Search the Community

MAURICE Edu has expressed his delight at finally signing for Rangers and is hoping he can quickly play a part in the team with an appearance against Celtic on Sunday. The midfielder jetted in to Glasgow early on Friday and after a short training session, admitted he felt ready to be involved in Walter Smith's squad for the weekend's derby match at Parkhead. Smith will assess the 22-year-old in training on Saturday but Mo's initial reaction to life at Murray Park after a delayed flight from Canada has been positive. He said: "I'm excited to be here, it's what I've been waiting for, for the past couple of weeks. Now everything is finalised so I'm here and I'm happy. "I've managed a jog this morning and got the legs going again, so I'm fine, I'll be ready. I don't know what's been finalised but I hope to be part of the squad and part of the game too." The former Toronto FC man insists he knows what to expect from Sunday's Old Firm meeting if Smith deems him fit enough to play a part. He added: "I've seen a couple of the games on TV and I've spoken to Mo Johnston about them. He explained how great a game it is and how competitive they are. "He just advised me to be prepared, to go out there and play my game, enjoy the atmosphere and really just enjoy the experience." The US international's move from the MLS has been a protracted affair with the club having to secure a work permit before finalising the deal. With that now done and dusted Edu is delighted to have the opportunity to become part of the setup at Murray Park. He said: "I came out here a little while ago when I saw the Hearts game and I had a chance to explore the city and the facilities here. "They are probably the best I've ever seen and now I have the chance to be here and train at this facility and be part of the team so I'm excited to be here." And despite there being no European football to look forward to at Ibrox this term, Edu admits the appeal of regular involvement in the premier club competitions was an added attraction when deciding to trade the MLS for the SPL. He added: "The MLS is definitely improving, but over here this team plays in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup against the best players in the world. "For me it's a step up but I think it's the right choice because I feel I'm going to improve as a player, playing with better players every day. I'll get good coaching and I can develop as a player, which is important to me. "I'm a box to box midfielder. I can make tackles and break up the play but at the same time every now and then I'll get the occasional goal so that's what the fans can expect to see from me. "It's up to the manager how he sees me fitting in, but I think I can bring something that can compliment the team and benefit it in the long run."

by Lindsay Herron KENNY MILLER will become the first player in over 100 years to cross the great divide twice in Old Firm derbies if he plays for Rangers at Parkhead on Sunday. Tom Dunbar is the only other player to have achieved this feat and that was back in the late 19th century when Rangers and Celtic were quite chummy rather than fierce rivals. It could be a daunting prospect but Rangers boss Walter Smith has no doubts that the Scotland striker will handle it all. He told Rangers World: "I don't think Kenny will be bothered about going back to Parkhead. I'm sure there will be the usual banter between fans, but it is not something that is going to affect him. "He is an experienced enough player to handle it." Smith could have a number of new faces in his line-up on Sunday. Pedro Mendes, Kyle Lafferty, Madjid Bougherra plus the returning Steve Davis and Miller are liable to start with the potential of Maurice Edu and young Spaniard Aaron also taking part. Smith certainly has no qualms about introducing some or all of them to the unique atmosphere. He said: "Old Firm games can inspire you. If you want to be in football then these are the games you want to be involved in. "Any player worth his salt would want to play in this game. "During the match you can't say you enjoy it. If you manage to get a win then you do but if you lose then it's the end of the world, so to speak."

MAURICE EDU is hoping to make a dream Rangers debut by lining up at Parkhead in next Sunday's Old Firm showdown. The 22-year-old US midfielder got work permit clearance on Friday and will fly across the Atlantic to begin his Rangers career once all of the paperwork has been completed. And the former Toronto FC star hopes he can go straight into the squad for the derby with Celtic. He said: "It's something I would love to experience right away. I don't know how my involvement is going to play out but I really look forward to that if that was possible. "I know there is a huge rivalry between Rangers and Celtic. What a potential first game that would be, to play in the biggest derby game in world football. It would be unbelievable. "If it works out like that I would be more than excited. I can't think of a better debut than that. "I'm excited about this new chapter in my career.I will miss Toronto, and the team's amazing supporters and fans. Toronto FC will always have special meaning for me because it's the club that gave me my professional start." Edu will become Walter Smith's eighth summer signing when he joins later this week. Edu told the Mail on Sunday: ""It all happened so quickly for me. I heard a little whisper when I was at the Olympics but at that tim was trying to focus on getting the United States out of the group stages. "We lost and I came back home. I flew into San Francisco on the way to Toronto and I got a phone call from my agent. He said that the league had taken a bid and it was from Rangers. By the time I got to Toronto we heard there had been approval. "I have some things to tie up but hopefully I can be in Glasgow by midweek."

By Andrew Dickson RANGERS' 100% record in the SPL Reserve League came to an end this afternoon as they drew 0-0 with Hearts at Murray Park. Tommy Wilson's men were the better side, particularly after the interval, but couldn't convert any of the chances that came their way. Failing to break the deadlock means they've now taken four points from their first two matches after the 5-0 win against Falkirk a fortnight ago. The first half was a fairly even affair, with Gers shading it for the extra possession they enjoyed. Things might have been different had William McLachlan seen a red card rather than the yellow he received for a late foul on Hearts' Branimir Kostadinov after just 90 seconds. Indeed, it was a shaky start by the home side and Craig Sives should have headed the Jambos ahead with six minutes gone but somehow nodded wide from two yards. Rangers hit back and Rory Loy, who scored a hat-trick against the Bairns, drove low at goal but saw his effort smothered. John Fleck then skipped past two men as he cut across the 18-yard line and found the target too but also had his shot held. Paul Emslie was proving to be influential for the Light Blues and he had a go himself but his rising drive was always flying over. Hearts responded through Kostadinov and Jordan McMillan had to react sharply to block his teasing pass across goal. Rangers continued to have more of the ball after the break but while Fleck almost struck at one end, Juho Makela should really have broken the deadlock at the other. The best chance so far then fell to Spanish winger Aaron, who had experienced mixed fortunes in the opening period. He showed the class that tempted Walter Smith to bring him to Ibrox on loan from Valencia when he burst in from the left past two men and curled just beyond the far post. It was an opportunity he created from nothing and if he keeps producing like that, it won't be long before he is pushing for a first-team place. Gers were getting closer and it seemed Loy had finally given them a lead with 25 minutes remaining after Fleck and Andrew Shinnie combined to play him in. But just as his shot across Jamie MacDonald was sneaking inside the far post, the keeper stuck out a strong hand to divert the ball wide. Loy saw a similar attempt trundle past the frame and with that, frustration started setting in. Wilson threw on Giorgos Efrem and Andrew Little for Aaron and Loy in a bid to make his team's pressure finally count. But they couldn't get themselves a lead and had to settle for a share of the spoils instead with their capital opponents. RANGERS: Gallacher, Lowing, McLachlan, McMillan, Dailly, Emslie, Shinnie, Adam, Loy (Little 83), Fleck, Aaron (Efrem 68). Substitutes: Robinson, Furman, Craig, Harvey. HEARTS: MacDonald, Kelly (Thomson 67), Armstrong, Park, Sikes, McGowan, Kostadinov, Stewart (Copil 67), Makela, Wallace, Templeton. Substitutes: Bjornsson, Balatoni, Mulrooney, Docherty, Mackie. Referee: Ross Haswell.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/08/20/manual_180947.html&TEAMHD=scotspremiership IFK Gothenborg defender Mattias Bjarsmyr claims he has been approached by Scottish giants Rangers. Danish side FC Copenhagen have already had an offer for the Sweden international turned down this summer. Rangers boss Walter Smith is now said to have joined the race for the 22-year-old, with Goteborg thought to be demanding more than �£2million for the promising youngster. "I don't know much about that (Rangers), but I have also heard that." Bjarsmyr told Expressen. "There was a guy who called and told me about Rangers, but I told him to talk to my agent Martin Dahlin. "Martin is handling all that and he has not told me that there is something serious."

THE last time a Scotland team represented their country at a major championship, Rangers front man Kris Boyd was just 14 years old. Like so many youngsters watching the action from France 98, he too dreamed of one day pulling on the dark blue shirt to go in to battle with his national team. But a decade later few who watched helplessly as Scotland slipped out of the World Cup on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Morocco in St Etienne now find themselves in Boyd's position. As he prepares to face off against Northern Ireland in a friendly tonight, the Gers No.9 can realistically target a place in South Africa in 22 months' time. And, if he's handed a shirt by Scotland boss George Burley when his side depart Glasgow next month to face Macedonia and Iceland, he can have a say over whether Scotland will return to the global scene after a dozen years on the outside, looking in. Boyd turned 25 earlier this week and on the back of the most remarkable season of his career he admits that joining Scotland in the World Cup in South Africa would be the highlight of his football life. He said: "As a player they are the best moments in football, both the European Championships and the World Cup. "To be part of that would, I think, be the highlight of your career when you look back on it in years to come. "Every player wants to be there and the likes of Davie Weir and Christian Dailly have already tasted it and they say it's the best thing they've done in their career. "I'm sure we'd all be no different. We want to get there and hopefully we can get off to a good start and then finish the job this time." It's a revealing statement that points to the hurt Boyd felt at coming so close to a place in Austria and Switzerland during the summer, before falling at the final hurdle against Italy. The striker had helped to get his country off to a flying start with two goals in their opening qualifier for Euro 2008 as Walter Smith's side chalked up a 6-0 over the Faroe Islands. But he was a dejected figure as he watched from the Hampden touchline as Christian Panucci's header sealed a 2-1 win for the visiting Italians and ended Scotland's dream. He was stripped to come on as a sub with the scores tied at 1-1, but as he replaced Lee McCulloch he knew qualification had slipped away and that experience still lingers. Boyd said: "It was obviously disappointing the way it ended but if we'd been told at the start of the campaign that we'd take it that far we would have been delighted. "But once you get so close you're obviously disappointed that you don't quite make it but that's life, we have to move on from that and we've got another chance to qualify for a World Cup now." The Gers forward will take the first step on that journey in tonight's friendly at a stadium he enjoyed huge success at last season. Putting aside the disappointment of that meeting with Italy, Boyd went on to score doubles for his club in two triumphant Hampden cup finals. He added: "I enjoy playing there. It's a great surface and a great stadium and to play there with your national team is a bonus. "It's good to meet up with the squad and start preparations for the World Cup campaign with the game against Northern Ireland. "There are a good few of us from Rangers in it and it's always a special occasion to go and play with your country so I'm looking forward to the game."

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=663&Itemid=1 Carlos Cuellar has gone then and going by recent years it’s extremely unlikely to be a case of ‘The King is dead; long Live the King’. The 21st Century has seen a large number of quality players leave the club with the chairman proclaiming they will be replaced with players of a similar standard. In almost all cases – particularly with regard to our midfield – that has not been the case. From the Van Bronckhorsts to the Reynas, to the Numans, to the Amorusos; the decline in quality has been a steady one since our club’s downsizing began in earnest. It’s now reached the stage where not only the continuity of the team is threatened but the very future of the club is being brought into disrepute. What options does that leave us with? Do we protest or will our apathy contribute to our downfall? Firstly, I think it’s important that we address the issue objectively. It is far too easy to be vocally critical and while that may satisfy for a short while; it won’t do any good without solutions for the problems we face. One of the biggest and most valid criticisms of the Murray reign at Rangers is that of short-termism. We shouldn’t be guilty of the same flaw. Thus, if we are to protest – and I certainly empathise with that view – we need to be careful in how we go about it. ‘Murray out’ is the cry from many. ‘Walter Smith’s time is up’ is even more prevalent. Fair points as both deserve a lot of criticism for their work recently. Unfortunately, neither is likely to be replaced and I see little alternatives offered by those who shout loudest. Quite simply, while it may be agreeable that it’s time for a new owner (none more agree than Sir David Murray), we don’t have a knight in shining armour with a spare Ã?£100million to put into Rangers. Let’s face it – any new owner(s) would need around Ã?£20-30million to buy the club; Ã?£20million to underwrite the existing club debt; and at least Ã?£50million in reserve, to not only supply an annual transfer budgets equalling the last two years but to implement the various improvements we’d all like to see to the club. A new ticket office, a better youth system, a museum, stadium development (not to mention upkeep), improved retail/marketing and a genuine worldwide scouting system would need considerable investment just to get off the ground; never mind run on an annual basis. Not many investors have that kind of money to hand – especially when one considers the market we operate in. Even if we discount the problems we face on the field, the last paragraph shows just how serious things are at Rangers. The most positive supporters can surely now see how the under-performance of the club generally is affecting the general malaise at the club. There’s no doubt while some people may exaggerate some of these issues; there’s also no doubt the challenges we face as a club are serious ones and need urgent attention. In fact, most of them have needed attention for a number of years but it’s only now some supporters are awakening to them. And that’s where my concern is. Realism regarding the financial climate needn’t be an acceptance of under-achievement and inefficiency. Football fans – and particularly Rangers fans – are demanding sorts. Success should be regular, failure is not an option and everything is measured by an SPL title-winning barometer. This is how many supporters view our club but in my view it’s far too empirical and it’s this flawed vision that has helped put us in the position we are today. More seriously though, it’s not just the support that is guilty of this – the Rangers board of directors are similarly short-sighted and far more culpable. My single biggest criticism of Sir David Murray’s Rangers’ tenure is one which goes against how the man made his impressive business reputation. After a successful initial period, investment into the club (out with transfers) wasn’t enough, was only ever based on the short-term and failed to ensure our club’s position as the number one football club in Scotland. Remember we were Ã?£30million in the black around 1998 and only a few short years and Ã?£100million later we were Ã?£83million in the red - with next to nothing to show for it. Sure, at the insistence of Dick Advocaat, Murray Park was built but even that has taken a number of years to deliver while only showing inconsistent performance given it’s not the Youth Academy many believed it would be. Where are we then? Are we any further forward than late 1988 when SDM bought the club? Of course there are lots of positives during those 20 years and they shouldn’t be forgotten or ignored in the haste to vilify. However, the fact remains, the last 10 years of the reign have been inconsistent, lacking in quality, ambition has been lost and our future bleak. Much like what was happening under Murray’s predecessors it could be said. Protest is the answer then? Yes, it is, but probably not in the way some agitators would prefer. Firstly, we need to ensure that our support of the team and players isn’t compromised. While Walter Smith is just as much to blame for our current woes as anyone else and while we all agree certain players are simply not good enough to play for Rangers, difficult times require extra support – not less. I’m not suggesting blind loyalty – that would be equally wrong – but enough support to help the team regain the confidence and form to win matches. After all, not winning the title would only make things much, much worse. However, I’ve already said winning titles should not be a barometer of how successful our club is. After all, we didn’t win the title last season but generally it was a successful one in terms of European performance and incoming finance. Importantly though, it’s how we use this success that really matters. And that’s where we’ve failed this summer and in previous times. We’ve simply not achieved consistent domestic and European success. Ergo, that’s where any protest must be focussed. Thus, while bizarre 60 minute walk outs may indicate our displeasure; and while fans reps in the media provide further obvious methods of channelling our frustration; neither will be successful without constructive alternatives. By all means protest but it has to be done at the right time and place. The status quo is unlikely to change because a few hundred fans walk out unnoticed or because a few congregate outside the front door. That will only result in further division and problems. Genuine protest has to have a goal behind it. While the ultimate goal may be one of regime change, that’s not one that is immediately possible or one that would yield immediate results anyway. As such, any protest should have aims that are possible. Obviously, that is also much more difficult to achieve. What can we do to improve the club? How can we reach the people to responsible for that improvement? Can we catalyse them via workable solutions? That place is the Rangers AGM in the next month or so. That’s where ALL the guilty parties will be present. That’s where ALL the relevant questions should be asked. That’s where ALL the board of directors can be brought to task on their under-achievement. That’s where the manager can be challenged. That’s where positive change can be implemented. That’s where the Rangers supporters can rise to the challenge. That’s where leadership can be sought in the presence of ALL the people who can make the difference. We can help shape our future. We can never be accused of not being loyal or being supportive of the club through difficult times. Let’s continue to do so by cheering the team to victory over 90mins and keeping our criticism for the place where it really matters.

Best move for him i think. at least he will get some senior experience.

According to Spiers he is on the way. Rangers will attempt to prise James McFadden from Birmingham City as Walter Smith, the manager, and Sir David Murray, the chairman, set about restoring confidence at Ibrox after the abrupt sale of Carlos Cu�©llar to Aston Villa. Last night Smith was said to be closing in on McFadden, who is still intent on leaving Birmingham since their relegation from the Barclays Premier League last season. Glenn Loovens, the Cardiff City defender, Steven Davis, the Fulham midfield player, and Mark Bresciano, the Palermo midfield player, are also being pursued by Rangers http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article4526438.ece

walter smith brought cuellar to ibrox and has now (presumably) sanctioned his departure. he's been one of the best players we've had in modern times, and i'm glad to have seen him in a rangers top. given that we're not in europe, though, you'll probably not need defenders as good as he is for the spl. if we do get any of the money from this, and get a midfielder, it may be the thing that wins us the league? grasping at straws loyal

So 15 invited fans speak for the masses now??!!! I dont think he should be sacked but this headline in the news doesnt nearly speak for the real fans. Bit in bold - I'll believe that when I see it!!! That should have been dealt with in June!

Ive been disolusioned with our manager for quite some time now and have reached the point were i would like to see him quit his position at Ibrox. My expectations of our team are not being matched by Walter Smith and feel he is dragging the club down with his Negative attitude to the game and his tactical niavety. Having read some of the recent posts recently it is plain to see that quite a few others share the same concerns as I as to where the club is going. we are in dire straits. The Uefa cup run has now become a weight around the neck of our club and covers the cracks in our house of cards which i fear is about to come tumbling down around our feet in the very near future. There has to be big changes at Ibrox very soon if we are to stop the rot. walter has to go.

Thomas Jordan Evening Times EMBARRASSING. Disgraceful. Shameful. Diabolical. Just some of the words that could be used to describe Rangers' performance as they crashed out of Europe. However, the biggest criticism you could level at Walter Smith's players is that not enough of them cared. Not enough of them wore the blue jersey with pride. And not enough of them were willing to go the extra mile. Yes, they were hurting as they faced up to the prospect of being directly responsible for one of the worst, if not THE worst, result in the Ibrox club's 52-year European history. But, by then, it was too late. How can a team that was playing in the Uefa Cup Final just 84 days ago find themselves not only knocked out, but outplayed and outfought by a team from Lithuania? Kaunas shouldn't have got close to Rangers regardless of whether they were without their two best players in Barry Ferguson and Carlos Cuellar. Or even the fact they are well into their domestic season before Smith's men have even begun theirs. Quite simply, there can be no excuses. Today, the Rangers legions will be selecting their targets and deciding who is to blame. The chairman, David Murray, will be chastised for failing to open his cheque book. Their chief executive, Martin Bain, was forced to run the gauntlet at the end of the match and, as the man who now controls the purse strings, he will also be criticised for failing to fund transfer deals. The manager will have his team selection held respon-sible along with his failure to bring in more new faces. Maybe the three of them can be held to account. But, you know what, none of them come close to the players. Had they found themselves facing a European outfit of genuine quality, then there is not much you can do when playing against better players. However, they were up against guys with a fraction of their ability and with a wage packet that is small change compared to their bulging pay packets. Quite simply, something is far wrong. From front to back, questions will be asked. Goalkeeper Allan McGregor should, on reflection, feel he could have been better at the opening goal when he was beaten from all of 35 yards. He was also extremely fortunate that he wasn't punished when he completely misjudged a Rafael Ledesma free-kick which flew wide of the post. At right-back, Steven Whittaker wasn't even as good as awful. From the first whistle to the last, he constantly gifted possession back to Kaunas and looks like a fish out of water as he struggles to find form. At the heart of the defence Kirk Broadfoot, standing in for the injured Cuellar once again, was steady enough, as was Davie Weir up until he lost Linas Pilibaitis for what turned out to be the winning goal. The 38-year-old has been in the game long enough to know you can have a stormer for 89 minutes of the game, but switch off just once or make a mistake and that's what you are remembered for. At left-back, Sasa Papac was reasonable enough. But, as feared, it was the middle of the park where Rangers struggled the most. Rather than go with just two in the centre, Smith went for three in the engine room at the expense of a second striker. In the holding role was Christian Dailly. Never someone you could accuse of not giving his all, he gave it everything he had but, in a game where Rangers enjoyed a fair share of possession, he was never going to get the ball down and dictate play. It was his lack of control at the end of the game - when he tried to bring the ball down with his chest - which handed Kaunas the corner from which they scored their winning goal. Beside him was Lee McCulloch, who once again allowed the game to pass him by. Kevin Thomson was slightly better, scoring the opening goal but never does he really grab a game by the scruff of the neck and accept the responsibility for being the main man. For all his critics, Ferguson does that on a regular basis. Out wide, Nacho Novo troubled Kaunas with his pace and gave a decent account of himself, although his final ball could have been better at times. On the other flank, Charlie Adam was another who contributed next to nothing. Where has the goal threat he carries gone? And playing the lone striker's role was Kenny Miller. He had another golden opportunity to open his Gers account second time around when he found himself through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat, but tried to chip the ball and missed the target. Not good enough. Andrius Velicka climbed off the bench and missed a great chance with the scoreline locked at 1-1, and Kris Boyd and Kyle Lafferty arrived on the scene with just minutes remaining and far too late to offer anything to the game. Criticism will not go down well. But the 500-odd supporters who spent their night sitting in the pouring rain watching the players go through the motions, offering up a display that wasn't even as good as mediocre, deserve far better and are entitled to vent their fury. As far as Europe goes, Rangers' chance has gone. If this level of performance and result continues during their quest for domestic honours, then it should be the players who should be on their travels - out of Ibrox.

The pervading feeling of negativity is not merely a knee-jerk reaction to a quite shambolic early European exit. The humbling result allied to two woeful performances is merely confirmation of a many of my views. I wish there was a ââ?¬Å?first and foremostââ?¬Â, but there are that many pressing issues it is hard to know where to begin. I will merely discuss them as they come to me so apologies for a lack of structure or any incoherencies. Striking options So onto my biggest gripe, Kenny Miller, or perhaps to look at it another way Kris Boyd. One is our best striker, the other a footballing impostor who has swindled a living from a game he has no ability to play. One is lauded for his willing running and always giving his all, when many a more gifted player are derided for a similar attitude with cries of ââ?¬Å?any man in the stand could offer the sameââ?¬Â and possibly more. Miller is a more fancied Nacho Novo despite the former being an inferior player. The both give 100%, they both never stop running. But Novo benefits from being a luckier player and crucially, as a striker, providing a genuine goal threat. Be that scoring himself, as several important European strikes last year proved, or turning provider as he did tonight. Indeed contrast his performance tonight with Millerââ?¬â?¢s. Novo looked dangerous every time he got the ball, although all too infrequently considering the success he was having and set up Thomson for his strike. For his part, in the opening quarter, Miller was offside twice, missed a couple of chances but had a couple of nice touches. He then disappeared until about the last twenty when he had a nice run before putting a tame cross near the keeper. Millerââ?¬â?¢s inclusion ahead of Boyd is frankly baffling to me. In fact any other striker in the squad should be picked ahead of Miller. Those who support him and deride Boyd, including the manager, have it arse about face. They talk of Millerââ?¬â?¢s willing running to create chances for other players and Boydââ?¬â?¢s inability to do this. But their criticism is misplaced. Why do we insist on having goal-shy strikers to set up midfielders instead of the other way round. When did football become so ââ?¬Å?cleverââ?¬Â and complicated. In any case we donââ?¬â?¢t have any Gerrardââ?¬â?¢s or Scholesââ?¬â?¢ in our team to be the goal scoring midfielder. Why donââ?¬â?¢t we do something novel and have the other nine outfield players doing their job, and the goalscorer doing his? Since we donââ?¬â?¢t have the attacking midfield to feed off of Millerââ?¬â?¢s expert link play (no laughing at the back) how about we look at building a team to feed one of our few plus points in the game; an out and out goalscorer? (On a related note what is Pat Nevinââ?¬â?¢s agenda with the co-commentary virtual blowjob he was giving Miller. Why was he patronising the viewing public with ridiculous claims of an outstanding performance from the largely anonymous player? And this behaviour was not limited to Nevin, just best exemplified by him). An impotent midfield It is my experience that those fans who communicate on message boards do so to confirm their own misguided views on the game and then patronise the non-internet obsessed fan on his views because kingbilly1690 agrees with him. It is this kind of clique forming, mutual ass licking behaviour that lead the internet uber fans to come to the opinion that we are a better team without Barry Ferguson, albeit this is not so much a gripe with this website. To anyone else it is plainly obvious that when Barry plays, the team plays better, even if Barry is having a stinker. Often it is worth it playing the captain for his influence alone. However this leads us onto another issue. With Barry out 3-4 months who will we bring in, and with tonightââ?¬â?¢s disaster, can we bring anyone in? Of the rest of the midfield only Thomson is really worth keeping with maybe McCulloch and Adam as squad players, although this is Adamââ?¬â?¢s last season of good grace as a relative youngster. Christian Dailly Joint with Miller for first player I would like to see kicked out the door. Between the pair of them they pretty much cost us the tie. Daillyââ?¬â?¢s errors though were more glaring due to him playing further back. Continuously gave away silly fouls, can barely find a team mate and his laughable control gave away the corner for the second. When you consider it was his foul that lead to the freekick for the first itââ?¬â?¢s hard to see how he gets a game. And yet the management would have you believe heââ?¬â?¢s in the side for his experience. Donââ?¬â?¢t make me laugh, played like a youth player tonight. This idea of experience makes me laugh though. Being older does not necessarily make you a better player. If your extra experience is experience of being crap and costing your team regularly, what use is that? Walterââ?¬â?¢s Army The painfully bad sequel to Dadââ?¬â?¢s Army. Why this unbending loyalty to older players regardless of ability, particularly those from his time as Scotland manager, who routinely let him down. Miller and Dailly as discussed and to a far, far lesser degree; Weir. I actually have nothing to criticise Weir as of yet, although when I do, I know he will still be a first name on the team sheet for the manager. A regretful admission Iââ?¬â?¢m a student ,still, who works part time and am not well paid. I have to think long and hard about where I spend my money. When I turn up at Ibrox I do my best for Rangers, I join in the songs, I applaud the team, I will them on. I never boo a player, I never boo the team off the pitch. I try not to let a negative utterance leave my mouth at the game. Unfortunately with the growing costs of living and following football, I now have to really consider if I can attend when I cannot guarantee the stewards of the club do the same. Clearly Mr Murray does not appear to, but now I wonder if Walter Smith does. I can no longer afford a season ticket or the time off of work to make use of one anyway. But even if I could, or have the opportunity to attend individual games, can I justify Ã?£20-30 to watch Rangers when the manger wont even pick his best players available. Watching the laughable performances of Miller and Dailly just is not worth that amount of my money and I cannot see myself being at ibrox to watch these two jokers rip off the fans and the club. I actually find it painful to watch my team with these two on the field. If we get beat and play badly but have put out our best available XI then, yes, I'm not happy. But I can bear it. Right now I really, really struggle.

There are a few issues spliting the fans at the moment. Some are calling it a negative attitude yet some call it plain facts. The season has not even kicked off yet but this far we have looked very untidy in pre season and in our first competitive game of the season. On Tuesday we have a huge match against Kaunas to make it into the final qualifying round of the hugely important Champions League. I'm going to try and elaborate on a few topics that the fans have issues with. 1) Summers Signings In / Out: Plenty eyebrows have been raised because WS brough in 3 strikers and then concentrated on the defence when the midfield is the most obvious position needing filled. We have forked out near on 10 million on 4 players for upfront and defence yet we are reluctant to spend a penny on the midfield. We have recouped a small fee for Buffel and Sebo thus far. I still question the Buffel sale when all we needed to do was pay a fee of approx 400k which makes more sense than paying 3-4 million for another player of this type. Its ok bringing in strikers but so far none of the current forwards have left the club leaving us with a large forward line. There is still 28 days left of the transfer window so in no way can this topic be concluded yet although its imperative we sign some midfield players soon. 2) Style of football: Last season this was brought up on many occasions. Some want to see total football yet others are perfectly happy with a grinding 1-0 win as its winning that matters at the end of the day. For me a bit of both would be better. I dont expect 5-0 thumpings of teams every week with playing out of our skins, but with the level of SPL opposition we really should be seeing off teams by 3 or 4 goals on a more regular basis. Going away from home to the tougher teams is when we should be happy to grind out 1-0 wins. Some put direct blame on Walter Smith, but for me the dead wood has been there before he arrived. In McLeish's latter days most of PLG's matches we were dreadful to watch at times. Walter Smith hasnt changed much other than the fact we are very difficult to score against. Basically Walter sets out not to lose a match rather than win it. I think we are bit away from knowing our first choice XI and I actually think WS doesnt have that. He prefers to have maybe 14 players who will be shifted around in a few positions every week. 3) Loyality to players: Fans will never agree on team selection and we dont have any right to have a say in team selection - thats what the manager lifes and dies by, but we are certainly in our right to an opinion and currently a number on here picked out the Walter is very loyal to certain players. He was like this in his first reign also. You have to wonder is he happy to play safe or just to afraid to change things. Maybe its personality clashes with other players like the rumours suggest. But IMO that shouldnt come into, if a player is good enough he should be given a chance. Im not afraid to name names, but the likes of Broadfoot, Adam, Burke and Boyd will never be good enough for Rangers and having average run of the mill SPL players is a huge reason behind our lack of championships this decade. Johnny Foreigner doesnt hide from this aswell, we have had too many guys picking up a nice wage packet and not doing it on the park. 4) The threat of going Backwards: Despite last seasons run on all fronts where winning and not was a thin line, we are on the threat of moving backwards. The squad may look stronger in numbers than last year but the starting XI doesnt. I was hoping for 3 or 4 players who would come in and be definate starters but so far it seems our signings are no better than what we have. Add that to the fact if the unthinkable happens on Tuesday and we dont make the CL then we are in for a long season with not much incommings. Nothing has been decided yet and the season hasnt kicked off but the concern is there. 5) Board level: The main 2 issues here is the stadium and the lack of a ticket office at the club. Ibrox: Its still a fantastic arena but at 25+ years old the Copland, Govan and Broomloan are feeling a bit dated. When your inside them they feel it aswell compared to when you visit a modern new stadium. The rumours are for a super complex to be built, that would be fantastic but I for one wouldnt mind Ibrox just getting modernized and not to any great length. The insides of the stands could be developed along with the screens being taken out and replaced by seats bring the capacity up to near 60,000. It the roofs of those 3 stands could be raised a little and say 10 rows added then that would be fantastic also. Ticket Office: I find this embarrassing. A club who gets 50,000 people at every home match does not have a ticket office. I remember the mid 90s in my teens before I had a season ticket Id go along to Ibrox regularly and at times picked up tickets from the old ticket office across from the Copland stand. I would be in and out of the que within 5 minutes. Now we have a shed with 2 ladies handing out envelopes to 1000s of people and causing fans to miss there first competitve kick off of the season - horrendous stuff!! I can only say - Bring Back the ticket office!!! Feel free to add the other issues at the moment and as Gersnet always does we will debate them openly and maturely.

Let's play a game of 'Fill the Gap'. What must the following people be thinking, now more than ever. Tonights lineup got me thinking even before the result, but more so afterwards. There must be almost a whole teams-worth of players wondering what the hell is going on right now. Not least of all Carlos Cuellar and Barry Ferguson wondering how on Earth a team can fall apart so easily without them. This is in almost rant form, so this will be in no order. Alan Gow As we've come to expect, not even in the squad tonight (never is). Clearly Smith sees something there to make him go against giving the lad a chance.. but could he really do any worse than Charlie Adam and the likes? Brahim Hemdani Not a popular choice among everyone especially with his somewhat mediocre form in the latter stages of last season, but again the question is, how much worse can he be than Christian Dailly? He showed in the past that in these kind of games he can get hold of the ball, keep it and distribute it more efficiently than anyone else in our team. Kris Boyd This has gone on forever, but he must still be thinking about what on Earth he has to do to be given a chance. It's almost an embarrassment to Walter Smith's tactical nous that the sole purpose of Boyd is to come on after the 80 minute mark when we're chasing goals. That's Plan B. And that's it. Youngsters I'm sensing a pattern here.. but could the likes of Fleck and Furman really do any worse? Furman is a natural central midfield player with bags of ability if not experience. Lee McCulloch, while experienced, is everything but a central midfielder. As for Fleck, people say he's too young. 2 words. Wayne Rooney. Debuted at 16, became first team regular and look how badly that went.. Walter Smith I could go on forever about how Steven Smith must feel fighting back from injury only to be given no sign of a look-in. How Kyle Lafferty must be wondering how the hell he can justify his �£4m pricetag from the bench or even what someone like Thomas Buffel must be thinking looking at our team which is crying out for a creative midfielder after he was told to bugger off even with a year left on his contract. But the daddy of them all is this. What the hell is Walter Smith thinking? One of his long-term defendants, I have scratched my head over his tactics and team selections one too many times. I know I'm not the only one.

Let me start off by saying I watched the whole game, I know how poor we are and yes it's really starting to p*ss me off - and the txts from my timmy mates are not helping BUT.. after the rollercoaster ride of last season had died down the hard cold fact was that we did not win the league. Now with Celtic chasing 4 in a row it is imperative that we win the league this season. Last season was a one off, it's not going to happen again for a long time and even though I fully understand the financial bonus's and midweek excitement the champions league games bring maybe a team fully focused on winning the league is what we need this season. Lets face it we looked knackered tonight, its obvious last season's 68 games are still taking there toll. Maybe tonight will give SDM the kick up the backside to spend big. Walter Smith is not new to this game - he must see the frailties in our midfield, he must have identified players he feels will make a difference to our "midfield" so now SDM must back him in his plans. We all remember Faubert last season. Out of nowhere we were willing to spend big bucks on a player who genuinely looks an exciting prospect and I for one believe the same will happen before the end of the transfer window. I'm not saying I'm happy being out of europe, I grew up with the 9iar team and hold very high standards for our football club..it's just my opinion that it's not the be all and end all and could be a very strange blessing in disguise.

From the official site.... "WALTER SMITH has moved to strengthen his squad by signing powerful French-Algerian centre back Madjid Brougherra from Charlton for �£2.5million." Clicky

Exclusive by Andrew Dickson ERIK BO ANDERSEN believes the way has been paved for Rangers to take a place in the Champions League - but has warned them not to underestimate Aalborg. Bruce Rioch, manager of Aalborg BKThe striker played for the Danish side before leaving them for Ibrox in a �£1.5million transfer in February 1996. Although the 37-year-old is now working in politics rather than football, he has continued to monitor the progress AaB have made in recent times. The Jutland club, which appointed Bruce Rioch as its new manager in the summer, won the league by nine points from FC Midtjylland last season. Despite that win, Andersen thinks Walter Smith's Gers will have too much for them if they get past Kaunas and into the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Of course, Bosnian outfit Modrica could yet beat AaB to the final preliminary stage if they can overturn the 5-0 defeat they suffered in midweek this Wednesday. But it is almost certain the Superligaen outfit will progress, giving Rangers a potential chance to take on a team from Denmark competitively for the fourth time. Although Andersen is sure the Scots would then advance to the group stage, he has stressed it won't be easy for them to get so far.Thomas Augustinussen of Aalborg BK Aalborg beat Sampdoria on away goals last season to reach the group phase of the UEFA Cup then drew with Anderlecht and only lost by a single goal to Spurs and Getafe. Andersen said: "This is a good draw for Rangers. They will be the favourites if the teams meet, there is no doubt about that. "If the teams played each other 10 times, there is no way Aalborg would win at least five of those matches. "At the same time, it would be stupid to think this will be a walkover for Rangers because Aalborg have a good side. "Collectively, they are a team that works hard with no real superstars in it and that is their big quality. "On their day, they can compete with a lot of big sides. They were unlucky to lose at Tottenham last season and with a bit of luck, could have had a better result there. "Aalborg also went through on away goals against Sampdoria after drawing 2-2 with them in Italy to get to the group stage. "If they are on form, they are a hard team to beat. I would still expect Rangers to see off Aalborg but they will have to work hard if they are to win overall." Jeppe Curth of Aalborg BKAndersen has picked out forward Jeppe Curth as the man Gers need to be wary of if they find themselves pitched against the Danes. The 24-year-old was the leading scorer in his country's league last season and he is someone Smith will want his men to snuff out. Andersen added: "Curth is a good striker. He is not the tallest but he is a dangerous player. I think he scored 15 or 16 times last season and has shown a lot of potential. "He went abroad to play for Feyenoord when he was quite young but is back in Denmark now and is making good progress. "In midfield, Thomas Augustinussen is one of Aalborg's best players too. He is very tall and creates a lot of things. He holds the team together very well."

RANGERS Chief Executive Martin Bain has spoken for the first time on a number of important topics as the new season opens. He revealed record season ticket sales, explained the reasoning behind the five per cent charge on the sale of away tickets and insisted work is still being done to bolster the squad ahead of the new campaign. During the interview, the Chief Executive also announced exciting plans for Ibrox that will make it amongst the most cutting-edge in European football. He said: "We are well on target to set a new record of 44,000 season ticket holders which has been achieved as a result of our new ticketing strategy enabling a higher saleable capacity within the stadium. In the past four seasons we have reached highs of 42,500 but on the back of last season, the demand for the coming campaign has been such that we will hit the new record figure. "Last season was a journey beyond all expectation for Rangers supporters and was what we all aspire to, which is Rangers competing at the highest level in Europe and on all fronts domestically. The last day of the SPL season was our only downside. "Our new strategy aims to make football more affordable to families, and to maintain and create a great atmosphere in the stadium where supporters are safe. It wasn't just about pricing however, we also wanted to provide some additional benefits to season ticket holders. The first of these takes place on Friday with a free training day which will be a great day out for families. "To date the initiative has resulted in an 11 per cent rise in juvenile season ticket holders with many more on the waiting list and we are absolutely delighted with the ongoing response from the fans. "We had 19 European games last season and with the financial pressures in our economy today we could not have asked for more from our supporters, their commitment has been second to none. Tickets for tomorrow's Kaunas game are going really well and the Liverpool match on Saturday is fast approaching sell-out. "Last year we identified the need to address the playing surface and other aspects of the stadium infrastructure, resulting in the commitment of capital expenditure for an interim overhaul. We have ensured that the items invested in are easily transportable should our long term development plans come to fruition. "First on the agenda was restructuring the pitch and Walter Smith told me yesterday that he is delighted with the new playing surface. "Despite the inclement weather in Scotland we are confident we will have no problems with our pitch this season and let's hope it is the same scenario at every other SPL ground. We have invested in our pitch and it would be good to see the other clubs investing in a similar way to avoid the problems of last season. "Our next priority was to introduce a fully integrated stadium entertainment system. This will be phased in from the first SPL home game where our new state of the art LED perimeter advertising system and LED scoreboards will be unveiled. "The perimeter advertising will run the complete length of the Copland, Broomloan and Govan stands. In September we will install LED jumbotrons, giving Ibrox one of the most ambitious media and entertainment systems in British football. We plan to introduce the system into the concourses thereafter. Even the dugouts, uniforms and Club ties are changing!" Rangers begin the SPL campaign on August 9 against Falkirk, one of four clubs who have refused to accept the Old Firm plan of a five per cent charge for the sale of away tickets. Bain remains unrepentant at the approach taken and commented: "It is incredulous that despite our attempts to explain this rationally to other clubs, some of them continue to refuse to accept our approach. Rangers supporters travel the length and breadth of the country, often paying premium prices for grounds which are often found lacking in their overall facilities. This is about our fans. I believe they more than pay their way in Scottish football and we want to alleviate some of the financial pressure. "I am also disappointed at the other clubs lack of understanding of our continual efforts to make it as easy as possible to distribute their tickets with minimal cost and effort on their behalf. We help maximise ticket sales for SPL away grounds to the region of �£2.5million, but accept that this comes at a cost, hence our proposal for the reciprocal arrangement. This would allow us to remove the costs currently borne by our fans. "I am surprised that other clubs have failed to realise that we have maintained a core fan base for away matches and that base may drop off given the convoluted systems they are operating to sell tickets to Rangers fans. "The actions we have taken have been in the best interests of our fans and the Club and we hope this is recognised by our travelling support, despite the complicated and difficult route that may now exist to obtain tickets for fixtures that were once easy to obtain." The Rangers Chief Executive hopes that those who choose to sell to Old Firm fans directly will ensure that they take all the responsibilities which accompany this decision. He said: "The SPL guidelines are such that every person who buys a ticket has to supply their name and address, and I now look to the SPL to ensure that while these other clubs have taken it upon themselves to sell these tickets that they record all these details. That said, it is unfortunate that I won't have the same level of awareness of whom the tickets are now being sold to. "At this stage Falkirk, Hibs, Hearts and Dundee United have indicated that they will sell tickets to our fans themselves and we await confirmation of the official response from the remaining clubs." Although the signing deadline has passed for tomorrow's Champions League qualifying match with Kaunas, the Chief Executive insisted that work is still being done on the playing front. He said: "We are still working hard to make sure we have a squad capable of challenging on all fronts. "The nature of Rangers is such that we are constantly linked with players with no foundation. But we are used to that and know what our priorities are. I am confident through experience of transfer windows in recent years that there will be movement, both in and out, in the weeks ahead. Walter has a core squad to meet the immediate challenges, although we are disappointed to have picked up a couple of injuries at this early stage." http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,5~1353740,00.html

Rangers are considering a move to sign Sunderland's Nigerian international midfielder Dickson Etuhu. Etuhu, 26, joined the English Premier League club from Norwich City in July 2007 for �£1.5m and made 20 appearances for Roy Keane's side last season. The dynamic box-to-box player won the first of his five international caps for Nigeria at this year's African Cup of Nations tournament. Etuhu was born in the northern Nigerian city of Kano but grew up in London. He began his career at Manchester City but started just 11 league games before signing for Preston in 2002 for �£300,000. He played nearly 150 games for North End before joining Norwich after a loan spell at Carrow Road. Manager Walter Smith has only strengthened his strikeforce so far this summer, with Thursday's Champions League signing deadline looming. Forwards Kenny Miller, Andrius Velicka and Kyle Lafferty have all arrived at Ibrox. But, with time running out to recruit more new arrivals ahead of next week's crucial second qualifying round against FBK Kaunas, Smith has yet to add to the trio. Press speculation has linked the Ibrox club with a variety of transfer targets, including Portsmouth's Portuguese midfielder Pedro Mendes and Cardiff City's Dutch defender Glenn Loovens. MY SPORT: DEBATE Should Rangers sign a player before the deadline? Highly-tipped Middlesbrough left-winger, Adam Johnson, 21, has also been touted as a possible loan option for Smith. And the Glasgow club are thought to be still locked in discussion with Fulham over acquiring the services of midfielder Steven Davis. The Northern Ireland international enjoyed a successful five-month loan spell in Glasgow last season and, with captain Barry Ferguson missing the start of the new term, Smith is keen on securing the services of the 23-year-old on a permanent basis.

I am starting to wonder if our Technical staff have a clue what they are doing. Surely any players we are interested in should have been scouted months ago and not leaving things to a last minute decision.

Music to the ears. Lets just hope he is not pushed out the door as Hutton was.

What has happened to Rangers fans nowadays? "We're crap", "Walter Smith is a twat (or worse)", "We won't win the league", "Everyone is out to get us", "We've no money", "Our strips are poor", "Player X is an embarrassment" etc etc etc - I could go on all day! And I thought I came online to get away from the boss' or the wife's moaning? Let's begin by saying I totally understand why some fans are feeling a wee bit pessimistic. No league wins for 3 years and the disappointments of last season's failure to secure the title mean even the very best supporters amongst us will find it difficult to be overly positive. Add in a few injuries, a few signings that don't really excite and a few people stirring the pot; then we have a support that is suddenly in a negative vicious circle of the kind that breeds negativity hourly. But, we have to drawn the line somewhere surely? I'd like to take issue with a few of the more hysterical claims, if I may. 1. The last two matches have been pre-season friendlies: you know, the kind of games we've all played in. Walking pace, lack of sharpness, warm weather, tactical experiments, personnel tests, niggling strains and less than impressive results against minor sides. Generally, games that don't mean a lot in the grand scheme of things - ask Chelsea after we hammered them last season at Ibrox. 2. Injuries. Love him or loathe him, Barry Ferguson will be missed. His injury is a worrying one but it might also enable others to step out of his shadow. The other injuries don't concern me as they're not serious anyway. I'm just glad we've got them now - not when the real games start. By that time, Beasley, Lafferty, Cuellar and McGregor will all be back playing. Four damn good players nice and fresh for a long season! Smith wont be long behind them. 3. Signings. Sure, they're not Laudrups, Gascoignes, Goughs or Hateleys. However, they are all internationalists, have shown decent pedigree at club level and a couple even do the business at international level. Sure one we may not want to have seen at Ibrox again but I think the other two are interesting enough. Lafferty particularly will be a good bit of business IMO. The management team have also said they're actively pursuing other targets. Patience is a virtue in that regard. 4. Midfield creativity. I certainly empathise with worries about the dearth of this in our team. Losing Ferguson won't help and with Burke/Naismith both out until next year, we're once again short in this area. However, was I the only person to see John Fleck sneak on the flight to Germany? Did no-one else feel a funny twinge when he showed his class in a short Scottish Cup final cameo? I'm sure he started last night and played well as he scored his debut first XI goal also? Obviously, we can't base our hopes on a 16 year old raw teenager though? I mean, none of us have said it's about time we played the youths... Bears, I don't blame you for being worried. I am as well. We do need a couple of other players - a centre half and a midfielder would go a long way to quelling our fears. Imagine our Carlos with a aerially dominant partner with a bit of pace. Dream of Thomson winning a tackle and passing to a midfield dynamo who can run at the opposition. Do you really think Walter Smith - the man who led us to 9IAR - won't share those thoughts? Pull the other one! As I type this, the date is approaching the 18th of July. This is a month that ends with our first competitive game of the season; with the SPL starting again 10 days later. Over 3 weeks until we can really judge our position and even then it won't be too accurate. In that time we can moan more, we can panic more, we can slag each other off more and we can generally go against everything that is supposed to be about being a supporter of the Rangers. Or we could accept where we are, draw a line and move forward. "The cry was No Surrender" if you like.

Another Boyd thread I know, but I agree with Hately (as you all know) we would be mad to let him go. I hope he is more than a bit part or impact player (although it looks likely) Velicka loogs good, Miller the same as many expected although its still early and we havent seen anything of Lafferty. JCD and Cousin still here which suprises me. As Hately says in the article, if we want the player, just go and get him. Unfortunately we havent done this for a while, the possible exception of Lafferty.