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I think he makes some valid points here, Manu could on any given day certainly have the capability to beat most teams in Europe by the same scoreline. Financially, again we cant even compete with newly promoted teams to the EPL. The top 4 are certainly a class apart, I'd love to see a statement from Ince if the next time they play Manu and they get beat 3-0. Would it still be men against boys?

Only cowards insult people who don’t have an opportunity to defend themselves. The papers have turned this into a fine art –offended on behalf of imaginary people; offended at imaginary people. Every politician, newspaper hack, football club owner with their own little renegade-denouncer-of-great-evil fantasy has jumped on a bandwagon of their own creation to stand up for the Sectarianly Oppressed against the Sectarian Oppressors – getting to be the Goodie in a sea of Baddies. Politicians and newspaper hacks earn a living off this – it’s the very controversy that pays the bills. For Murray it’s a convenient way of sooking up to the liberal snobberies of broadsheets and hence deflecting any possible criticism of himself from there. But, Walter Smith? Now he’s standing up against this magical, mystical, barely tangible sectarianism as it vaguely exists in flux out on the internet? I’m not sure what the fuck is going on, but I’ve spent more time than I should on Rangers fansites and there isn’t bigotry tolerated anywhere. The battle is imaginary, and the only victims are the people who don’t have mass-media at their disposal to defend themselves. This racist, sectarian, oppression that everyone’s standing up against simply doesn’t exist. I know a fair bit of Catholic history – it’s had its ups and downs, but there is an undoubted recurrent theme of genuine martyrdom. Their founder, Jesus Christ, history attests, willingly died for what he believed. There’s disagreement about what he believed, of course, but that he died for it is argued only by a lunatic fringe of scholars. The first Catholics happily walked into the actual jaws of actual lions for what they believed. Through the lives of the Saints you see the recurrent themes of persecution, and an almost supernatural humility. Catholics have dished out their fare share of oppression, certainly, but they’ve also endured it. To dare to be an actual Catholic in the modern world, serving others and trying to live unselfishly and in the persual of goodness in a world of money and hate, I think, is a noble sort of persecution. In Glasgow, they have been historically persecuted, and as disagreeable as separate schooling may be to some, there is a genuine argument for it being a battle to retain a tradition people still find important, despite it not being the popular one. Catholics feel the burden of secular oppression today, and Catholics, as a group of people through history, have, at various points, suffered massive oppression. But modern day Catholics in Scotland are not part of this group. Those complaining are rebels in love with their self created persecution. They have a job; the right to practice their faith freely; an Xbox and massive representation in parliament – the truth is that they're just not oppressed. People being eaten by lions is oppression – enduring the word ‘******’, or being told to fuck off back to Ireland if you love it so much, in a football ground, where you’re shouting and swearing yourself, and flying Irish flags, is NOT oppression. When was the last time, in Scotland, as a Catholic, or as a person of Irish descent, lost a job for their faith or nationality? When was the last time they were publically flogged, or forced to sit at the back of a bus? When was the last time they were spat on, or stuck in a gas chamber? Walter Smith, and the rest of you petty-rent-a-cause-reactionaries honestly think that you’re doing anything other than raping every memory of Actual Opression purely for the purposes of selling papers, appealing to the electorate or deflecting criticism, then you are deluded. Anyone who takes you seriously are their own punishment. I’m quite sure there are a minority of morons of the internet spouting immature pish – this is true of all clubs, and I’m not sure why it is that Rangers feel it necessary to give an account for the goings-on of the internet – a medium that gives the most certifiable of nutters freedom of speech. Are Rangers to be the first regulators of the internet? Are they to succeed in eradicating pretend evil on the internet that the police battling real evil, with their massive anti-paedophelia budget, have failed? I, for one, am fucking sick of being part of the faceless masses consistently brandished as a bigot simply for enjoying talking about my team online. The club are going to have to consider really what these constant, cowardly, jibes are doing to people who dedicate a large portion of their lives and energy to supporting the club. These same ‘bigots’, ‘spouting evil on the internet’ are undoubtedly the same people who buy the DVDs, the new strip every season, get the letters printed on the back for their children. The establishment are quite happy to call these people evil every time the media comes knocking at their door for an interview that will confirm the prejudices of their readership and ensures their profits the next day. The same large, weighty, moral conscience disappears as soon as these same people go and buy a substandard pie from the catering. So, Walter, and the rest of you – let’s stop tarnishing everyone with the same ill-informed brush, shall we? We are these masses of racial oppressors? I haven’t seen them; I don’t talk to them. You’re fighting for an imaginary cause but insulting real, tangible, people. Fuck off and stick to the football please.

As there is no Rangers related football to discuss as the Dundee UTD game was (rightly) called off due to the sad death of their Chairman Eddie Thompson I was going to, surprisingly perhaps, direct my weekly rants exclusively at Walter Smith. Firstly for his cowardly and ill informed comments regarding internet bigots, but bmck and Calscot not only beat me to it, but penned far more eloquent articles that I could ever muster : http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8519 http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8511 However, Uncle Walter doesn’t escape my attentions thanks to those excellent articles, I have a tantalising question to set you regarding Walter : If We Had A Theo Walcott, Would We Witness Is Wonder? Over the course of this season, nobody who has witnessed the mercurial skills of Theo Walcott could fail to marvel at the guile and genius of this young and raw talent. Walcott has not only starred for Arsenal, but has burst onto the international stage and set England on their way to automatic World Cup qualification thanks to brilliant displays and fantastic goals. I watching in wonder last night as a youthful Arsenal put Fenerbache to the sword in their own back yard and Walcott was at the centre of everything that was good about Arsenal. It is easy to forget just how young this lad is and his tender age can be used as an excuse (if any are needed) for when his form, inevitably falls a few percentage. So, this question that I’d like to pose is, if Rangers had a ‘Theo Walcott’, would Walter Smith play him in the starting 11 – not just in the mediocre SPL, but in European games? Now, I understand that Wlacott is a ‘one off’, the best talent to come out of England since Wayne Rooney, and don’t think for a minute that we have anyone on our books with the talent that Walcott processes. However, we might have, as when was the last time a ‘youth’ player was given an extended run in our team? I’d guess at Alan Hutton who as soon as he showed any sign of ability, was swiftly dispatched to White Hart Lane. The only young players currently that are being ‘talked up’ at Ibrox are / were John Fleck, Dean Furman and Aaron. Furman has gone on lone and the remaining pair are semi-permanent fixtures on our substitute bench. From the admittedly little that I have seen of the above trio, Fleck is without a doubt the most gifted and hopefully likely to cement a place in the Rangers team in the near future. Fleck was introduced into the dieing embers of last years Scottish Cup Final and along with the return of Beasley, Flecks fleeting appearance was the highlight of that day. Simply put, he didn’t look out of place. I don’t think I was the only Rangers fan who left Hampden that day convinced that I would see a lot more of Fleck this season. Sadly, me and a few others have been left disappointed. Given Walters record at Rangers, he doesn’t appear to be the type of manager to bring youth players into the team and give them an extended run. During the 9-in-a-row years, we saw glimpses of players like Sandy Robertson, Gary McSwegen, Stephen Pressley, Neil Murray et al who contributed to some fantastic Rangers performances both domestically and in Europe, but none were given extended runs in the team. So people, I am convinced that we have or own ‘Theo Walcott’ (in context) sitting at Murray Park but remain unconvinced that we’ll see him get an extend run in the first 11 – much to his, and our detriment. Green With Envy Yip, I’ll admit to being green with envy as I sat down last night to be entertained by Europe’s finest in the Champions League, and I’ll be just as envious as I settle down in front of the TV tonight. I’ll also admit that I am envious of our green foes participation in the CL, and yes, even given their drubbing last night, I am still a little envious of them. In fact, I’m even a tad envious of their 1 point from 50+ available away from home – Christ that’s what you call consistency (ok, ok, ok, that was a big tongue in cheek)…… There is nothing better than an European night, especially at Ibrox, or when you enjoy a fantastic trip to a foreign land. I think we’ve all got stories to tell of our expeditions and of the friends that we’ve made on our travels, both within the travelling Rangers support and friendly locals. For long-term GersNet readers this next statement will come as no surprise, but to newer readers and ‘younger’ Bears it might. Whilst I have no ‘love’ of Manchester United, I do not hold any hatred for them either. I, for a while, took delivery of Man United fanzines (some of the best zines around). I applauded and continue to applaud the Man United fans fight for their club (something we could learn from). I met a fair few Man United fans when I was down for our CL game, and every last one of them were fantastic company and the one thing that I noticed was their burning love for their club – in that respect, they reminded me of US, the Rangers support. For them, its Man U first and Man U last – they have no time for ‘2nd teams’ and no time for ‘love-ins’. Lastly, I believe that we have much in common with Manchester United. Both our clubs are deemed the most successful in our respective countries (although Liverpool would have something to say on that matter), both clubs have overcome terrible disaster and tragedy in their long and illustrious history. Both clubs are ‘hated’ in their own country due to their dominance and both clubs draw fantastic support from out-with the city and country that they belong to. So, its fair to say that I have no qualms regarding Manchester United or their fans. Some Rangers fans will point to the supposed love-in between Man United and Celtc – lets get this straight, this is a one-way street. If you read any Man United fanzines or books written by fans (or their casuals) you’ll understand that they don’t like Timmy at all. Why would they? Timmy sing a Liverpool anthem and sing songs about a terrorist group who targeted Manchester killing citizens and destroying the city. Also, it is worth noting that Manchester United pull a large section of their fanbase from the loyalist and unionist communities of Northern Ireland. Anyway, apologies for digressing, back to the point in hand. At this stage next season, I don’t want to be a mere spectator when the business end of the Champions League comes around. I want Rangers in their and fighting for the right to progress to the knock-out stages of this prestigious tournament. However, after watching some of the awesome performances last night, we have a vast amount of improving to ensure that we can compete annually at this level. To make CL qualification assured we must win the SPL title this year and that is not a formality or a foregone conclusion. Oh, I’ve added a clip from the infamous ‘you-tube’ site (you know, the one UEFA and the media use to try us) of what can only be described as an altercation outside Old Trafford last night – not much love on show here : [ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bo3C4FoJ0Mk[/ame] Know Your Enemy At the moment, being a Rangers fan, especially one who uses the internet to discuss his team and on occasions, history, politics and religion, it isn’t hard knowing who your enemy is. However, until recently, you wouldn’t have put the manager of your team into the enemy camp. Some of us understand that the Chairman and his lap-dog Bain are well entrenched in the enemy camp and like nothing more than feeding the frenzied media with ‘own goals’ and attacks on Rangers fans. Walter Smith has decided to pitch in with SDM and Bain and thus, must accept the ire that will be directed at him. Now he has opened himself up for criticism relating to topics out-with squad selection, signings and tactics. He has entered the big, bad bigoted Rangers fans debate and hang his colours to the ‘establishments’ mast. I can take the agenda driven media having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). I can take agenda driven politicians having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). I can take agenda driven organisations like NMB having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). It may hurt me to the core, it might drive me to despair, but I can take SDM and Bain having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). But I’m sorry Walter, I expected better from you. Cammy F -

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

With the national team seemingly already having lost the momentum generated from the highly exciting if eventually unsuccessful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign in which home and away defeats of the French led us int oa final winner takes all game against the Italians, is it too early to re-consider the manager's position? Early results suggest that George Burley has undone much of the good work achieved first by Walter Smith and carried on by Alex McLeish since the Berti Vogts debacle. In the 6 games Burley has taken charge of, 3 friendlies and 3 of our 8 South Africa World Cup qualifying games, we have managed just one solitary victory in Iceland, leaving us with just 4 points from our opening 3 qualifying fixtures. The management and the players will not admit it, and you would not expect them too, but realistically now we are fighting for second place. Topping this group ahead of the Dutch will prove beyond us and now even securing second place will prove a struggle. With ourselves, Norway, Iceland and Macedonia all taking points off each other it is looking increasingly likely that second place from our group will provide the unlucky runners up who do not make the play offs, with 8 of 9 runner's up in the group being drawn against each other. As it appears that our exile from intenrational tournaments will extend beyond the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, it has to be asked, after just 3 competitive games is it too early to look at appointing Burley's successor? I am not normally one for these sort of knee-jerk reactions. I advocate giving a manager time to prove themselves. However, when things are clearly not working out, how far do you let one man drag the team down before you say enough is enough and remove the negative influence from the squad? Too my mind there are 3 main reasons why Burley has shown he is not the man for the job: 1. First and foremost, results. Football is a results based business at the end of the day. Winning is all that matters. In the matches that really matter Burley has not achieved the required results. After the amazing run in our last qualification section in which we nearly qualified ahead of either of the World Cup Finalists from 2006, the entire country had real belief we could reach South Africa if we got a kinder draw. Drawing Holland after their impressive performances at the Euro's put a bit of a dampner on that, but 2nd place should have been a minimum target. The disappointing defeat to Macedonia was an early setback, only drawing at home to Norway has given us a real mountain to climb. 2. Burley has not helped himself with some baffling team selections. As I have stated on here before, the negative low risk management of playing over-the-hill mediocre players ahead of younger, fitter and ultimately better players is of great annoyance to me. Picking Alexander ahead of Broadfoot for the Macedonia game is a prime example of this. I am not saying we would not have lost had Kirk played in that game, but playing your best XI gives you a greater chance of achieving a poistive result. The biggest story in Scottish football at the momment, Boyd's retirement from international football under Burley, is also down to poor team selections. Up against the giant Norway defence Burley fielded just McFadden upfront supported by two small wide players. McFadden has not performed for Scotland in recent games and has also recently been dropped by Alex McLeish at Birmingham. Whislt the decision to field small, fast wide player in support of McFadden to strecth the Norwegians and get at them down the flanks might have worked, McFadden is not the kind of player who would be effective spear heading that formation. Boyd, Fletcher or Iwelumo might have been. With Miler out, the choice of formation and tactics and McFadden's loss of form, Boyd would have been ideal for a starting berth. To not throw him on when needing a goal to keep our qualifying campaign on track, and instead play the inexperienced Iwelumo and Fletcher, who boast far inferior goalscoring records is baffling in the extreme. 3. Poor man-management, an inability to manage top class player and deal with the media. These points are all related and included as the one. Burley's previous successes with Ipswich, Hearts and Southampton were born out of fostering a good team spirit with no real genuine high profile stars. Burley has no real experience of managing top class professionals who come with high profile media attention and big egos. It is clear that the squad spirit and togetherness fostered under Smith and McLeish, that in part aided us in gaining results we had no right to expect, is no longer there. This is evidenced by comments emanating from the camp and the retirements of McCulloch and then Boyd. Burley has made a few faux pas in the media in regards to dealing with his players. To call up Broadfoot, who helped get his tenure as Scotland manager back on track, and then describe him as having "limited ability" was frankly incredulous. How the manager of our national team could make such a naive and frankly idiotic statement left me dumbfounded. Whether the statement is true or not, and even if it was meant as a compliment, it was a ridiculously poor choice of words. This has further been compounded by his choice of words since he caused boyd to retire from the international scene. When explaining why he left Boyd on the bench and instead turned to Iwelumo and Fletcher, he stated boyd had not proven himself at club level. Boyd has a goalscoring record at all levels of the game that cannot be matched by many. He has been our top scorer for the past few seasons, playing at the biggest club in Scotland. He even had a phenomenal record at Killie, topping the goalscoring charts at both clubs and being the SPL's top scorer 2 seasons ago. He has scored in cup finals under extreme pressure to turn the game for Rangers and has scored in Europe. Iwelumo is a journey man who has only demostrated a decent strike rate recently in the Championship. Fletcher is relatively inexperience in first team football and struggled to find the net at the beginning of the season. Indeed he was in very poor form (one u21 international aside) at the start of this year. I think it is clear who has and hasn't established themselves at club level. If Burley had said he did not pick him because he had not been featuring in the Rangers starting line up recently it would be slightly easier to swallow. Although Boyd had started 5 of the opening 8 league games scoring four times in all competitions. Iwelumo on the other hand had been suspended for his club's 3 fixtures heading into the internationals. If Burley had meant that he hadn't been featuring as much recently it still would not wash with me. If further highlights Burley's incompetence. either he is uncomfortable in front of the camera and cannot get out precisely what he means, or he is a fool who makes statements that do not stand upto scrutiny. He lacks the required acumen and vocabulary to deal with the media effectively, often leaving himself looking a bit ridiculous. He cannot handle big name players from big clubs and he is ruining the cohesion and togtherness that is vital to a national squad from small countries who rely on team work, players fighting for each other and the manager to achieve results that should be beyond our collective talents. The list of potential candidates to succeed McLeish was frankly underwhelming. The inexpereince McGhee, the ultimately unssuccesful Burns, the abrasive and Souness and Burley. For me Burley looked like the correct choice. McGhee had not proven himself for long enough or worked at a high enough level. Burns teams play pretty football but do not do what matters and that is win. Souness has not really been succesful since leaving Rangers and has a knack of aggravating players that would be detrimental to one of our key strengths, squad spirit and harmony. Prior to Romanov's meddling Burley had Hearts sitting pretty atop the SPL pile. He achieved impressive results with Ipswich and Southampton and was the obvious choice. Hindsight can be a real killer though. I see parallel's in the current national situation with Rangers ill-fated PLG-era. Much like Burley, everyone lauded the capture of PLG. Quickly though, it became apparent he was out of his comfort zone and was the wrong man for the job. The question was how long did you give him to prove himself before it became apparent he was not upto the job. If you don't give someone long enough to implement their ideas you might never now how succesful they might have been. Look at Sir Alex at Man Utd who was close to relegation and the sack early on. How glad they must be that they gave him time. However, with Rangers turn around in fortunes under Smith, it is clear Murray was right to oust PLG as soon as possible. If we allow Burley to continue blundering from mistake to mistake, poor performance to poor performance, poor result to poor result, we will only go further backwards. It is time now to make the change, stop the rot and hope the new manager can achieve the results to secure second place in this qualification group. We currently sit second on 4 points. But with a double header against Holland up next we could be sitting on just 4 points after 5 games, behind Norway, Macedonia or Iceland and struggling to reach South Africa. We need the SFA to act now if we are to have a fighting chance of making the play offs.

Putting him in against Hamilton is a mistake i feel. He should play a few reserve games first.

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

Apologies for not penning these on a regular basis, I promise to make more of an effort..... When Will The Inconsistency End? If we are to be successful in the SPL this season, and we MUST be, we must strive for a level of consistency that has been sadly lacking in our erratic start to the season. Having gone out of Europe tamely, coupled with our jittery start to the SPL campaign, I probably wasnââ?¬â?¢t the only Rangers fan who believed that the impressive performance at The Piggery was the turning point of the season. In truth, that performance has turned out to be the exception rather than the rule. The only other performance that matched the mauling of the MOPEs was the performance at Fester Road which was one the most impressive in Leith for a while. Hibs created a few chances, but in truth, we ran out easy and convincing winners on the day. Those two performances apart, we have been ordinary in our performances this season and this must improve and improve soon. I was surprised to hear Walter Smith claim that he still doesnââ?¬â?¢t know what our strongest and best 11 is or what our strongest formation is, or which 11 and which formation will be utilised this season. Again, this is something that has to be resolved and resolved soon. Some of the concerns for this Bear include the fact that we are still employing 4 centre halves in our back four (due to injury and lack of strengthening in this area), no leadership on the pitch (Davie Weir is a great player with wonderful experience, but a leader he is not), we have no natural width in our midfield (again due to injuries and lack of strengthening in this area) and our forwards havenââ?¬â?¢t found their shooting boots (on a consistent basis) as yet. Hopefully the fullback areas will become less of an issue if and when Stevie Whittakar and Stevie Smith regain full fitness. In saying that, you canââ?¬â?¢t fault Sasa Papac and Kirk Broadfoot for their effort in the full back areas, but they arenââ?¬â?¢t natural full backs. Hopefully either Sasa or Kirk will become the ââ?¬Ë?long termââ?¬â?¢ centre partner to Bougherra who has fitted seamlessly into the heart of our defence. The wide areas of midfield are a little more difficult to fill at the moment and Walter appears to be keen to use ââ?¬Ë?forwardsââ?¬â?¢ for this role ââ?¬â?? Novo and Lafferty. The natural selections would be young Aaron and Beasley, but a combination of injuries and ââ?¬Ë?fitnessââ?¬â?¢ has curtailed this area of the team as well. As for a leader, well all this Bear can say is ââ?¬Ë?hurry back Barryââ?¬â?¢. Ferguson isnââ?¬â?¢t everyoneââ?¬â?¢s cup of tea, but the team is badly missing him at times. When the team require a ââ?¬Ë?shakeââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?urged onââ?¬â?¢, we currently donââ?¬â?¢t have anyone that will drive the team forward like Ferguson can. As for the forwards, credit where credit is due, Kenny Miller has been the most consistent forward in our team (performance level) and heââ?¬â?¢s scored 4 very decent goals this term. Kris Boyd remains an enigma, Lafferty has been plagued by injuries, JCD is just rank rotten at the moment, ditto Nacho Novo (although no one can fault his passion) and Velicka has turned into the invisible man. So hopefully from today onwards, we can see a level of consistency that can ensure that we regain our title from the MOPES as we simply canââ?¬â?¢t allow them to win another league title this season. Racism and Sectarianism ââ?¬â?? Main Offenders. Yip the MOPES have re-instigated their moral campaign on racist and sectarian songs sung at football games, whilst completely ignoring the fact that they are in fact the worst offenders. Since the mauling of the MOPES they have turned the spotlight onto the ââ?¬Ë?famine songââ?¬â?¢ and even politicians have gotten involved in the debate about this ditty. Now, take away all the hysteria and hyperbole surrounding this ditty, there is no way that it can be classed as racist or sectarian. However Bears, watch yourselves on this one. As this song has been elevated to the new ââ?¬Ë?Billy Boys, and whilst our club dithers around not defending us (in fact, they prefer to make public statements claiming that we are to blame as we constantly sing and post bile), this song could come back to haunt us big-time. There is no way on Gods Earth that the ââ?¬Ë?unbiasedââ?¬â?¢ Scottish media are going to douse the flames fanned by the MOPES, John Reid and the politicians, they are more than happy to portray us as the big, bad bigots ââ?¬â?? it is their agenda after all. However, it appears that we have some support in some quarters, including Southern Ireland where the Irish Independent penned the following : http://www.independent.ie/opinion/co...y-1491629.html UM, SLIGHT DISCONNECT, ANYONE? Two scenarios -- two different results. Rangers fans are reported to the police, politicians go mental and everyone is upset after they sing, to the tune of Sloop John B, "The famine's over; why don't you go home." It's quite funny and, in the context of the poisonous atmosphere between the clubs, verging on the affectionate. Spurs fans, on the other hand, have a chant about Sol Campbell which makes out that he is mental, has HIV and should be lynched. So, one chant about an event that happened over 100 years ago becomes a political hot potato, while another one which manages to evoke slavery, is racist and homophobic and threatening, is treated as little more than an unpleasant example of fan passions. It is indicative of Scotland at the moment that we are continually dragged over the coals for perceived indiscretions whilst the MOPES can sing their vile and repulsive songs and have banners commissioned and made by a convicted IRA terrorist with impunity. Why will no one ask for clarity on the above, or take them to task? F*** You Celtic Youââ?¬â?¢ll Never Win Away I understand that we are in no position to slate anyoneââ?¬â?¢s woeful European record this season given our nightmare against Kanuas, but this is more about the press reaction to the MOPES latest CL away defeat, rather than a gloating at another away day defeat. I was down in deepest, darkest Staffordshire when the MOPES travelled to Villarreal for their latest CL defeat, sorry game. Given this, there was very little pre-match coverage and I had to make do with listening to Paul Dumbertââ?¬â?¢s commentary of the game on ââ?¬Ë?SKY Sportsââ?¬â?¢ football programme. For the duration of the game, Dumbert was praising the Spaniards and claiming that Celtc were in for a ââ?¬Ë?tonkingââ?¬â?¢. When the goal eventually came, Dumbert proceeded to state that Celtc couldnââ?¬â?¢t get back into the game as they couldnââ?¬â?¢t get the ball back from Villarreal. Given this, I was astounded to read on my return of how unlucky Celtc were and that this was their best CL away performance of all time. Now imagine the fun the media would have if we had their CL away record. Hell, we got to the UEFA Cup Final last year and got WORSE press for our performances that they have received for 1 solitary point from 18 CL away games. Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The Peopleââ?¬Â¦.

WITH the success of Pedro Mendes this season, many Rangers fans have asked whether Barry Ferguson will feature when he fin-ally regains full fitness. Mendes and Ferguson are, after all, almost identical central midfielders; they like to get on the ball, dictate play and weigh in with a few goals. Portuguese star Pedro has been outstanding for the Gers since clinching a �£4million move from Barclays Premier League club Portsmouth in the summer. The 29-year-old netted a sensational long-range goal in the 4-2 demolition of Celtic on his Old Firm debut at Parkhead back in August. advertisement And the ex-Porto ace also sent the Glasgow giants into the quarter-finals of the Co-operative Insurance Cup with a well-taken extra-time winner against Partick Thistle last month. After such a blistering start, Ibrox boss Walter Smith will find it impossible to leave him out when his talismanic captain is available again. So where, then, does that leave Ferguson, who is on the brink of returning to action after undergoing major ankle surgery back in July? Well, after the 1-0 defeat by St Mirren at Love Street on Sunday, Fergie will be welcomed back with open arms by his manager, team-mates and supporters alike. The Buddies' 3-5-2 formation stifled the creativity of former Champions League winner Mendes. But the ability and experience of Scotland skipper Barry alongside Pedro could have freed him to focus on the playmaker role. Former Rangers centre-half and captain and current BBC pundit Craig Paterson feels Smith will strive to accommodate both men in his starting line-up - and succeed. "Good players love to play with good players," Craig argued. "For me, the prospect of Ferguson and Mendes playing in the same starting line-up is a mouth-watering one. "Yes, both players are good at keeping the ball, are great passers and like to get up the pitch and into the final third. But Walter will find a way to incorporate the two of them in his team. "Rangers, and Celtic as well, are going to have games like the one against St Mirren on Sunday this season. Teams will set out to defend and frustrate them and sometimes they will succeed. "In those situations, Rangers will need all the good players the can get. Barry and Pedro have the ability to win the ball and grab a game by the scruff of the neck. The manager will want them both involved. "Rangers have done tremendously well to produce the run of results they have done without Barry in their team. But he will go into the side alongside Mendes as soon as he is ready." The defeat by St Mirren - the first they have suffered in Paisley in 22 years - meant Rangers failed to reclaim top spot in the SPL from Celtic. The unexpected loss has also led to an inevitable post mortem among their thousands of brassed-off fans - with many believing their team lacked any width. Off-form DaMarcus Beasley was benched as substitutes Kris Boyd and Kyle Lafferty tried and failed to make the breakthrough up front. Paterson, though, feels Smith was correct to go with the same group of outfield players who had dismantled Hibs in the league at Easter Road the previous weekend. He feels Buddies boss Gus MacPherson deserves tremendous credit for leading his bottom-placed side to a deserved triumph over Smith's team. Craig stressed: "Defensively, St Mirren were different class. They set out with a definite game plan and it worked. "Some fans are saying Rangers didn't have width, but it wasn't a problem at Easter Road. The full-backs, Kirk Broadfoot and Sasa Papac, did a lot of the damage against Hibs. "Gus has to be praised for identifying that as a danger area and ensuring his team snuffed out the threat." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2458139.0.0.php

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

WALTER SMITH last night admitted it's time to build his Rangers team around Kris Boyd's goalscoring gifts - despite the striker's shortcomings. http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/opinion/columnists/gordon-waddell/2008/09/28/walter-we-ll-build-a-team-around-boyd-78057-20757530/ Lets hope it's true

by Thomas Jordan RANGERS Spanish hitkid Aaron has told Walter Smith he's ready to stake his claim for a first team place. And the teenage midfielder admits he can't wait to run out and play in front of 50,000 fans at Ibrox after warming the bench in recent weeks. He said: "It will be an unforgettable moment when I finally run on to the pitch at Ibrox in front of the club's great supporters. I have seen the team win at home and the atmosphere is incredible. I am really looking forward to it. "It is a dream of mine to play in the first-team at Rangers and even although I am only 19 it would be a fantastic opportunity. advertisement "Hopefully this will come along soon but it is up to the manager of course. "When I first arrived at the club I needed to get a couple of weeks' training and a bit of time to settle into my new surroundings. "I am now ready to play whenever the manager needs me." While Smith will have plenty of options as he prepares to face St Mirren on Sunday, he heads to Love Street in the knowledge his side face a difficult match. He added: "Gus MacPherson has organised his teams in such a way that they're never easy to beat. "In fact, they've always proved themselves to be awkward opponents." Meanwhile, Smith has admitted the rest of his team may have to fit into Kris Boyd's style of play for the maverick striker to be a first pick. The Ibrox manager left the striker out of his starting line-up at the weekend for the 3-0 win over Hibs, but he is expected to return to the team on Sunday. He said: "Kris has probably played around 75 per cent of the games since I came back here. "The fact the ones he missed were the bigger matches can be a criticism of us as well, but Kris has played long enough for us to know what his assets are. "I'd hope the team would get more comfortable playing him in a lot of these games and we can handle all the other aspects you need to win a match." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2455457.0.0.php

Those Rangers supporters who continue to ignore pleas from club officials to refrain from singing the Famine Song may see Walter Smith's team penalised by the game's ruling body. Strathclyde Police consider singing Famine Song to be an arrestable offence. On Sunday, just as Celtic chairman John Reid issued a statement describing the song as "racist and deeply offensive", thousands among the travelling Rangers support sang it loudly and repeatedly during the 3-0 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road. The public view of the Rangers Supporters Trust is that the song is merely banter and it is true that it is mainly the refrain (to the tune of Sloop John B) "The Famine's over, why don't you go home?" which is sung. However, the verses of the song are undeniably racist, accusing Irish immigrants of, among other crimes, raping their children, and Strathclyde Police have confirmed that they consider the singing of such songs as an arrestable offence. Now the Scottish Premier League has revealed that they are monitoring the situation. The SPL introduced fresh regulations last season and a key change from previous legislation is that clubs are now held responsible for the behaviour of their followers at away grounds. Yesterday, Greg Shields, the SPL's marketing and communications director, refused to pre-judge the issue but admitted they are keeping tabs on the problem. "We are still waiting for our match delegate's report," he said. "However, concerns have already been raised about the lyrics of this song and we've had meetings with Strathclyde Police on this matter. Our first step was to gather their views and they've been speaking to the Crown Office on this subject. We're keeping a close eye on it and if this is flagged up then we would take the relevant next steps. We brought these rules into play last year in order to address these issues." "We would not comment on the lyrics of any particular song," said a spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police last night. "However, where any songs or chants are perceived to be offensive, whether in a racist or sectarian manner, efforts will be made to identify those responsible and appropriate action will be taken by officers. "Strathclyde Police continues to work closely with clubs and authorities to tackle racist and sectarian behaviour that unfortunately can prevail within certain sections of Scottish football." Of course, taking direct action against a large group of people in a confined space poses logistical problems and could endanger the safety of police officers, as the spokeswoman conceded. "When practical, we would go in and deal with it," she said. "When there are thousands of people doing it then that becomes more difficult but we would still endeavour to identify those responsible and take action." Lothian and Borders Police adopted a different stance. They disclosed that only one arrest had been made during Sunday's game and that it was for an unrelated offence. "There is no investigation ongoing in relation to any songs sung by fans at yesterdays' Hibs v Rangers match," said an official statement. "There is a burden of proof required by the Procurator Fiscal when proving such a charge and there was insufficient evidence to identify or charge any individual with this offence." It is a problem which shows no sign of going away, though, and Walter Smith, whose side have responded impressively since their traumatic Champions League elimination at the hands of FBK Kaunas, must despair at the intransigence of that section of his support.

By Andrew Dickson KENNY MILLER doesn't care where he scores for Rangers or how many goals he gets - all he wants is for the team to keep winning. Kenny Miller stoops low to head in the opener against HibsThe Scotland striker netted twice at Easter Road on Sunday to set the Light Blues on their way to a 3-0 victory over his old side Hibernian. Miller's double brought his tally to four goals since he returned to Ibrox, with the remaining pair coming against his other former club Celtic in August. Each of the 28-year-old's efforts have come on the road and he now has his sights set on grabbing the first Ibrox strike of his second spell with Gers. But he admits he would quite happily go through a whole season without a home goal if it meant the team stayed on right track. Miller said: "The boys have been saying they are just going to play me against my old teams from now on because I keep scoring when we go to play them. "All joking aside, I went into the weekend feeling good because I'd had a few chances last week against Motherwell and played well without scoring.Kenny Miller celebrates "At Hibs I was able to get on the end of Kirk Broadfoot's cross then his lay off and I was delighted to finish them both off. "If I'm honest though, I don't care where the goals come and I'd take 50 away from home instead if it helps the team to do well. "I just want to stay in the team because we've got a lot of good players and the manager has used a few different partnerships so far. "It's my aim to do enough to stay involved and I'll happily take goals if they come along as well." Miller was thrilled with the result three days ago for a number of reasons, not least because of the manner in which Gers won. Charlie Adam and Kenny Miller celebrateCeltic had gone top of the SPL the previous afternoon with a win against Aberdeen but Walter Smith's men overtook them again with a ruthless showing in Edinburgh. Miller added: "I suppose there is always a wee bit of pressure on you when your rivals go above you in the table the day before you play. "But getting three points was the most important thing on Sunday and for us to go to Easter Road and win so well was great. "It's a tough place to play at and Hibs produce some cracking football so it was pleasing to do a good job. "You could see how good we are in the first half. We passed the ball about well and created some really good chances. "We did the hard work before the break and managed to go two goals up through some really good play. "After half-time we had to weather the storm because we knew Hibs would come back at us and we were able to do that.Kenny Miller scores his first against Hibs "Neil (Alexander) made a couple of good saves and that gave us a platform to go on and settle the game through Madjid (Bougherra) when he scored. "I'm over the moon with the way things are going and barring a controversial decision, we'd be sitting with maximum points from seven games. "We were happy to go to Easter Road and win to go right back to the top of the league again. It shows the character and mentality we have in our side."

Sep 23 2008 CROCKED Rangers defender Steven Whittaker faces surgery to cure the knee injury which has blighted his Ibrox career this season. The 24-year-old has been out of action for Rangers since the start of the season, and has failed to respod to treatment at Murray Park. And now the former Hibs star faces going under the knife in a bid to get his season back on track. "It may be that he needs an operation, we are not quite certain," said Walter Smith. "It would be a minor one but obviously it rules him out for the next few matches."

by Lindsay Herron RANGERS boss Walter Smith has revealed that skipper Barry Ferguson could be back in action next month. Smith believes that Ferguson could be only a few weeks away from returning and the Dundee United game at Ibrox on October 18 could be a realistic target. Walter SmithFerguson has not featured at all this season having had ankle surgery in July but all things being equal he could be leading the side out in the middle of next month. He is working hard with the medical team at Murray Park having completely recovered from the operation. Smith said: "Barry should be back within three to four weeks depending how things go and that will be good for us, of course. "Gradually we are getting all of the injured players back and that is going to be beneficial. "I think Kyle Lafferty will be fit for the Motherwell match on Sunday. He missed the international matches with Northern Ireland and then had to sit out the Kilmarnock game. "But we think he will be available again this weekend. "Lee McCulloch is also on the mend and Chris Burke is close to full fitness while Stevie Smith is recovering from his ankle probem so we are gradually getting everyone back,"

Can't agree more he really is a quality act.

The remark in red really worries me. I also wonder if Demarcus means it seriously or is having a dig. Surely Fergie has to fight for his place like everyone.

A player of "limited ability" saves a manager of limited ability?: Time for braver management. After George Burley's embarrassingly ill-thought out comments regarding Rangers' right back Kirk Broadfoot, he should be both apologising to the utility defender and thanking him. The opening line; "A player of "limited ability" saves a manager of limited ability?" was actually a text I sent to a few friends at half time in the Iceland game. How better for Kirk to shut up his detractors and throw more egg in the face of Burley for his managerial inexperience, than to come up with the opening goal in what was already a make or break game for both Scotland's World Cup hopes and for George Burley's tenure as the national team manager? Some journalists actually praised Burley for his straight talking, perhaps in an attempt to prevent this creating any further distractions in the Scotland camp prior to the beginning of an increasingly important qualifying campaign. It is a shame therefore that these same journalists did not do any "straight-talking" of their own. His commments were foolish at best and showed up his inexperience for dealing with players at the highest level. However I digress. My real reason for posting this is that it has reinforced a long standing belief I have that there are very few "brave" managers in modern football in this country. This is based on two major forms of decision making required by a football manager. Namely, squad and team selections and making substitutions. The situation with Broadfoot accurately sums up the first point. Scotland is a small footballing nation, with fewer players at grass roots level than the larger European super-powers of football and consequently fewer world-class or elite level performers. Take out Ferguson, Hutton and maybe even the two keepers, Gordon and McGregor and we really are struggling. Consider the players comprising the squad for the Macedonia and Iceland games to illustrate this point. With Alan Hutton out injured, their are few in form right backs available to Scotland of genuine quality. Burley called up just two players to cover this position. Alexander and Broadfoot. Alexander is an average journeyman-pro who is likely a beneficiary of the Berti Vogts era where caps were handed out like jelly babies. There are numerous players who recieved caps during the dark days of Vogts time. Some who even served us fairly well. However, we do have a stronger group of players now and these older stalwarts' time has come and gone. Alexander is a 36 year old, Championship defender with Burnley. Whilst he perhaps once was a useful back up player in the squad, with his ageing years and a question mark over whether he ever truely was good enough for the international scene, it's time to look to players who can carry us into 2010 and beyond. And this is where the lack of "bravery", as I see it, comes in. In a straight choice between Alexander and his younger, more athletic team mate, Burley went for "experience". Alexander undoubtedly has greater international experience. However, Broadfoot has played consistently for one of Europe's biggest clubs, competing in the Champions' League and even a UEFA cup final. Broadfoot is also currently playing th better football, combining solid defensive displays with a willingness to get forward that is just not possible for a man of Alexander's years. Burley however, hid behind the banner of "experience". Alexander as a more senior member of the squad got the nod as he had previously been capped. Ignore the player's' ability. Ignore their current club form and the fact that one of the club's has been operating at a higher level of football including elite European competition and instead take the easy option of picking the guy who has the most caps. Burley is not alone in doing this. It is a feature of management throughout Britain and perhaps across the globe. I am not advocating throwing a whole team of untested players into a team for games of such importance. But what happened to the saying "if you're good enough, you're old enough". It's not as if leaving out Alexander for Broadfoot would greatly affect experience in the squad. Not with guys like Gordon, McFadden and Fletcher who have experience of Premiership football, European football and two victories over a decent French side. Not to mention the fact that whilst Broadfoot may not have international experience he has significantly more big game experience than Alexander. The other area in which many manager's show a lack of bravery is in making substitutions. Waiting until there's 6 minutes left to change a game when it's been obvious since half time that the current tactics and line up just aren't working. Expecting a striker to come on, get up to pace with the game and slot away a winning or equalising goal in the last few minutes, when the rest of the team couldn't do it in the previous 80-minutes. Something also demonstrated by Burley when he waited til the last few minutes to throw Boyd on to rescue the game against Macedonia. Certainly this approach of waiting and hoping for some fluke occurence or refereeing decision to throw you a lifeline rather than taking control and trying to change the game for themself is not solely the preserve of Burley. Neither is his treatment of Boyd. Former Scotland manager McLeish was guilty of that, as is Walter Smith at Rangers. If you don't trust a player to perform from the first minute and demonstrate that to the player by regularly leaving him on the bench, don't continually expect him to save your arse by doing what everyone knows they do best. Although here I'm getting into another well trodden path of arguement. The only manager I know of who is prepared to change a game early when it's not going right is Jose Mourinho. In one Chelsea game in which they were 2 down at half time he made a triple substitution and they were 3-2 up midway through the second half. Obviously modern football is a results business and it is the manager alone who lives and dies on the results he achieves. However I feel the success of Broadfoot and Hutton in replacing their more decorated peers (in terms of caps earned) shows that a modern football manager has to show bravery and sometimes it is necessary to put your faith in the up and coming star at the expense of the ageing journeyman.

The Glasgow Rangers player Kirk Broadfoot has today revealed that he has been part of the Channel 4 TV show faking it for the last 3 years. The player broke the news today at a hastily arranged press conference as it emerged new Scotland manager George Burley had drafted the " player " into his squad for the up coming world cup qualifiers. Broadfoot who told the waiting press that he was in fact a carpet fitter from Fife said " This experience has been great but I now feel that I would totally be out of my depth and there was no way I could let the country I love so much down by pulling on the dark blue jersey" Channel 4 have defended there decision to allow Broadfoot to move to Rangers from St Mirren. Saints have issued a statement saying " The program makers approached us with there plan we where only to willing to be a part of there experiment we started that season with 4 or 5 new players and knew one was from the program".The only real surprise said saints boss Gus McPherson is that the player is not Will Henning considering how he has had a terrible start to the S.P.L season. Rangers would not be drawn on the future of the player at Ibrox only saying in a short statement " Kirk has been one of our most consistent performers over the last 18 months". Gers boss Walter Smith was unavailable for comment. The S.F.A chief Gordon Smith was quick to back Burley after some sections of the tartan army turned on the manager and pointed out what they have always know that any carpet fitter from Fife could get a game for Scotland if he worn an OLD FIRM strip. Aberdeen where quick to reassure fans that Jamie Langfield had not also been part of the experiment.

As he won't get a game under Walter it is probably better for everyone if he leaves. I would have liked to see him playing with Mendes for a game though.

he must hit the ground running now and start earning the new contract he was given. If he does not put in a decent effort this season i think we should be looking to off-load him. One good season in+- five is not good enough.

KEVIN THOMSON is hoping he can play the role of lucky mascot tomorrow when Rangers face their oldest rivals at Parkhead. The midfielder was gutted to miss both meetings between the sides at Celtic Park last season, but sitting out the two defeats has left Thomson with a 100 per cent record from four Old Firm ties. Thomson grabbed the winner in a 1-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox back in March but was helpless as he watched his side slip to defeat twice in the East end of Glasgow in April. But he has tasted victory at Parkhead in a light blue shirt when he played his part in a 1-0 victory there in Walter Smith's first Old Firm game after his return to Rangers. And Thomson now admits he is desperate to continue his record with another victory on Sunday. He said: "I've got a 100 per cent record and I'm quite happy to put that on the line on Sunday and look forward to it and hopefully after the game I'll be able to say I still have the same record. "I got a win there in the first season after I joined when big Ugo scored. I don't know how he did it. Someone suggested it was an overhead kick but I'm not quite sure about that. "The league was dead and buried at that stage, but it opened my eyes to how much it means to the fans and to the players. "The manager said just last week that, no matter how early they come, matches away to Celtic are a big part of the season. They might not be critical to deciding the league but we don't want to give them a lead. "If they were to win it would open a three point gap but we can go there with every confidence and hopefully we'll have an advantage come Sunday night."

Andrew Dickson reports from Parkhead WALTER SMITH paid tribute to his Rangers players after their magnificent 4-2 derby win over Celtic at Parkhead. The Light Blues manager raised eyebrows before play began by selecting Daniel Cousin to partner Kenny Miller up front. But his decision paid off when the Gabon hitman fired in the opener - and he was even more ecstatic when Miller then struck a second-half double. Pedro Mendes was the other scorer with a screamer from 25 yards and there's little doubt the visitors deserved to take three points from the first Old Firm clash of the season. While Smith will be acclaimed by many Gers fans for choosing the side he put out, he was keen for the men at his disposal to take the credit instead. He said: "We are obviously pleased to win the game. It was quite open and we were delighted to get the first goal then disappointed at losing one shortly afterwards. "It was a scrappy one from our point of view and 1-1 was probably just about right at half-time. "But whoever gets the first goal of the second half in Old Firm games often goes on to have the have the upper hand. "We managed to score then add another quite quickly and it was always going to be difficult for Celtic to come back after that. "You are always on edge when you come here but in the end, it was a terrific victory at a place where it is very difficult for any team to get a win and our players did very well." There was obvious focus on Miller as he returned to Celtic Park just two years since he joined Gordon Strachan's side after a previous spell with Rangers. He famously scored his first goal for the Parkhead team against the Light Blues but made away fans forget that with a wonderful brace today. His first effort was a brilliant right-footed volley across Artur Boruc's goal and the second was a tap-in after the Pole fumbled the ball. Miller's return to Ibrox has not gone down well with some supporters, who have made their feelings on the matter known over the last few weeks. Smith is hopeful the Scotland hitman's contribution today goes some way towards appeasing them. When asked how much pressure he thought Miller was under ahead of this game, the manager joked: "Not as much as me. "I thought Kenny played well. It seems to be the case quite often in football that people score against their former clubs and that was the case here. "I'm just pleased we managed to get the goals we needed and it doesn't bother me who scores them. "But Kenny played well today and if his performance doesn't win people over, we've got a bit of a problem. I don't know what he would need to do. "He has got his goals now so it is over with and hopefully he can go on to get a few more as the season goes on."

WALTER SMITH is hoping that his side can enjoy a successful away day at Parkhead this weekend but is fully aware just how difficult it will be to take three points in Glasgow's East End. The Gers' last victory at the home of their greatest rivals came on March 11, 2007 when Ugo Ehiogu's was the unlikely hero with a stunning overhead kick. A similar result this weekend would do just fine for the gaffer who is looking forward to another explosive encounter. "When you go to Celtic Park at any time you expect an extremely difficult game and that will be no different on Sunday," said Smith. "Historically, Rangers and Celtic don't lose a lot of home games and if you do then your position as manager can be in trouble. "So Celtic have an excellent record not just in the SPL but in Europe over the past five to ten years. "It's a tough place to go, as is Ibrox, but there is no doubt we can get a big psychological lift if we can get a good result on Sunday. "That is what we will set out to achieve." Several Ibrox stars including Perdo Mendes, Madjid Bougherra and Kyle Lafferty are likely to make their Old Firm debuts this weekend but Smith has no fears about throwing them into the world's biggest derby. He said: "Most of our players have a lot of experience, even the new lads, and they will be able to handle a situation like this. "They have been involved in important game throughout their careers including internationals so they will know what to expect. "At the end of the day playing in an Old Firm game is a great experience for any player as it doesn't come much bigger than that." Smith confirmed that Lee McCulloch is out of Sunday's game due to a knee ligament strain.