Bearman

From 'Ibrox Noise' http://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2016/05/profile-rangers-latest-signing-target.html? Profile: Rangers' latest signing target, Niko Kranjcar With Mark Warburton confirmed as having held talks with Niko Kranjcar, what would Rangers be getting if the midfielder joined? The 31 year old has represented his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008 and UEFA Euro 2012. He won 81 caps for the Croatia national team scoring 16 goals in the process. His latest match for the national team was on 15 Oct 13, but unfortunately he missed the 2014 FIFA World Cup due to injury. His English career started on 31 Aug ’06, when Niko was brought over to the south coast to play for Portsmouth and sign for their charismatic manager Harry Redknapp. He transferred from Hajduk Split for a transfer fee of £3.5m on a three-year-deal. In his first year for the Pompey he played in 28 games in the Premiership and also made 7 appearances for Croatia. In season 2007-08, and his second year playing at Fratton Park, Niko played in 10 games for Croatia, which included the Euro Championships, and featured in 42 games for Portsmouth, including the FA Cup win in May 2008. In 2008-09, he continued playing in the Portsmouth first team and amassed another 25 games for them and scored 4 goals in the process. Niko played his last 5 games for Portsmouth at the start of season 2009-10 and appeared in one game for Croatia before joining Tottenham Hotspur, on 1 Sep ’09 on a 3-year-deal that cost them £2.5m for his services. He played 32 games in his first part season for Spurs and scored a reasonable 8 goals into the bargain. In his second season at White Hart Lane, in 2010-11, he played in 5 games for Croatia and scored 4 goals and also featured in 21 games for Spurs after picking up some injuries during that season. In season 2011-12, Niko played another 6 games for Croatia and featured in only 18 games for what was to be his last year with Tottenham Hotspur. In 2012-13 season, on 1 Jul ’12 he moved to the Ukraine to join up with Dynamo Kiev for a fee of £2m. He played 4 games for Croatia, played in 4 Champions League fixtures and 2 Europa Cups and 19 games in the Ukrainian League. In 2013-14 season, on 2 Sep 13, Kranjčar joined Queens Park Rangers on a season long loan to reunite him with his former boss Harry Redknapp. This was the third time that Harry had signed Niko, having previously worked with him at Portsmouth and Tottenham. After a groin problem delayed his debut, Kranjčar eventually started playing for his new team. His last game in the Premier League was on Sun 10 May 14, playing in a match against Manchester City for Queens Park Rangers, where he featured in 33 of their games and scored 2 goals. In 2014-15 season, on 1 Jul ‘14 Niko left the club following the expiration of his loan, but returned on the last day of the summer transfer window on 1 Sep 14 for another season-long loan at Queens Park Rangers and played in 22 games and scored 2 goals. In 2015-16 season, after being released in Dynamo Kiev, he went to USA and trained with the New York Cosmos. However, he could not be a part of the squad due to the foreign players' rule, but as luck would have it, in the middle of March 2016, one of the foreign players obtained an American citizenship, and Kranjčar finally signed for the Cosmos. Their head coach Giovanni Savarese added: “Niko is not only a world class player, but also a fantastic human being. He has elite vision and technical ability with the ball at his feet, and we’re confident he can bring creativity to our approach in the attacking half of the field.” Kranjčar the World Cup veteran will be aiming to help the reigning Soccer Bowl champions hit the ground running in the 2016 NASL campaign. His current deal is only for 10 games as things stand, but there may be an opportunity for an extension into the Fall Season if all goes well over the coming months.

JAMES TAVERNIER believes Mark Warburton's Ibrox blueprint will help lure players to Rangers this summer. The Gers face Hibernian on Saturday aiming for their third medal of the campaign as they look to add the Scottish Cup to their Championship and Petrofac Training Cup titles. Warburton is in the market for reinforcements for a shot at the Premiership crown next term and Tavernier reckons Rangers are an attractive proposition to potential recruits. He said: "We play really good football and the amount of viewers that would have watched the Celtic game would have seen the way we play, even in harsh environments we can all stay settled and play the way we want to play. "The gaffer has put a great platform in and there is only one way we play. I think a lot of players will enjoy the way we play. "So I think anyone who was to get interest from Rangers would definitely be looking at that." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/rangers/14496586.James_Tavernier__Rangers_style_will_help_attract_new_signings_this_summer/? JT is obviously enjoying the best football of his career, so saying others will be looking to play for us just for the 'joy of football' is very encouraging.

Barton has already publicly praised Rangers boss Mark Warburton recently, and his tweet sent during last months' Scottish Cup semi-final could have been a key turning point in his decision making, as he watched the Gers beat favourites C*ltic.

Sorry mate...I read your post like you had been asleep for the past few days

The possibility of European football next season will be a big temptation for players like Barton, but being part of 55 and the 'legend status' that will come with it will be an even bigger draw and that's what MW & SDoW will be talking to them about...ambition works for ambitious players. No Rangers fan will ever forget the guys who contribute to that occasion (55) after what we've been through.

The Cummings 'rumour' has been flying about for months...

Straight from the horse's mouth...

If we get this guy for next season I'll be delighted.

He did say they were the 'best' partnership in Scottish football...or something along those lines. He'll be keeping his fingers crossed Rangers don't win the SC and qualify for the EL.

...must have just missed his belly button!

He's not quite yet lived up to the most famous Davy of that name. Who could? Danny has a real hard job to do though...defending our goal can be quite precarious under W&W tactics. He obviously wanted to make a career in football as a top defender...he's learning his trade the hard way. In W&W we trust.

Yes, and the importance of SDoW being on board regarding the EL...experience on tap can't be ignored. I'm sure Warbs will be taking every single word of advice from his right hand man which can only be a great thing. The future is really bright.

I've always regarded The Scottish Cup as just another trophy in the cabinet, it's an end of season thing. The main event always has been the Title. Winning the Scottish Cup mean't either a Double or a Treble to cap the year, but occasionally it was there to make up for dismal failure in the League, some you win, some you don't. Don't get me wrong...I've savoured every Scottish Cup we've won in my time. Crazily I can't ever remember thinking we need to win this cup just to get into Europe, afterall we didn't need to win it in '71 to qualify. Whilst taking in the importance of actually adding this cup to our top heavy trophy room I think qualifying for a European place will turn out to be more evident in the journey. The Scottish Cup has never been more vital in our history.

Would be interesting (and fun) if Paddy was given full control of who should be next in charge

They'll demand automatic qualification for the CL next season...UEFA will tell them to f*ck-off!

Must have been been C*ltic admin who spotted that

Well done GS...enjoy the match.

An absolutely outstanding gesture from Coop...Don't put me in the draw mate I'm sorted for the CF, but can I just say I'd be very disappointed if one of our many regulars were pipped by a 1 poster...just my tuppence worth.

Same here... From NEWSNOW: £5M in a couple of years? http://www.thefootyblog.net/2016/05/09/is-jordan-rossiter-signing-for-rangers-or-spurs/?

I said somewhere on here some time ago that the Play-Offs were introduced in the event Rangers could end up in them. The plonkers in charge certainly got that spot on, but they only got ONE year of the blue pound instead of two, jammy bast@rds! The Play-Offs will be consigned to history once Rangers establish themselves again, and a bigger league will be in place too. Mark my words.

Do you think Warbs and SDOW would have worked under the last regime? McCoist had no option and probably suspected his managerial career was over well before it ended.

I'm not sure who actually runs the game in Scotland but I suspect Celtic Aberdeen and Dundee Utd are taken into account and nothing should bother them when planning the seasons fixtures (Rangers don't count today 'cos they're deid). Killie ending up in the play-off place is of no interest, if it was Plastic Whistle or any other club outside the aforementioned 'big three' the same rule would apply...Aberdeen and Dundee Utd would never have found themselves in the Play-Offs...not in a million years!

In that context it doesn't really fit? McCoist's won the league with games to spare then kept on winning (albeit in a lower league) when in 2014. I think all Calscot is doing is placing facts against facts and nothing else...not something to get hot and bothered about really, interesting if nothing else basically. Warburton has been a breath of fresh air no doubt but it's fair to say his team took the foot off the gas where McCoists team in 2014 didn't.