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By Andrew Dickson BARRY FERGUSON has vowed to make his doubters eat their words after stinging criticism left him more determined than ever to shine for Rangers. The club captain has constantly found himself under the microscope ever since he came back into the first team at the start of November. Barry Ferguson, RangersAfter five months out injured, the skipper made a slow start on his return to action and has had people questioning whether he can still be a key player for the club. They've also queried whether he and Pedro Mendes can gel at the heart of Walter Smith's midfield - and the signs are finally there that they can. The pair performed well in the 2-2 draw with Dundee United on Saturday and Ferguson is starting to get back to his best again. He has always insisted it will take him time to hit top form again and as the weeks have progressed, that has proved to be the case. Now, having heard from some that he's a spent force, he's eager to show he still has what it takes to lead by example. Ferguson said: "People perhaps don't realise how much being out for as long as I have holds you back when you start to return. "You're well behind everybody and it's a really slow build-up when you take the first steps towards the team again. "It takes a long time to get your sharpness back and that has been the case with me over the first few games. "I'm always open for criticism if I'm not fully up to speed but I've said all along that it'll take me a few matches to catch up with the rest of the squad. "It has been frustrating for me knowing I've had to wait and be patient as I've tried to get to the level I should be at.Barry Ferguson "Now I feel I'm getting towards it and that I'm coming out of the other side. I'm a strong character and in the weeks to come, I'll shut my critics up. "The thing is I've been finished two or three times already according to some people. Being told the same thing once more doesn't make any difference to me. "It's what I do on the park now that counts and I'll prove those people wrong, there's no doubt about that. "Everybody's got their opinion. I heard these sort of things when I came back from my last ankle operation and for my first month back in the team, some said I'd lost it. "A couple of months later, I started to play the way I should have been and everything that had happened in the past was forgotten about. "These things stick in my mind. I'm here to show that folk are wrong with what they've been saying and I'll do that, have no doubt. I'll make them eat their words."

Hopefully it is our worst players and not our best.

Walter Smith has "no case to answer" but Falkirk's John Hughes and Michael Higdon are warned over their remarks about officials. More...

Away Day Blues Whilst the result at Tannidice wasn’t really a surprise, the manner in which we conceded two goals in three minutes, was the most predictable aspect of the game. Once again we entered a tricky away fixture with absolutely no width in the team and allowed the opposition unchallenged runs from the halfway line to our 18 yard line then confound this error by allowing crosses to be thrown along our six yard line. In know it’s an old, lame joke, but McGregor must be a vampire as he is scared of crosses. He is rooted to his line and every team in Scotland now knows how to trouble us defensively – get men out wide, deliver into the box and cause mayhem. We actually started well on Saturday and took control of the game and should have been two or three up before halftime. Boyd took his goal well but unfortunately for us, Miller chose Saturday to display his worst performance since his return. Hard to overly criticise Miller as he has bone well since his return, and in fairness, he looked like he was carrying an injury on Saturday. Finally, Mendes and Ferguson gave us a glimpse of the partnership that can develop between them, but when DUFC changed their tactics after the break, they were overrun (again) in the midfield area and worryingly, Walter Smith appears not to notice when we are being overrun in that area and is slow to react to opposition changes in tactics, formation etc. Having a look back on our away record for the last calendar year, it makes terrible and tragic reading. Since Last Christmas we have thrown away numerous critical points away from Ibrox and this ‘form’ resulted in us throwing away last seasons SPL title and it appears that we haven’t learned for this harsh lesson. It is getting harder and harder to imagine where a Rangers away victory is going to come. Is it fair to say that we are incapable of playing away from home in the SPL? Sure we can point to outstanding victories away from Ibrox in the last year – 4 v 2 at Torbett Towers, 4-0 at Tynecastle, 3-0 at Easter Road – but these are the exceptions rather than the rule. We can all point to gross incompetence from officials, especially this season, but lets be honest, our level of consistency and performance has been sadly lacking. We are easily beaten – we are easy to play against – we are easy opposition. We are lacking in the basics – we can’t retain possession from a throw-in – we can’t defend crosses into our area – we can’t capitalise on our attacking set-plays – and we can’t kill teams off when we get into the lead. These failures aren’t new, they have been around since the PLG era (not blaming PLG here by the way). They just haven’t been addressed properly. We now have two massive games at Ibrox and nothing less than six points will suffice form these games. Hibernian and Glasgow Hibernian are the next two visitors and will have had us watched and will have witnessed our weaknesses and know that we are venerable. We must counter this by playing to our strengths. However, I fear that our manager will see these games, well the OF game in particular as ‘must not lose’ rather than ‘must win’. Given this, I fully expect us to approach these games with an air of caution. This will mean our ‘flair players’ will be reigned in and / or replaced by McCulloch, Adam et al. If we defeat Hibs on Saturday (no mere certainty) then I will be shocked if WS doesn’t revert to 4-5-1 against the MOPES. This actually wouldn’t be the worst move against them, however, it will depend on the personnel deployed by WS. He’ll go with a midfield five of Davis, Mendes, Ferguson, Adam and McCulloch with Boyd as the ‘target man’ and we’ll spend the entire 90 minutes throwing aimless (and hopeless) balls up to Boyd that will be food and drink to the Ork-like MOPES defence. If we played with Ferguson, Mendes and Davis as a tight three man midfield and then played Novo and Lafferty (or Beasley or Aaron) wide supporting Miller then in my opinion, we would destroy them. Their defence is immobile and struggles against pace and skill. I know many won’t be happy with Boyd being dropped, but if we revert to 4-5-1, then he has to be the one that misses out. 4-4-2 would also work against both Hibs and the Mopes, but within that 4-4-2 there MUST be a wide player with genuine pace that can deliver quality into the box. Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life During my time as a Rangers supporter I have seen a change in myself and others when it comes to being optimistic about the Rangers. In the early to mid 80’s when I first started going regularly, you knew Rangers were going to struggle, but you always held the belief that one day, all this would change and the Rangers would once again become the driving and dominant force of Scottish Football. Call this naivety of youth, but when going to watch Rangers in those days, there was a genuine feeling and belief that it would turn around (or maybe it’s just the romanticism of the mists of time playing tricks with me). And it did turn around – David Holmes had a vision and managed to persuade Graeme Souness to become manager of the Rangers. After a sticky start, we eventually won the league (and the league cup for good measure) and all those long hard days going to witness Rangers struggling at Love Street, Boghead, Fir Park et al (sounding familiar), not only seemed worth it, but appeared to be a million years away. Suddenly, the Rangers were once again the team to beat. We were the Champions and we are ready for all comers. Nothing appeared to be going to go wrong and we started to edge closer and closer to 9-in-a-row. Added to the excitement of reaching, and hopefully surpassing this achievement was the news that our greatest foes and bitter of bitterest rivals were in financial turmoil and couldn’t match us on or off the pitch. It was around this time that I think we all took our eye off the ball – we all dwelt on the MOPES misfortune and none of us could see the trouble that was just over the horizon. In fact, it would be fair to say that any pessimism from Bears was met with derision. By Christ, I wish I had listened to those fellows sooner than I did, and I wish that ALL of us had taken heed of them ‘doom and gloom’ message. When I finally realised that our Custodian wasn’t all he was cracked up to be and that not everything in the Rangers garden was rosy, those ‘doom merchants’ were a vast minority. Just like today, the custodian had cast his spell and the majority of us were taken in by his rhetoric, half-truths and promises of moon-beans and the like. More recently, I believe that the majority of Rangers fans have woken up to the harsh reality that we are broke, we are rotten from the top to the bottom, but the vast majority still believe that the man who has gotten us into this mire, is the man who will actually save us. This is an unbelievable situation to be in. We all finally admit to SDM being capable for our demise yet the vast majority still harbour images of SDM riding over the horizon on his white charger galloping to our rescue. When in the cold light of day, nothing can be further from the truth. The January sales are looming large on the horizon and WS has publicly stated that we must move on 10 players. Adam, Burke, Beasley, McCulloch, Daily, JCD et al have all been mentioned, but realistically, who is going to buy those players from us? Who is going to match their current wages? The stark realism here is that we will have to create money at some point this season to compensate for the European failure. Christ, we got to the CL group stages and then to the UEFA Cup Final last season and still made a loss (even adding in the sale of Hutton to Spurs). So in conclusion, for this Bear, it has become almost impossible to have an optimistic view on Rangers at the moment. There is no feeling that better times are ahead, and the recent good times -2 last minute SPL title victories and a UEFA Cup Final -whilst being welcome have been smokescreens and have just severed to paper over the cracks and offer false hope. The only positive being a Ranger at the moment? At least we're not one of them...... Go on SDM, prove this old pessimistic so-and-so wrong. Cammy F -

As we all know, Walter Smith revealed at the end of last season that Ally McCoist had actually been managing the team during the Scottish & CIS cup runs. This may have come as a slight shock to some Gers fans, but to anyone watching the extent of Coisty's dugout & touchline presence it might not have been too much of a surprise. Now what if Ally McCoist has played a bigger role than we've been led to believe in the management of the team in the league action as well? Judging by his dugout & touchline presence coupled with the amount of time Walter Smith has spent in the director's box, is it possible that Coisty might actually have been more than Walter's assistant all along? It doesn't seem unreasonable to take this into consideration given that nobody mentioned that Ally had been managing for the Cup runs until the end of last season. Almost everyone believes that if McCoist is to take over from Walter Smith, he should first take a managerial position at another club to gain more experience, but WHAT IF - Ally McCoist is already the manager of Rangers Football Club. Think about it... :devil:

From the Scottish Sun so take with pinch of salt ! CHARLIE ADAM has been told he can LEAVE Rangers when the transfer window opens. SunSport can reveal that the home-grown midfielder is the latest star to be made available in January. Adam, just two seasons into a five-year contract, has failed to hold down a regular place and itââ?¬â?¢s understood he was given the shattering news by boss Walter Smith yesterday morning. The left-sided star has hit 18 goals in 85 top-team games but has never been a favourite among the Ibrox faithful. Now Adam, who turned 23 yesterday, has been told he can find another club as Gers seek to reduce the wage bill. They have also stalled on fresh contract talks with Scotland defender Kirk Broadfoot. Boss Smith was ready to hand the stopper a bumper new deal more than five weeks ago. But Broadfootââ?¬â?¢s agent Tom Callaghan insisted last night that all attempts by his representatives to get in touch with Gers chief executive Martin Bain have fallen on deaf ears. It is understood Gers DO want to hold on to the 24-year-old. Ibrox sources claim the delay is down to the fact they want to slash their ballooning wage bill before offering anyone improved terms. Yet that message hasnââ?¬â?¢t been relayed to Broadfoot or his agent. Callaghan said: ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve made numerous attempts to speak to Rangers about Kirkââ?¬â?¢s future. But at this moment they arenââ?¬â?¢t prepared to talk about it. ââ?¬Å?There isnââ?¬â?¢t anyone who is more of a Rangers man than Kirk. ââ?¬Å?He dreams of winning things with the club and maybe even captaining them one day. I just hope he gets a chance to live out those dreams.ââ?¬Â Broadfoot penned a contract until May 2010 when he joined from St Mirren 18 months ago. But he has since established himself in the side and won three caps. It is believed he wants a deal on a par with some of Gersââ?¬â?¢ other established stars ââ?¬â? thought to be an increase of around Ã?£3,500 a week. SunSport revealed yesterday that a number of Gersââ?¬â?¢ fringe players will go next month. They could include Chris Burke, Steven Smith and Christian Dailly.

Rangers manager Walter Smith is prepared to shed up to 10 players between now and the summer. More...

ROD Wallace was a hero of Old Firm meetings in his time in Glasgow and believes victory for the light blues in this month's derby clash will see the title momentum swing to the city's south side. Rod WallaceWallace picked up five medals in a successful three year spell at Ibrox and now feels the current crop of Rangers stars can add a title success to their CVs after the disappointment of missing out last term. The diminutive Englishman took the Scottish game by storm when he switched to Rangers from Leeds in the summer of 1998. Dick Advocaat brought the striker north of the border on a free transfer and he rewarded the Dutchman with a flying start to his Ibrox career. His debut season in a light blue shirt saw him bag 27 goals as Advocaat led his side to the domestic treble in his first season at the helm. And Wallace forever endeared himself to the Ibrox faithful in the final game of that first season when he hit the only goal of the 1999 Scottish Cup final against Celtic. His 49th minute strike was the goal that secured the treble for Advocaat's team just weeks after they had landed the title at Celtic Park It also ensured that Wallace ended his incredible debut season on a high note with three medals in his first year in Scotland. He went contribute another 20 goal haul the following season to help his side to the domestic double and take his silverware tally as a Rangers player to five trophies in two seasons. Now, having watched Walter Smith's current side narrow the gap to Celtic to just four points over the weekend he feels the title might just be heading back to Ibrox after a three season absence. He said: "I always keep an eye out for the results to see how the club are getting on. Of course they lost last week but it's good to see them get a result this weekend. "Hopefully they can pick up a few results and go on a bit of a run now and kick on from there. If they can do that I don't see any reason why the title won't come back to Ibrox this season." With an Old Firm game to come at the end of December, Wallace knows Gers will have a chance to further decrease the gap at the top of the table.Rod Wallace And he admits he will be keeping a keen eye on events when the two rivals lock horns again after Christmas. Walter Smith will be looking for one of his stars to deliver a belated Christmas gift on the 27th of the month and Wallace knows all about being the man who makes a difference against Rangers' rivals. As well as that Scottish Cup winner in '99, Wallace grabbed the only goal of the game in March 2000 as Rangers left Parkhead with full points on their way to a second successive title success. He was also part of the famous team that clinched the '99 title on their neighbours' patch just weeks before his Hampden triumph. Although he was on the receiving end of a late red card in that title winning visit to Parkhead he remembers his appearances in derby matches throughout his Gers career fondly. He added: "I had a few good times here and it's hard to pick out one that stands out over the rest. "The Cup final was a great experience, without doubt one of the best. It was a great occasion and one of the first finals at the new Hampden which just added to the experience. "Scoring the winner at Parkhead was another great occasion but there were so many in my time up here that it's hard to really pick one as the real highlight. "That would certainly be one of them though and I'll be looking out for the boys to see how they got on at the end of the month." Wallace was back at Ibrox as a half time hero against Hamilton at the weekend and he admits it was great to bring back some happy memories from his time in Glasgow. Rod WallaceAfter reuniting and reminiscing with some familiar faces around Ibrox he said: "It's been great being back here. "I've really enjoyed seeing some old friends and having the chance to catch up with what they've been doing. "I had a great three years up here and have got some great memories from being part of this great club. "Of course I won a few things but I also met some really good people and that helped make for a really enjoyable time up here for me." It is little wonder that Wallace enjoyed his three seasons north of the border as he built up an impressive record in his time as a light blue, scoring 54 goals in 120 games over the three years. After leaving Glasgow Rod returned south where he had a further three seasons in England with Bolton and Gillingham before injury forced him to quit his playing career at the age of 34. Since then he has maintained a keen interest in remaining in football and is now working towards his coaching badges whilst gaining hands on experience with Kingstonian FC's youth teams. And at just 39 he is hoping to continue his involvement in the game with more senior coaching roles to come once his professional coaching courses have finished. He added: "I finished in 2004 because of the toll the injuries took on me. Since then I've been looking in to the coaching side of things. "I'm working on level three at the moment and I've been concentrating on that for the last couple of years now. "I'm keen to stay involved in the game if I get a chance. It's all about luck really, but once I get the qualification I'll see how things go from there."

Surely not Dean Shiels is being lined up to become the latest Northern Ireland international to join Rangers. Rangers manager Walter Smith already has midfielder Steve Davis and striker Kyle Lafferty and now he fancies signing versatile Hibs ace Shiels. The 23-year-old, son of former Coleraine and Ballymena manager Kenny, started his career at Arsenal before moving to Easter Road in 2004. Shiels hit the headlines two years later when he he had an operation to remove his right eye, which had been blind since a domestic accident when he was eight-years-old. The damaged eye was causing headaches and it was agreed that surgery was the best solution. Known as ââ?¬Å?Dixieââ?¬Â, he made his Northern Ireland debut in 2005 and has been in and out of the squad ever since. He missed the shock 2-0 win for Hibs over Celtic at the weekend due to an ankle injury but is on the way back, just in time for Rangers to make their move in January. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/scottish/shiels-poised-for-big-move-to-ibrox-14101458.html

by Alison McConnell RANGERS midfielder Aaron has revealed he was so excited to make his Ibrox debut that he shunned a club night out to go home and call his folks. The 19-year-old, currently on loan from Valencia, set up a goal for countryman Nacho Novo in the 7-1 win over Hamilton and was thrilled to finally get the chance to take his bow in front of the Ibrox support. "After the match there was a get-together to celebrate the victory," he said. "I didn't go because I wanted to go home and think about my debut. advertisement "I tried to call my father but I couldn't remember his number because I was so excited. "I had to get my contacts book out to get the number to call him. Then I spoke to my brothers, my mother and my friends." Aaron's mentor during the past few months has been Novo, and the striker has been giving the player plenty of advice. "Nacho dedicated his goal to me in the celebrations and I was delighted with that," he said. "Nacho had always told me to gamble and send crosses into the box because there would always be people there to finish them off - and if they weren't then it would be their fault, not mine. "So I sent the ball in and fortunately Nacho was there to put it in the net. "Afterwards all the coaches and my team-mates congratulated me on my debut. Nacho said less at that point, I think he just wanted to stay in the background. But he has helped me so much over these past few months." And the player is looking to make his mark in the SPL in the weeks to come. "I know I must continue working hard, but at least the coach knows he can count on me when he wants," he said. "My debut has served to show the level that I can give in matches of this significance." Meanwhile, Maurice Edu has admitted that he is struggling to adapt to the physical demands of the SPL. The American international cost Rangers �£2.7million this summer when he was plucked from Toronto, but he has featured only twice for Walter Smith's side. "I've found the SPL to be a lot more physical than the MLS and the National Collegiate Athletic Association," he said. "Though I've not been involved in too many games yet, you can see the level of intensity that everyone competes with. "The amount of challenges and tackles are increased and every game is a battle. Even in training it is more physical as everyone is competing for a spot on the pitch." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2474006.0.0.php

Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist - a former Sunderland striker - has also been linked with the post at the Stadium of Light, although he has been earmarked as the successor to manager Walter Smith at Ibrox. (Daily Express)

Dec 3 2008 By Keith Jackson RANGERS boss Walter Smith will have to unload as many as SIX top-team players to cobble together enough cash to make a New Year swoop for Portuguese defender Tonel. Smith is a huge admirer of the 28-year-old centre-half who first caught his eye last season playing against Rangers for Sporting Lisbon on the Ibrox side's march to the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester. And sources in Lisbon believe Portugal international Pedro Mendes is playing a key role in helping Smith persuade Tonel to set up a new life in Scotland despite interest from Lazio and Panathinaikos. But before Smith can table a serious offer he will have to carry out the second part of a mass cull ordered by chairman Sir DavidMurray back in August following the humiliating European exit at the hands of Lithuanian minnows Kaunas. We revealed back then Smith had been told to chop at least half a dozen big earners from his squad. But although he sold Carlos Cuellar and Daniel Cousin and arranged loan deals for Alan Gow and Andy Webster, Smith used the money he raised to bring in Mendes, Steve Davis, Maurice Edu and Aaron. Now he has been instructed to make further cuts which means Smith will be open to offers for the likes of Brahim Hemdani, DaMarcus Beasley, Jean-Claude Darcheville, Chris Burke, Christian Dailly, Stevie Smith and possibly Lee McCulloch. Ironically, McCulloch has recently emerged as a potential defensive option for Smith who believes the ex-striker has all the attributes needed to make a new career as a stopper. If Smith cannot get enough cash together to go for Tonel he is likely to hold on to McCulloch even though Premiership outfit Stoke remain serious about taking the 30-year-old south in January. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/12/03/exclusive-rangers-may-need-to-dump-six-stars-to-land-january-transfer-target-tonel-86908-20942301/

RANGERS star Stevie Naismith will today make a stunning return from injury - six months earlier than his original comeback date. Record Sport can reveal the 22-year-old will this afternoon play at least 30 minutes of a reserve match against St Mirren at Murray Park. Naismith snapped his cruciate ligament in April's Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone and was warned a couple of weeks later to expect a year on the sidelines. And even when he began to make fantastic progress in his rehab, manager Walter Smith did not think the former Kilmarnock forward would be anywhere near a return to match action until the New Year at the earliest. But Rangers medics and coaching staff have been amazed by Naismith's progress and also full of admiration for the way he has never missed a day's work in his bid to get back to full fitness over the past eight months. And while he may still be a bit away from playing for the first team, this reserve outing is a step in the former Young Player of the Year being back in the side again this season. Naismith had to watch from the stands as Rangers played in the UEFA Cup Final and then underwent career-saving surgery from English surgeon Dr Steve Bolan a week later. The prognosis then was he would be looking at 12 months before he could play again but he fully dedicated himself to getting back to his best quicker than anyone expected. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/12/09/exclusive-stevie-naismith-set-for-early-rangers-return-86908-20957359/

__________________ I wish i was as confident as him

...Why do we keep dropping daft points when on paper we have a better side than celtic and they were in europe(which is supposed to have you dropping some points in your own domestic league due to tiredness), yet we have over a week to plan games tactically and get fit for them and we are dropping more points than celtic? This is driving me mad this season. Darcheville even said that we should win the league this year because Celtics euro run will make them take their eye off the league. So, i ask you JCD if thats your mentality then why are we now 7 points behind them the week they bow out of europe? I think most people thought that we would have been able to plan a relaxed raid on the league this year because we had a limited number of games to play compared to celtic, but it's not worked this way and i wonder if the players and management of Rangers are to blame for expecting celtic to drop points and as a result going into games complacently. If thats the case then we need to axe the whole (so-called second coming) of Walter Smith's coaching staff(him included). This comes from a Big Walter fan who has up till now always backed him against any kind of criticism. But recently it has been totally unforgivable to drop league points against the pish of StMirren and Hearts. Dundee Utd are our bogey side, so that was maybe excusable, but none others were. So, whats fundamentaly wrong with our set up this time? We have had four seasons to plan the downfall of Celtic, and bar a few wins in the league against them, we havent even come that close to be honest. Last season was the closest but we used europe as an excuse to make ourselves feel better when all we had to do was defend for another 2 minutes in the first of the two league games at parkhead at the end of last season. Sounds easy now but we all know now we werent up to it as celtic always showed more spirit and need for the title. To finish on what will probably seem a daft point too. It just seems to me that everytime we play an away side they seem to be so up for it. Yet when Celtic play them they seem as though they lie back. Dont want to sound paranoid but it's so frustrating to watch Hearts and StMirren play like men possessed against Rangers and then play like pussies against Celtic. I'd love to hear your theories on why we are pish when we shouldnt be. signed frustrated bear

The Scottish FA writes to Rangers manager Walter Smith after he criticised a match official following the recent draw with Motherwell. More...

try not to get too animated, its what he wants -- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article5219609.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=1 Graeme Souness was right about one thing ââ?¬â? not a conclusion I reach often ââ?¬â? when he spoke about Sir David Murray. The chairman of Rangers, whatever else he has got wrong, ââ?¬Å?has gutsââ?¬Â, to quote Sounessââ?¬â?¢s famous testimony. In recent times, coinciding with his 20 years of owning Rangers, Murray has shown in various contexts that he will not go away quietly from Ibrox. Last week there was a weird accord found between Murray and John Reid, the Celtic chairman, even though Murray was supposed to be attacking his Old Firm opposite number. Reid had recently attacked a section of Rangers fans for being ââ?¬Å?racistââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?bigotedââ?¬Â ââ?¬â? hardly fresh charges ââ?¬â? and Murray, while defending his clubââ?¬â?¢s honour, in part agreed with Reid. To attack your own supporters ââ?¬â? now that does take courage. Yet when Murray told reporters that ââ?¬Å?so much is hard to defendââ?¬Â about this core of Ibrox diehards ââ?¬â? and this on top of his recent comment about the ââ?¬Å?bileââ?¬Â that comes from those same Rangers supporters ââ?¬â? it was clear that he is long past mincing his words. A part of Murray is being brutally honest here. Yes, so many problems in Scottish football are being laid at the door of Rangers FC, and perhaps it has looked unfair. The club have provided so much that is good in Scottish life ââ?¬â? you almost forget that aspect. But when Murray scoffed at the so-called ââ?¬Å?bad PRââ?¬Â of Rangers, as if the rioting in Manchester or the undying embers of bigotry are easy to talk up, you knew that he was tired of having to explain away the intellectual and economic underclass that has attached itself to his club. Murray then caused reporters to smile when he spoke about the sudden timidity of his severest critics at Rangers ââ?¬â? in part, because we have all been there and met them. A small group of Rangers fans are going demented in their passion to have Murray flung out of the Ibrox door and are as brave as lions when posting their angry, sub-literate ramblings in glorious anonymity on the web. ââ?¬Å?And you know what?ââ?¬Â Murray said. ââ?¬Å?I identified some of these guys and I went to meet them. And they were like mice.ââ?¬Â Well, you donââ?¬â?¢t say! In this whole debate, it is unfair to tar any group of football fans with the same brush. Rangers, like any club, have a healthy cross-section of supporters who just love their club and want to see them do well. These men and women are not really into the vague, unrefined, theologically ignorant passion for a sort of dumbed-down Protestantism that some of the Rangers supportersââ?¬â?¢ groups crave. And, more than anything, just like Murray, when you meet these latter groups of fans, you find they cannot really make their arguments stand up. A few years ago I went down to Ibrox to meet, among others, some representatives of the Rangers Supporters Assembly and the Rangers Supporters Trust. In an alarming number of them it was obvious that, lurking beneath was a quest to preserve ââ?¬Å?the tradition of Rangersââ?¬Â, a phrase that always seems to elude more specific definition. By this, of course, the real hardcore actually mean ââ?¬Å?a Protestant Rangersââ?¬Â, though they cannot quite articulate it as such. The more adept among them try to find more emollient phrases for this passion for ââ?¬Å?a Protestant Rangersââ?¬Â but, in this quest, vagueness and vacuity become their speciality. The truth is, it is hard trying to make the old ways sound acceptable in modern Britain. These are the people that Murray tires of, the people that he feels embarrass Rangers and hold the club back. Mercifully, they are confined to the internet bunkers, and are not taken seriously by a wider constituency of Rangers fans, but they are still down there festering away. In this context Rangers FC is ensnared between those (the majority, surely) who wish for a modern, progressive, liberal representation of their club, and those others who hanker hopelessly after the old days. The irony is that, when Murray does eventually sell Rangers, the new owner or owners, if the club has any luck, will belong to the new, modern breed. Can you imagine a Roman Abramovich or an American investor, born of the modern age with modern values, coming in to Rangers and banging on about 1690, King Billy and the rest of it? The very idea is laughable. Rangers FC is a great institution that does not deserve to be embarrassed or held back. And it wonââ?¬â?¢t be. Thank goodness, even in sport, the tide of modern thinking is too strong. And another thing... The party should be over for Old Firm goalkeepers Donââ?¬â?¢t you wonder what is going on with the Old Firmââ?¬â?¢s goalkeepers? From where I sit ââ?¬â? and the view is sometimes obscured ââ?¬â? Artur Boruc and Allan McGregor enjoy a party, preferably with beers to hand and a pretty girl on their lap. Boruc was pictured last week in the tabs happily chomping away on some female friend back in Poland, a cigar close to hand. Subsequently, the Pole shows up at Love Street to play St Mirren on Saturday and, not content with clattering Craig Dargo, goes around doing quite a bit of flapping at crosses and generally looking unconvincing. We saw a similar fuzziness earlier this season in McGregor, a man whom Walter Smith euphemistically said had ââ?¬Å?lost his focusââ?¬Â. Funnily enough, that focus also seemed to disappear while McGregor was living the high life. On that occasion, Smith, beginning to look like the general-secretary of the Temperance Society, decided to drop McGregor and ordered him to shape up. Both Smith and Strachan, I belive, are uneasy about taking lectures in morality from anyone in the media ââ?¬â? to be blunt, they know that we all like a bit of action ourselves Strachan, indeed, was all the more determined to select Boruc on Saturday, having sat through such earnest inquiries as ââ?¬Å?dââ?¬â?¢you think Arturââ?¬â?¢s mind is fully focused on the job, Gordon?ââ?¬Â the previous day. On such occasions I just think football managers have to play the Jim Baxter card. Slim Jim, it is widely attested, knew how to enjoy himself, but so long as he performed on the park, could anyone \ care? Not easily embarrassed I dare say that his critics would be hoping that ââ?¬Å?the poor crowdââ?¬Â at Hampden last Wednesday for the Scotland-Argentina game might be another stick with which to beat Gordon Smith, the SFA chief executive. But, like many of the so-called Smith failings, such criticism wouldnââ?¬â?¢t really stack up. A Hampden crowd of 33,000 for the Argentina game maybe wasnââ?¬â?¢t quite what the SFA had hoped for, but can it really be called a failure? Actually, it seemed not a bad figure for wet, mid-November at the beginning of a recession. Perhaps the SFA suffered a slight loss on the deal, but it wonââ?¬â?¢t have been enough to embarrass Smith, below. George Burley, too, was quite right to enjoy the occasion. With Holland looming in March, Scotland are much better facing Argentina than the usual Baltic dross.

By Andrew Dickson KYLE LAFFERTY has told Walter Smith he would love a chance to prove himself up front in this weekend's SPL clash with Hearts. The former Burnley youngster moved into the forward line in the latter stages of Saturday's 2-0 win over Aberdeen in Kris Boyd's place. Kyle Lafferty, RangersIt was a role he was comfortable with and one which he has been earmarked for in the long-term, despite being used largely on the left side of midfield at present. Kenny Miller is struggling to be fit for the trip to Tynecastle and while Boyd should be able to play, he is also getting over a minor knock sustained against the Dons. That could present an opening in attack and Lafferty, who plays there for Northern Ireland, would love an opportunity as a striker. The 21-year-old said: "It would be nice to be involved after playing 90 minutes the other day and hopefully I'll get another game. "I was out on the right for a while against Aberdeen and while it was only the third or fourth time I'd played there, I don't mind where I appear. "With that said, I think people probably saw when I moved up front later on in the game that I was a bit happier. "If I don't get starting up front, hopefully I'll get a game on the wing but it would be great to be used as a striker. "Every place in the team is up for grabs and that includes the forward positions. It would be nice to think I did enough at the weekend to merit staying there.Kyle Lafferty celebrates with Andrius Velicka and Sasa Papac "I think people caught a glimpse of what I can do up there and I'd love to show them lots more of the same." Lafferty is looking forward to Saturday's trip to Edinburgh after he scored his first Rangers goal against Hearts back in August. The strike, which opened the scoring in a 2-0 win, is one he still looks back on with some fondness. Lafferty added: "Hopefully we can get three points again like we did that day although it will be tough because Hearts came to Ibrox and gave us a hard game. "From my own point of view, it was great to score my first goal that day and especially because it came at home. "Any time we play Hearts, I'm sure I'll remember that moment and this weekend will definitely bring back good memories."

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

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

walter Smith has laid into the fans who barracked Charlie Adam after yesterdays clash with Aberdeen. Smith has given the player his vote of confidence and reckons he "deserves a medal" and "should be applauded" for refusing to let the jeers from the stands grind him down. Adam, who provided yet another below par performance against our inbred opposition from the north apparently blended in well with Barry ferguson and pedro mendes and created a good balance in the midfield. Well im fucking sorry walter. you obviously watched a different game from me yesterday. Adam couldnt kick his own arse against Aberdeen and has failed to impress me in any of his appearances since god knows when in a Rangers jersey. He is an underachiever. He is not good enough to play for Rangers. He brings nothing to the game that enhances the team. like most fans our hearts were in our mouths when we heard the team selection before kick off and our aprehensions and misgivings about your team selections were certainly justified by the first half performance alone. Picking the likes of Adam is the reason we never looked like winning the Uefa cup final. The same reason we imploded in last seasons championship race and the reason we got knocked out of the CL qualifiers by yet another pub team. Its one of the reasons too Id sack you in a minute Walter. Continually picking under achievers who have failed Rangers when the chips were down. And its the main reason i dont think we will win the league.

WALTER SMITH expressed his delight after watching his side take three points against Aberdeen with a battling display at Ibrox. The Dons made life difficult for the Gers, as they usually do, but two second-half goals from Jean-Claude Darcheville and Kris Boyd secured a valuable win after Celtic had beaten St. Mirren earlier in the day. Kris Boyd celebrates scoringThe gaffer said: "It was pleasing to get the win, we had to work very hard for it today. "I felt it was a good first-half although we took time to get settled. "Our first real opportunities came before just half time and Allan McGregor also had to make a very good save at the other end before the interval. "In the second half we started to impose ourselves and got the goal which was a turning point in the match. "Once we got the second we controlled the game but had to retain our concentration. "Overall it was a difficult first-half for us and Aberdeen deserve credit for that. Allan McGregor saves a shot on goal "They played the ball forward early and were dangerous from set plays so we are very pleased with the result in the end." Once again Lee McCulloch had a steady game alongside Davie Weir in the heart of the Gers' backline while Barry Ferguson looks to be getting back to his best. Barry FergusonWalter said: "Lee seems to be settling in there and I think he has the capabilities to play in the defence. "He still needs games before we can say that is another position for him but he is giving his all and slowly getting used to it. "In terms of Barry I think in the next few games we will start to see him get back to his best. "His fitness is getting there now and once he gets a few games alongside Pedro I think they will form an excellent partnership." Smith was also quick to praise Charlie Adam after he set up both goals against the Dons with two wicked corner kick deliveries. He said: "Charlie has his Charlie Adam moments but overall that never prevents him from taking part in the game. "Sometimes he does things that others wouldn't attempt to do and when they come off it's great. "But he is working hard for the team right now and he provides a good balance to the team."

Rangers chairman Sir David Murray backs Ally McCoist as the long-term successor to Ibrox manager Walter Smith. More...

Thread title says it all really. Hasn't even been on the bench much at all this season. Is he injured? Bad times at home? I know he's not a boozer so was just wondering if anyone can shed any light on his conspicuous absence from a team badly needing a bit of flair on the left. Yes I know it's not his natural position but then we are being managed by Walter Smith so that shouldn't matter. Oh, hang on a minute, think I may have figured out the reason for hid absence for myself there....Walter :devil:

Given that we entertain our friends from the North East at Ibrox this weekend, I thought that it may be a good time to examine the intense rivalry that this fixture generates, both in the present day and in the bygone days of yore. Generally, I believe that since the nineties, we have (and the OF in general) have left Aberdeen in our shadow and for this Bear, the intensity of this game has dropped several notches. Don’t get me wrong, I still lookout for this fixture and still enjoy the passion that it generates and it still gives me an extra pleasure defeating the Dons (almost as pleasant as defeating the MOPES). I believe that most Rangers fans will share this opinion and would believe that the rivalry is fast becoming a ‘one-way street’. Sections of the Aberdeen fans still look at us as the ‘hated enemy’, the one team that they want to be victorious over every time they play us. In fact, they still sing to the MOPES : ‘We Hate Rangers More than You’. Was this rivalry always as one sided? You bet it wasn’t. When I first started attending Rangers games regularly, the New Firm of Aberdeen and Dundee UTD were the ‘teams to beat’ and were ahead (footballing wise) of the Old Firm. Given this, they would regularly defeat Rangers both home and away. Trips to Tannidice were never fraught with danger, they never generated a poisonous atmosphere, they were just normal run of the mill games. In fact, in the early 80’s the same could be said of trips to Pittodrie. This fixture would see Rangers supporters clubs travelling up to Aberdeen and staying over in or around the city and enjoying a Saturday night out on the town. Everything in the Aberdeen garden was rosy around this time, they were the top dogs and whilst they were rubbing our noses in it on the pitch, they appeared to at least tolerate us, if not welcome us, into their city prior and post match. Now, like any city centre on a Saturday night, there were a few scuffles as drunk fans clashed with locals, a few full blown fights would also be witnessed, but like I said, this was true of all town centres at the weekends. It has to be pointed out here, and in no way am I condoning the violence, but there were ‘fist fights’ that were generally over before they begun. So what happened to change this situation? Some people point to the Durrant / Simpson incident (it certainly didn’t help matters). Some (especially Aberdeen fans) point to an incident where Willie (Bud) Johnston appeared to stand on the neck of an Aberdeen player (John McMaster if my memory serves me correctly). Some will point to the birth of the much maligned (and blamed for almost all football related violence) the football casuals. Some will also remember and point to the violent scenes during and after the Rangers v Aberdeen game at Ibrox in 1985-1986 were Aberdeen won 3-0 and two Rangers players were sent off. During the game, Rangers fans from the East Enclosure invaded the pitch and after the game, I witnessed the 2nd worst example of violence I have ever encountered at a game. The Rangers fans streamed out Ibrox before fulltime and a large number gathered behind the Broomie where the Aberdeen fans were housed and as soon as they were released, the gathered Rangers fans steamed in and gave them what can only be described as a ‘good seeing to’. Again, I am not condoning this violence, but it is an example of how intense this rivalry was. The pitch invasion can be viewed here [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUkUSDLH45k&feature=related]YouTube - Ibrox pitch invasion 1985[/ame] In truth, the rivalry had been building over the years and all of the above played their part in perpetrating this rivalry, but it was to at its most intense after a certain Mr David Holmes brought in a certain Mr Graeme Souness as Rangers manager. This bold decision changed the face of Scottish Football and the sleeping giant that was Rangers FC was finally awakened. We were no longer 3rd or 4th best, we were back where we belonged. Normal service had been restored. We all know that we finally won our first league title in a decade when we secured a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie – this coupled with Celtc’s shock 2-1 home defeat by Falkirk – meant Rangers were CHAMPIONS. The game is famous for so many things – Butchers goal, Souness’ red card and the jubilant scenes after the game. Personally, I’ll never forget this day as long as I live. Not just for the above, but for the generosity of a few Aberdeen fans (yip, you’ve read that correctly). Four of us had gone up to the game and only I had a ticket. The other three couldn’t get a ticket prior to the game, so I sold mine (face value) to another Bear and me and my 3 mates trudged to a ‘carry-out’ shop to get some beer and trudge to the hill that overlooks Pittodrie. There were hundreds of Rangers fans up there and a wee party ensued. If you watch the footage below of the game, wee Durranty wheels away after the goal and ‘celebrates’ the goal with those up on the hill (or so we’d like to think). Anyway, at halftime, all those of the hill walked down to Pittodrie and joined forces with hundreds of other fans at the Aberdeen end trying to negotiate entry! The Police were actually OK as they told us that they would allow us access to the ground if and when Rangers won the league. They would hold us there and allow us access when the Aberdeen fans had left. As they were conveying this, a door was being opened to allow more Police to leave the ground and ‘watch’ those gathered around the Aberdeen end. The Rangers fans saw their opportunity, and charged the gate. The sheer numbers forced the gate open and we ran into the stadium with the Police giving chase. I was helped up into the stand and was sat amongst the Aberdeen fans by two elderly ‘Dons’. Thanks to them, I and my 3 friends witnessed the majority of the 2nd half and the celebrations in their entirety : [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPkaTZ_qT24]YouTube - Aberdeen v Rangers (2 May 1987) - 1/3[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LD7giiV-aM&feature=related]YouTube - Aberdeen v Rangers (2 May 1987) - 2/3[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LD7giiV-aM&feature=related]YouTube - Aberdeen v Rangers (2 May 1987) - 3/3[/ame] During the early 90’s Rangers were in the infancy stages of what would turn out to be out 9-in-a-row era and whilst Celtc were self-destructing on and off the field, Aberdeen became our main on and off the field rivals. This saw some titanic battles not only in the league, but in both domestic cup competitions - none more so that the two fantastic league cup games that ended 3-2 to Rangers and a Rangers penalty shoot-out victory after a brilliant 3-3 draw. Rangers fans of my generation and older will also remember the game that won us the league in 1990-1991 – Aberdeen came into the final game of the season ahead of Rangers on points (we had just lost 3-0 to Motherwell the previous week) and had to endure the loss of our captain Terry Butcher and our manager Graeme Souness earlier in the season. Walter Smith was the man appointed by David Murray to ensure that we secured our 3rd consecutive title. Given the slip up at Motherwell the week before, this wasn’t a formality. Aberdeen went into the game needing just a point. Rangers went into the game with injury worries and these increased during the game and Tom Cowan actually played part of the game with a broken leg. Nigal Spackman captained the team to a wonderful 2-0 victory with the much maligned Mark Hateley scoring both goals. His opener was a joy to behold. Mark Walters swung in a beautiful cross and Hateley rose magesitcally to rise above Alex McLeish and slam an unstoppable header into the roof of the net – cue bedlum around Ibrox.