ian1964

MARK McGHEE has confessed he's ready to field a WEAKENED team against Celtic tomorrow. The Aberdeen boss could rest key men ahead of the Scottish Cup replay against Raith Rovers next week. That would incense Dons fans and spark fury with Celts' title rivals Rangers. It would also break a league rule which demands all clubs field their strongest teams. Former Hoops striker McGhee said: "We do not necessarily have to beat Celtic on Saturday to finish fourth in the SPL and make Europe. "We DO have to beat Raith in the Cup. "We need our strongest squad to be fit for Tuesday so I will need to be careful who I pick. "It might be I'll make changes for Saturday to make sure the best team is clear to face Raith. It's something I have to look at carefully." McGhee is desperate to beat Raith after the Dons' dramatic injury-time escape at Stark's Park last Saturday. A win in Tuesday's replay at Pittodrie would bring a trip to face another First Division side, Dundee, in the quarter-finals. McGhee is eager to avenge a Co-Op Cup defeat at Dens Park at the start of the season. The cash-starved Dons are also keen to reach the Hampden semi-finals as they bid to end their trophy famine. McGhee could rest key duo Zander Diamond and Sone Aluko against Celts as they have played twice in a week after long lay-offs. He may also let the likes of Mark Kerr, Charlie Mulgrew and Darren Mackie rest strains to ensure their readiness for the replay. But any move to field a weakened side would contravene strict SPL rules and the Dons could face sanctions. Rule B5 of the league regulations states: "Each club shall play its full strength team in all league matches." http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2850628/McGhee-I-may-rest-my-stars-for-Celts.html

Seriously, how come when we played DUTD and the game was abandoned at half time due to a waterlogged pitch,which I personally didn't think it should have been, was considered dangerous yet games are allowed to be played on the Motherwell pitch,which IMO was more dangerous to both sets of the players ???. I don't think Motherwell should be allowed to play any games on that pitch,I don't think I have seen a worse surface than that. Thoughts ?.

Did he score ?,NO!!, feck yer Messiah, WATP :spl:

Hoops cruise to Hearts win ??, aye ok, well done MOPES.

You really are a sad and bitter person,normally I just ignore your posts but I suppose having had a couple of beers you have got me, if that is your intentions,which I suspect it is. I think Rangers could well do without you and your negative views/opinions but the thing is I don't see what you bring to the table with regards to supporting Rangers FC ? . Just for the record I won't ever reply to any of your idiotic views EVER again. I suppose I have just lowered myself to your standards,but hey ho we are the CHAMPIONS.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95OiH6YSMbk&feature=player_embedded]YouTube- Celtic 1-2 Hibernian 27/01/10 FT Celebrations[/ame]

http://www.skysports.com/poll/results/0,19911,12782_99701_99701,00.html

No he's not,he's a mutant BHEAST/MOPE

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has criticised the timing of club co-owner David Sullivan's plea for all players and staff to take a voluntary pay cut. Sullivan said on Tuesday the club face "Armageddon" if they are relegated. Zola, whose struggling team face Birmingham on Wednesday, responded: "It would have been better to maybe talk to us before talking to a newspaper. Co-owner David Gold later said the pay-cut plea was merely a way of focusing attention on the need to save money. "If we can cut our salaries by 25%, that would solve our problems," Gold told BBC Radio 5 live. "But it's not something that you are actually going to go out and do." Gold added that the intention of Sullivan's comments was to "send out the message to everybody at the football club that we have to address costs". The Hammers, who have debts of �£110m, are in the midst of a relegation battle after taking only six points from their last 10 league games. They sit 18th in the table on the same points as next-to-bottom club Wolves. And Zola insists the focus should be on preserving their top-flight status, adding: "When an article comes before a big match I'm not happy - I don't think it is any good for the whole team. "The match is all that matters to me and the players." However, Sullivan believes the financial situation is so dire at the club that it needs to be addressed immediately to prevent freefall should they go down. 606: DEBATE Yes we are struggling this season but that is down to the players, bad luck, abysmal refereeing decisions and the financial problems TomkinsWorldClass He fears West Ham could repeat the demise of Newcastle, who were relegated from the Premier League in 2009 after a season of off-field turmoil. "We are going to ask everyone at the club to voluntarily take a wage reduction," Sullivan earlier told BBC Sport. "I can't believe the contracts I've inherited. The club is in a mess and we all have to pull together. If we go down, I can't even consider the situation. "It'll be Armageddon if we go down. It'll be worse than what's gone on at Newcastle." Sullivan revealed that Zola would be among those expected to take the cut, and added that anyone unhappy with the request could leave the club. "Gianfranco is highly paid and I think all managers in the Premier League are overpaid," said the Hammers' co-owner. Zola, who earns an estimated �£1.9m a year, stated he was not at Upton Park for the money. "It is about working for something positive. I always enjoy working for this club. The money was something that came after," he said. Sullivan had earlier said: "Everywhere you look there is excess. Everyone is overpaid for the job they do. There are 110 mobile phones being paid for by the club and you have minor people with Blackberry phones and other types. "Already members of the administrative staff have come to us and said, 'look we know we are overpaid for the job we do but we are good people and we'd like to stay and we are prepared to take a voluntary wage cut'." Sullivan and co-owner David Gold, who left Birmingham in November following Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung's takeover, took control of West Ham last month after buying a 50% shareholding. West Ham's new owners say they have uncovered the severity of the club's financial position over the past few weeks. They are actively looking to reduce the club's debts, with professional investors being approached for finance and the club have already had to make several people redundant. David Gold All I need now is for the team to start winning. Wednesday night will do for starters David Gold "We had a player liaison officer who just drove a few of the players around and he was paid �£50,000 a year," revealed Sullivan. "We've had to make people redundant, we'll make other people redundant. There are people at the training ground who we don't even know what they do, there are so many people there. When we spend money we have to make it count." West Ham also have to make their home games count, and they will be desperate to pick up vital league points against Birmingham in a match given added significance because of Sullivan's and Gold's links with the two clubs. The manner of Gold's departure from St Andrew's still causes angst, with the 73-year-old upset that he was not retained as chairman when Yeung took over. "I was at Birmingham City for years but I really want to give them a good whacking," he said. "I have great fondness for them, but it was sad the way it ended. They reneged on the decision to keep me on the board - that will always rankle. "After 17 years at Birmingham, I think we know how to run a football club, I am certainly a lot wiser than when I first started. "All I need now is for the team to start winning. Wednesday night will do for starters." The past and present regimes at Birmingham have been involved in verbal spats over the past few months but Yeung's representative, Peter Pannu, said there will not be any bad blood on Wednesday. "The other party have taken over at West Ham and we wish them well. In fact, I did congratulate them myself," Pannu told the Birmingham Mail. "We are, after all, football people but work is work and we have to delineate on that very clearly. "I will shake hands in the boardroom. I have no problem with that and I have had a chance to have a conference with David Sullivan and David Gold. "We had a very candid chat. David Sullivan appears to be a very straightforward man. He speaks his mind - just like me. "I think people must understand we are all professionals so we know how to differentiate between right and wrong, work and personal. "I respect David Sullivan, he has got his stance, we have got ours and we agree to disagree." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/8505540.stm

Have to agree,however we could do with a full house so maybe it will be busier than expected

I'm sure the management,no not the establishment,will drive home to the players how important our next 4 league games are in respect to the title,hopefully starting at the Motherwell swamp/beach/pitch,one thing is for sure we are due a good performance

I also think he will go in the summer,what we want is for him to have a great WC and raise his value

Well deserved Steve

Well done WS for making sure the team never beat St Midden so we could get extra cash :-]

Rangers have landed a much-needed Ã?£300,000 TV windfall from their exertions in the Active Nations Scottish Cup so far this season. Sky TV today confirmed they will show live coverage of Gers fifth round replay against St Mirren on Wednesday, Ferbruary 17 at Ibrox. And that means all four of the cup holdersââ?¬â?¢ ties so far this term will have been broadcast, bringing much needed cash into the Ibrox coffers. Sky pay Ã?£82,500 to each club when they cover a cup-tie. They screened Rangersââ?¬â?¢ fourth-round tie, and subsequent replay, against Hamilton Accies last month and will now show the Saints clash a week tomorrow. And there was also a payment to Gers and Saints from the BBC, who covered the 0-0 draw between the clubs last Saturday lunchtime. With a place in the Co-operative Insurance League Cup Final also secured next month against each other, both clubs are banking much-needed additional revenue from the domestic scene. However, after talks yesterday, it has been agreed that ticket prices for next weekââ?¬â?¢s cup replay will be dramatically reduced ââ?¬â?? with kids also going free. Rangers approached St Mirren over a pricing structure and pointed out that a crowd of just under 22,000 turned out for the Hamilton Accies replay at Ibrox. Ticket prices for the general public have been slashed to just Ã?£15 and Ã?£5. And four kids can get into Ibrox for free with a full-paying adult. Rangers season ticket holders will also receive a further Ã?£2 discount, which is being subsidised by the club. Meanwhile, boss Walter Smith is hoping Sasa Papac will be back in action against Motherwell tomorrow night at Fir Park. The left-back returned to full training yesterday after missing the last two matches with a knee problem. Smith said: ââ?¬Å?Weââ?¬â?¢re hopeful Sasa will be fit for Motherwell. He doesnââ?¬â?¢t miss many games and weââ?¬â?¢re keen to get him back. ââ?¬Å?As long as thereââ?¬â?¢s no reaction to him training, he should be able to return.ââ?¬Â http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks-ignore/rangers-enjoy-sky-cup-cash-boost-1.1005036

Champions 2 Miller,Davis Motherwell 0 :spl:

Oh to hit the form of December this month

I'm in no doubt there will be a couple of slip ups between now and the end of the season,that's what makes this month so important,as has already been said if we can win our next four league games you would have to think it would be all over,however that is not the Rangers way!!!,hope I'm wrong.

Now is as good a time as any to right that wretched record

I feckin HATE the see you jimmy hats

Swap for Boyd ?

FT 2-1 Birmingham,another good result for big Eck

Wolves winning 1-0 and not in any trouble,big Eck throws on Philips and he scores 2 goals with 5 minutes left,he is a player I would have liked to see at Ibrox

baws...........2-2

2-1 Pars,27 minutes played