ascender

Nothing too controversial or newsworthy in that article. I have to say though, I'm starting to become alarmed at the amount of fans who believe there's some great media agenda against us. I used to think it was only the Celtic support who thought everyone was against them, but we seem to be just as bad now.

There's lazy journalism, but somehow despite slagging off all the papers, we keep reading them and then getting wound up about all sorts of nonsense.

I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now but resisted posting it as it should all be about PLG now and not looking back to the future. I have to say that I always felt AM had a rought time from some sections of our support and he never really got credit for some of what he achieved given the players he had to work with.

I've not seen anything from Sionko that makes me think he's anything special, certainly no better than Burke. I still think that given his age and potential, its worth keeping Burke.

The names that keep being linked with us day after day are:

Brown

Thomson

Webster

Dica

Gow

I'd hope to get closer to �£5million. If Brown and Thomson are being quoted at 3 million, there is no way they are in the same bracket as barry

No way we'll get 5 million for him based on his performances this season I'm afraid. The only person who would pay over the odds would be Souness, but unfortunately he's not at Newcastle any more.

£3 million or thereabouts.

Finally the club will break their silence, within the next few hours. And the latest crazy rumours are that PLG has been sacked or has resigned.

Oh, I forgot to mention the other rumour, that Walter Smith will be back in the job by the end of the month.

Craig, its all nonsense I think, nothing has come to fruition from what I've seen so I think its silly season - i.e. Gattuso to return; in talks with Gow & Thomson; Dica deal is as good as done; Webster to sign and the JJB link/conspiracy theory being raised as "proof"; Fergie been told to find another club etc etc.

From the Beeb, some "interesting" quotes from his agent....

Barry Ferguson could remain with Rangers despite losing the captaincy and his place in the first team, says his agent John Viola.

 

"Anything can happen in football, every relationship can be repaired," Viola told Five Live Sport.

 

Viola held talks with the Rangers chairman Sir David Murray on Wednesday to explore Ferguson's future at Ibrox.

 

Viola added: "We had discussions and we'll be discussing the scenario over the next few days."

 

Interview: Barry Ferguson's agent John Viola

Interview: Former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson

 

Ferguson was axed from the team and stripped of the captain's armband for the 1-0 win at Motherwell.

 

Rangers manager Paul Le Guen claimed after Tuesday's stormy encounter at Fir Park that he had no choice but to drop Ferguson after being undermined in the dressing room.

 

With Gavin Rae taking over the captaincy of the Glasgow club, the 28-year-old could be poised to exit Rangers, with a number of Premiership clubs rumoured to be interested.

 

"As soon as we can sit around the table and get everything concluded the better," said Viola.

 

"Barry wants to stay at Rangers - he's made that abundantly clear to everyone.

 

"If it doesn't work out, the next step would be to speak to other clubs, but we haven't spoken to anyone because he's still under contract to Rangers."

 

Viola added: "He's extremely unhappy and pretty gutted about the whole scenario."

 

Earlier, Viola revealed how the deposed Rangers captain felt "physically sick" when he was axed by Le Guen.

 

"Barry has been left feeling sick by what has happened to him after his meeting with the manager," said Viola.

 

 

MY SPORT DEBATE

It seems to me that Barry feels he knows best what is required to turn Rangers round but is unwilling to accept that a qualified coach may have a better understanding of the remedy required

 

townie_boy

My Sport: Have your say

 

"I've already had calls from two people at the highest level of other clubs concerning Barry's future but I want to talk to the Rangers hierarchy first of all."

 

Meanwhile, Ferguson's brother, Derek, who played for Rangers in the 1980s, says that Le Guen's action has taken his sibling by surprise.

 

"Barry is totally shocked by what's happened and is struggling to come to terms with it," he told BBC Sport Scotland.

 

"He is very proud to be the captain of Rangers and he didn't see this coming at all.

 

"The only other time I've seen him this down was when he had his bad knee injury at Blackburn Rovers.

 

"Barry is aggressive on the park and in the dressing room, and you tend to get that from captains and leaders in Scottish football.

 

"He only wants 100% from everyone," added the Stranraer assistant manager.

 

"But now it's really down to Barry to try and sort out the situation with John Viola, Paul le Guen and Sir David Murray."

Rumours persist about Gow, Thomson and Brown. Problem with Thomson and Brown is that there are interested clubs down south too, so that might push the price up unrealistically and out of what we can afford, unless the guys dig their heels in and say they want to come to Ibrox.

The rumours are coming in thick and fast now, should be a busy week!

Still a deafening silence from Ibrox....

If DM is back today then he's got a hell of a lot to sort out. Who knows what's going on in his mind and what he's going to do. I just wish he'd get on with it though.

They were talking about this on the radio yesterday, saying that maybe Rangers should put him up for loan (Fergie, not PLG ) but surely in doing that it would be a no confidence vote in the manager as it would seem as if Rangers were protecting a valuable asset (Fergie!) just in case PLG doesn't work out ....... actually, it would give PLG the perfect excuse to leave saying his job was unworkable ..... and he of course can protect this poor 6 months of his reputation by blaming Barry for everything

 

How simple!

There's been talk of a loan deal today, but that's a no-starter. If that happened then it would be seen as Fergie just waiting for PLG to leave.

And another thing.... If Fergie is such a Bluenose, then why did he go running to the press instead of waiting 'til after the match? Because he knew the reaction he'd get from the fans maybe? How cynical I am.

And another thing.... how can BF be "surprised" to lose the captaincy when its obvious that he and PLG have had run-ins and it sounds like he's been ignoring direct instructions from his boss. Is he really that stupid or is he hoping to garner even more sympathy from the fans?

One thing, I bet DM is delighted to have to come back off his holiday or cut it short to come back and try to sort this mess out.

The lack of a decent statement to give the club's side of the view is disappointing and isn't helping quell all this speculation and rumour. There's just so many unanswered questions and yet again we have no leadership from the top of our club.

From everything that's been said, I think that as things stand, Fergie will not play for us again. But for the beleaguered support, we really deserve to know what's going on and also some positive news. We really are in the shit at the moment, aren't we?!

Come to think of it, could we be left in a situation where Fergie gets sold and then PLG resigns/is sacked a few weeks or months later? Its a massive gamble for PLG and looking at the support for Fergie yesterday, I think unless we go on a long winning run, this decision could be the end of him. Its the perfect excuse for supporters to call for him to leave.

Fergie has trained this morning with the first team. It is a dangerous precedent if BF is seen to get away with undermining the manager, if this is indeed what's happened.

I think the 4-4-2 suits us more, especially up front. But its starting to look like its too little too late as we're in to the new year and still don't know our best XI. Time is definitely running out and its frustrating that simple things like this formation have taken this long to get sorted out.

He's certainly not made things easy for himself and I think one thing that hasn't endeared him to us is that he seems to be oblivious to the bloody obvious sometimes in the same way that McLeish was - i.e. the examples you've given.

The whole BF thing has been badly managed by the club as a whole and while I admire his will to speak in English the whole time, I don't think he's doing any favours with the way he comes across to the press.

As for the Sahara thing, I can't say anything as I want to do that race in a couple of years time!

I thought him and Prso linked up very well considering they've not played much together in a 4-4-2 and it bodes well for the future if they get time to develop an understanding.

The Scots lads seem to be the ones who take a lot of the flak at the moment, even though they're quite young and a lot of time its flak from people who've been complaining about us signing over-paid foreigners, so there's no pleasing some people.

Forgot to ask, does anyone think Boyd will be in trouble over his number 6 "tribute" to Barry after scoring?

From what has been said I'm now assuming that even yesterday, Fergie's future at Ibrox was in his own hands. It sounds like he could have taken the news like a man and promised to knuckle down & tow the line, but instead spat the dummy out and then to make things worse, phoned the press to tell them all about it.

I don't understand it, why don't we have an interpreter when he's clearly struggling to get himself across? He or DM need to do an interview tonight or tomorrow which clarifies things. Of course, we might know exactly what's going on if an offer comes in for Ferguson....