier League heavyweights had got their way last week Charlie Adam would currently be one of the most expensive players in Scottish football history, carrying a price tag of just under Ã?£7m. For the time being heââ?¬â?¢s still at struggling Blackpool and no-oneââ?¬â?¢s ever paid more than Ã?£500,000 for him, but yesterday Adam could walk the corridors of the Scotland squad hotel knowing that heââ?¬â?¢s been the talk of the steamie. Itââ?¬â?¢s only a week since Sky Sports News spent transfer deadline day hyperventilating over three main moves: Fernando Torres to Chelsea for Ã?£50m, Andy Carroll to Liverpool for Ã?£35m and Adam to Merseyside or London. Only one of those was not completed but it was still a January window which redrew Adamââ?¬â?¢s profile. For a day or two he was one of the most talked about footballers in Britain. Who would have thought it? There were times when Adam was cast out to Ross County and St Mirren on loan. Heââ?¬â?¢s been jeered and an easy target as a Rangers player and was allowed to leave for buttons. The reinvention from footballing ugly duckling to swan seems to have been made with no feathers ruffled. He was the same likeable, vaguely bashful individual yesterday that he has always been. ââ?¬Å?It is like any other window,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Everybody goes mental; Sky Sports goes mental. But it is like any other day in a footballerââ?¬â?¢s life. There is always speculation. Thatââ?¬â?¢s what happens. It is crazy but it has gone. The speculation has not affected me. Iââ?¬â?¢ve just gotten on with it. Iââ?¬â?¢ve dealt with it.ââ?¬Â Adamââ?¬â?¢s remarkable improvement reached the point where Liverpool and Kenny Dalglish made two unsuccessful bids, the second worth Ã?£6.8m. Spurs claimed they made an 11th hour offer for the same sum which was accepted by Blackpool but the paperwork could not be signed off in time. In the middle of it all Adam himself made a transfer request, which was rejected. He was less than chuffed about being denied the chance to leave. It was a dizzying episode for the 25-year-old. Even if he hasnââ?¬â?¢t switched clubs he still has the baggage of being rated at a supposed Ã?£14m by Blackpool manager Ian Holloway. ââ?¬Å?How can you value someone nowadays? At the end of the day people will pay what they want to pay. It is important to me that I just keep doing what I can for Blackpool. You know that there is a lot of money in the Premier League and you cannot help what people want to pay. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m fortunate, I played for one the Old Firm and I learned a lot of hard lessons there. I played a lot of big games and you have to be able to deal with it. So I think that stood me in good stead. Since leaving Rangers my career has just gone on leaps and bounds and that is what happens when you are playing regularly. Iââ?¬â?¢m getting enjoyment from playing in a good team, with good team-mates and a good manager. They should get the credit, too. If it wasnââ?¬â?¢t for them I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t be in the situation I am in. ââ?¬Å?You never know what will happen. Iââ?¬â?¢ll still have a year left on my contract when the summer comes and for me the focus is all on Blackpool. Iââ?¬â?¢m fortunate enough, I have played at Rangers, it is a massive club, and now I am playing in one of the best leagues in the world so how can I complain? It is nice to be complimented but you cannot be too excited or get ahead of yourself or it will be gone as quick as it has come.ââ?¬Â There must be embarrassment around Rangers about Adam. The club were shrewd enough to insert a sell-on clause which will give them 10% of any transfer fee above Ã?£500,000. Still, many will wonder why a player who was peripheral at Ibrox, and often a focal point for criticism from supporters, has blossomed so dramatically in a grander football environment. Did he feel he had proved people wrong since leaving Ibrox in 2009? ââ?¬Å?Yes, I do. There are certain people that I have proved wrong. I can have a smile on my face when I see certain people, knowing that inside they are hurting. You are always out to prove people wrong in this game. You canââ?¬â?¢t please everybody. When I step out on to the pitch Iââ?¬â?¢m there to prove and to show to people that I am good enough to play at this level.ââ?¬Â Like who? ââ?¬Å?I cannot name names, but there were people in football. You are always trying to prove people wrong.ââ?¬Â Did he mean the manager who sold him 18 months ago? ââ?¬Å?It is nothing to do with Walter Smith. I have got a lot of respect for Walter, for what he has achieved and for what he did for me. He gave me the opportunity to go to Blackpool and get regular football. I do not have any bad words to say about Walter. He is a terrific man and a great manager. ââ?¬Å?I never thought I was the whipping boy at Rangers. I got a bit of stick for my performances but you have to take it on the chin and get on with it. It was difficult but the most difficult thing for me was not playing. I would play one week and then not play for another four or five weeks. That was the hard thing. Fortunately now I am playing regularly in a top league and hopefully my performances have justified where I am. ââ?¬Å?I had periods of playing regularly under Paul Le Guen and Walter Smith but when you come through the ranks [at Rangers] it is more difficult to get in the side because the club spent money on players and the chairman wants to know why they are not in the team.ââ?¬Â He could afford to be diplomatic about his current club. His dad, also Charlie, probably revealed the familyââ?¬â?¢s feelings last week when he described Blackpool as ââ?¬Å?cheap-skatesââ?¬Â for wanting even more money for his boy. He claimed any transfer was blocked out of spite because Charlie recently took them to a tribunal over an unpaid bonus payment. No-one has enjoyed the flowering of Charlie Adam more than his father, who had reached a point where he found it too upsetting to come to Ibrox and witness his lad being jeered. ââ?¬Å?I have just bought a new house so he is down every week. He loves coming to watch and who wouldnââ?¬â?¢t when you are playing the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham? It was difficult for him to watch at Ibrox but that is the way it goes at the Old Firm. Someone has got to get the stick but I am enjoying the way I am playing and he is enjoying watching it.ââ?¬Â The same goes for non-relatives. The blossoming of Charlie Adam has been one of the most uplifting stories of the season. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/more-scottish-football/i-can-have-a-smile-on-my-face-when-i-see-certain-people-1.1083899

By ANDREW SMITH THE Rangers support last night delivered an emphatic verdict on the signing of El Hadji Diouf. If you've spat on a Celtic fan then you are alright by us, is the only way to interpret the reception they gave to the Satanised Senegalese striker. The roar as he replaced the injured Lee McCulloch after 20 minutes, which was accompanied by low cries of "Diouf, Diouf, Diouf", represented the sort of garlanded welcome no-one had anticipated. It was all so cordial. Indeed, as he had warmed up earlier, a small group of fans chanted "he's blue, he's white, he gobs on green and white, El Hadji Diouf". Maybe the Ibrox faithful were so happy to see the 30-year-old in the flesh because they could then be relieved that he doesn't have horns and a tail. He showed in a sparky run-out that his combustibility could be channelled elsewhere than spitting on fans and spitting venom in the most foul terms imaginable at a stricken opponent, the main items on a lengthy charge sheet. For all his crimes and misdemeanours, the press Diouf has attracted in recent days has proved as over-the-top as his most despicable activities. Yes, he is a reprehensible character. In that he is hardly alone among the football fraternity. Indeed, reprehensible characters are to be found in all walks of life. Even, indeed, in reprehensible newspapers where such people will happily become tu'penny ha'penny moralisers on subjects such as, eh, the conduct of Diouf. And let's face it, when it comes to the many, many bampots that have (dis)graced Scottish football, Diouf appears a minor horror. His notoriety almost exclusively centres on what has issued from his mouth, in terms of phlegm and words. He is a toytown bully boy, then. At Ibrox alone in recent times they have held faith with former heroes who have consorted with terrorists and beaten their wives. Subjectivity can always make for standards that seem to double themselves over. More pertinent for Walter Smith will be the sort of player, not the person, he has recruited from Blackburn. The signing, which the Rangers manager discovered was a possibility at 5pm on Monday, was a no-brainer. Freeing up the wages paid to James Beattie, by packing the Englishman off on loan to Blackpool, allowed it to happen. And swapping Diouf for Beattie, whatever the attendant condemnatory publicity, is good football business. From his first moments, Diouf looked more with it, more likely to be the originator of attacking menace, than Beattie did across his whole ten goalless appearances. Not that the Senegalese man might find scoring any easier as it is now ten months since he has found the target. In his defence - and you don't often hear that phrase when the career of the former Lens, Liverpool, Sunderland, Bolton man is under discussion - he tends to play wide, Steven Davis moved inside to allow him to be deployed on the right of a five-man midfield. Diouf was immediately into the thick of it, Marius Zaliukas booked for taking him out unceremoniously. The forward then demonstrated a flair for the dramatic by tumbling spectacularly under another innocuous challenge from the Lithuanian - who, moments later, Diouf cut down in an act of retribution that referee Brian Winter decided to let go unpunished. A marked man in the media, it seemed a similar story with those in maroon jerseys, since before the half was out Ian Black had also had his name taken for cementing the Senegalese man. Mind you, Black dishes out the treatment irrespective of reputation. The half ended with Diouf, who demonstrated his fiery nature by going berserk at a couple of daft decisions, seeking out Winter and calmly questioning the official about some of the treatment meted out to him. The new man was presented with the perfect opportunity to end his goal drought midway through the second period when a poor passback put him in on goal. But Diouf dithered and the chance went abegging. He continued to make a nuisance of himself - in the right way - and in the closing minutes Ryan Stevenson became the third player to be cautioned for a crude tackle on him. It doesn't make for such great copy but the truth is that last night Diouf was more victimised than vicious. http://www.scotsman.com/rangersfc/Diouf-gets-warm-welcome-from.6709726.jp?articlepage=2

I saw this on article on Yahoo but believe it was originally posted on Eurosport.com ...... not sure who penned it and won't claim there's much new but thought I'd share it anyway. Edit - seems it was written by one Desmond Kane (oh dear?) Rangers Pay the Price for Murray's Self-indulgence A fool and his money are soon parted. To leaders suffering from hubris, such a proverb can prove to be gruesomely true. As a spectacle, the game of football continues to contain an innate ability to reduce sober-suited, profitable businessmen to regretful rags. Sir Alan Sugar continues to be depicted as a wise old sage on television programmes such as The Apprentice, but the barrow boy from London's East End who discovered a a beach of gold after founding the Electronics firm Amstrad in the 1960s, never managed to use his gumption in avoiding the unique pitfalls of football. The world game remains a forum where can you can squander millions of your personal fortune for the love of one club, and continue to be booed by its supporters when you return. There have never been any laws of logic governing the fundamentals of football. Sugar conveyed the message that he viewed his period as the controller of Tottenham Hotspur in the 1990s as a waste of his time. "Football is about the only business in the world where it's embarrassing to make money," said Sugar. Football is not the only business in the world where it is embarrassing to lose your bread, but it can prove to be the most painful. The dearth of funds affecting Glasgow Rangers, champions of Scotland over the past two seasons, would be embarrassing if it was not so serious. As chairman of a club in the English Premier League, Sugar made money on his controlling interest in Spurs when he sold up a decade ago. He received Ã?£22 million for two thirds of a stake that he paid Ã?£8m for in 1991. Sir David Murray, the owner of Rangers in the Scottish Premier League, put up around Ã?£6m for the Glasgow club three years earlier, but looks likely to be left with nothing more than a series of gilded and galling memories when he finally departs a scene he has been trying to escape with some urgency for several years. He will be left bereft of vast financial rewards for investing his emotional capital in Rangers. In trying to apply the Midas touch to the game of football, Murray has been left badly scalded. There is a growing sense that the worst is yet to come for Rangers as the club is forced to face up to its fiscal responsibilities. Debt has gripped Rangers since the former Dutch coach, Dick Advocaat, was given carte blanche to blow over Ã?£80m on players over a decade ago in an attempt to furnish the Ibrox trophy room with the European Cup, a vision commensurate with such an extravagant commitment to excess. Pride comes before a fall. Common sense, if not finance, was in short supply when Rangers began spending money they evidently did not have. The Glasgow side are again jousting with their eternal foes Celtic as they pursue a third successive Scottish Premier League gong this season in a championship that has not been won been by another club side since Sir Alex Ferguson ran Aberdeen in 1984. They do so against severe financial hardship. Having failed to find a buyer for Rangers over the past few years, Murray has been conspicuous by his absence in failing to inform the fans of what is going on. These are the same diehards who lavished praise upon the proprietor for helping them match Celtic's record of nine successive domestic titles in 1997. It must be said, the supporters of Rangers deserve better than they are getting from a figure who once liked to project himself as a figure of dignity in a rabid Scottish football scene prone to moments of madness. Murray bought Rangers in 1988 before leading them to the fore of British, if not quite European football. To a neutral, Murray is a man to be admired, a brave figure who recovered from losing his legs in a horrific car crash in the 1970s. He is one of the country's leading businessmen, a so-called pillar of society and owner of one of the country's largest sporting institutions, but money never made a man. Before the advent of Sky Television and the English Premier League as we know it in 1992, Rangers were arguably the biggest and wealthiest football club in the United Kingdom. Funded by Murray, Rangers reversed the trend of talent departing Scotland for more lucrative shores. Mark Hateley, Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne and Giovanni van Bronckhorst are a selection of the names to have washed up at Ibrox during Murray's stewardship, but all this has come at a price. It is a price they now seem unwilling, or unable, to pay. The owner's treatment of Rangers since around 1998 has proved classless bordering on reckless. The sums involved are truly astonishing, and not just in unloading Ã?£12m to purchase the much-maligned Norwegian striker Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea a decade ago. Net debt at Rangers reached Ã?£82m in the early part of the previous decade, but they have not yet got their house in order. Murray remains owner in name only with the club's bankers Lloyds TSB taking an active interest since the recession bit deep into his company Murray International Holdings three years ago. To cut a longish story shorter, Rangers are inextricably linked to Murray's other assets. They have taken a hit, and Rangers have been dragged along for the ride. It is unclear where the final destination for the club will be in all of this. Run in the interests of Lloyds, who are attempting to claw back debts of Ã?£27m, it is interest on an unpaid tax bill that leaves Rangers sporting a jaundiced look. Prospective buyers Andrew Ellis and Craig Whyte have appeared to be Walter Mitty characters in failing to purchase the club, but it seems the figures do not add up for them. If they are toying with the idea on whether investing in football makes sense, they need only study the man they are buying the club off to understand the pitfalls of such a foolhardy venture. Money spent without care on Scottish football tends to be money lost. It must be assumed that the real reason why Rangers have not yet found a buyer to purchase the club is that no prospective owner wants to be left with an estimated tax bill of Ã?£24m and interest of Ã?£12m, a figure touted by several commentators on the subject, once a hearing into the case is played out in May. If you read some of the literature swirling around this mismanagement, added penalties for failure to pay tax to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over wages paid into offshore accounts to the club's employees in the past decade could apparently see the tax bill rise to over Ã?£50m by the end of next year. This is before the bank debt is totted up. There remains a possibility that Rangers could be forced into administration when this reaches a crescendo. Rangers look unsellable unless some rich Sheikh in the Middle East decides he suddenly has a penchant for golf or the Scottish Highlands. There has even been talk about Glasgow City council coming in to to take over the running of Ibrox Stadium and leasing it back to Rangers. It is little wonder that Lloyds Bank are refusing to release sizeable funds for new faces if the tax man is about to take back what is his. None of this is good news for the general health of Scottish football. Rangers opted to sell top goalscorer Kenny Miller, a man who had discovered 22 goals in the SPL this season, to Turkish champions Bursaspor for Ã?£400,000 at the outset of the January transfer window rather than watch him walk away for free during the summer months. This was a decision taken by the bank. If Rangers were in rude health, Miller would have signed a long-term contract last year. He walked away because the club is financially paralysed, unable to meet his demands. They were apparently outbid this week by Celtic for the attacking Derby midfielder Kris Commons, who was offered a modest Ã?£20,000 per week compared to the maximum of Ã?£15,000 Rangers could unearth. Who would have countenanced such a possibility when Murray vowed to put down a tenner for every fiver Celtic spent a few years ago? Rangers now toil to stick down a ha'penny without the permission of the bank. Of course, apart from the loss of face, these are trivial moments compared to the wider issues. It is ironic that for a club which wraps itself in the Union Jack and God Save the Queen, Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs could help Rangers plunge into a period of deeper despair. Murray must shoulder the blame. He used to court interest from a fawning Scottish press in the 1990s when money was no object. A few newspapers in the country were furnished with a bottle of Scotch from the Rangers owner back in the day, but he is nowhere to be seen when the going gets tough. The constantly impressive Walter Smith has helped Murray by luxuriating in trinkets since he returned to manage Rangers in 2007 a decade after he oversaw nine-in-a-row, winning with the spine of a team purchased three years ago. An appearance in a UEFA Cup final and two SPL titles in three seasons suggest Smith is more an alchemist than a football manager, but he has been left exhausted by his inability to strengthen his squad. It would not surprise this onlooker to see Smith manage in the English Premier League or Championship next season if he so wishes. At least Sir Alan Sugar got out of the cursed business with millions for his shares in an English Premier League concern. Not so Murray. His silence on the subject speaks volumes. "There is a massive moonbeam of success coming to us. We've got big plans," said Murray at the time he bestowed the job of manager upon Paul Le Guen in 2007. Such sentiments now sound like the utterances of a fantasist. Rather than Sugar, perhaps history will remember Murray as a man who was more similar to Leeds United under Peter Ridsdale, a custodian of a club who believed his own press, a figure who spent money without preparing for an economic downturn that was just around the corner. 
As has been said in other quarters, such treatment of a great club like Rangers amounts to a form of financial vandalism. The fans will thank Murray for fuelling their rise to nine-in-a-row, but they are also discovering that the road to ruin lies in living outwith your means. Time may yet be a great healer for Rangers, but in poring over the effect of the Murray years at Ibrox, it has also been a great revealer. His empire appears to have been built on shifting sands.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/michael-grant-on-monday-1.1082711 The first suggestion was that Craig Whyte might be able to rush through a takeover and own Rangers in time for Christmas. Then he supposedly wanted to have the reins in time for the January transfer window so he could plough in some funds for signings and an enhanced contract offer to Kenny Miller. Christmas is over, Miller is away, the window closes at 11pm tonight, and still there is no Whyte. Not a peep has been heard and sources have said nothing is likely to change. It is now 74 days since the story broke that he wanted to buy the Ibrox club. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that the most pressing matter on Whyte’s mind now is how best to spin his retreat from the Ibrox doorstep. Not much is clear about Rangers’ ownership and information remains contradictory about whether or not the club will end up in Whyte’s hands, but there has been absolutely nothing in their January activity to suggest this is a club on the brink of new ownership. They submitted a bid for David Goodwillie which Dundee United rejected, and that was that. No increase, no bargaining, just a withdrawal from the table. They effectively agreed a fee with Derby County for Kris Commons only to realise they weren’t able to follow it through when he asked for Ã?£20,000-per-week. Whatever impact David Healy may go on to have for them, the fact remains that he wasn’t the first or even second forward on their wanted list. The Commons move said it all. The best Rangers could manage was several thousand pounds per week less than he was able to get from Celtic. If the most Rangers can offer now is about Ã?£14,000-per-week, they risk being outbid by their rivals for any player they might want in the foreseeable future. Agents routinely offer the same player to both clubs (same city, same league, same status of club) and their obligation to do the best they can for a client means they would naturally try to play one club off against the other if it might hike up the wages on offer. The Commons deal might not be the last time Rangers are gazzumped by Celtic. Rangers also risk not being able to keep hold of Madjid Bougherra, Steven Davis and Steven Whittaker, who are all out of contract at the end of next season. All three will believe they can get more money by leaving than re-signing. It’s easy to see all three of them going the way of Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller, departing for little or nothing. Lloyds Banking Group’s aggressive clawing back of the debts accumulated under Sir David Murray have been cold and clinical and still it goes on, relentlessly. Around Ã?£22m of the Ã?£27m debt is owed to Lloyds and they continue to be voracious in trying to get it back. “Whether we think it’s fair or not, it doesn’t really matter because we are not getting any kind of reaction any time we ask about it,” said Walter Smith recently. Lloyds don’t look at the football implications of anything. They aren’t interested in speculating to accumulate, which is why they were unmoved by the case for keeping top goalscorer Miller and increasing the likelihood of winning the league and reaching the Champions League. To Lloyds, Ã?£400,000 for Miller sounded a whole lot sweeter than nothing for him in the summer. They don’t give any ground, no matter how often or how passionately the case is made by Smith or chief executive Martin Bain. Those two must feel they are banging their heads against a brick wall. It isn’t going to change. Lloyds want another cut to the wage bill for next season, another Ã?£1m off the players’ salaries. They see themselves owed a big pile by a club facing reduced television income, the possibility of no Champions League money, and even some reduction in season-ticket sales. They see a possible Ã?£36m bill, plus penalties, from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs tax investigation which might hang over the club for another 18 months or so. They aren’t sitting back, waiting for Whyte or anyone else to pay back the money they’re owed. They’re working to get it back through a thousand cuts. Others won’t shed tears for Rangers. Even Ã?£14,000-per-week is way above what any Scottish club except Celtic can pay. Even after Miller’s departure they have four strikers on the books who cost Ã?£11m in transfer fees alone. They aren’t in this mess because of Lloyds, but because Murray allowed the debt to soar in the first place. It’s just their misfortune that Lloyds are being as brutal as a loan shark when it comes to claiming the money back. If it’s exasperating for Smith and Bain, then what must another central figure be making of it all? What kind of job is Ally McCoist going to inherit in four months’ time? Celtic appointed an inexperienced manager last summer, but crucially they backed him with the money to buy his way out of trouble. Rangers will not be able to do that. McCoist will swell with pride when he becomes manager, but there has never been a worse time to inherit the job he has always wanted.

Cast your mind back ten years to season 2000/2001. Ronald de Boer signed from Barcelona; Tore Andre Flo signed for a transfer fee that will never be matched in Scotland; and a squad containing names such as Amoruso, van Bronckhorst and Klos - we could even afford to let Andrei Kanchelskis go on loan to the EPL and Man City for half a season. This was the start of a new decade under the continuing custodianship of David Murray - where he summed up his personality and ambition at the time with one simple quote from 2000 - "For every five pounds Celtic spend, we will spend ten". Most Rangers fans everywhere were enjoying the regular spectacle of Murray lording it in the media. Indeed the word 'moonbeam' didn't exist in those days. Speaking to Michael Grant in the Sunday Herald in late 2001, the loss of the league in 2000/01, coupled with rising debt hadn't affected the gallus 50 year old David Murray. In fact, he was as confident as ever in his club's future and given the success he'd help bring in during the 1990s, he had every right to be. Surely one season without the title wouldn't affect our operations ten years later? After all, Murray spoke candidly of 'being guilty of looking for short-term fixes', 'not wanting to sell the club', and that while he felt a major football club would go out of business it 'wouldn't be Rangers'. Juxtapose such warranties with comments about tying players down on long term contracts and ring-fencing the club against future losses, most of us bought into the security offered by an owner who had helped bring back success to the club along with the vision of Holmes and Souness. Unfortunately, less than a year later, we found out we were �£50+million in debt, Murray had stepped down as chairman and Alex McLeish was to preside over a 'short' period of 'downsizing'. "Not to worry," said new chair John McLelland at the 2002 AGM, "we won't lose sleep over it." With tax 'queries' originating from that period's wage-book casting their shadow over the club, to the ongoing saga over its ownership and declining ticket sales; one wonders if McLelland is sleeping well nowadays. Of course, while it is easy to pick through old newspaper interviews and make anyone look bad, our present situation is something to worry about given the assurances given back then. Players are no longer 'locked away' on long term contracts, we are the ones bringing players IN on loan (from Aberdeen!) and it is Celtic spending the kind of money that was pocket change for us ten years back. The ever-loyal Rangers fan-base still has no long term vision to buy into. Indeed, in 2001 Murray specifically alluded to the wider problems of a declining Scottish product and the Old Firm dominance being problematic for its future. Prophetic words but our club are as guilty as anyone in being over-reliant on TV money and selfishness. Why did we not heed our own warnings? Furthermore, from Sir David Murray to John McLelland to Martin Bain; the same people are in charge of guiding the club through these same deep financial waters. Or at least, they appear in charge - with allegations of bank interference (the Lloyds Banking Group have an increasing stake in Murray's company, thus an increasing stake in Rangers' operations) still rife in the media and amongst the support. The supporters - expected to part with their season ticket money again in a couple of months - have no idea of what's true and what isn't with mixed messages the only certainty in Rangers' dealings with us. Whether it be current chairman Alistair Johnston or even Walter Smith, we just don't know who is being straight with us. Therefore, at some point, we have to ask ourselves who is in such a position to know the truth, to deliver genuine answers and to lead from the front. Well, only one man still owns Rangers and only one man has the power to make the decisions that truly affect our club's well-being. Yet he is missing in action, absent without leave and by failing to lead he only lends weight to the criticism he vigorously defends. I'll conclude with another quote from that interview in 2001: Again, it is easy to find fault with comments that were only truly relevant when they were said. But is it clear from Murray's own words that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Sir David Murray will be 60 later this year. Will that represent an epiphany for a return to the front-line of a owner who once excited us all? Or will it be the final nail in the stewardship coffin of a once successful businessman whose interest in Rangers died as soon as it threatened the well-being of his personal wealth. Where is our owner and what is the future of our club?

The following is from BBC Sport website .... looks to me like a clear pre-cursor to the deal falling through ..... but I suppose we continue to live in forlorn hope ..... By Alasdair Lamont Craig Whyte remains hopeful of concluding his proposed takeover of Rangers before the end of January. Whyte has been in negotiations with the current owner Sir David Murray since the middle of November. He had hoped to complete a �£33m deal before Christmas, but due diligence has taken longer than Whyte expected. Meanwhile, the Rangers Supporters' Trust chief has warned that fans could boycott Lloyds Bank if they continue to deny Rangers funds for squad building. Whyte considers the matter to be largely in Murray's hands at this stage, with Whyte's lawyers and accountants awaiting responses to a number of queries from the current owner. He expects that following a period of relative inactivity over the festive period, which he found frustrating, the pace of negotiations will now pick up. However, if Whyte can conclude a deal soon, he hopes to be able to help Rangers manager Walter Smith strengthen his squad. On Thursday, Smith bemoaned the current financial constraints at the club, stating that he would be unable to bring in new players unless he sold first. Stephen Smith, chairman of the Rangers Supporters' Trust, reiterated their stance regarding Lloyds Bank's involvement with the club. "The sooner Lloyds are disentangled from the running of Rangers Football Club the better," he told BBC Scotland. "I'm as worried now as I was last year when the manager felt strongly enough to publicly criticise the bank's role. "We've had a successful Champions League campaign, we're guaranteed at least two more European games, yet there has still been no change in attitude from Lloyds. "We're challenging for four competitions and that's why the size of the squad is a concern. "If the manager's saying we need help, why are Lloyds behaving in such a vindictive way towards Rangers? "If that begins to materially affect Rangers on the park, we will certainly look to take action to try to change that. "Getting the Rangers family involved in a boycott of Lloyds bank can't be ruled out." As of September 2010 Rangers' debt stood at �£27m. While Smith was allowed to conduct some transfer business in the summer - including the purchase of Nikica Jelavic for �£4m - his hands have been largely tied on that front for the past three seasons. The Scottish champions trail league leaders Celtic by four points, although they have two games in hand. However, as things stand, Smith will have to challenge in all domestic competitions, as well as in the Europa League, with the same small squad of players. Meanwhile, across Glasgow, rivals Celtic appear likely to bring in more players during the January transfer window. Champions League participation over the last two seasons has helped Rangers go some way to alleviating their financial problems. But failure to win the Scottish Premier League again this term, and thereby miss out on the lucrative Champions League, would reverse that trend and make things even more restrictive for whoever succeeds Smith as Rangers manager next season

Striker Kenny Miller is mulling over a move to Birmingham City after Rangers accepted an offer in the region of �£700,000 from the English club. The 31-year-old Scotland player has netted 22 club goals so far this term. But he has stalled on a contract extension beyond June and he is free to speak with other clubs. Rangers failed with a bid for Dundee United's David Goodwillie but, even if Miller moves, they are unlikely to be able to meet United's �£1.5m valuation. The fee from the Midlands club would also increase should they avoid relegation from the English Premier League this season. Rangers manager Walter Smith had stated that his wish in the first instance was that Miller signed a new deal with the Glasgow side. Failing that, he hoped to keep Scottish football's leading goal-scorer until at least the end of the current league campaign. However, on Thursday Smith bemoaned the fact that the current financial situation at his club means that he will not be able to make any moves to strengthen his small squad without first selling a player. On Friday it emerged that Rangers had an offer rejected by Dundee United for the Tannadice striker Goodwillie. It is believed that the verbal offer that they submitted for the Scotland cap was approximately half of his club's estimation. Miller arrived for his second spell at Rangers in June 2008, having first signed on at Ibrox in 2000 from Hibernian. In the intervening seasons he had a one-year spell at Old Firm rivals Celtic, as well as stints in England with Wolves and Derby County. The forward has already played under Birmingham boss Alex McLeish, who was Scotland manager in 2007. So far, Miller has amassed 51 international caps, scoring 12 goals. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9349550.stm -- And so it begins..

Ally McCoist today refused to blame Kenny Miller for leaving Rangers mid-season for the lure of Bursasporââ?¬â?¢s millions. The striker has moved to Turkey in a deal that will net him Ã?£50,000 a week on a two-and-a-half year contract. Rangers will get just Ã?£400,000 ââ?¬â?? plus a further Ã?£100,000 should the Turks qualify for the Champions League next season ââ?¬â?? for their top scorer. The departure of the 31-year-old, who was out of contract at the end of the season, has left many Gers fans wondering if their hopes of three-in-a-row will go with him. But on the day Miller revealed the new contract offered to him by the Ibrox club would have meant accepting a ââ?¬Å?30 or 40% wage cutââ?¬Â, McCoist held no grudges. The Ibrox No.2 said: ââ?¬Å?Kenny has made a wonderful contribution for the period that he has been here. ââ?¬Å?It would be safe to say that Kenny has been great for the club and the club has been great for Kenny over the period. ââ?¬Å?It has certainly been a good partnership and he goes with our blessing and our thanks. But we will be disappointed to see him go obviously because he has been an integral part of the team over the past few seasons.ââ?¬Â Miller has been criticised for rejecting the opportunity to join Premiership side Birmingham in favour of Bursaspor, whom he came up against in the Champions League earlier this season. But he insisted today: ââ?¬Å?Listen, it doesnââ?¬â?¢t bother me what people think. People can have their opinions. Ultimately everyone should look at the facts of the situation. ââ?¬Å?I wasnââ?¬â?¢t offered a contract by Rangers which I felt was suitable for me. ââ?¬Å?Whether it was now or the summer, I was definitely leaving. I just donââ?¬â?¢t think itââ?¬â?¢s right for me to be labelled a money grabber just because I have been offered a better contract somewhere. ââ?¬Å?Should I just sign for Rangers again, even though the contract is worth 30 or 40% less than my current one? ââ?¬Å?Or should I think about my family and providing for them? Football is a short career, remember.ââ?¬Â Gers boss Walter Smith has launched a frantic bid to find striker back-up before the window closes on January 31, using the incoming fee and Millerââ?¬â?¢s wages between now and the end of the season, which would have amounted to around Ã?£350,000. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/ally-mccoist-we-don-t-blame-kenny-miller-1.1081175

From The Northern Echo. I think it's a real possibility he'll end up back here if Miller leaves in January however there's no quotes re Boyd in the article.

Cast your mind back to two years ago this January when Rangers accepted a multi-million pound bid for Kris Boyd from Birmingham City. Through all the run-up rumours and speculation I never once believed that Boyd would be leaving us and even had a bet on it with a fellow forum member. Even after the substantial bid had been accepted I still truly believed that Kris would be a Rangers player come the first game in February. While that belief turned out to be correct, it didn't mean much at the time other than my hunch/gut feeling being right for once and that I thought the whole Boyd soap opera that January was a bit suspicious. Now bring your mind back to the present day and this January our club accept a bid from Birmingham for our top goal scorer. This time it's Kenny Miller and yet again we have a rather prolonged saga that ends up with the player not moving to Birmingham after a bid has been accepted. Kenny supposedly couldn't agree personal terms... By now peoples' heads are starting to hurt while some of us are close to calling a Samaritans helpline. Serie A outfit Fiorentina were supposedly interested in Kenny, but mysteriously lost interest despite the player being available for a pint of lager and a packet of crisps? Incredible! If I didn't actually trust our club and our press I wouldn't believe it! In step our opponents from this season's Champions League - Bursaspor, who Miller scored against and in a very strange transaction for any football club, Kenny Miller is given permission to speak to Bursaspor and agree personal terms before an official bid has actually been made and accepted. Am I the only one who thinks this is extremely odd? Well, no matter how odd it might seem, Miller is in Turkey and trained with them yesterday, so given that he's supposedly agreed personal terms and we've supposedly accepted an offer 'in principal', it now looks like a done deal. If it were now to fall through at the last minute for some bizarre reason like all writing implements in Turkey and Glasgow spontaneously combusting before pen is put to paper I think some of us might be bordering on getting a little sceptical. Then again, we'd believe anything us fans, wouldn't we? So the Miller saga looks to have finally ended and here we are, two thirds of the way through the transfer window minus our top scorer. There's a definite split in the fans' opinion over the whole thing, with many saying 'good riddance' and equally as many, perhaps even more saying '�£400k?, what a joke!'. Looking at it from a slightly different perspective, we may well have just been literally robbed by the Bosman ruling because Kenny Miller was free to talk to any club he wanted to, but is the water a touch muddy regarding this? I was under the impression that players in Miller's situation were allowed to talk to clubs about a potential Bosman move and signing of a pre-contract, but not about personal terms relating to a direct transfer before an offer had been made for the player. Am I missing something here? Enough of the weirdness because we've got a potential problem: Minus Kenny Miller we don't have a proven goal scorer and we're midway through the season. We all hope that Jelavic, Naismith, Lafferty and others in our squad can step up and score the goals that help take us to our third SPL title in a row, but is hope enough or do we need to replace Miller with another striker? It's a very difficult question because when Walter Smith signed Miller nobody thought for a minute that he'd score as many goals as he has never mind become our top striker. What's to say that one of our other strikers can't step up and score a lot of goals? Well, none of us know and it's quite likely that Walter doesn't know either, so it comes down to a gamble. Ideally, Walter would have some cash to buy a player and would spend some time in the next week with his management team and our scouts (yes, scouts) deciding on some potential Miller-replacing targets, but is our manager actually going to be able to trade that pint of lager and packet of crisps which we got for Miller? If Walter is allowed to look for a replacement what should he be looking for? A cheap buy or a loan signing? Most of us would like to think that David Goodwillie is now out of the picture in the wake of his pending court case and Dundee United's general greed, so are there other cheap, but attractive options in Scotland? The only one I can think of is Leigh Griffiths who's apparently on his way from Dundee to Wolves for �£150k. Griffiths has a great scoring record in the 1st Division, but he's unproven at SPL level so could he be a cheap option and would it be a worthwhile purchase? Personally, I'd be pleased with a young striker like Griffiths joining Rangers, but even happier if our management pulled a rabbit out of the hat and signed a cracking striker on loan for six months to help us win another league title. The problem is that loan signings can be hit or miss just like footballers in general, but if there's one thing that's for sure, it's that we don't need another thirty-something slouch who's only interested in collecting a pay-cheque. It's over to you Walter - Do nothing, sign a bargain with potential or find the loan Ranger! . .

If we don't get funds for contract renewal or bringing in replacements then 2012-2015 are going to be very baron years I fear.

A year or so ago we had Boyd and Miller, a good partnership, playing very well and linking well together. Who would have thought two of our best performing first team players would be gone for practically nothing? It is hard to imagine what price the pair were worth, but combined you would have to say they were worth 5-6m+ and maybe considerably more. I would hazard a guess that Boyd could have generated 4-5 million (when he had more time on his contract remaining), considering interest from England. Then considering Miller performing at a bigger club, he surely would have been worth at least 2 or 3 million. Of course, often our players are worth poultry sums so it is hard to gauge things. Unless we have 100% standout top performing players like Boumsong, Hutton, Cuellar etc, our players seem to be worth peanuts. Then you have to look at the sales of Charlie Adam and Barry Ferguson, both leaving for nominal fees. Granted, both were not performing at Ibrox but questions have to be asked when two of the top performing midfielders in the premiership this season played for us recently yet little money changed hands. That might not be entirely Bain's fault - both appeared to have little to offer by the end of their times at Ibrox. Walter Smith has to be held accountable for sure. Why do two players who looked rubbish against teams like Hamilton go two pretty average teams in England and shine? Both have been man of the match at least more than once this season, with Charlie seemingly winning it or getting close near every other game he plays. Is it any wonder the bank are coming down so hard on a club so inept at running things? Key players should be tied down with 18 months or 12 months at the latest remaining on contracts. Failure to negotiate a deal should result in the player being sold. This is how other successful clubs would conduct business. Maybe the banks involvement makes increased and longer contracts difficult but it is the club that got us in this mess in the first place. The club think that by offering deals at the last minute they don't have to get tied to overly long contracts or increased wages. Well in the process we have lost 2 strikers that both cost a considerable sum and should have been sold for considerable profit. Buy for a dime, sell for a nickle, that's the Rangers way. I wonder what the average amount of money we generate is for the players that leave Ibrox - not a lot I'd guess.

A point of view on matters financial. Once again like many Rangers Supporters, I am left mystified by the comments of Walter Smith in relation to our position with our Bankers - Lloyds/HBOS - followed by the Club's decision to readily release our own and the SPL's top scorer for the second time in 6 months. I won't use the word 'sell' as Boyd went for nothing and by the time Miller picks up his severance pay off, we will have very little left. I have a background in banking and passed my exams many years ago, but no matter how hard I try, when I look at our accounts, I cannot understand why Lloyds/HBOS are behaving in such a manner towards us. Our published accounts to 30 June 2010 show that our Bank debt incorporating a Term Loan and overdraft facilities reduced by �£3.7m last year to �£22.3m (2009 - �£26.1m). This was despite paying off �£8million in historic transfer fees (which left �£1.2million still to pay). The term loan, repayable over 19 years, stands at �£19m which will mean repayments of �£1million per year + interest. So, if we had Bank Debt of �£22.3m and �£19m of that was a long term loan, then our working overdraft would be �£3.3m, which is well within the �£15m revolving credit facility (overdraft limit) that we have: �£11.7m within it to be exact. A football club's income is loaded to the beginning of the season in terms of season ticket sales, but Champions League participation this season will mean a hefty amount of Euros being lodged in our account with Lloyds/HBOS, before the season ends. Our Champions League campaign this season has guaranteed us 9.2million Euros + TV Revenue (in 2008 Celtic got 6.2 million Euros) + gate receipts, which should easily total around �£16million. On top of that, we will get a further 200,000 Euros for qualifying for the Europa League, plus TV and gate receipts and another �£300,000 Euros + TV and gate receipts should we get past Sporting Lisbon. That amount would, of course, increase with each round should we advance. Putting things into perspective. On 30 June 2010, we had an overdraft of �£3.3 million, but the previous year we managed to reduce our overdraft by �£3.7m, so assuming we have a similar year, that should be wiped out this year and leave us with a small credit balance. However, we should do better than last year, due to a better performance in the Champions League bringing us an extra 1.2million Euros in points payments, compared to last year. Also, last year we repaid �£8m in historical transfer fees, we don't have that to pay this year (maximium should be �£1.2m), so we should be well in credit at the Bank. Allied to that: Staff Costs have been steadily reducing over the last 2 years. In the year to 30 June 2008 they were �£34.3m. In 2009 - �£30.7m. In 2010 - �£28.1m. That equals reduction of �£6.2million in the last 2 seasons and a figure that will again be slashed this year. Our Net Operating Expenses in 2008 were �£56.8m. In 2009 - �£48.2m. In 2010 - �£43.8m. Which is a reduction of �£13million in 2 years and these will also be significantly reduced this year, meaning further profit. By my conservative reckoning, by 30 June 2011, we should have somewhere in the region of a �£10million credit balance at the Bank and our long term loan reduced to �£18m over 18 years. I haven't taken any of our summer transfers into consideration, due to a lack of accurate figures, but I would reckon that the transfer fees and wages for the players who left, should more or less offset the 3 who came in. Our debt to equity (gearing) ratio was reduced last year to 38% (2009 - 47%). again a sign that we are heading in the right direction, though further reduction would be helpful. Crucially, the �£15m revolving credit facility with Lloyds/HBOS, was in place till 31 December 2010 and the only possible explanation could be that the Bank have renewed this at a much lower level. If that is the case, then it could be down to cash flow, as I don't think the UEFA money is received for a few months yet. If I am correct, then it really is a shocking act by Lloyds/HBOS, given that the UEFA money is guaranteed due to what we have already achieved in the Champions League this season. Something about the whole thing stinks more than a Celtc supporters green and grey hooped top after four weeks of constant wear in the summer. There is something that we are not being told and it is now time for the Club to come out and tell us what the problem is with Lloyds/HBOS and whether or not we are being strangled due to our association with the MIH Group, as to me, it is certainly not obvious in our accounts.

Rangers take Forest youth striker on trial Striker Thomas Mullen will train with Rangers next week. Rangers will run the rule over Scotland under-19ââ?¬â?¢s striker Thomas Mullen next week as Walter Smith looks to bolster his attacking options for the future. The young forward is available on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest after being told he is surplus to requirements by Billy Davies. Mullen was a standout performer last season for the Nottingham Forest youth team, scoring 17 goals, making him the academyââ?¬â?¢s top scorer. Interests ensued from Everton and Blackburn, but at the time Forest were keen to hold on to the player. Heââ?¬â?¢s now been released as part of a clearout with another six youth players and could make the move to Glasgow if the trial goes well. Mullen has made several appearances for the Scottish youth squads, most notably against Norway and Estonia. The youth player would be unlikely to see any first team football this season if the deal to Ibrox is made, as heââ?¬â?¢s considered to be ââ?¬Ë?one for the futureââ?¬â?¢. Rangers will be keen to source a more immediate solution to the imminent departure of Kenny Miller. David Goodwillie has been touted for a move to Ibrox if Miller completes a likely switch to Birmingham. http://sport.stv.tv/football/219078-rangers-take-forest-youth-striker-on-trial/?

RST Chairman "Boycott of Lloyds can't be ruled out" 07 January by therabbitt Speaking to the BBC on the subject of Walter Smith's comments regarding the controlling influence of the bank on Rangers, RST chairman Stephen Smith was pointed in his criticism of Lloyds. Rangers are currently being held at gunpoint by Lloyds and Smith intimated that the sooner the clubs hands are untied, the better. "The sooner Lloyds are disentangled from the running of Rangers Football Club the better. I'm as worried now as I was last year when the manager felt strongly enough to publicly criticise the bank's role. Echoing the managers sentiments, the RST chairman discussed the fact that with successes in the Champions League, it would be expected that Lloyds wouldnt be holding such a stern view on the finances of the club, "We've had a successful Champions League campaign, we're guaranteed at least two more European games, yet there has still been no change in attitude from Lloyds. We're challenging for four competitions and that's why the size of the squad is a concern." In a more barbed comment, Smith backed up his managerial namesake, chosing to brand the banks treatment of the club as being 'vindictive', "If the manager's saying we need help, why are Lloyds behaving in such a vindictive way towards Rangers?" Signalling the RST's intent, Smith then refused to rule out that if the situation isn't improved, then the RST would consider finding a way to take action against the bank, "If that begins to materially affect Rangers on the park, we will certainly look to take action to try to change that. "Getting the Rangers family involved in a boycott of Lloyds Bank can't be ruled out." http://www.rangersmedia.co.uk/homepage/index.php/component/content/article/41-finances/895-rst-qboycott-of-lloyds-cant-be-ruled-outq.html

Craig Whyte remains hopeful of concluding his proposed takeover of Rangers before the end of January. Whyte has been in negotiations with the current owner Sir David Murray since the middle of November. He had initially hoped to complete a �£33m deal before Christmas, but due diligence has taken longer than the Scottish businessman expected. However, if that can be concluded soon, Whyte aims to take over in time to help Walter Smith strengthen his squad. On Thursday, Smith bemoaned the current financial constraints at the club, stating that he would be unable to bring in new players unless he sold first. As of September 2010 Rangers' debt stood at �£27m. While Smith was allowed to conduct some transfer business in the summer - including the purchase of Nikica Jelavic for �£4m - his hands have been largely tied on that front for the past three seasons. The Scottish champions trail league leaders Celtic by four points, although they have two games in hand. However, as things stand, Smith will have to challenge in all domestic competitions, as well as in the Europa League, with the same small squad of players. Meanwhile, across Glasgow, rivals Celtic appear likely to bring in more players during the January transfer window. Champions League participation over the last two seasons has helped Rangers go some way to alleviating their financial problems. But failure to win the Scottish Premier League again this term, and thereby miss out on the lucrative Champions League, would reverse that trend and make things even more restrictive for whoever succeeds Smith as Rangers manager next season. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version see also Whyte holds further Rangers talks 03 Dec 10 | Rangers Gers boss pleads for investment 24 Nov 10 | Rangers Ibrox changes will not sway Smith 19 Nov 10 | Rangers Duo hold Rangers takeover talks 18 Nov 10 | Rangers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- related bbc links: Rangers fans' views on My Sport BBC Where I Live - Scotland Glasgow weather BBC Sport SPL related internet links:

Telegraph.co.uk Blame the bank, says Rangers manager Walter Smith as he looks for his players to bounce back from defeat Rangers manager Walter Smith believes that Lloyds Banking Group constitutes a bigger threat to his clubââ?¬â?¢s chances of winning a third successive title than Neil Lennonââ?¬â?¢s Celtic. They may trail their Old Firm rivals by four points after losing 2-0 to them at Ibrox last weekend but Smith is in no doubt that the financial constraints he is being forced to work under can only undermine Rangersââ?¬â?¢ prospects of triumphing at home and abroad. Smith, who will turn 63 next month, is in his final season in charge and has had to contend with the interference from Lloyds (the clubââ?¬â?¢s biggest creditors) for the last two years. However, he accused the bankers of short-termism and pointedly noted that it was their profligacy ââ?¬â?? on a far greater scale than that indulged in by Rangers owner Sir David Murray, although they bankrolled that as well ââ?¬â?? which has brought the global economy to its knees. At a time when he has guided Rangers back into profit for the last three years, significantly reducing the clubââ?¬â?¢s debt in the process, Smith believes he is due a little respite from the number crunchers who continue to treat him with the distrust normally shown to those applying for a first mortgage. ââ?¬Å?I feel as though the whole situation is a bit unfair from the football side of things,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?We do need a bit of help. You had the situation a couple of years ago when some boys put the banner up saying 'We Deserve Better.ââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Å?Of course, they meant the supporters but at times you have to look at it from our side and realise that we also deserve better for what weââ?¬â?¢ve done: and by that I mean in comparison to clubs of similar stature. ââ?¬Å?There obviously isnââ?¬â?¢t a long-term view, they are only looking at it from a short-term perspective. Whether we think itââ?¬â?¢s fair or not it doesnââ?¬â?¢t really matter because weââ?¬â?¢re not getting any kind of reaction anytime we ask: therefore we are well and truly in the hands of the bank. ââ?¬Å?We just need to get on with it. Of course, the ironic aspect, not just for Rangers but for everybody, is that the banks are telling us what we can and canââ?¬â?¢t do. Maybe someone should have done that with them a long time before they started [the credit crunch].ââ?¬Â The bankers have informed Rangersââ?¬â?¢ chief executive, Martin Bain, that they would not be allowed to reinvest any fee received from another club should one their players be sold during this transfer window. ââ?¬Å?It becomes a concern when you have to keep asking the same group of players to keep on delivering,ââ?¬Â said Smith. ââ?¬Å?Thatââ?¬â?¢s when you need a wee bit of help. Unfortunately, we are not going to get that help. ââ?¬Å?We canââ?¬â?¢t afford to bring in a loan player or anything like that. Thatââ?¬â?¢s the situation weââ?¬â?¢re in. Itââ?¬â?¢s an unfortunate one for our club but the bank are dictating the policy overall. Thatââ?¬â?¢s what we have to put up with. ââ?¬Å?If we transferred a player we might not get all the money and we have been told that. If someone left it would give us the opportunity to bring someone in on a similar wage. ââ?¬Å?But transfer-wise weââ?¬â?¢ve been told thereââ?¬â?¢s no certainty we would get the money. The wage would obviously allow us to bring someone in but if we donââ?¬â?¢t lose a player then we wonââ?¬â?¢t be bringing anyone else in.ââ?¬Â Smith also pointed out that the decision to accept or reject any offers for his players would be taken by Lloyds and not by Rangers. As his relatively small squad prepares to do battle in the Co-operative Insurance and Scottish Cups and the Europa League while also having to contend with a fixture backlog in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, the veteran is concerned that his resources will be stretched to breaking point. ââ?¬Å?This season was always going to be a big ask for all of our players,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve handled the first half extremely well, allowing for the fact a few games have been postponed due to the weather. ââ?¬Å?Now we find ourselves in a situation, after the turn of the year, that if we win those games in hand we go back to the top of the table. Considering the Champions League games, the size of the group weââ?¬â?¢ve got and other things, that would still be a fair achievement. ââ?¬Å?We have to remember that but we need to get a good reaction following the Old Firm defeat. Weââ?¬â?¢ve taken a little knock in the Old Firm game and youââ?¬â?¢re always worried about a possible hangover from that. ââ?¬Å?This is big test of character from my players but theyââ?¬â?¢ve shown in the last number of years that they are able to dig deep. If weââ?¬â?¢ve had a setback in the past theyââ?¬â?¢ve always come back from it. We have enough experience.ââ?¬Â Did Walter not slate the we deserve better campaign:confused:

Good news.