JohnMc

The problem with footballers and football managers is their unwavering self-belief. Every manager who has gone in at Newcastle in recent years has believed they're capable of 'turning' them into a force again, Gerrard is no different. Gerrard's relationship with Benitez being strained Gerrard might just fancy showing he could take Newcastle further than his old boss could. With Gerrard's family still in England a move south is almost certainly something that will happen at some point soon. Gerrard is smart enough to know that if our season starts badly, say we're put out of Europe early, lose in the League Cup and drop league points and find ourselves trailing that he'll come under pressure. His current elevated status among our support won't last long if we're losing away to Motherwell and Livingston again. All that being said unless there's been a fall out with our board I can't see Gerrard moving this summer. He's demonstrated throughout his career a degree of loyalty that's uncommon today. Okay, it's easier being 'loyal' to a club who are one of the biggest in the world and that are consistently challenging for honours, but it's still fairly rare. Based on nothing but my opinion I think Gerrard would like to win the league with us and have a crack at the Champion's League. If those two things happen I expect we'll struggle to hang onto him.

As someone widely recognised for my sartorial elegance I feel I'm qualified to comment on this. Rangers - sponsors logo too big, not convinced by the breast plate/sleeves stitching, still though it's blue with an okay collar so right away it's better than every other strip. Aberdeen - the Adidas stripes down the shirt is reminiscent of an old 80s strip, so points on for retro appeal, but criss/cross collar is shocking and the away strip looks like a dodgy own-brand tea cake wrapper. Motherwell - artificially improved by the lack of a sponsor logo it'll resemble dug's dinner whenever Lanarkshire's 3rd biggest bookie is resplendent across it. Too many hoops, just stop at the one, it's not hard. Away strip is better. Celtic - each season I'm amazed that they can take the most hideous design ever put onto a strip, namely green hoops, and somehow, remarkably, they manage to make it worse each season. What happened to the sleeves? What is that collar? I long ago realised that there is some sort of inside joke in the shirt design fraternity where they see how far they can take that strip before people stop buying it. It's astonishing to think that their away strip will almost certainly out do it in terms of mouth opening awfulness too. Hearts - simple v-collar, always a good call, and a cool shirt sponsor. It's hard to fault this seasons Hearts' strip, but that won't stop me. It's maroon, again so that's a problem and the Aztec cave painting highlights in the shirt make no sense. Maybe they'll have a blue away strip. Hibs - best you can say is it's traditional. They've taken the simple white v-collar and fucked it up by messing about with the back. Just leave it alone you knobs. Is that their sponsor, are they really sponsoring themselves? Kinda sad. Ross County - a masterclass in how to take the finest ingredients, a navy top with red highlighting, and fuck it up. What the fuck is that monstrosity?? Hoops!! I know drug abuse and loneliness and afflict many people in the Highlands but that's no excuse. Tow this into the Cromarty Firth and sink it. St Mirren - no, just fucken no. What the fuck is that?? Black and white stripes is not hard, what are you doing here and what is that collar and your away strip is cerise. Just stop. Did that Irish manager design them, is that why they sacked him?? Hideous. St Johnstone - FUCK SAKE! NO!! STOP PUTTING FUCKING HOOPS ON SOLID STRIPS AND WHATS THAT BIT OF WHITE UNDER THE ARMS ABOUT?? WANKERS. BINN, FUCKING MOST APPROPRIATE SPONSOR SO FAR. If Kilmarnock, Hamilton and Livingston aren't even on that list Lord knows what miscarriages of design they've cooked up.

Excellent, as ever.

You might well be right RR, and of course matching fan expectations does make life easier for a board. Certainly the transfer fee has a bearing on what you might expect of a player. Clubs not matching their rivals can get criticised, particularly if form is poor. I always laugh when a manager is sacked and pundits state that he was backed by the board in the transfer market, as if it was all down to the manager that the club wasted their budget that summer. I agree though that if there's any possibility it could add a couple of million to a fee it's a strategy worth pursuing.

It's not particularly accurate either. Allan McGregor, Naismith, Whittaker, Davis, Cousin and Jelavic have all left Rangers for the English top flight. I accept that since the banter years began things have changed but we're closer to where we were again. Nobody would be all that surprised if Goldston, Tavernier and Morelos ended up in the EPL.

I'm less concerned about pundits talking up his price, I struggle to believe that it makes much difference other than heighten or temper fan expectations. Tierney has Champion's League and international experience, is young and under contract so anyone wanting to buy him will have to pay a decent fee for him. I'd be astonished if it's £25 million though, indeed I'd have thought £10 to £12 mil even in the inflated English market is good business for Celtic. That said football transfers are mental these days. Chelsea sold a full back to Torino for £9 million earlier this month and I'd never heard of him (Ola Aina anyone?), indeed he only played 3 times for Chelsea. I guess if a 22 year old Chelsea reserve player with half dozen caps for Nigeria is worth £9 million then maybe someone like Tierney is worth double that. It does make you realise though that if Morelos can sort his discipline problem and score consistently in Europe he's potentially worth £20 plus million.

The Teirney stuff is bizarre and lacking in any self awareness. He's a decent player, with a concerning injury record playing in a secondary European league. To suggest Arsenal aren't good enough for him is deluded. I'm amazed a club the size of Arsenal are even considering buying him. I genuinely thought he'd join a good Championship or smaller EPL side and if he does well there then a move to one of the big English sides might happen. Hutton, who was a better player at that stage in my opinion, struggled at Spurs, it's a big jump from the SPFL to the big English sides. If he leaves Celtic I hope he does well, if he stays I hope his injuries are chronic and he spends next season in the stand. In the end Celtic have him under contract and can play hard ball at this stage of the summer, that might change as the summer goes on. Sportsound stopped dealing in reality a long time ago, it's fanzine levels of balance these days.

One of the things the film gets across well is the sheer brutality that Maradona faced in every match he played. Italian football was still fairly defensive during that period too, 'catenaccio' was still the over-riding culture in 80s Serie A. For me that's why he's the greatest player ever, I just don't think Messi in particular would have been allowed to play at that time. I wonder if the gradual decline in Italian club football (and I accept these things are all relative) is connected to the rule changes in football that have removed much of the physicality and fouling from the sport.

I think we need four strikers, even if we're playing one up front. Assuming Morelos and Defoe start the season I think we need at least one more experienced striker and then one younger one. If one of our strikers gets an injury, and that will happen during the season, you need options from the bench. You also require competition to keep everyone on their toes and lastly having a variety of playing styles helps too. We've potentially a lot of games this coming season, rotation might be very important. Liam Burt was highly thought of when he first went pro with us, but he's been hampered by injuries. I'd be surprised if Celtic fancied signing him though.

It's hard to know how difficult some of these fixtures will be. Kilmarnock could implode without Clarke, their managerial appointment is certainly ambitious but would anyone be surprised if an Italian with very little previous experience of leading a side and no experience of Scottish football actually struggles. Livingston fell away last season after a blistering start, I expect them to spend the season fighting the drop this coming season, they've lost a couple of key players as well. Hibs at home and St Mirren away we should dispatch, you can't challenge for a league if you can't win those matches. End of November to the New Year is a busy time with some traditionally difficult matches, that could be a difficult period. Qualifying for the Europa League could be a double edged sword. We should start the league season having played some competitive matches, in theory perhaps a little ahead of some other sides. But those games might catch up on some players as the season goes on, we'll need to use the squad wisely. Anyway, bring it on, can't wait for it to start again.

This seems to have been greeted with a collective shrug yet I can't help but feel this is a significant decision. Is it the right one though? If the goal is playing against 'men' as is stated in the article then surely sending players out on loan is the answer? If it's playing against better 'reserve' sides than the SPFL currently have then fair enough. I guess my only concern is the SPFL reserve league will have an element of competition to it and an element of rivalry. The matches against assorted English and European sides will be friendlies. It'll be interesting to see if players can push on this season and this change does bear fruit.

Anyone else read this and picture Gonzo with his faced daubed in woad and shouting 'Freedom!' at the top of his lungs? Got to watch these deep, deep cover cybernats...

I met a Cork City fan once, he told me that sometimes Cork supporters say they follow Rangers as their 'Scottish team' to noise up the Dublin sides particularly Shamrock Rovers. Looking at the LoI table Cork aren't having a good season, however they'd be up for this and as they play a summer season will be sharper than most. Gerrard has a huge profile in Ireland, he'll be a massive draw there too. Be good to horse the Luxemburgers though, then just Chesterfield left to avenge!

All that being said currently the best way into the Ibrox first team for any young player is to be a current or ex-Liverpool player. *This post would make more sense if I'd actually linked it to the McPake story on the previous page...

As most of us played football, not necessarily to any great level, but even if just as kids, then we've probably all looked at professional players and imagined what we could have done if we'd had their ability. We of course view that opportunity through the prism of our own lives which have been largely untouched by adulation, great wealth and expectation. I saw the new film about Maradona at the weekend, and it's fantastic. Now, it might not be for everyone, firstly it's a documentary and secondly it's largely in Italian and Spanish so subtitled, so if that's not your thing quit reading now. For me, as a football fan rapidly approaching my the end of my fifth decade one this earth, Maradona was the greatest player of my generation. This film focuses on his time at Napoli, the peak of his career. He took a side that had never troubled the honours in Italian football and usually fought relegation, from the poorest and most unfashionable city in the country and turned them into one of the best sides in the world. During that period he also won the World Cup and reached the final again four years later, both as captain. The film is much more than football though, it's an insight into the utter madness that was his life. He was treated like a God in Naples and eventually that drove him mad. It's made by the same director who made Amy and Senna, both of which are stunning films. This is no different. It truly gives you an insight into how his life in Naples was and how no one is really equipped to deal with that. If you can, go see it, I'm not sure what kind of release it's getting, I saw it at the GFT in Glasgow if that helps. If nothing else you'll see footage of the greatest player ever on the big screen, it's almost worth it for that alone.

Four Lads was clearly reading @Govan Rear Bear 's blog at the weekend. That's a horrible looking car, he might as well have been driving a Trabant. I knew almost nothing about this player until yesterday. A quick read up of course now makes me an expert on him and suggests this is his make or break season. He seems to have been some sort of boy wonder, playing for MK Dons under 18s when he was only 13 and costing Liverpool £2million to sign as a 14 year old. After a fairly bright start things seem to have tailed off although not every 20 year old is capable of moving abroad and settling well. Let's hope Govan is more to his liking than the Champagne region of France.

Has it been confirmed that Middleton is going out on loan next season? Surely it's too early to have decided that far less arranged it?

Quite possibly. I initially thought it was a Trabant, it has similar aerodynamics, but I don't think they had wing mirrors.

I know nothing about this player but I think it's great that he drives an ice-cream van, or a Transit van or one of those 'Germoline' old Strathclyde Region social work vans. More players should have second jobs over the summer.

There's probably some sort of correlation between Scotland becoming a poor footballing nation and the 'Tartan Army' seeing football as of secondary importance. I'm not sure we can criticise them for their choice of songs, singing songs that have got nothing to do with football is hardly unique to them. But the dressing up and giving people ranks and all that martial nonsense, they deserve all the derision you can muster for that.

The majority of Rangers fans don't attend matches regularly so there might be something in what you say. Fat Eck always went to Scotland matches and was in the Supporters Club last time I spoke to him (which was a few years ago now) so some who go to both do exist. It could be under 10%, I'm not sure what that proves though? Like a lot of people I was initially surprised by this, but as the club with the biggest support I suppose the odds were we'd still be well represented. As I understand it the data comes from the official Scotland Supporter's Club member database, there's an option on it to declare what side you support apparently. It was the head of digital for the SFA who published it. I'm not sure the SFA are all that interested in deflecting criticism, they're fairly impervious to it all in all.

At this stage of their careers they simply need games, they need to be playing week in and week out and learning their trade. If that's not going to happen at Ibrox then it's better for everyone they go out on loan. It's very hard for a teenager to become a first team regular at our club.

I don't think you can doubt the credentials of the data, I can't see why the guy publishing it would make something like that up, it could cost him his job for a start. The echo chamber nature of modern digital media, and it's particularly pronounced when it comes to football and politics, can lead to tunnel vision, the lack of exposure to people with different views can lead to you believing they simply don't exist. For me this data simply underlines the one universal truth about our support; that it's a very broad church. Personally I've not been to a Scotland match for a couple of decades, having been to almost every home match for the two decades prior to that. I've absolutely no time at all for middle-aged men dressed as extras from Rob Roy and my heart sinks when you see them marching around with feathers in their hats and a look on their face that suggests they think their more Scottish than anyone else. Knobs. But then, in all honesty, I cringe at some of our songs and some of our fans too, it doesn't stop me supporting Rangers. I hate flag waving (all flags, whatever their colour or design) and all shows of nationalism (all nationalism, whatever its flavour) make me uncomfortable. Yet I still find myself turning on the radio or the TV and following the Scotland match. In the end I still want 'us' to win, or at least fuckin compete. I also think that international football is perhaps the only 'pure' football left at the elite level. It's much harder (although not impossible) to buy success at that level, smaller nations can and do compete, and at some level it clearly stops being directly about money for the players and becomes about winning for winning's sake again. Yip, I know doing well at international level has a direct affect on a players earning ability and profile, but it still feels less mercenary than club football. For me then this simply proves that despite the best efforts of our haters, and some of our own, you simply can't pigeon-hole the Rangers support. We're broad, we come from all over, we've no proscribed views on any subject except wanting Rangers to win. Plus, on some level, the sheer pain and frustration watching Scotland brings does make watching Rangers all the more enjoyable, even in recent years.

What do you think is the point of it Rangers Syntax? I understand there are millions of people in China with a burgeoning interest in European football and an increasing disposable income, but I suspect we must seem like a Junior side compared to the Champion's League and big Spanish and English sides. What I would say is Celtic made some money when they signed the South Korean and the Japanese players a few years ago. I'd a long conversation recently with someone involved in that and apparently Celtic were astonished at the interest it created there, and the subsequent web traffic and shirt sales that followed. For me, a bit more time spent shoring up support in this country would be money better spent. I worry we're heading down the 'Ireland' road now in Scotland. So many young lads in Scotland now support Man City or Chelsea, I suspect there will be a few supporting Liverpool and Spurs in the coming years too. That's a far bigger threat to our club than potential shirt sales in Shenzhen I think. We had that tie in with a Chinese club before, you could buy their shirts at Ibrox for a while. How did that work out in the end?

Very interesting, thanks.