CammyF

The Waiting Is Over Finally, the waiting is over, the sense of anticipation that has been with us since we defeated Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup semi-final has almost been extinguished. We are less than 48 hours away from witnessing Rangers in a European cup final for the first time in 36 years. This is the moment that we have all been waiting for. A club like Rangers requires to be regulars in the later stages of Europe and for once, we have an achievement to be proud off. I know you will all be like me, shaking like a leaf, unable to eat or sleep thinking of all the permutations in the climax of this unthinkable, but more than welcome season. For a few short days, we can put the controversy of the SPHELL behind us, we can afford to take our eyes of the domestic ball, and focus on the chance of winning our 2nd European trophy. With the final being in Manchester, it allows easy access for a huge travelling support (not that weââ?¬â?¢d not take a huge support no matter where the final was being held) and I hope that ever last one of us enjoys the game and the occasion no matter where they are watching from. To those going to Manchester, lets show the world that we are ââ?¬Ë?simply the bestââ?¬â?¢. I donââ?¬â?¢t need to reiterate that we should be on our best behaviour. Wednesday will be our 19th European game this season and we havenââ?¬â?¢t had a fan arrested. I wonder if any other club in Europe could boast of this brilliant behaviour? I wonder if the Scottish establishment will push for UEFA to honour us by installing us with the Fair Play Award, the same award that was given to Celtc after Suville. Lets face it, weââ?¬â?¢ve had no planes diverted, no riots at airports, no arrests ââ?¬â?? we must be a shoe in for it. I also wonder if the unbiased and impartial media will regale us with documentaries focussing on our travels to Manchester or if Scottish MPââ?¬â?¢s will raise a motion in Parliament to have Walter Smith Knighted? Anyway, enough of the ââ?¬Ë?tongue in cheekââ?¬â?¢ comments and lets get back to the importance of this game. I would expect, just like Helicopter Sunday, every Rangers fan will have their own unique story to tell come Thursday and hopefully Wednesday will have the same jubilant outcome as that infamous Sunday had. The result of the game could go along way in determining the course of our SPHELL and Scottish Cup campaigns as well. It could also see us have a huge rise in prestige and see our name catapulted to the higher echelons of European Football. This squad has continued to surprise us with its resilience, with its never say die attitude and with its unquenchable will to win. Can this be enough to defeat a very decent Zenit side? Who knows, only time will tell. However, one thing that we have grown to understand about this team, youââ?¬â?¢d be stupid to write them off. In a way, it is a huge disadvantage playing a side managed by an ex-Rangers manager, as heââ?¬â?¢ll know and understand that we are not to be underestimated. I just hope that his players donââ?¬â?¢t heed his warnings. I still canââ?¬â?¢t believe that I am on the verge of witnessing The Rangers in a major European final. I donââ?¬â?¢t think itââ?¬â?¢ll finally sink in until the teams emerge from the tunnel on Wednesday and I hear (and be part off) the all mighty roar that will great the players. This is (but shouldnââ?¬â?¢t be) a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will try to savour every second of the day, but like Barry said in his fantastic article ââ?¬Ë?The Madness & Genius Of Crowdsââ?¬â?¢ - http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=7130 I donââ?¬â?¢t think Iââ?¬â?¢ll fully appreciate the night, the achievement or the importance of this game until I have time to sit and scrutinise the season after the last ball has been kicked. No matter how much you try and absorb every aspect of a momentous occasion, it doesnââ?¬â?¢t really sink in. Again, Helicopter Sunday is a prime example of this. The game went past in a blur and it wasnââ?¬â?¢t until after the event that I realised just how fortunate I was to actually be there, but it took a few days for the realisation of the enormity of what I had witnessed to sink in. I have already stated to family and friends that come Wednesday, I will be an emotional wreck ââ?¬â?? I know I wonââ?¬â?¢t be alone! As I said above, for a few short days we can put the domestic trials and tribulations to one side and hopefully enjoy this fantastic occasion ââ?¬â?? the domestic situation will be back to the forefront before we know it. So once again, no matter where you are watching the game, no matter how you are getting to Manchester (if you are part of the friendliest invasion in history!) ââ?¬â?? fookin enjoy it folks (look out for the gernset banner!) ââ?¬â?? no doubt those travelling to Manchester will meet up with friends (old and new) and make so many new friends in the process ââ?¬â?? So good luck to one and all, good luck to Walter, Ally, Kenny and the backroom staff and all the best to Barry Ferguson and the players - however, if I may, I would like to end this article with a reminder that some of us wonââ?¬â?¢t witness this occasion ââ?¬â?? they will be there in spirit though ââ?¬â?? absent friends ââ?¬â?? Cammy F - We Are The People (as the world is about to witness)

Mon The Baggies - Boing Boing.... Cammy F

Standing On The Edge Of Greatness If like me, you are too young to remember that fabulous night in Barcalona, then you’ll be entering un-chartered waters as our date with destiny hurtles towards us. It is ironic that our foe for the evening will have a couple of familiar faces within its ranks. Dick Advocaat and Fernando Ricksen, whilst not being Rangers heroes do have and deserve places in our rich history and in some of our hearts. It is also ironic that some people, even Rangers fans are claiming that this is one of the worst Rangers teams since that historic evening in Barcelona. Like me, you’ll have watched ‘better fancies’ Rangers teams torn apart on the European stage (by very decent opposition at times, but lets be honest, more often than not, by some pretty average teams). This Rangers team / squad are different. They have resilience in abundance, they have undoubted team spirit, they have a will to win, they have heart and courage and lets not forget, the have some skill as well. We have defeated some very decent teams during this European adventure, the highlight for me was watching us dismantle Lyon in their own back-yard. This was closely followed by our outstanding 2-0 victory in Lisbon (the home of the real Lisbon Lions). Admittedly we have at times been very ‘frustrating’ to watch but it is undeniable that we are very, very hard to defeat on the European stage. This has been highlighted by the fact that we had a very decent showing in the CL Group of Death and by the fact that we are 90 minutes (or 120 + penalties) from writing a whole new chapter into our already rich and illustrious history. These players (and management staff) stand on the edge of greatness – they are so close to creating history, so close to writing themselves into folklore, so close to be know as the ‘invincibles’. They have a huge amount of work ahead of them, they have a huge amount of ‘blood, sweat and tears’ ahead of them, they have a huge amount of personal and physical sacrifice ahead of them – however, it’ll all be worth it. 18 months ago, a quadruple would have been unthinkable, even a domestic trophy seemed a long, long, long way away. Tonight, we, THE RANGERS are one step closer, we are nearing the finishing line and we can see the glittering prizes. It is now up to the players to go that extra yard – come on Rangers – we can’t do it can we? We won’t do it, will we? As you know, I’ the above was penned before Sunday’s uninspiring (and rather worrying) draw / performance at Easter Road and before the ludicrous SPL decision to force us to play 2 huge SPL games before playing Zenit in Manchester. That is not even considering the titanic schedule we have AFTER the UEFA Cup Final. However, the sentiments remain and are worth reiterating. This gruelling schedule belittles or game and the SPHELL have shown themselves to be nothing more than Liewells bitches. The word that Liewell and the SPHELL keep referring to is ‘integrity’ – neither knows the true meaning of the word. Let’s remember that Cynical FC used the unfortunate, untimely and tragic death of Phil O’Donnell to have the New Year’s Old Firm game postponed – for no other reason than injuries and suspensions. These ambulance chasers have no shame but most of all, have no integrity. As for the SPHELL, well, what can you say about these freeloading, good for nothing bastards? They’ll happily take their free tickers and junkets to Manchester whilst laughing and sniggering at our fixture pile-up. There is little or nothing we can do about this situation but I would love it (I know I am about to sound like Kevin Keegan here and we all now what happened after is ‘I would love it rant) that if (when!) we win this SPL title that we decided not to have a celebration or presentation. I would love it if we were to go to Aberdeen with the title already won and I would send up our under 16 team. As for next season, no matter the outcome of the SPL title, the UEFA Cup final or the Scottish Cup Final, if I were Rangers, I would refuse tickets to ALL domestic away games next season. Let’s see how the SPL, SFA and League would cope without the 10’s of thousands of Rangers fans who travel to all corners of this country cheering on The Rangers. Remember folks, they need us more than we’ll ever need them. No matter what happens, one thing is for sure, the SPHELL have, at a time whilst we should be basking in the glory of a Scottish club getting to a UEFA Cup Final, reduced our football to the laughing stock of Europe. Well done. Manchester Here We Come So back to some positives and I still can’t believe that The Rangers have secured a place in the UEFA Cup Final. After so long in the European backwaters, here we are one game away from securing our second European trophy. I am not a superstitious person, but if you like your omens, then we are halfway there. Make no mistake, Dick Advocaat has assemble a very decent outfit at Zenit and they have had all the help they could have asked for in their perpetrations for the UEFA Cup Final. Whilst we can’t get one SPL match postponed, they have had 3 games rearranged to allow sufficient time to prepare. I sincerely hope (and I know its impossible) that everyone gets sorted for a ticket as all our support deserves the opportunity of witnessing what is potentially one of the greatest nights of our glittering history. As ITV4 stated – Brace yourself Manchester, Rangers are coming…… Isn’t it ironic that you have to watch ITV4 to hear some positive things being said regarding our European adventure? Now, its not that the presenters or pundits are ‘Rangers friendly’, in fact, Jim Beglin and Andy Townsend were both ROI internationals, bit both have given us nothing but praise and are more then delighted that we have secured a UEFA Cup Final place. Compare and contrast to the bigoted tossers on STV who make snide comments et al. Masonic Referees Now, I am not one for conspiracy theories and I am the first to laugh when Timmy claim that all Scottish referees are Masons and biased against Celtc. You’ll also remember Wee Chesney claiming something similar recently and as usual, the combined Celtc intimidation has worked for them big-time. As well as Chesney, we’ve had Liewell (yip, him again) making his mouth go about certain officials and lets not forget the GFITWÃ?© legendry intimidation of officials. It is undeniable that in the last 5 SPL games, Celtc have benefited from decisions that have won them games that they were going to lose / draw. Now, when we are beneficiaries of refereeing decisions, the Celtc minded go into overdrive and meltdown (remember the SPL title has been tainted by the stench of cheating) yet, when decisions go for them (hence against us), you don’t hear the same hyper-broil for the unbiased Scottish media. Given the decisions that they have benefited from and the SPHELL doing everything it its power to stop us winning the SPHELL title and UEFA Cup, if journalists wanted an example of any season being tainted by the stench of cheating, it is this season – but guess what, not a peep from them. Rallying Cry Right, we all know what is required and we all know that given an even playing field (that is all we ever ask for) that 7 victories in the next 7 games is more than achievable. We all know that we don’t have a level playing field, so that is going to make our task even harder, some may say it’s bam near impossible. However, there is one thing that this squad has continually achieved this season and it is upsetting the odds. We have seven cup finals ahead of us and we need to win the seven games. I know we are entering ‘squeaky bum’, ‘nail-biting’ and ‘stomach churning’ territory here, but let’s get right behind the team and lets cheer them on no matter what happens between now and the end of the season. Hopefully we can turn a promising and exciting season into an unforgettable season. Congratulations I understand that as we enter this crucial part of the season that we won't have much time to think of others, but I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Chelsea on getting to the Champions League final and taking the EPL into the last game of the season. I would also like to extended my best wishes to West Brom on gaining automatic promotion back into the EPL COME ON RANGERS – JUST DO IT – KEEP BELIEVING Cammy F – Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The People….

Now 3-1 and Ronaldo sent off - fook sake - have Man U on my fixed odds Cammy F

Nice to see Motherwell are taking this game seriously - dropped 4 players and handed a debut to a 20 year old keeper - MM said pre-match that the players were being rested for Wednesday - guess who they play then :moon: Cammy F

Fantastic interview in The Herald - http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2245253.0.Advocaat_full_circle_to_perfect_final.php Contains this great quote fro DA - 'I still got caught up in the emotion of it because it is still my club but it was not a good game for a manager to watch. "It will be good to see my old friends again and, at 60, to manage a team in a European final, against Rangers, is perfect. In a way it is full circle for me. Rangers are still my club, that is the way I felt about them since I first went over, and it will add something special to the occasion." Cammy F

At this juncture of this amazing season, it is worth reflecting and reposting 'that quote' from Mr Struth - "I have been lucky - lucky in those who were around me from the boardroom to the dressing-room. In time of stress, their unstinted support, unbroken devotion to our club and calmness in adversity eased the task of making Rangers FC the premier club in this country." "To be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football. They must be true in their conception of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them. No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him." "Our very success, gained you will agree by skill, will draw more people than ever to see it. And that will benefit many more clubs than Rangers. Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase. It is healthy for us. We will never hide from it. Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure, and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. No matter the days of anxiety that come our way, we shall emerge stronger because of the trials to be overcome. That has been the philosophy of the Rangers since the days of the gallant pioneers." Cammy F

Serious question - will we be awarded the UEFA Fans Fair Play award this season? We have had the total of zero arrests (and long may this continue) on our travels in Europe this year. Compare that with the list of shame on the run up to Suville - and they got the award Cammy F

Could King Carlos become as important to Rangers as Richard Gough was was? If CC can match RG in all aspects, he'll rightly become a Rangers legend. IMO, last night, CC put in one of the best ever performances from a Rangers player. I know that I shouldn't be singling anyone out, but he as immense. Cammy F

The last picture sums it all up - http://www2.newsquest.co.uk/scotland/pdf/Slideshows/080502Gersaction/index.html Cammy F

I donââ?¬â?¢t usually submit an article (or rant) on a Friday evening, but the unprecedented happenings of last night have forced me to reflect on The Rangers securing a place in a major European Cup final since 1972. If like me, you are too young to remember that fabulous night in Barcalona, then youââ?¬â?¢ll be entering un-chartered waters as our date with destiny hurtles towards us. It is ironic that our foe for the evening will have a couple of familiar faces within its ranks. Dick Advocaat and Fernando Ricksen, whilst not being Rangers heroes do have and deserve places in our rich history and in some of our hearts. It is also ironic that some people, even Rangers fans are claiming that this is one of the worst Rangers teams since that historic evening in Barcelona. Like me, youââ?¬â?¢ll have watched ââ?¬Ë?better fanciesââ?¬â?¢ Rangers teams torn apart on the European stage (by very decent opposition at times, but lets be honest, more often than not, by some pretty average teams). This Rangers team / squad are different. They have resilience in abundance, they have undoubted team spirit, they have a will to win, they have heart and courage and lets not forget, the have some skill as well. We have defeated some very decent teams during this European adventure, the highlight for me was watching us dismantle Lyon in their own back-yard. This was closely followed by our outstanding 2-0 victory in Lisbon (the home of the real Lisbon Lions). Admittedly we have at times been very ââ?¬Ë?frustratingââ?¬â?¢ to watch but it is undeniable that we are very, very hard to defeat on the European stage. This has been highlighted by the fact that we had a very decent showing in the CL Group of Death and by the fact that we are 90 minutes (or 120 + penalties) from writing a whole new chapter into our already rich and illustrious history. These players (and management staff) stand on the edge of greatness ââ?¬â?? they are so close to creating history, so close to writing themselves into folklore, so close to be know as the ââ?¬Ë?invinciblesââ?¬â?¢. They have a huge amount of work ahead of them, they have a huge amount of ââ?¬Ë?blood, sweat and tearsââ?¬â?¢ ahead of them, they have a huge amount of personal and physical sacrifice ahead of them ââ?¬â?? however, itââ?¬â?¢ll all be worth it. 18 months ago, a quadruple would have been unthinkable, even a domestic trophy seemed a long, long, long way away. Tonight, we, THE RANGERS are one step closer, we are nearing the finishing line and we can see the glittering prizes. It is now up to the players to go that extra yard ââ?¬â?? come on Rangers ââ?¬â?? we canââ?¬â?¢t do it can we? We wonââ?¬â?¢t do it, will we ââ?¬â?? JUST KEEP BELIEVING - Cammy F

Isn't it refreshing listening to unbiased commentators with no agenda - ITV4 - A breath of fresh air in the stench of anti-Rangers guff.... Cammy F

Stanging On The Edge Of Greatness - Rangers Football Club - The Worlds Most Successfull Club - 10x And Counting :cheers: Cammy F

:admin: :box: Cammy F

As the title says, good luck to West Brom tonight in the quest for promotion to the EPL Cammy F

The Urgent Need To Get Back On Track After suffering successive / back to back OF defeats, we really urgently require to get our SPL season back-on-track at Easter Road on Sunday. I know that we have a massively important game in Florence on Thursday evening, but given the recent results in the SPL, this game pales into insignificance compared to Sundays. I fully understand that we stand on the verge of our first European Cup final since 1972, but the SPL still takes priority at this stage of the season. As I have been saying for weeks, the quadruple would be outstanding, but the domestic title is a MUST. I never thought that as a Rangers supporter, that I would be typing that above. However, winning the SPL title is a MUST, winning the UEFA Cup would be a very enjoyable bonus. Sitting here reflecting on the OF defeats, it would be easy to point to dubious refereeing decisions, to the lack of ââ?¬Ë?luckââ?¬â?¢ (no-one can deny that we havenââ?¬â?¢t had the rub of the green in these two games) or to analysis our failings to the ââ?¬Ë?nââ?¬â?¢thââ?¬â?¢ degree. We are at the stage of the season where none of the above is going to help us in our ultimate quest, so lets forget about the past games and lets put all our energy into winning the games required to secure the title. In saying that, isnââ?¬â?¢t it refreshing in the post-OF debate that we arenââ?¬â?¢t discussing the refereeââ?¬â?¢s failings? Isnââ?¬â?¢t it refreshing that the referee (and linesmen) can freely go about their daily business without fear of being accosted in the street? Isnââ?¬â?¢t it refreshing to know that their children can go to school today without being attacked? Whatââ?¬â?¢s that? Yeah, youââ?¬â?¢ve guessed it, Celtc won so no squeals of Masonic conspiracies and the likes. So we know what we have to do ââ?¬â?? the wheels of the wagon havenââ?¬â?¢t fallen off as yet, but some of the nuts and bolts are a tad shoogly (and need tightened ASAP). It is time for the players to stand up and be counted ââ?¬â?? someone, anyone could become an instant hero. Last time (Helicopter Sunday) it was Big Marv who told us all to ââ?¬Ë?keep believingââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬â?? time we recruited Big Marv to give is a sermon before our forthcoming games. The destiny of the title is still our own hands ââ?¬â?? we can only throw it away but if I know Rangers, itââ?¬â?¢ll come down to ââ?¬Ë?squeaky bumââ?¬â?¢ time over the course of the next few weeks. What else would you expect? Rangers to do things the easy way  I know this isnââ?¬â?¢t much of a ââ?¬Ë?rantââ?¬â?¢ but I feel that the time for reflection has gone (and we can reflect all summer long) and the time for ââ?¬Ë?actionââ?¬â?¢ is here. Letââ?¬â?¢s get right behind the players - what ever team / tactics WS chooses ââ?¬â?? in the title run-in and lets ensure that we do everything WE can to get the players over the finishing line. At this point, I donââ?¬â?¢t care if they sprint or stumble over that finishing line, as long as they get over first. COME ON RANGERS ââ?¬â?? JUST DO IT ââ?¬â?? KEEP BELIEVING Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The Peopleââ?¬Â¦.

My nominations have been submitted Good Luck everyone....! (Vote) Cammy F :devil:

Can't argue with Calscot's team selection - given the palyers available to WS, the players chosen by Calscot look certain to start. Only possible change is playing SW wide right and Buffel wide left. Cammy F

The State Of Play So much has happened recently and its worth taking a few minutes to take stock of the season so far, and look forward to what lies ahead for The Rangers of the coming days and weeks. After a gruelling schedule that has saw us win our first trophy in 3 seasons, we are entering an even more demanding period as the season hurtles towards a its climax. Reflecting on where we are, we are in a very decent position and would have settled for this at the start of the season. Currently, and through this demanding schedules, we have secured a spot in the UEFA Cup Semi-final (no mean feat), have booked our spot at Hampden for the season finale against Queen Of The South but it is the SPL that we all crave and whilst we sit in a more than decent position, we have to hammer home our advantage and secure the title. So far this season we have shown an unquestionable desire to succeed and an unquenchable spirit that has, to date, shown that this squad of players doesn’t know when it is beaten. At times, the football has been ‘top notch’, at others, it has been ‘rock-bottom’ but the bottom line is these players could establish themselves in the annals of our proudest of proud history. However, to ensure that this dream season doesn’t end as a nightmare, the players will not only have to continue to display this ‘unquestionable desire to succeed and unquenchable spirit’ but they will be required to dig even deeper. Recent results have been favourable, but it goes without saying that if we had avoided defeat at Torbett Towers, the SPL title would have been in touching distance. It is still in our own hands, and will still be, no matter what happens at Torbett Towers this weekend (no matter what The Traitor McGeady claims – I blame the schools myself) but again, avoiding defeat is a MUST. A victory would see us regain top spot with games in hand – that would be the ideal scenario. In Europe, we have surpassed all expectations, but like the SPL, we are tantalizingly close to winning the UEFA Cup. Let’s face it, we are only 2 games away from the final in Manchester and who would rule is out getting the necessary result on Thursday (and Sunday)? Personally, I would sacrifice the UEFA Cup for the SPL title - don’t get me wrong, I want all 4, but I demand the SPL title – we have done too much hard work to let it split now. We have also made a pretty penny in the CL / UEFA Cup and have amassed coefficient points like no other season. So in summary, whilst being handily placed to secure a historic ‘quadruple’ we still have a huge amount of work ahead and if I can borrow a quote from Helicopter Sunday season – keep believing Bears…. Tainted By Stench Of Cheating Having mentioned the amazing events of Helicopter Sunday, can anyone remember in the title run in, we played Hearts at Tynecastle one midweek and won the game with a ‘disputed’ penalty. Andy Davis gave this decision (that was later proved correct by TV evidence) and his life was thrown into turmoil as his personal details were posted on an internet site and he and his family were treated to a period of intimidation. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was hounded by the impartial and unbiased Scottish Media. In fact, one pundit claimed that the SPL title race had been ‘tainted by the stench of cheating’. So riled with Davis’ decision, the pundit was moved to make this astonishing outburst on national radio in the post-match analysis. I wonder what the same pundits view on Ian Brines controversial decision to chalk of a perfectly legitimate Aberdeen goal at Parkhead on Saturday? Well, the so called pundit claims that it was nothing more than a ‘human error’. Pity he wasn’t so lenient with his words 3 years ago. Wonder if any Rangers sites will carry Brines personal details and I wonder if we’ll attack his kids at school and abuse him and his family in the street – yeah, I know we all know the answer to that question. Dignity – something your average Tim knows nothing about. Our Part In Helping Making History So what can your average ‘joe-punter’ do to help The Rangers make history? Well, we can get off certain players backs for a start. We can also stop taking winning for granted. Sitting at Hampden on Sunday, I couldn’t believe I was watching The Rangers in a Scottish Cup semi-final. I agree that the game was far from riveting, but that was no excuse for the fans to sit back and expect The Rangers to steamroller over St Johnstone (it was just over 12 short months ago that St Johnstone steamrollered Rangers at Ibrox). To say Sunday was ‘low key’ is an understatement. As I said above, the game was dire, the performance was dire, but surely the team deserves nothing less than our continued vocal support, no matter the competition or opposition? Looking back, the support at the recent Sporting game at Ibrox was ‘low-key’ given our recent high standards in Europe. So troops, if we want The Rangers to have a historic season, lets HELP not hinder them in their quest. Lets get behind them from start to finish in all our remaining games – no matter the performance, not matter the result, they need us, we can do no less than give them OUR best. Cammy F – Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The People….

That Was The Week That Was As we motor into the business end of the season, it gets tougher and tougher to dismantle the previous weeks results and performances, and I donââ?¬â?¢t know about you, but you require a degree in statistical analysis to understand and programme what games we have pending in any given week. Hence, please forgive me if my memory plays tricks on me and I review the wrong bloody week! Last week saw us chalked up two consecutive 2-0 away victories and whilst both were welcome, one did outshine the other. Looking for words to describe our performance in Lisbon isnââ?¬â?¢t hard, but if I had to use just one word to describe the performance and result, it would be AWESOME. What we witnessed against Sporting was an unbelievable performance and one which we witnessed happening AGAINST us on so many European occasions. We dictated the tempo of the game, we passed the ball brilliantly, defended stoutly and converted our chances when they presented themselves. I canââ?¬â?¢t be the only one who still canââ?¬â?¢t quite grasp the fact that we are in a European Cup semi-final, with a very decent chance of progressing. Now, Iââ?¬â?¢ll say this upfront, I donââ?¬â?¢t think we will win it, but we have a great chance. We will NOT change or personnel, tactics of formation for the semi-final. We will look to stifle the game at Ibrox with the priority not losing an away goal. Sunday saw us progress into the Scottish Cup semi-final with a ââ?¬Ë?regulationââ?¬â?¢ victory over Thistle. We deserved our victory and hats off to the fringe players who came in and produced a decent performance and result. I would also like to take the opportunity of offering my congratulations to Queen Of The South after their brilliant 4-1 victory over the Abergreen on Saturday. They deserved their victory and what about the JCD-esque celebration after the winning goal? Hopefully weââ?¬â?¢ll meet QOS in the final as I would like to thank them for knocking out Abergreen and Linlithgow Rose (in an earlier round)! So Whatââ?¬â?¢s On The Agenda This Week So after last weeks drama of UEFA and Scottish Cup quarter finals, this weeks fixtures throws up the little matter of an Old Firm SPL game at Parkhead on Wednesday evening and a Scottish Cup Semi-Final against St Johnstone on Sunday. We will know what to expect in both fixtures (lets not forget that St Johnstone knocked us out of the CIS Cup last season ââ?¬â?? at Ibrox) and we will have to be at our best to secure victories in both games. As the fixtures are coming think and fast, Walter and his staff may be thinking of altering the starting 11, but I canââ?¬â?¢t see much tinkering for the Old Firm game. Thomson is suspended which will be a big loss, but Hendami will slot into his position. I fully expect all the ââ?¬Ë?big-gunsââ?¬â?¢ to be back and the only position that isnââ?¬â?¢t cemented at the moment is whoââ?¬â?¢ll play the ââ?¬Ë?lone strikerââ?¬â?¢ role. In my opinion, JCD will start with Cousin replacing him ala Sporting on Thursday. As long as we come out of the 2 OF games ââ?¬Ë?levelââ?¬â?¢ (i.e. 2 draws or a victory and defeat ââ?¬â?? at worst) then we will have taken a huge step in securing the title. Letââ?¬â?¢s hope that we go for it as we have shown that we know how to defeat the forces of evilââ?¬Â¦..! Sunday may be the fixture that has the potential to trip us up on our quest for the quadruple. I know that may sound silly given that we have an OF game on Wednesday but I feel that if we get the desired result on Wednesday, WS will tinker with the team ahead of the St Johnstone game. That is not a bad option, but we mustnââ?¬â?¢t underestimate St Johnstone and we mustnââ?¬â?¢t not make the SCF given that we have gotten so close. As I said above, I canââ?¬â?¢t believe that the quadruple is so close, it is tangible, you can almost taste it. We MUST strive to win all 4, but the league is the priority. I know its greedy, I know its almost impossible, but please, please, please Rangers, lets make history, lets win all four!! Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The Peopleââ?¬Â¦.

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE 'Famous Aberdeen' right enough - well done QOS Cammy F

That was one of the best Rangers performances in Europe (away from home) in a long, long time. We passed the ball brilliantly, scored 2 wonderful goals and played a typical European performance. By that, I mean we played the way so many European teams play. We defended very well then hit Sporting on the break. Did I hear right last night that only ourselves and Man U have beaten Sporting in lisbon this season? As for the Tim infested media playing down Sportings ability - we fell their pain. BTW, anyone tape The Bill last night :fish: PS - if last night didn't make you proud to be a Bear (I'm proud of that fact every second of every day), then nothing will - WATP Cammy F

Not one failure in the team - can't pick anyone as that was what you call a superb team performance - take a bow lads Cammy F

Recently there has been much informed (but much more ill-informed) discussions regarding the short and long-term futures of both Old Firm managers. Some journalists have even gone as far as to claim that they know that Gordon Strachan will leave Celtc this summer, no matter the outcome of the SPL. Apparently, he has had enough of the baggage that associates itself with being an ââ?¬Ë?Old Firmââ?¬â?¢ manager. Funnily enough, we never hear of this baggage when a Rangers manager is ââ?¬Ë?strugglingââ?¬â?¢. Did this apparent baggage affect Alex McLeish or Paul Le Guen? Anyway, I digress. GS is in an extraordinary position as no matter how well he does (2 SPL titles, 2 domestic trophies and 2 last 16 appearances in the CL) will never be enough to appease the (growing) vocal minority (which will increase to the majority if we are to clinch the SPL title) as he isnââ?¬â?¢t termed ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢. Yip, once again that mysterious term or Celtc mindedness raises its ugly head. In this instance, I believe that the media have gotten it correct, no matter how the season ends, GS will leave Parkhead for pastures new. Liewell and his PR machine will go into overdrive and promise to deliver a ââ?¬Ë?Blue Chipââ?¬â?¢ replacement, with names from abroad being touted about, but I believe any new manager will come from much closer to home. In fact, I donââ?¬â?¢t think youââ?¬â?¢ll need to look much further than Motherwell. Mark McGee will fit most of the criteria Celtc are looking for, and most importantly to appease the fans, he is what can be termed ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢. Other names that will enter the frame and could become part of a management team are Mick McCarthy, Tony Mowbry, John Hughes and Peter Grant (see a pattern developing here!). Our manager is in a slightly different position. Walter Smith was brought back to steady the ship, to get us back challenging for domestic honours whilst continuing to progress in Europe. So far this season, it can be argued that he as ââ?¬Ë?over achievedââ?¬â?¢. If we finish the season with say the domestic treble, or even just with the much coveted SPL trophy, Walter Smith may decide that he has delivered and might want to take a step back. However, I donââ?¬â?¢t think he can as his successor is just settling into a new job at the moment and wonââ?¬â?¢t want to ââ?¬Ë?jump shipââ?¬â?¢ just yet. Some believe that Ally McCoist is being groomed as Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s long term replacement but I donââ?¬â?¢t think Ally will be ready in 12-18 months. In my opinion, weââ?¬â?¢ll have another manager before Ally McCoist. As I said recently, I wouldnââ?¬â?¢t rule out Craig Levin, but I believe that our next manager will be George Burley. But, as I said above, I canââ?¬â?¢t see WS moving on until the end of next season at the earliest. This may come as a disappointment to the minority of Rangers fans who for some reason believe that we arenââ?¬â?¢t improving under Walter Smith. We have won our first trophy in 3 years, are leading the SPL, have a great chance of the domestic treble and are racking up the European coefficient points like never before. WS was brought in to steady the ship ââ?¬â?? he has done far more that steady us, he has turned us around into a very efficient team that is hard to beat ââ?¬â?? but I suppose, like our friends from the east end, some of us will never be satisfied. Cammy F -

Changing Formation Well, the ââ?¬Ë?Walter Smith is too negativeââ?¬â?¢ brigade got their wish on Saturday when our esteemed manager finally changed his formation, tactics and preferred starting line-up. What happened? Well, we lost 3 very poor goals, looked nervous, didnââ?¬â?¢t play particularly well and can count ourselves lucky that we escaped from Tannidice with a draw. In saying all of the above, lets take nothing away from Dundee Unitedââ?¬â?¢s performance as they were exceptional. They were full of running (out paced us all over the pitch), creativity, movement and no little skill ââ?¬â?? we on the other hand were devoid of the above. So what positives can we take from Tannidice? Well, we ended the weekend 1 point better off than we started it (a very unexpected bonus) and we can take heart and encouragement from the (dare I say it!) ââ?¬Ë?Never Surrenderââ?¬â?¢ attitude of the players. A lesser team would have lost that game. For me, and itââ?¬â?¢s easy to say with hindsight, we donââ?¬â?¢t have the personnel to play 4-4-2 at the moment. Our midfield looked weak and were easily overran ââ?¬â?? that was a direct result of having 2 players exposed to 3 fast DUFC midfield players. Our wide men were terrible yesterday and contributed nothing to the game. When playing 4-4-2 you require genuine ââ?¬Ë?wide-menââ?¬â?¢ in midfield and / or in the full-back positions. Players like Burke, Hutton, Beasley, Adam even Naysmith or Novo (who were unavailable to play these positions for varying reasons) would be preferable to SW, Daily, McCulloch and Papac who were deployed against Dundee United. We left Novo and Boyd isolated upfront and offered them little service or support. Novo, as usual tried his heart out (and took his goal brilliantly) whilst Boyd was his frustrating self. He really does split the fans down the middle, but in my opinion did little on Sunday to enhance his reputation or chances of securing a continued starting place. Yes he took his goal well (his 50th SPL goal for Rangers) but continues to give the impression that he has never before been introduced to a football. He loses possession to easily for a striker and MUST improve his hold-up and link up play. Yesterday, as in the CIS Cup Final, De Vries showed how to play as a ââ?¬Ë?target manââ?¬â?¢. He hustled and harried our centre-halves and didnââ?¬â?¢t give them a minutes peace. In conclusion I for one hope that WS has learnt his lesson regarding altering / tinkering with his preferred formation and we can only speculate as to weather we would have emerged from Dundee with 3 points if we had gone 4-5-1. One thing that is certain, playing 4-5-1, we wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have lost 3 goals. Coming home from the game, we had a discussion on our bus regarding an eventual replacement for Walter Smith ââ?¬â?? personally, I think we would be mad not to consider Craig Levin ââ?¬â?? he has bought some fantastic players and has DUFC playing some wonderful football (and they look fitter than our squad at the moment). So Whatââ?¬â?¢s The Agenda This Week? So we can leave the disappointment of Tannidice behind and concentrate on this weeks upcoming fixtures. Thursday sees us in Portugal for the return leg of the UEFA Cup Tie with Sporting where we are trying to secure a semi-final spot. The tie is not beyond us and itââ?¬â?¢s surprising to see that we actually secured the best ââ?¬Ë?homeââ?¬â?¢ result of all the quarter final ties. We know what we need to do, keep the game tight and try to score an away goal. This game will follow a familiar pattern as itââ?¬â?¢ll be a carbon copy of the Pana away tie (hopefully with the same outcome). We will revert back to 4-5-1 and play with 3 defensive midfield players (Fergie, Thompson and Hendami) with McCulloch out wide left and possibly Novo out right. Daily will replace the suspended Weir alongside CC with Broadfoot and Papac playing fullback. JCD will start as the lone striker with Cousin replacing him if and when required. I cannot believe the stick we have taken from some quarters (even very close to home) over the first leg result and performance. As I said above, just look at the outcome of the other ties to see that we actually secured a decent result against a more than decent team. Some (thankfully small) sections of our support really need to think before they start ââ?¬Ë?booingââ?¬â?¢ the players. We have over achieved in Europe this year ââ?¬â?? we gave decent account of ourselves in the CL Group of Death and are doing superbly well in the UEFA Cup. Just have a look at our coefficient points tally to see how well we are actually doing. On our return from Portugal, we have a tricky Scottish Cup reply against Partick Thistle to negotiate. This game will NOT be a walkover, as the original tie at Ibrox proved. We will inevitably have to make changes in this tie and fringe players may have to be relied upon to ensure that we are still on course for a domestic treble come the end of the Sunday. Appeasement So Celtc lose another OF game and the fans are showing an increasing disillusionment with wee Chesney. Okay, a mass (sic) exodus to the car-park isnââ?¬â?¢t imminent, but of they continue to drop further behind us, it looks inevitable, Peter Liewell and John Reid hatch a wonderful plan to appease the restless natives. The biggest criticism of Wee GS from the Tims is that he isnââ?¬â?¢t ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢ (what ever the hell that means ââ?¬â?? well, I could give you my thoughts but thatââ?¬â?¢s for another day!!!!) so what do they do? Well, they got on the phone to the Lurgan Bigot and ââ?¬Ë?createââ?¬â?¢ an opening for him. As predicted, Lennon jumps at the opportunity and the Tims fall for it hook, line and sinker. Hey presto, they have their favourite bigot back (after Saturdays defeat, I wonder if thereââ?¬â?¢s room for their favourite Nazi, Mr PDC?) and a ââ?¬Ë?Celtc Mindedââ?¬â?¢ coach to keep Wee GS in check. Now, Liewell will tell you that Lennon is being ââ?¬Ë?groomedââ?¬â?¢ and that a ââ?¬Ë?real roleââ?¬â?¢ will be created in the summer. Cynical me just thinks Lennon needs the cash to pay child support for all the illegitimate children (I toned that down as this is a family publication) he spawned in his time in Scotland. Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - We Are The Peopleââ?¬Â¦.