Traynor

[the gunslinger 3,366]

he should appologise for saying fans deserved a kicking.

[Gazza_8 233]

he should appologise for saying fans deserved a kicking.

 

Yes, he should.

[Scott7 5,109]

Better the husky inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

huskys hate it inside the tent its to warm for them.

[DUDE 0]

he should appologise for saying fans deserved a kicking.

 

To say fans deserved a doing is wrong and stupid under almost any circumstances. Could anyone clarify how he justified that claim?

[the gunslinger 3,366]

it was in pamplona im sure. i havent read it in years. i do hope i am missremembering it.

[ian1964 10,390]

RANGERS were soundly beaten on and off the pitch in Pamplona last night when the SPL side's UEFA Cup hopes were dismantled.

 

Just as they had done at Ibrox, Osasuna ran Rangers ragged and exposed the frailties of the team Walter Smith has inherited.

 

Although his side had more possession in the second half the ball was a stranger throughout the first when Osasuna created chance after chance.

 

Had the Spaniards been respectable finishers, this tie would have been over long before the riot police launched their first attack on a pocket of Rangers fans who took an awful beating.

 

Many had arrived with full tanks after having spent the day in this sleepy town's bars but the noise as the players emerged madesure no one in Pamplona was dozing off.

 

As usual, there were the offensive sounds decent people have come to abhor. Unfortunately there was no evidence to suggest these chants are belted out by only a handful as some Rangers people would have you believe.

 

Fortunately for Scotland, they won't be back in Europe for a while after Pierre Webo's second-half goal gave Osasuna a 2-1 aggregate win but it must be said the cops were more than heavy handed. In fact, they seemed to be spoiling for a fight, which was more than could be said for Smith's team.

 

They went out of Europe with a whimper. They were hopeless for most of the game although it was tough to watch what was happening on the pitch and at the same time keep an eye on the riot cops.

 

They surged in several times clubbing everyone within reach. Although the fans who were spewing their sectarian bile probably deserve a good hiding, innocents would also have been taken out.

 

This was the second time Rangers had lost to Osasuna in the UEFA Cup - they were beaten 2-0 here after having won the first leg 1-0 22 years ago - and it means the Ibrox side still haven't won on Spanish soil.

 

Smith opted for virtually the same team that started Sunday's Old Firm match with Gavin Rae the only change. He stepped into the space created by Barry Ferguson's suspension but there were many who thought the manager would make at least one other change with Dado Prso starting instead of Filip Sebo.

 

That was Smith's main dilemma because Prso has the subtlety to open defences and the touch and balance to confuse would-be markers but his fitness is suspect. The idea was to hold him in reserve until his time came.

 

So all Rae, captain for the night, and the rest had to do was keep themselves in the game until half-time when Smith would have to consider going for broke but that would be no simple matter with Osasuna sensing their opponents were on the ropes. After all, Rangers had done nothing right in the first leg and were fortunate to be on level terms.

 

Also, Osasuna's small but perfectly formed Reyno de Navarra Stadium was just below it's 20,000 capacity but it was alive and vibrating with expectation. The locals were out in healthy numbers to see their heroes, playing in the UEFA Cup for only the fourth time, impose themselves from the start.

 

But manager Jose Angel Ziganda made drastic alterations to the team which had performed so well at Ibrox. Only four, keeper Ricardo, Webo, Gomez Jaunlu and Javad Nekounam, survived. Not even Raul Garcia, who scored at Ibrox, started last night but Azpilicueta did and he's only 17.

 

Apparently Ziganda was keeping his best on hold for this weekend's Basque derby against Atletico Bilbao but within a minute Allan McGregor, who had his two-match UEFA ban reduced to one game, was under pressure.

 

Rae gave the ball away to Webo who slipped a perfect pass to Romeo running between Alan Hutton and Ugo Ehiogu. Fortunately for Rangers the Osasuna player's touch was poor and he could only hit the ball wide.

 

A minute later Jaunlu's free-kick from just outside the box zipped over McGregor's bar. Two minutes in and it was already clear this was not going well for Rangers but it would get much worse if they persisted in giving the ball to Osasuna.

 

Hutton did what Rae had done at the start and gifted possession to Corrales who was then fouled by the Rangers defender just as he released Jaunlu. His low, angled drive fizzed narrowly past McGregor's left-hand post and before the by-kick could be taken Hutton was booked for his challenge.

 

Jaunlu was through again a few minutes later and even though his delivery across the face of goal was easily gathered by McGregor his midfield and defence were putting him under enormous pressure because they couldn't find their opponents never mind a rhythm.

 

McGregor must have felt as though he had wandered into the middle of a motorway. The traffic just kept coming at him and all he could do was dive, leap and jump. A better side than Osasuna would have been comfortably in front and cruising to the quarters but the truth was the Spanish side were actually only mediocre.

 

Yet they were taking Rangers apart and Punal should have put them in front when he met a cutback on the penalty spot but leaning back, his shot took flight and landed in the second tier behind McGregor.

 

Azpilicueta tried a couple from 22 yards and Webo's flick drifted wide as Rangers reeled under the pressure but Ziganda must have been furious with his players for squandering so many chances to put this tie to bed so that they could start relaxing ahead of their derby.

 

Rangers had no idea how to reverse the flow and every time a blue-shirted player got the ball he found none of his team-mates running into space or making themselves available.

 

Too many were hiding and unwilling to take responsibility although just before half-time they did win a corner. Predictably, it ended with Weir heading tamely into Ricardo's arms and then Charlie Adam nodding the ball wide as the referee called a halt to what had been a dreadful 45 minutes.

 

Rangers needed something different if they were to make Osasuna think about piling forward but Prso was still a spectator at the start of the second half although, remarkably, the first chance fell to Rangers. Adam, however, blasted a 25-yard free-kick over Ricardo's bar.

 

Then, two minutes into the half, Ian Murray's left hand stopped Nekounam's cross from reaching the middle and although it looked apenalty, the Danish referee waved play on but he booked Ehiogu for tripping Romeo just before Rangers took off Kevin Thomson, who was carrying an injury.

 

Chris Burke took over as Smith decided that somehow Osasuna had to be subdued.

 

Unfortunately, Rangers couldn't do what the riot cops were doing almost at regular intervals to silence Rangers fans and when you witness these seemingly random and unprovoked attacks you have to wonder why decent supporters would want to follow their teams to Spain. Sitting or standing in the wrong place at the wrong time can get you a broken head.

 

Prso was released from the touchline bunker in 63 minutes when he took over from Sebo, who had been a man alone up front for most of his shift, but it was time for Rangers to go for broke. They had to score but had never looked likely to do so and now an awful lot was resting on Prso conjuring up one piece of magic.

 

Rangers were getting further forward with Novo in support of Prso and Corrales was booked for a foul on Burke in 69 minutes. Adam's free-kick came to nothing and Ricardo was able to boot the ball downfield and set in motion a series of errors that led to Webo scoring.

 

First Ehiogu failed to win a header then Murray did the same. Osasuna were clear on Rangers' left and when Lopez hit a low cross Weir swiped and missed and the ball landed at the feet of Cameroon striker Webo, who fired it low past McGregor.

 

Rangers took off Rae and sent on Kris Boyd but the European door was closing fast. They needed a goal but never looked like getting one, even with Prso on.

[foggy dewhurst 0]

wellcome aboard jim

[The Real PapaBear 0]

"As usual, there were the offensive sounds decent people have come to abhor. Unfortunately there was no evidence to suggest these chants are belted out by only a handful as some Rangers people would have you believe."

 

"They surged in several times clubbing everyone within reach. Although the fans who were spewing their sectarian bile probably deserve a good hiding, innocents would also have been taken out."

 

Can't disagree with a single word.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

i cant agree that anyone singing any song deserves a batton charge.

 

let alone a rangers fan.