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Everyone thinks Rangers are skint and boring but Celtic are making all the right moves in pre-season. Sound familiar? by Alexander Anderson on 13 August 2010 As the new SPL season dawns, why can everyone be sure Rangers will ensure this season finishes the same as last? Because we have exactly the same situation as at this point last year. Rangers are champions, Celtic are chasing. There's a new man at the helm at Parkhead with all sorts of romantic notions having pushed his installation, there's Walter Smith still at Ibrox. There's lots of money being spent on new Celtic signings, there's none being spent at Ibrox. But there's also the small fact that yet again Celtic are out of the Champions League group stage, Rangers are already in it and therefore the big UEFA TV money will be coming to the blue half of the city. Rangers are settled, disciplined and cohesive. Celtic are a team of under-pressure strangers. And we all know how both clubs fared from this start point in 2009. Only a last-minute goal in a replay at the home of Scotland's new third force prevented The Gers completing a domestic treble. Instead they had to "settle" for a second straight SPL title, won at an absolute canter, and an historically sensational CIS League Cup final win over a St Mirren side with a two-man advantage when they fell behind. A few days later, as Rangers made that Scottish Cup exit to a destiny-fuelled Dundee United, news came through that St Mirren had coped surprisingly well in their first match after their Hampden tragedy. The Paisley Buddies played against a full Celtic side for 90 minutes in the SPL, and stuffed them 4-0. Tony Mowbray, the man who'd come to Parkhead as the new guru of glam at the outset of 2009/10 was gone within 24 hours. It was a season where even the bad stuff had great repercussions for Rangers fans. The Gers went crashing out of the Champions League with three straight home hammerings. But the fact they conceded only one goal per away game, losing only one of those games, vindicated the defensive formation which took them to the 2008 UEFA Cup final with a series of home draws. There'll be no more blind calls for Rangers to aimlessly cede possession against European opponents at Ibrox. Furthermore, the unnecessary fan backlash after the freakish 4-1 loss to Unirea Urziceni sowed the seeds for Walter Smith's best tactical move of the season. In a radio interview a few days later he played The Rangers Supporters Trust off against the Lloyds Banking Group to make two organisations he dislikes to create the media storm which took all the pressure off him and his players. Neil Lennon's next big game is the Europa League play-off. It may actually benefit Celtic to have drawn Utrecht, whose home ground's atmosphere makes it the Tynecastle of Holland. This way the green-and-white hooped ones can go crashing out of Europe altogether and not see continental competition become a further drain on their slim domestic chances, as it did last season. Celtic need the confidence from a Europa League group place but the money they'll gain is negligable in comparison to what Rangers will make in the big boys' competition. And the greater long-term gain is to be made in qualifying for next season's Champions League. The financial disparity between the two clubs will soon be closed. Skint Rangers may be, but only by their own standards, only by Champions League standards - this does not mean they can't lay on the excitement in Scotland. Last season Rangers won both Old Firm games at Ibrox. They went down at Pittodrie but that just set in motion a run of form which blew the league away. Within the space of a few December days Rangers beat Dundee United by an aggregate of 10-1, home and away. Having gone a man then a goal down before coming back to beat Hearts at Tynecastle in August, The Gers returned there in spring to win 4-1. They claimed the title with a second win at Easter Road, the first one being achieved with a 4-goal backlash after Hibs scored the fastest goal in SPL history. And for those who think defending like an open barn door is a more "honest" form of football, what about the champions' 4-1 loss at St Johnstone? Doesn't get much more "stylish" than that. Neil Lennon has endured two meaningful games as Celtic manager, in terms of competition. He lost both spectacularly. But if we take Braga and Ross County out of the equation, Lennon has enjoyed one win in his short tenure which Celtic fans will see as significant. Beating Rangers 2-1 last season long after the title was in Ibrox hands. Basically, Rangers lost the last derby of the season at Parkhead in exactly the same style they'd won the first one at Ibrox. But the reaction couldn't have been more different. Celtic had more of the ball at Ibrox, had a penalty claim turned down, lost 2-1 and then all hell was let loose in the media as refereeing conspiracies and those nonsensical accusations about "style" came flooding out the away dressing room. Nothing was mentioned of the fact Rangers lost three key players in the 24 hours leading up to the game and two more before half-time. At Parkhead in springtime, Rangers had more of the ball than during any trip to the home of their biggest rival in the last decade. Kenny Miller was sensational, scored a great goal and was denied a stone-wall penalty. Rangers lost 2-1 as Celtic burst out of their strait-jacket twice to score. No one at Ibrox complained. Rangers people understand football. They understand the breaks do indeed even themselves out and, most of all, they know that winning football - as long as it doesn't involve outright cheating - is the most stylish football of all. Everything else is just window dressing. And that's all Celtic's 2010/11 campaign is. Their new management team, their striker signed from Scunthorpe, their belief Rangers are lucky and their idea that Neil Lennon - who played for the club for half a decade - is some sort of "through and through Celtic man" or that that has anything to do with his ability to manage: All just window dressing. The ribbons will be staying at brox, on the handles of the SPL trophy. http://www.sportingo.com/football/a14023_why-parlous-rangers-will-trump-celtic-third-successive-spl-title

RANGERS are close to tying down a trio of prized assets with Allan McGregor, Kenny Miller and Sasa Papac all ready to sign new deals. And in another boost to boss Walter Smith, who just weeks ago looked like having his squad decimated by big-name departures, Lee McCulloch has already signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2013. McCulloch's commitment comes in the wake of interest from Ipswich and Blackpool, who were keen to lure the player south of the border again. The former Motehrwell man said: "I know Rangers are trying to secure the payers who are going to be out of contract next year and there are efforts being made to bring in new faces." But it's the news over McGregor that will most thrill Gers fans. He is one of the club's most sellable assets and a string of Premiership outfits were believed to be preparing a raid. The Ibrox No. 1 again proved his class on his international recall against Sweden on Wednesday night when he prevented a 3-0 beating from turning into an annihilation. And to swell the feelgood factor Miller and Papac - who are in the final year of their existing contracts - are also poised to agree new deals as Smith further plugs the Ibrox exodus.

Walter Smith hopes to conclude the signings of James Beattie and Tommy Smith before Saturdayââ?¬â?¢s SPL opener with Kilmarnock at Ibrox. The Rangers manager says he has not totally given up on his pursuit of Rapid Vienna striker Nikica Jelavic ââ?¬â?? but that deal appears to be all but dead unless the player lowers his financial demands. Beattie is set to cost around Ã?£1.5million from Stoke City and was on his way to Glasgow for contract talks with chief executive Martin Bain. Rangers are believed to have offered Ã?£900,000 to Portsmouth for Smith and were waiting on an answer from the Championship side before entering into wage talks. The Rangers manager confirmed today: ââ?¬Å?We are in negotiations with Stoke and Portsmouth for the signings of James Beattie and Tommy Smith respectively. ââ?¬Å?It is difficult to say just how long it will take to conclude these signings ââ?¬â?? but we hope to complete both deals in time for the weekend.ââ?¬Â Beattie would look the more likely deal to be pushed through, with Pompey boss Steve Cotterrill insisting of Smith: ââ?¬Å?He isnââ?¬â?¢t a players weââ?¬â?¢d be looking to lose. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s a good player, and whatââ?¬â?¢s been offered wouldnââ?¬â?¢t be the figure weââ?¬â?¢d put on him if we did want to sell.ââ?¬Â Jelavicââ?¬â?¢s protracted transfer from Rapid Vienna has rumbled on for the best part of two weeks. Rangers have tabled a transfer package of close to Ã?£4million for the 24-year-old, with a Ã?£16,000 a week wage offer, but he is sue a slice of any sale and senior sources at Ibrox, privately, have all but given up hope of his arrival unless there is a change in stance on his behalf. Smith explained: ââ?¬Å?As for Jelavic, I admit that one is looking more doubtful as there are complications there that we had not foreseen. ââ?¬Å?Things have not gone smoothly ââ?¬â?? but we have by no means given up on bringing him to the club.ââ?¬Â Smith will also arrange a closed-door game for Honduran international Georgie Welcome early next week in order to make a final decision on whetherââ?¬â?¢s heââ?¬â?¢s worth a deal. He was denied a work permit to play in a second-string game against Glentoran this week and could face red-tape issues. Arsenal kid Nacer Barazite also remains on trial. Smith said: ââ?¬Å?Welcome has been unfortunate in that he is not allowed to play in any public games and so we are in the process of arranging a closed-door game and we will make a decision on him after that. As for Nacer, we will continue to look at him.ââ?¬Â Smith also confirmed that he will continue to work right up to the closure of the transfer window on August 31 as he bids to beef up his squad. ââ?¬Å?We have only 14 experienced players in our squad right now and it is obvious that we need to add more in terms of quality and experience,ââ?¬Â he added. ââ?¬Å?We have been working on a number of other deals, but these players are in demand elsewhere and that has made it difficult. ââ?¬Å?But we will keep working on things until the closure of the transfer window ââ?¬â?? and we hope to be able to bring in another couple of new faces above the players I have discussed.ââ?¬Â Meanwhile, Kenny Miller should be fit for Killie despite suffering from shin splints. Smith said: ââ?¬Å?Kenny has been struggling, but the fact he has not played midweek for Scotland should allow him to be OK for Saturday. ââ?¬Å?It is not a chronic condition with him so that bit of rest should have sorted things.ââ?¬Â But the Rangers manager confirmed that Lee McCulloch, who is in any case suspended for the SPL opener, will need up to a fortnight to recover from the virus he is suffering from. Smith said: ââ?¬Å?Lee picked up the virus coming back from Australia and we expect him to take another couple of weeks to make a full recovery.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/walter-smith-confirms-beattie-and-smith-deals-1.1047824

Walter Smith has confirmed Rangers are trying to sign Stoke's James Beattie and Portsmouth's Tommy Smith. More...

Rangers to trial Arsenal youngster on ex-Celtic bossââ?¬â?¢ recommendation Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:14:03 GMT Rangers will give a trial to Arsenal youngster Nacer Barazite in their friendly with Glentoran on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old, who has made three appearances for the Gunners, was recommended to the SPL champions by former Celtic manager Liam Brady. Brady, who is now involved with the London clubââ?¬â?¢s youth academy, made it possible for Ian Durrant to include the Dutch forward in his squad for the game, which will see a youthful Rangers line-up take to the field. The performance of Barazite on the evening will be of particular interest to Gers boss Walter Smith, who has previously spoken of his desire to sign wide players to bolster his squad ahead of the new season. ââ?¬Å?The squad will be mostly made up of reserve players but it is still very strong and there are players here who have already, or will this season, play in the first team,ââ?¬Â Durrant told the Belfast Telegraph ahead of the game against Glentoran. ââ?¬Å?We will have a young lad on trial for us called Nacer Barazite who comes to us from Arsenal and was highly recommended by Liam Brady and that will be a good opportunity for us and the Rangers fans in Belfast to have a look at him.ââ?¬Â Barazite, who was born in Nijmegen in Holland to Moroccan parents, is a current Under-21 international with Oranje. He has also represented his country at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-20 levels, featuring in the Under-17 European Championship in 2007. A versatile attacking player, 6ft 2in Barazite spent the 2008/09 season on loan at Derby County, playing 36 times for the Rams as they reached the semi-finals of the Carling Cup. It was in the same competition the player made his three appearances under Arsene Wenger, last playing in the game with West Bromwich Albion in September 2009. Barazite is capable of playing in any position going forward, having been deployed all across the midfield and up front for Arsenal as he has worked his way through the ranks. During his time at Derby, he featured mainly on the right wing.

Ally McCoist has flown to America to run the rule over a batch of summer signing targets. The Rangers No.2 jetted out to New York yesterday along with midfielder Maurice Edu and will watch the USA friendly against Brazil at the New Meadowlands Stadium tomorrow night. There was also an MLS game between Chicago and New York Red Bulls last night which McCoist was set to take in as the Light Blues assess the qualities of several players being offered to them. Itââ?¬â?¢s understood boss Walter Smith has been tipped off about some of the up-and-coming talents beginning to make their impact at international level ââ?¬â?? and dispatched McCoist to watch them in the flesh. Maurice Edu has also passed on information on some of his countrymen and itââ?¬â?¢s thought players such as Alejandro Bedoya and Benny Feilhaber could be on the radar providing they impress. Bedoya is one of the most promising players within the American set-up and currently plays for Swedish side Orebro. The 23-year-old is a left-sided midfield player with plenty of pace which is exactly what Smith is targeting this summer. Feilhaber, 25, is operating for Danish outfit AGF Aarhus but it is thought his time there is coming to an end. Smith hopes to secure his No.1 summer target after chief executive Martin Bain flew back to Austria on Saturday for a second round of talks with Rapid Vienna over Nikica Jelavic. Bain has made a final pitch to the Austrian club with the transfer fee now around the Ã?£4million mark, while a Ã?£15,000-a-week wage offer. Rangers now want an answer after two weeks of talks ââ?¬â?? or else they will look at other options. The 24-year-old Croatian has said he wants to move to Ibrox, but a decision will have to be made soon. Honduras striker Georgie Welcome remains on trial, but insiders say a deal for him is no better than 50-50 as, although he has looked decent in training, he is behind the other players in terms of fitness and unable to be judged in games due to work permit rules. SportTimes also understands Rangers wonââ?¬â?¢t be making moves for any young players at Manchester United such as Danny Wellbeck. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/ally-mccoist-jets-out-on-us-spy-mission-1.1047031

Rangers youngster Ross Perry is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Danny Wilson and become a firstteam star at Ibrox. The defender graduated through the Murray Park ranks with Wilson and watched as the then 17-year-old eased his way into the heart of the Gers backline, playing an integral part in their league and cup double. While Wilson has since earned himself a move to English giants Liverpool in a deal that could be worth Ã?£5million to the champions, Perry is gearing up for the start of the new season under Walter Smith. His former team-mateââ?¬â?¢s achievements can only serve as inspiration to the rest of the youngsters who are likely to feature more in the coming season due to Rangersââ?¬â?¢ small squad. ââ?¬Å?Danny was lucky enough to get his chance last year and he took it and is reaping the benefits of it now,ââ?¬Â Perry said. ââ?¬Å?Hopefully a couple of the boys can do the same this year. ââ?¬Å?I grew up playing with Danny and saw him developing as a player. He got his opportunity, he took it and now he is away at Liverpool. ââ?¬Å?I am delighted for him. It was the chance of a lifetime, it was a great opportunity and one that would have been hard to turn down. ââ?¬Å?Through injuries he got his chance, even though some people might have been a bit wary about a young boy going into the first team, but he cruised every single game and gained a lot from it. ââ?¬Å?He is the example to follow.ââ?¬Â With Davie Weir, Andy Webster and Madjid Bougherra at his disposal, Smith has plenty of options in the central defensive areas but bad luck on the injury front could derail their title bid. The first-team squad will be supplemented by youngsters and Perry hopes to force his way into the reckoning. ââ?¬Å?This is a big season for me,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?The way things are going with the size of the squad, we might have to rely on youth. ââ?¬Å?You have to be patient at Rangers, it is a massive club and you have to wait for your opportunity. It is something you grow up dreaming about. ââ?¬Å?I was away with the team in Australia and managed to get some game time in over there. ââ?¬Å?There are going to be a few of us in that position due to the size of the squad so it is up to us if we get the opportunity to grab it with both hands and go for it.ââ?¬Â Perry spent the first half of last season on loan at then English Conference side Oxford United. He made 11 appearances for the Uââ?¬â?¢s and impressed but the 21-year-old admits he now wants to put his experience to good use at Ibrox. He said: ââ?¬Å?I didnââ?¬â?¢t play as much as I hoped to but it was still a valuable experience to be involved week in, week out in a first-team setup. ââ?¬Å?Oxford were in for me to go back on loan but due to the uncertainty at Rangers none of us were allowed to leave. ââ?¬Å?I am a Rangers player, I want to be at Rangers and I want to try and prove myself so I wanted to stay and be in the frame and give it a go.ââ?¬Â Wilson, meanwhile, has admitted that the lure of Liverpool was too big an opportunity to turn down. ââ?¬Å?I would have been happy to stay at Rangers had Liverpool not made an offer,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?But once I knew they were interested, the thoughts going through my head were that it was a chance I wanted to take. ââ?¬Å?It was an offer I felt I couldnââ?¬â?¢t turn down. Rangers are a massive club but so are Liverpool. Theyââ?¬â?¢re a top-four Premiership club and the offer to go there doesnââ?¬â?¢t come up every day. ââ?¬Å?I didnââ?¬â?¢t want to think in a few yearsââ?¬â?¢ time, ââ?¬Ë?I could have gone thereââ?¬â?¢. I wanted to challenge myself and not worry that it might not happen for me.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/i-watched-mate-danny-wilson-leap-into-first-team-now-it-s-my-turn-1.1047323

Rangers should consider trying to make a few bob by sending their players out to host those feelgood, “how-to-make-your-life-better” motivational seminars. They all seem unnaturally able to look on the bright side about absolutely everything in that dressing room. No setback is too grave for them to brush aside. They can sound like Monty Python’s Black Knight. Their arms and legs are cut off and they simply shout “’tis only a flesh wound”. Rangers lose their top goalscorer, a guy who was being tipped to be their next captain, and the brightest prospect their youth system has produced in years, yet all they do is shrug their shoulders and soldier on regardless. In all, six of their number have been moved on since the end of the season and so far there hasn’t been a replacement for any of them. But they have won two championships since last buying anyone and on Saturday they took care of a full-strength Newcastle side only a week away from taking on Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League. The dwindling band of guys who have delivered these results all speak with an evangelical refusal to be broken, bowed or even fed up with the erosion going on around them. At times they would sound like they were clutching at straws, or stubbornly refusing to accept the bleedin’ obvious, were it not for the fact that they keep on digging out the sort of results which ought to be beyond them. It was after their satisfying performance and victory against Newcastle that Steven Naismith became the latest to reach for an impressively upbeat interpretation of what it meant to be at a club which, metaphorically speaking, doesn’t have any money to feed the meter. “It is a close-knit group of boys and I think the well-documented problems last season brought us even closer together,” said Naismith. “As a group, we are all quite pally. Everybody talks to each other in the dressing room. That is one of the biggest things going for us. You can’t buy that. “It has obviously built up from when the manager came back. He has targeted players who will gel together and it has worked out. That togetherness can count for a lot. We do so much together. A lot of the families are quite close and that also helps. I can’t think of any player who you couldn’t sit down and have a chat and a laugh with.” At some level Naismith might be on to something. There must be something unusual, something powerful, that grows within a group of players when they have to rely on each other as much as this Rangers team have over the past two seasons. At times they’re like the guinea pigs in a football experiment: build up a squad as usual but then turn off the taps, then keep flogging it, without bringing in replacements to give anyone a rest, and see how long it can endure before it collapses in an exhausted heap. Rangers do still have some miles in them. Every one of the team which started against Newcastle was an internationalist. Two more came on as substitutes and another pair with caps were unused on the bench. Their first choice XI is acceptable. Sure, there is a lack of creativity and Kenny Miller often lacks support, but Walter Smith’s strongest hand is reasonable. The real glaring problem is the alarming absence of strength in depth. Kyle Lafferty and Andrius Velicka offer options, as does goalkeeper Neil Alexander, but the rest of the substitutes were Andrew Little (a Northern Irish international, but a young and raw one), Andrew Shinnie, Gregg Wylde, Kyle Hutton, Jordan McMillan and Archie Campbell. Everyone of them might become proper Rangers players one day but they aren’t the ones Smith would wish to be turning to when all the injuries and suspensions kick in during the season. Rangers’ back four is Mount Rushmore, there never seems to be any change to it. Steven Davis and Lee McCulloch were in front of them on Saturday and then a line of three – Naismith, Maurice Edu and Steven Whittaker – were behind Miller. There was little from them until Whittaker whipped in a cross and Miller stole in front of Fabricio Coloccini to score with a near post header in 24 minutes. Newcastle were patchy and unconvincing. Rangers scored again when the impressive Davis made nimble use of the ball and released Naismith for a low finish after 66 minutes. “At half-time Coisty [assistant manager Ally McCoist] mentioned their defence was pretty high and I managed to make a late run through to get my goal.” Peter Lovenkrands quickly pulled one back with an easy rebound after an Allan McGregor save from Kevin Nolan. The Dane exasperated the Ibrox support when he was one of theirs, but they applauded him generously. By the end Shinnie was in central midfield, Wylde on the left, and Velicka – looking alert and eager to be involved – supporting Lafferty. “Bringing the young boys into the squad has brought the enthusiasm levels up,” said Naismith. Well, what did you think he was going to say? Among Rangers players, life rolls along from one silver lining to another. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/rangers-2-newcastle-united-1-keep-on-keeping-on-still-working-it-seems-1.1046778

Eidur Gudjohnsen could be set to join Rangers from French club Monaco. Reports in France on Saturday morning claim representatives from the SPL champions are currently in the principality holding talks with the Ligue 1 club. Gudjohnsen spent the second half of the 2009/10 season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, after struggling to make an impact with the Rouge et Blanc. The Icelandic forward only moved to the French league from Barcelona one year ago. Radio station RMC, which broadcasts in Monte Carlo, say the out-of-favour player is close to agreeing a move to Scotland, becoming Walter Smith's first signing ahead of the new season. Whether the SPL side would take the 31-year-old on loan or on a permanent basis remains to be seen. Following the purchase of Standard Liege striker Dieumerci Mbokani last week, Monaco boss Guy Lacombe is believed to be keen to move Gudjohnsen on. His availability appears to have alerted Rangers, who are currently pursuing a number of options to bolster their thin squad. Highly regarded in world football, Gudjohnsen began his career with Valur Reykjavik, before a two-year spell at Dutch club PSV. He returned to Iceland at the age of 19 for a short time with KR, before Bolton Wanderers came calling in 1998. Impressive after a slow start with the Trotters, Gianluca Vialli came calling in 2000 to take the player to Chelsea, where he made over 200 appearances and scored 80 times. His form alerted Barcelona in 2006, who spent over 12 million Euros on the player to replace Henrik Larsson. His Barca career had looked like being short lived, with then-boss Frank Rijkaard coming close to selling him back to England after one season. But a number of polished displays, in which he also showed his ability as a midfielder and as a wide player, prolonged his career at Camp Nou well into the Pep Guardiola era. The purchase of Gudjohnsen would be seen as something of a coup for the Scottish club, who have failed to replace any of six departing players this summer to date. Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo left a gap in Smith's forward line, which the Gers boss has been working to plug in recent weeks. Negotiations are continuing with Rapid Vienna over the purchase of striker Nikica Jelavic, after Martin Bain returned home from a trip to Austria on Thursady having failed to convince the club to accept a �£3.5 million offer. Honduran striker Georgie Welcome is currently on trial at Murray Park, trying to win a move from Motagua. http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/rangers/190535-rangers-in-talks-with-eidur-gudjohnsen/

Walter Smith is a phenomenon. At the age of 62, after 44 years in professional football, he has become a Patton without the bluster, a Churchill without the growling. Well, not in public at any rate. In his final season in charge of his beloved Rangers, his enthusiasm for the task is that of a grizzled general who wants to go to war one more time, a leader who will inspire his men on their last charge together. He does it quietly, of course. After all, it is not as if his record doesn't speak for itself. Smith would need to be manager into his seventies and win every title from now until then to beat the legendary Bill Struth's managerial record of 18 Scottish championships for Rangers, but with nine league flags collected on his own - Souness left before the end of season 1990-91 - plus three as assistant to Souness, not to mention five Scottish Cups, five League Cups and that run to the UEFA Cup final in 2008, Smith's place in the Ibrox club's history has long been secure. There are still a couple of records he might want. As Rangers match secretary and then first manager, William Wilton won four Scottish Cups and ten league titles, the last of them just days before his tragic death from drowning in 1920. Victory in either the Scottish Cup or SPL would give Smith 15 of the big two, second outright behind Struth. A tenth league title would also bring him equal with Jock Stein's record of ten championships. So there is further prestige to play for, and Smith is relishing the prospect of another campaign, even as the club's financial difficulties continue and they have shed Kris Boyd, Kevin Thompson, Danny Wilson, and Nacho Novo, with no replacements brought in as yet. "Everybody that's involved, management, players, everyone, has to accept the challenge of a new season," said Smith. "It doesn't matter how many you manage to win, you still face a huge challenge to show that you can do it again. "If you look at it historically, there are teams that can get up there and win a championship, but to try and win it year after year is a difficult motivation for anybody. "I admire guys in sport who can repeat their success season after season, as that is the true test of any team or individual. "It makes no difference that this is my last season. You still have that determination to succeed and if I didn't, I wouldn't have come back for another year. The easiest thing for me would have been to say 'that's it, I'm finishing' but the determination is still there." Smith also knows not to disturb a winning formula: "We need to bring in a few players, everybody knows that. But we are set in what we do and we have been doing it for the past three-and-a-half years, there's no reason to change anything. As far as the organisational aspect goes, we will be doing exactly the same as what we have been doing." At least the immediate future of Rangers in David Murray's ownership is secure, to Smith's relief: "The situation has maybe been clarified. Last year we had four or five months of somebody going to be buying the club. Hopefully, if somebody is going to buy the club in the future then they do so in a bit quieter fashion than we had last year." How Smith keeps his patience in the face of banking intransigence nobody knows. Judging by recent reports, it appears he has a case-by-case kitty for acquisitions this month, so Rangers fans should not hold their breath for big signings as the debt-ridden club's entire budget is under constant accounting scrutiny. Lloyds Bank has apparently made it clear to Rangers that maybe, just maybe, it might allow some of the Champions League income - boosted by more than �£2 million to a likely �£12m-plus by Celtic's exit last week - to be spent on players in the January transfer window. But that's a banker's maybe, the kind on which you wouldn't bet your bottom, never mind your dollar. Smith merely commented: "I would hope that if we qualified out of the Champions League group then money would be made available in January, but that's a big ask for us. If we got into the Europa League knockout stages that would also be financially beneficial for us. We'll just have to wait and see." How will they fare without the goal machine called Boyd? "It's an important factor for us," replied Smith. "We saw a bit of what was needed in the second half of the season when he didn't score as much, but it's going to be a big hole to fill. Whatever criticism anyone - including myself - had of Boydie, he got us a level of goals that was invaluable." The spine of the team is already laid out, said Smith, with McGregor in goals, Majid Bougherra and the evergreen Davie Weir in central defence and Steven Davis and Lee McCulloch in midfield, and Kenny Miller and A.N. Other up front. Davis in particular will be a vital cog: "He has moved into the middle which I feel can strengthen us. We just need to fill in at the front with support for Kenny Miller, which we're trying to do at the moment." Main rivals as ever will be Celtic, and their difficulties against Sporting Braga should be ignored, said Smith. "If you change the number of players that have been changed at Celtic it would be difficult for anybody to mould a team to play. I've experienced it myself - you don't get any continuity if you make that many changes. I don't think that will be an indicator of how Celtic will fare once they settle down." When Smith ended his first tenure at Rangers, he announced his departure early in the 1997-98 season which did not end with Rangers winning a record tenth title in a row. Smith sees this three-in-a-row farewell bid as markedly different: "I don't think the circumstances we are in at the moment can be looked upon as anything like that. "It's just about whether we as a group, management and players, take up the challenge for another season." No one should doubt his ability to be Rangers' general one more time. This is Walter Smith's last hurrah, and that's worth shouting about. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Walter-Smith39s-ibrox-of-tricks.6463123.jp?articlepage=3

Walter Smith has tactfully talked his way around speculation linking Rangers with Eidur Gudjohnsen. More...

At work, discussing Celtic's Champions League debacle with ardent Hoops man G____ D_____, we agreed that the approximate level of the Old Firm was the group stages of the Europa League, and that anything thereafter would be a surprising bonus. Motherwell's success later that night, though, points to what can be done with organisation, determination and a manager who knows his way around a football pitch. One of the main criticisms of Walter Smith has been his European record, and I'm the first to admit its poor. But if we just look at the European games in his second tenure, there haven't been the same humbling humiliations. We've gone from trying to compete with the best, and the second best, and sometimes the third best and failing, to playing to our own strengths and getting the odd result here and there - with the UEFA run the obvious highlight. Craig Brown, so long derided when Scotland boss for his dismal playing style, now seems quite the sage. He took the national side to the finals of major tournaments, and is now achieveing all that could be expected and possibly more with a (to be honest) middling and inexperienced Motherwell side. So what if it bores the likes of Murdo MacLeod to tears? Given that we all know what the style of play will be, no-one needs to go if they dread defensive tactics. Lionel Messi can bang on about anti-football if he wants, but the reality is that results are all that matters - all the dreams of flowing, silky soccer won't be worth a bean should we be dumped out of Europe before Christmas. I think an equivalent for Rangers, that is, one to match Motherwell's achievement, would be to stagger into the Europa league. I don't honestly think we'll do it, unless pitched into a hitherto unimaginably weak CL group, but I do think that with Walter Smith and his functional, dour, but effective tactics, we have a better chance than we would have without him. It may not be pretty; but dreams will get us nowhere.

YOUNGSTER now expected to be out for six weeks with hamstring problem More... JOHN FLECK is expected to be out for up to six weeks after tearing his hamstring against Clyde on Wednesday. It was initially hoped the youngster would be sidelined for a fortnight following the injury he suffered in the first half of the 2-1 friendly win over the Bully Wee. But further examinations have revealed the damage is more extensive than first thought and it's likely to be the end of September before he is back. That means Fleck could miss as many as six SPL games and the first round of Champions League fixtures. News the 18-year-old will be out for as long is a huge setback for manager Walter Smith, whose squad is already as shallow as it has been for many years. He said: "Unfortunately John will miss maybe six weeks with his hamstring injury, or at least up to that anyway. "Hopefully we can get him back a little bit quicker but we're looking at six weeks at the present moment. "That's a blow to him because he had started the season well and he has been playing well in the pre-season games he has had."

Walter Smith is refusing to throw in the towel in Rangers' bid to land striker Nikica Jelavic. More...

First half goals from Steven Naismith and Kenny Miller helped Rangers to a 2-1 friendly win over Clyde at Broadwood Stadium. Gers, who tackle Kilmarnock in their SPL opener this weekend, gave virtually the whole of their squad a chance to impress manager Walter Smith. No less than 19 players turned out for the Light Blues, including exciting prospect Jamie Ness in midfield. One negative for Rangers was the loss of teenager John Fleck, who had to be stretchered off after damaging his hamstring. Gers' bright start was rewarded with their opening goal on eight minutes when Naismith slid home beyond John Hutchison from Kenny's neat pass. Their second arrived on 24 minutes when Kenny capitalised on some poor defending before firing past Hutchison with a good finish. Clyde finished the half in the ascendancy and just a few minutes into the second half they pulled a goal back through John Stewart. Smith gave a host of youngsters the chance to shine late on and while they failed to build on their lead the friendly proved a worthwhile exercise. ======================================== Hope this isnt serious for Fleck - the last thing we need is injuries !

Walter Smith knows he will have to keep an eye on Kenny Miller due to the striker suffering from shin splints. More...

Walter Smith is sweating over Lee McCulloch and Kyle Lafferty after they picked up knocks against Sydney. More...

He is all I like to see in a Rangers Captain. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/david-weir-unperturbed-by-celtic-s-financial-advantage-over-rangers-1.1043873 David Weir, the Rangers captain, is unfazed by the clubââ?¬â?¢s financial strictures that threaten to hand Old Firm rivals Celtic an advantage in the race to secure the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title this season. Facing the reality that they just donââ?¬â?¢t have the money to spend in the transfer market, the defending champions appear to have an uphill battle to make it three titles in a row, especially in the wake of Celticââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£10m transfer outlay. Celtic, under new manager Neil Lennon, have embarked on a spending spree aimed at winning back the SPL crown. Lennon, who predicted ââ?¬Å?bedlamââ?¬Â in his transfer dealings when Celtic returned from their pre-season tour of North America, has already signed Charlie Mulgrew, Cha Du-Ri, Joe Ledley, Daryl Murphy and Efrain Juarez, while Gary Hooper was in Glasgow yesterday for signing talks. In contrast, Rangers have not made a major signing for almost two years and manager Walter Smith has admitted that the club might be lucky to sign even a couple of players by the closure of the transfer window at the end of August. ââ?¬Ë?ââ?¬â?¢We have only got a small group of players because of the financial position of the club; we have had to sell a few,ââ?¬Â Smith said. ââ?¬Å?Hopefully, between now and the end of the close season, we will add a couple of players to that squad. But, so far, we have had no luck in that department.ââ?¬Â We have players who have gone the distance, who have won championships. They know what it means to play for Rangers David Weir, Rangers captain Even though Rangers are thousands of miles away in Sydney, Weir exuded confidence and a typical veteranââ?¬â?¢s calm. He remains upbeat and says the club can more than match Celtic because of the vast experience in the ranks. ââ?¬Å?We have to make do as best we can with what we have at the moment,ââ?¬Â Weir said yesterday. ââ?¬Å?You have to play with what you have got at the end of day. We have the experience at the club to cope with the situation. We have players who have gone the distance, who have won championships. They know what it means to play for Rangers. ââ?¬Å?We will just keep doing what we are doing and not worry about anyone else. As long as we can improve, I will be happy.ââ?¬Â Weir remains confident about Rangersââ?¬â?¢ prospects for the new season. ââ?¬Å?We all know the financial position at the club is tough, but we still have got a good base of players,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Our aim is always to try and win the league and do much better in the Champions League.ââ?¬Â Weir says he is far from jealous of Celticââ?¬â?¢s spending spree. Firing a volley ahead of the new season, he suggested Celtic need to spend to catch up to where Rangers are. ââ?¬Å?No, Iââ?¬â?¢m not jealous [of Celtic]; they have got to go out and buy players because we have won the league in each of the last two seasons and they have to catch up to us,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?It is going to be a great season and we are all looking forward to the chance of defending our title.ââ?¬Â Weir said the four-team tournament in Sydney was the perfect preparation for the new season, despite suggestions that travelling such a long distance could seriously affect the clubââ?¬â?¢s championship prospects. He believes it will be a benefit to fitness ahead of the new seasonââ?¬â?¢s kick-off, although he said it was also important to win the tournament because that is what is expected of Rangers. After beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1 in the opening match on Sunday, Smithââ?¬â?¢s men play Sydney FC, the Australian champions, tomorrow. Weir anticipates a tough test even though Sydney lost 5-3 to AEK Athens in their opening match. ââ?¬Å?We want to win all three games because, historically, that is what Rangers are all about,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?That will never change. That is the nature of the cub. I only saw a little of the Sydney v AEK Athens game on television. I donââ?¬â?¢t know much about them but I am sure we will watch a video and get enough information. ââ?¬Å?I think youââ?¬â?¢ll see an even better performance from us against Sydney,ââ?¬Â he added. ââ?¬Å?We will have had more time to get over the travel and will be more used to the conditions. The weather is good here, certainly a lot better than our winter and that helps, as well.ââ?¬Â Smith admitted he is unlikely to make any changes to the side that beat Blackburn. Vitezslav Lavicka, Sydney FCââ?¬â?¢s Czech coach, was full of praise for Rangers. ââ?¬Å?They were very good against Blackburn,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?I was impressed, because they played some excellent football and they had not been in the country long. ââ?¬Å?We cannot afford to make the sort of defensive mistakes we made against AEK. As you saw, European teams will punish you for that. ââ?¬Å?Rangers have the players to make us pay for mistakes such as that, so we will have to play up to our best

From The Herlad.

ALLY McCOIST last night demanded an end to the Rangers summer sales. The frustrated assistant boss has urged the club's bankers to stop cutting costs and he insisted: Enough is enough. Stars Kris Boyd, Kevin Thomson, Nacho Novo, DaMarcus Beasley, Stevie Smith and Danny Wilson have left Ibrox. So far gaffer Walter Smith has been unable to bring in any replacements. Club legend McCoist fears other players could be sold. He said: "If we lost any more it would disappoint me. "The possibility exists but I would hope that wouldn't be the case. Looking at the squad do I think we've reach the stage where enough's enough? Yes, absolutely. "Look at the players we've lost - Thommo, Danny, Nacho, Boydy, Stevie, DaMarcus. Have I missed anyone? "That's a lot of squad players to lose without being replaced. "You'd have to say it's time to start replacing them now rather than losing any more. "Do the people behind the scenes at the bank appreciate that? I hope so, I really hope so." McCoist insists they will NOT just sign players for the sake of it. He said: "Looking at the lads we've lost, it's safe to say we'd like to get one or two in. "We will do that, we'll definitely do that. "There is absolutely no point in just getting bodies to make up the numbers. You've got to get the right bodies. "If that takes time then so be it but I feel for the fans. They will be sitting asking: 'Where are the new signings?' "We have to get it right for them." Coisty hopes kid Wilson doesn't regret turning his back on regular football at Ibrox to join Liverpool. He added: "If I was Danny my view would have been to get another year's experience at Rangers." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3067255/McCoist-Enough-of-sales.html#ixzz0uYMNLcBt

Rangers boss Walter Smith feels he is still three players light as the new season draws ever closer. More...

Sunderland striker David Healy has targeted the fulfilment of a childhood dream by making the switch to Rangers. The Northern Ireland record goalscorer has struggled for playing time with the north east outfit and ended last season on-loan at Ipswich Town. After Kris Boyd's exit, the Glasgow giants need a new marksman to keep them ahead of rivals Celtic. Speaking to BBC Sport, Healy hoped Walter Smith would make a move for him.* "I am contracted to Sunderland, so talking about leaving is not the proper thing to do," Healy said. "But if Rangers came knocking I would certainly not be saying no." The 30-year old added: "I have been linked with going to Rangers for four or five years now. "It has been well documented that I grew up supporting Rangers and my dad is a big Rangers fan, but that does not mean I am ever going to end up playing there. "I am keen to get back to Sunderland for pre-season training, get fit and see what happens." Our**provides the best breaking news online and our**football fan community is unmatched worldwide. Never miss a thing again! Hope this happens he could get back to his goalscoring exploits with us and he is rangers to the core!!!!!

Rangers boss Walter Smith has admitted he is keeping tabs on St Etienne defender Yohan Benalouane. More...

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2010/07/22/we-will-sign-the-players-to-help-walter-smith-win-three-in-a-row-for-rangers-pledges-chief-martin-bain-86908-22431209/

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3051683/Thomson-heading-south.html I'm astounded if all we can get for Thomson is a return on our money from when he signed. There must be something else to this transfer.