Search the Community

Velicka another million down the toilet pan. Well done Walter your bargain buy's are worse than my wife's.

This again from the eveningtimes. DJs quote at the very end sums him up for me, what a tosser!!! CELTIC and Rangers fans tend to blow things out of all proportion when their team loses an Old Firm game. And it is no surprise that many Gers supporters are predicting the title race is over after such a poor performance by their team at Ibrox on Saturday. But, believe me, it is not done and dusted yet. Seven points is not too great a gap to bridge by any means. There are a lot of games still to be played by both clubs and points to be dropped. Yet, Rangers must start to show some fight, a quality which I felt was totally lacking in their dire display against the Hoops, if they want to win the SPL this season. My old boss Jock Wallace used to tell me that you need a bit of fire in your belly. Well, what player in a light blue jersey had that hunger, that burning desire to win, at the weekend? What I found particularly alarming was the lack of fight Rangers displayed once they had fallen behind to the Scott McDonald goal. They just couldn't raise their game. That, for me, was the greatest disappointment. Walter Smith kept the players in the dressing room for a long, long time after the final whistle. I am sure a few of them left the stadium with a flea in their ear from Walter and his assistants Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall. What they need to do now is react to this defeat in the same way that Celtic did when they were beaten 4-2 at Parkhead back in August and go on a decent winning run. That means picking up points both home and away. I don't think there is any need to change the favoured 4-4-2 formation or drop anybody from the side. But a few players really need to get their fingers out and show that they know what it means to play for the club. If they do, the situation Rangers find themselves in can definitely change. A few weeks ago when they fell seven points behind with a defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle everybody wrote them off. On Saturday, they could have reduced Celtic's lead to just one point with a win. As Walter has pointed out, though, there is now next to no margin for error. They maybe need to be more direct in the coming weeks and months and start to win ugly a bit more to keep up the pressure on their city rivals. Walter raised a few eyebrows by selecting Charlie Adam ahead of Aaron, DaMarcus Beasley, Kyle Lafferty, Lee McCulloch and Nacho Novo wide on the left. He has not been regularly involved in the first team squad in recent weeks and there has been speculation that he has been told he can leave Ibrox during the January transfer window. But he has a proven track record in the fixture and poses a real threat from dead ball situations. Plus, the manager sees all of his players in training and must have felt that Charlie was his best option. He is just one of several players who must have a long hard look at themselves and try to improve. No way is it adios for Novo NACHO Novo is the latest player to be linked with a move away from Rangers during the January transfer window after again being overlooked against Celtic on Saturday. But I am sure the little Spaniard, who came on as a late substitute at Ibrox, will be one of the last players Walter Smith will want to see leave. Despite Nacho's frustration at his lack of first- team starts this season, he is best utilised as an impact player. He can change the course of a game all by himself. There is a lot of dead wood in the Gers squad which Walter will be far more interested in getting rid of in the next month. I think getting a centre half in has to be Walter's priority. He has been linked with big Lee Wilkie up at Dundee United. That is a signing I, and I am sure a lot of Rangers fans, would welcome. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2478464.0.0.php

By Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH insists Rangers have not been made aware of interest in any of their players ahead of the transfer window opening on Thursday. A number of Ibrox stars have been linked with moves away from the club in the last few days, with Andrius Velicka and Nacho Novo two of the latest. Nacho NovoOne report has claimed Hearts are keen on resigning Velicka while another has said Deportivo La Coruna want to take Spanish striker Novo back to his homeland. Smith is getting used to the speculation that comes with the transfer window system, having only become caught up in it for the first time when he returned to Gers. All he would confirm is that as he looks ahead to what's expected to be a busy month in the market, he will have to trim his squad before he can bolster it again. Smith said: "We would hope to be active in the transfer market in terms of bringing players in but that is dependent on who we get out. "We have too many lads in the group who are not playing and they don't like that, which means it's not conducive to having a good squad. "Nacho is going to Spain in one newspaper then going to Hull in another and there's quite a gap between the two. "We get to the open season when people are free to speculate but the fact is we've had no contact at this stage regarding any of our players.Charlie Adam "We will just have to wait and see what happens. You go for a few months when the transfer window is closed and you don't have any speculation but now it has started. "When I returned to Rangers, it was the first time I had really experienced that sort of situation with the window and there are a great deal of rumours at the moment. "Of course, we have scouts in place as people do at every club but, first and foremost, we must adjust our current squad before we look at bringing bodies in." Smith has hinted Charlie Adam might have a future at Ibrox after all, just days after it seemed his time with Rangers was poised to come to an end. The midfielder was a surprise starter against Celtic on Saturday and the manager was relatively satisfied with how the 23-year-old performed. He added: "Charlie has been in and out of the team and whether he's happy with that or not is another matter. "But he can do a job for us. He has done so in the past and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead."

Bougherra says Old Firm tame compared to north Africa

Dec 21 2008 By Mark Guidi BOBO BALDE has reported Celtic to FIFA after being fined a total of �£100,000. Mailsport can reveal the Guinea defender has been docked four weeks' wages for a variety of breaches of discipline since August. Balde doesn't agree with the punishments and asked the PFA and his lawyers to try to reach an agreement with Celtic chief Peter Lawwell. That move failed and on the recommendation of the PFA a dossier was sent by Balde to FIFA. The PFA are confident FIFA will side with the player but Celtic believe their case is rock solid. FIFA have received Balde's paperwork but it could take months to reach a decision and it's likely the player will have left Glasgow before they announce their verdict. Balde is no longer a recognised member of Gordon Strachan's squad and has been banished to train with Chris McCart's youth team at Barrowfield. The stopper's first-team ticket allowance has been wiped and he is banned from the stadium when Strachan's side are playing. Balde, signed by Martin O'Neill in the summer of 2001, was fined for not reporting for the opening SPL game against St Mirren. He was in France having been handed written permission by the club to talk to interested parties to organise a move out of Parkhead. Celtic had given Balde the Friday off but wanted him to report back to the team hotel on the eve of the game. The player thought he had more time to work on a deal. Balde was also fined for refusing to train with the youth team when Strachan first made it clear he wouldn't be considered for action. He reported to Lennoxtown and trained on his own but has been working out with the youths for the past four months. A move to Birmingham on transfer deadline day in August was on offer but Balde said no. City boss Alex McLeish is back in for the player and plans to land him in the January window. Balde is now ready to leave and hopes he can sort out an amicable departure next month. But he won't sign a confidentiality agreement and that means he could be at Parkhead until his contract ends in May unless Celtic can smooth a parting of the ways. http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/scottish-football/spl/celtic-fc/2008/12/21/bobo-balde-wants-fifa-to-help-after-feud-with-celtic-78057-20986495/

I have it on good authority that McGeady has been told to find himself a new club in the January transfer window and apparently Strachan has told the club that if McGeady is still there in the summer then he is leaving. Strachan has apparently grown sick of his neddishness and arrogance. Nay luck, Aiden.

Hopefully it is our worst players and not our best.

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

Out-of-favour Celtic striker Chris Killen is a target for Hearts in the January transfer window. More...

Motherwell boss Mark McGhee says he has a list of 50 potential targets to pursue in the January transfer window. More...

After dragging my sorry ass out of my sick bed on Saturday, I trudged along to Tynecastle with a sense of trepidation as we haven’t exactly hit the heights away from home this season with victories at Parkhead, Easter Road and Rugby Park being the exception rather than the rule. The good thing about following Rangers recently is that it only takes a few minutes to get a feeling on how the game is going to pan out. Once again on Saturday, on hearing the starting 11 and witnessing the slow, predictable and lazy start to the game, the following 90 minutes was as painful as it was predictable. There is so much wrong with Rangers at the moment that an article on a website or in a fanzine couldn’t begin to cover all that is wrong at Ibrox. From the charlatan that is running the circus, to the monkeys that be employs to a manager who is tactically inept and a backroom staff whom appear to offer little input to change this ineptness. The obvious failings on the pitch mirror the obvious (well to some sections of the support) off the pitch, with one having a direct implication on the other. However, the woes off the pitch are no excuse for a keeper who is more interested in shagging his way through the female population of Glasgow than he is at coming off his line when a ball is floated into his 6 yard box. The off field problems don’t excuse 2 experienced centre-halves being bitch-slapped by a forward who failed to make an impression on the lower zeniths of the English Championship. It also doesn’t explain why we have a manager who would rather play 4 or 5 players out of position than playing players in their correct positions (even though he has signed those players to bolster those glaring deficiencies). However, let’s not lay all the blame at the managers door, our squad has been dismantled regularly and all our best players sold on and replaced by a lower standard of player. I actually believe that I could manage an SPL team to a victory against Rangers. It is so easy to exploit our glaring weaknesses. Flood the midfield, get the ball into the wide areas and force Rangers into a long-ball game, and 90% of the time, you’ll get a result. Our midfield is all over the place and so narrow. By playing centre-halves at fullback, our back four is also narrow, leaving huge spaces down both flanks. Our strikers have their strengths, but bullying defenders in a physical battle isn’t one of them. We did have a gifted striker who could dominate an entire backline, who could bully them and who could also play a bit, but he was sold in the last transfer window. Never mind, we did make a wee profit on him (note to SDM – ensure Mr Bain receives another pay increase for that piece of business). Also, this trait of pulling everyone back to defend set-pieces is ridiculous. It allows opposition to flood the box and create mayhem - it also results in us gifting the ball back to them if we manage to clear the ball and it comes straight back on top of us, resulting in us having to defend prolonged periods of pressure. We have to get back to basics – get 11 players on the pitch who are playing their correct positions and get back to what Rangers do best, playing free-flowing and attractive football. Firstly, I’d drop McGregor and bring back Alexander. I would also drop David Weir who’s distribution is amateurish and try Broadfoot as his long-term replacement. Deploy young McMillan at right back and Papac at left back. In midfield, I’d play Aaron, Davis, Mendes with Edu as the holding player and have Miller and Boyd/Lafferty as the front pairing. Having spent Ã?£3.5M on the lad, the least WS can do is deploy him through the middle rather than watch the lad rot on the left-wing. As the title says, supporting Rangers at the moment is like groundhog day. The above failings aren’t new; they have been evident and unresolved for nearly a decade now. We are staring down the barrel of losing 4 consecutive SPL titles and barring two dramatic, welcome and enjoyable last day triumphs, we’d be staring down the barrel of going almost 8 seasons without winning the title. Those two dramatic, welcome and enjoyable last day triumphs, like the UEFA Cup Final (and run to said final) last season have been nothing more than false dawns. It has been debated before, but it is worth reiterating, if we continue to buy run of the mill SPL players, we’ll continue to witness run of the mill SPL performances which will ensure that we gain run of the mill SPL results. We have nothing special within our ranks at the moment (not that we are witnessing anyway) and we have lost that aura that a great team appears to have. No SPL club are frightened of playing Rangers anymore, why should they be, we aren’t a great team and haven’t laden with great players. For those within our support who believe SDM’s lies and false promises and believe that football is cyclical, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it isn’t. Celtc broke our dominance due to hard work on the pitch and by finally getting a board that matched the ambitions of their fans. Say what you like about the MOPES and their board, but they have worked as a team, have deflected all the media attention on to us and have overtaken us both on and off the pitch. They are so far ahead, they are in danger of disappearing over the horizon. We’ll continue to be 2nd best until we change those who are in charge, or change the mindset of those currently in control. However, and again, this is groundhog day territory, we won’t ever invoke change as the vast majority still believe (unbelievably) that the current regime are the best way forward for Rangers. SDM and his lapdogs have cleverly pulled the wool over sections of our supporters eyes. They have managed to make the majority of us believe that protesting isn’t the ‘Rangers way’. They have convinced us that protesting is some how ‘The Celtc Way’. Well Bears, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just ask Davie White and John Greig if protesting isn’t the ‘Rangers Way’. We invoked the biggest revolution in Scottish Football for Gods Sake. It was Rangers fans voicing concern of the direction of the club under the Marlborough’s and by demonstrating against the legendary John Greig and Jock Wallaces (2nd stint) managerial disasters. Lastly on this subject and the most ironic part, the vast majority of our support like to impart their Presbyterian believes to all comers, yet believe that protesting isn’t the ‘protestant way’…… In conclusion, if we don’t invoke the necessary changes in the leadership (sic) of our club, we’ll be sitting here writing (and reading) about the same deficiencies for the foreseeable future whilst our club continues its fall from grace and struggles to keep abreast with its bitter rivals. We’ll continue to witness players who are average at best and we’ll continue to struggle to win the SPL title. How long are you willing to wait until you force change? Will 4-in-a-row be your nadir? Or are you willing to wait a few years, give the current custodian more time to ruin this club? For this Bear, I’ll continue to fight for change at the top level in the club. I’ll continue to try and convince other fans that the time is right for change (a decade on their shadow should be enough for all of us). However, I fear more and more groundhog days ahead. Cammy F

by Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH has hinted Rangers ARE in the market for a defender - but hasn't ruled out Lee McCulloch and Andy Webster providing long-term cover at the back. The Ibrox manager has found himself short of options in that department recently thanks to Madjid Bougherra's calf injury. With Webster on loan to Bristol City and not due back until January, McCulloch has been converted to a centre-half as a result and deployed there ahead of Christian Dailly. The experiment has been a relative success and the Light Blues have won both matches in which the former Wigan man has deputised alongside David Weir. Lee McCullochNow his immediate future could be in the back line as Smith looks to avoid shelling out more cash when the transfer window opens five weeks tomorrow. Gers chairman David Murray has said money will only be available to the manager to strengthen his squad in the case of an emergency. And while Smith is keeping tabs on the availability of certain players, he is keen to see if any of the men he currently has at his disposal can do a job for him. Indeed, if anything, his priority remains trimming his excessive squad and he has reiterated his desire to do that at the turn of the year. Smith said: "When we look at the number of players we have overall, there are 28 people in the senior squad and that is a big staff. "First and foremost, we must deal with that situation as we don't need that many players and we have to address it. "Understandably, some of the boys aren't happy they've not been involved as regularly as they would wish. "In all probability, our staff will be cut down more than anything else but that doesn't stop us from looking at one or two positions we miWalter Smithght need to fill as well. "Obviously, we have to do that in conjunction with people who may leave in the January transfer window. It may be we just go with the squad we have at the moment. "Defensively, Lee has come in and played in a position where he hasn't really played before except in the reserves over the last month or so. "He has done really well in that area and we are pleased with the progress he is making at the back. "Andy will also come back to us from Bristol City and that will alleviate our situation there too. We'll see what happens when his loan agreement ends."

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

By Danny Stewart Rangers face a fight to hang on to Pedro Mendes.RANGERS FACE a fight to fend off a bid from Spurs for Pedro Mendes. Itââ?¬â?¢s understood Harry Redknapp is poised to swoop with a Ã?£5-million-plus bid as soon as the January transfer window opens. Redknapp sold the Portuguese star to the Light Blues for Ã?£3-million in August while still boss of Portsmouth. At the time, though, the renowned wheeler-dealer insisted he was forced to make the sale in order to balance the books at Fratton Park. Willingness Mendes, he claimed, was worth more than the fee received and had only been the one to go because of his willingness to leave Portsmouth. ââ?¬Å?I am really sorry to lose Pedro,ââ?¬Â he said then. ââ?¬Å?I love him as a fella and a player. ââ?¬Å?He is great pro and a great player but I had to get some money in. It is the rules of the game.ââ?¬Â Three months on, Redknapp finds himself with cash to spend and a need for an experienced midfielder to play alongside young stars Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone. Redknapp actually signed Mendes for Pompey from Spurs in 2006, eighteen months after heââ?¬â?¢d arrived from Porto. Having loved Mendesââ?¬â?¢ attitude in the three years they were together at Portsmouth, Redknapp has decided he is the one he wants. Rangers have the player on a three-year contract and donââ?¬â?¢t want to sell. Returning Mendes, who provided cover for the injured Barry Ferguson at the start of the season, has made a huge impact in Scotland, returning to some of the best form of his career. On top of that, while Ferguson is now back, his fellow Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson has since been ruled out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage. The problem Rangers will face is what happens if Mendes himself gets sold on the idea of a quick return to the English Premier League. The Portuguese has taken to life in Scotland and has expressed his admiration for Glasgow as well as the quality of the football played in this country. Without doubt, though, Redknappââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Ë?big projectââ?¬â?¢ at Spurs has captured the imagination of fans and players alike throughout the whole of the UK, and Mendes may be tempted to be part of it. http://www.thesundaypost.co.uk/postindex.htm

I remember smith quoting that he would need to trim the squad in january and offset some players, well lets bloody hope he buys decent players, because after last nights nightmare at fir park and celtic knocking three by killie i really do wonder when we are going to turn the corner and find some decent form! and find some consistancy and start getting some results together, so come on RANGERS lets get the finger out and give us a league title to celebrate because i,ll be dammed watching celtic lift another!!!

Celtic line up a move for Dundee United goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska in the January transfer window. More...

Rangers manager Walter Smith says squad exits are more likely than additions during the forthcoming transfer window. More...

Before anyone says, it's not meant as just another thread by me having a go at Wenger but merely points I found interesting to read from an Arsenal fan and an Arsenal legend......

WALTER SMITH has urged the Rangers paymasters to give Kirk Broadfoot the new improved deal he deserves. Broadfootââ?¬â?¢s Ibrox contract runs out at the end of next season. But Smith wants the full-back, left, tied up NOW to keep predators away. Birmingham City are keeping tabs on his situation and SunSport revealed this week they are preparing a Ã?£2million swoop. But Smith admits the former St Mirren skipper has earned a pay rise. The gaffer said: ââ?¬Å?An improved deal? In all probability that will come. ââ?¬Å?Kirk had a really good season last year and has cemented that this year. ââ?¬Å?In the past he was inconsistent, but heââ?¬â?¢s settled down now.ââ?¬Â SunSport also revealed this week that Stevie Smith feared his Ibrox career was over. The left-back thought he wasnââ?¬â?¢t wanted, but Smith insisted: ââ?¬Å?I spoke to Stevie and he might have misunderstood what I said to him. ââ?¬Å?He is playing reserve games and thatââ?¬â?¢s doing him no good whatsoever. ââ?¬Å?I spoke to him about going out on loan and getting games under his belt ââ?¬â? then weââ?¬â?¢ll all have a better chance to judge where he is and whether he can return to the team. ââ?¬Å?In my 20-odd months here heââ?¬â?¢s managed just two games and he wasnââ?¬â?¢t match-fit for them. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ve never seen the best of the lad, so the idea was to get him on loan and let him play.ââ?¬Â Smith also insisted he does NOT want to sell midfielder Kevin Thompson in January, with West Brom boss Tony Mowbray keen on his old Hibs star. Smith added: ââ?¬Å?We have two months before the transfer window opens up ââ?¬â? I donââ?¬â?¢t have a thought yet about what will happen. ââ?¬Å?I want our good players here and we need them for the future when the number of games will hopefully increase. ââ?¬Å?A few players may leave, but it wonââ?¬â?¢t be the ones I see as being capable of taking us forward.ââ?¬Â Rangers face Caley at Ibrox today, with skipper Barry Ferguson set for a top-team return. Smith canââ?¬â?¢t wait to team him with Pedro Mendes in a dream midfield. He said: ââ?¬Å?Barry is in our thoughts. Heââ?¬â?¢s ready after a reserve game. Itââ?¬â?¢s just up to me now to decide how best he should be introduced. ââ?¬Å?We have five games in the space of a couple of weeks and we want everyone involved. ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢ll be able to get Barry back to full match fitness quite quickly. ââ?¬Å?The midfield is an area where I want players who are all good at keeping the ball. I am looking forward to seeing how they all gel. ââ?¬Å?Barry and Pedro are good midfielders and both have the capability of being attacking players or they can drop deeper. ââ?¬Å?I have no fears about them complementing each other. ââ?¬Å?I always feel that Kevin ââ?¬â? although he doesnââ?¬â?¢t get the write-ups ââ?¬â? also does very well for us in there.ââ?¬Â Kyle Lafferty, meanwhile, has been urged to remain patient. The young Northern Ireland star was signed as a striker, but has been forced to play in midfield. Smith added: ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s been a sticky start for Kyle in the sense that injuries have upset his rhythm. ââ?¬Å?I hope he settles down now and weââ?¬â?¢ll see a lot more of him in the future. ââ?¬Å?Although he has played most of his football wide on the left for us and Burnley, I still see him as a central striker in the longer term. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢d like to see him get more experience there.ââ?¬Â http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/article1880563.ece

BIRMINGHAM are weighing up a shock Ã?£2million swoop for Rangers star Kirk Broadfoot. Former Ibrox boss Alex McLeish is ready to pounce for Scotland defender Broadfoot when the transfer window opens in January. He has now established himself with Gers since quitting St Mirren two years ago. But the 24-year-old is understood to be unhappy about his current deal which sees him take home Ã?£3,500-a-week basic. That has alerted Blues boss McLeish who is ready to lure versatile Broadfoot south with a bumper Ã?£10,000-a-week package when the window opens. Big Eck is desperate for a centre half and believes Broadfootââ?¬â?¢s ability and physique make him perfect for the demands of the Championship. Broadfootââ?¬â?¢s contract expires in the summer and Gers boss Walter Smith is desperate to keep hold of the defender ââ?¬â? who is enjoying his best form for the club. Despite arriving at Ibrox as a squad player, he has filled the void left by Alan Huttonââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£9m move to Spurs ââ?¬â? but there have been no moves by Gers to offer him a new deal. After winning his first two caps for Scotland against Iceland and Norway, the defender believes he should be brought into line with other top-earners at Ibrox. But now McLeish is ready to lure Broadfoot ââ?¬â? who would prefer to stay at Gers ââ?¬â? with a massive wage hike. Meanwhile, former Ibrox favourite Peter Lovenkrands has pleaded with Rangers to put an end to his Schalke hell. The Danish hitman sees no future for himself in Germany after being frozen out by new coach Fred Rutten. The 28-year-old said: ââ?¬Å?There is no future for me at Schalke. Hopefully something will happen in January. ââ?¬Å?There was a lot of talk about me returning to Rangers last summer. ââ?¬Å?It didnââ?¬â?¢t happen, but I would love to go back there. ââ?¬Å?Of course, if the opportunity arose again I would be delighted.ââ?¬Â http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article1867756.ece

Oct 24 2008 by Hugh Keevins WEST BROM will go back in for Rangers’ Kevin Thomson in the January transfer window. The midfielder was a target for Tony Mowbray in the summer and the Midlands club have been monitoring developments since. The return of Barry Ferguson from long-term injury plus the signings of Pedro Mendes and Steve Davis may reduce Thomson’s chances of a regular game at Ibrox. The right transfer fee could tempt Rangers to part with the player they bought from Hibs for Ã?£2million 18 months ago. Thomson has recently had to contend with becoming the victim of mindless vandalism, having had his car daubed with slogans in Edinburgh. Last week in an interview with Record Sport, he told how he hoped not to become part of the Old Firm goldfish bowl. He said: “If I wanted to draw attention to myself I could. But I’m a quiet-living guy.” West Brom have made a decent start to the Premiership after winning promotion last season but last Saturday’s 4-0 hammering from Manchester United convinced Mowbray new signings are necessary. He said: “We know the positions that need to be addressed and we’ll be doing that in January.” Not the most reliable of sources, I know, but still thought it was worth discussing especially considering the whole 'Who gets dropped?' question surrounding Barry's return. Personally I'm a big fan of Thomson and would be sad to see him go especially to a rotten mob like West Brom. I hate how we're so narrow-minded (not so much us as fans but because we know how unambitious our management are with team selections) that it has already been pre-determined someone drops out for Ferguson. Considering our apparent lack of natural width I'd be happy to see Walter try a genuine 4-3-3 (none of this '4-3-3 when attacking and 4-5-1 when defending nonsense) with the 3 consisting of Thomson holding and Ferguson and Mendes further forward with possibly Boyd or Miller as the figurehead and the likes of Lafferty and Novo either side but playing as genuine attacking threats as opposed to in the midfield. But that's just one way of fitting in all 3 . So is it set in stone that Thomson gets dropped? If so, may we aswell cash in on him?

The Super Classico of the Appertura is this sunday at El Monumental (River). Should be an interesting game. Going into the game both teams are in a shocking run of form when you consider the stature of the clubs. After 9 games River have won just once drawn 5 and lost 3. Boca have been in poor domestic form, Despite beating the winners of the Copa Libratadores in the copa Suda America they have lost their last 3 league games 2 of which were at La Bombonera. Boca won the last Derby at la bombonera when Sebastian Battaglia's header sealed a 1-0 win but River eventually won the league(fuckers). Form goes out the window for these games and here's hopin the Blue and yellow pull off a win. If any1 is interested heres the link for the site that'll show it http://livefooty.doctor-serv.com/ Vamos Boca

rumour has it that Boyd is about to inform the SFA that he would like to be excluded from the Scotland squad as long as George Burley is the manager. Boyd Clearly frustrated at being left out of the squad and absent from hampden yesterday has come to the decision after confiding in family and friends. If this is true then there will certainly be a back lash against burley who has failed to impress as scotland manager so far. He got it tactically wrong by playing Mcfayden as a lone striker yesterday against a Defence that was allmost twice his hight and was forced to change his tactics early in the second half and brought on two untried strikers in a must win game. It is clear for all to see that he doesnt rate boyd even though he has scored in every start for scotland and has 7 goals in 15 outings for Scotland. Personally I dont blame him if he does make the decision. and i wouldnt be suprised if he leaves Ibrox in the winter transfer window either. Smith has treated him no better after stating that he would have to "build a team around him" and then drop him for a player who has struggled to kick his own arse in recent games.

Sep 19 2008 By Keith Jackson AIDEN McGEADY'S stormy relationship with Celtic manager Gordon Strachan could be heading for crisis point after the winger was singled out in the wake of last month's Old Firm defeat. Record Sport understands the latest rift between the pair was behind Strachan's decision to bench the winger for Sunday's emphatic win at Motherwell and the Champions League clash with Aalborg. The rift began when strict disciplinarian Strachan barred McGeady from a first-team debriefing in the aftermath of that 4-2 derby defeat. Strachan called the rest of his squad into a room inside the club's Lennoxtown HQ to pore over a video nasty of the match and analyse exactly where Scotland's champions had gone wrong as Rangers romped to victory. But McGeady - last season's SPFA Player of the Year - was told not to bother taking part. Instead, he was instructed to go for lunch on his own at the training ground canteen. Strachan has been growing increasingly concerned with McGeady's form since the start of the season and is determined to get the player refocused on playing the kind of football which wowed supporters last season. But sources close to the player insist McGeady is so furious at the snub he may even be considering his future in the knowledge he would have no shortage of suitors in the January transfer window, including the likes of Newcastle, Spurs and possibly even Manchester United. And Strachan's last two team selections have done little to lighten McGeady's mood. The Republic of Ireland international has shared a roller-coaster relationship with his boss ever since Strachan took over from Martin O'Neill three years ago. This time last season McGeady stormed up the tunnel in a bad mood after being substituted in a league match at Parkhead. Strachan did not take kindly to what he viewed as a public show of petulance and was quick to lay down the law. The pair called a truce and the player enjoyed his most productive season yet in Celtic's top team, helping the club to a third successive league crown and being honoured by his fellow professionals as the country's top talent - proving Strachan's actions right. But McGeady's form has slumped since the start of the new campaign and his involvement in a couple of latenight flash-points in Glasgow city centre did little to impress Strachan. With Shunsuke Nakamura hoping to return to Japan in January, Strachan sees McGeady as his long-term guiding light but is determined to make the player concentrate totally on his game.

I found this earlier and thought it was a pretty full and accurate analysis of the Arsenal squad, so you can read and see what you all think.