ian1964

If some fans think we can win tonight we are being told we are dreaming

http://www.youtube.com/user/blackeyedpeasvideo?blend=1&ob=4#p/a/f/0/19rG2CHvCQY

Pete, if some fans want to approach a game feeling negative then that is up to them, but I think we are well capable of getting a result tonight, and I'm not '' sticking my head in the sand and farting a Rangers win just for the sake of it '' as you like to describe it, but if you really believe we are not good enough to go to Romania and get the win we need maybe you should just watch the Liverpool game , I personally think we can get a win

THE flames have been licking around his feet for the past two weeks. His revelation that the banks are running Rangers placed him at the eye of a ferocious financial storm. Yet this crisis management lark is nothing new to 61-year-old Walter Smith. The Gers gaffer reckons he's been fighting the fires which threaten to engulf the Ibrox club for the past TEN MONTHS. By his reckoning, nothing has changed since January. Every player in his squad remains up for sale. And that's why Smith reckons his side's participation in this season's Champions League is all the more remarkable. In an emotional meeting with his players last Christmas Smith warned them of the financial crisis looming large. He told them they all faced an uncertain future. If they'd let the title slip on that last day at Tannadice Smith could not have blamed them. But instead the boss watched in awe as his players put their woes to one side and summoned the spirit to deliver Rangers' first championship in four years. That's why Smith is backing those same players to restore some pride in Bucharest tonight. The Ibrox chief said: "In the last few games we've certainly been brighter than we have been. We've been inconsistent but the signs are there. "The players are handling things better than they were. "But I don't think it has anything to do with what is going on off the field. "People seem to think the circumstances that have been documented in the past two weeks just happened a fortnight ago. "That's rubbish, all this happened last January and the players have handled that. "They've done brilliantly to handle that. "It's not easy to sit down with a group of players and tell every one of them that they're up for transfer. You still then expect them, as they did, to go on and win a championship. "The players have done really well. We've not lost a domestic game this season. "They have been inconsistent and while the circumstances surrounding the club don't help, they certainly haven't hindered the players. "They've handled all of this for six months prior to the start of this season. We did well but we have dipped this season, that's something we're working hard to rectify." Pride, and more importantly Champions League points, are at stake for Gers tonight. Advertisement Humiliated at home by Dan Petrescu's Euro rookies a fortnight ago, they must put the shame of that crushing defeat behind them. Yet Smith knows his side will face another tough test in front of 25,000 baying Unirea fans. He said: "We have set out to win all of our games but we haven't managed to do so. "It's now up to us to acquit ourselves a bit better than we have done so far, even if we feel a little aggrieved at losing the last two games 4-1. "We still have three games to go and we have an opportunity to qualify from the group. It's down to us to turn it around, starting with this game. "We've had some terrific away performances before but we achieved them through hard work. We'll need to replicate that over here. "There has been an edge missing from our game. There is no doubt about that - and now we have to get it back." Smith slammed his side's defending two weeks ago and insisted last night: "The one thing we do need to do, regardless of overall play, is defend set pieces better than we did in the last game. "We lost three goals from straight forward set plays and a fourth from a quickly taken free-kick which caught us out. "We have to show we can handle those situations better. "It's not very often you lose a game from three deflected set plays but it happened." Away from home Smith has stuck rigidly to his tried and tested 4-5-1 formation. The tactics have delivered success, but prompted criticism by those who want to see a more attacking approach, and Smith hinted that he may go with two up front tonight. He grinned: "We will play forward players although I must admit, I'm frightened if I do play a lot of attacking players that people will say 'There's Smith attacking now' I'd hate to lose my image! "But the most important thing will be the attitude of the players that we use. We need to rediscover that edge to get a good result." http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2712288/I-can-bank-on-my-boys.html

2-1 Chelsea Drogba again

1-1 Drogba

Aye, they're shite as well

Manure getting humped @ home 1-3....................are they as bad as Rangers ??

Done mate.............

Have to agree here, I remember sitting @ Ibrox thinking even @ 3-1 we could get a draw!!!!, now IMO on the night they were very lucky, we were very unlucky but did capitulate which made the result even worse, but there is no doubt in my mind that we are more than capable of going to Romania and getting the right result.

I think you mat find that the '' green brigade '' may enter the ground after k-off !!!

FALKIRK have rejected the idea of holding one minute's applause and will stick with the traditional minute's silence in Sunday's Remembrance Day meeting. SPL officials let clubs decide on the best form of tribute for Scotland's war dead instead of a set policy. The Bairns were always eager to mark the occasion with a traditional silence ahead of the Falkirk Stadium encounter, but it had been moot ADVERTISEMENT ed that applause would be held instead in case away supporters disturbed the peace. The match is being televised live across the world and SPL leaders Celtic have sold out their entire ticket allocation. Falkirk feel the minute's silence is most fitting. Keith Hogg, the club's operations manager, said: "Falkirk, as a club, have taken the decision to respect Remembrance Day in the appropriate manner ââ?¬â?? and that is a minute's silence. "No meetings have taken place between the clubs on this and Celtic have not officially approached us on the subject. "But we will have consultation with Celtic and the police on Friday morning at our scheduled pre-match operations meeting. Arrangements for Sunday, on all aspects of the game, will be discussed." Meanwhile, Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc has undergone knee surgery which will keep him out for at least three weeks. The Poland international has missed Celtic's last three matches with a thigh injury, so the club decided to put him in for the operation to fix an ongoing knee problem. The surgery took place after Celtic were granted permission by Uefa to involve back-up goalkeeper Dominic Cervi for the Europa League clash in Hamburg on Thursday. http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Falkirk-to-hold-silence-before.5788409.jp

Star asset Madjid Bougherra has told Rangers that he is determined to stay at Ibrox for the rest of the season. The French-born Algerianââ?¬â?¢s declaration will delight fans - but worry the bankers lurking in the background at Ibrox as Sir David Murray seeks a buyer for the cash-strapped club. Sportsmail revealed last week that Wigan want to test the water with a Ã?£3million bid for the defender when the transfer window opens in January. But Bougherra insists his stance has not altered since last summer, when he revealed his plans to win a move to a ââ?¬Ë?top-sixââ?¬â?¢ English club by starring in the Champions League for Rangers and the African Nations Cup and World Cup Finals for Algeria. Under contract until 2012, the 27-year-old has the right to reject any potential transfer, just as Kris Boyd blocked his move to Birmingham last January - no matter how much Rangers might need the money. ââ?¬Ë?I have not changed my intentions from last season,ââ?¬â?¢ said Bougherra, who will miss Wednesday's vital Champions League return with Unirea in Bucharest because of a knee injury. ââ?¬Ë?I will definitely stay in Glasgow and I will finish the season at the club. I love life at Rangers and I am sure they will find an investor and things will work out. ââ?¬Ë?I feel great in Glasgow and, plus, I need stability, because it is one of the keys to success and progress, especially on the eve of the African Nations Cup and a World Cup, hopefully.ââ?¬â?¢ Enlarge Walter Smith and assistant Ally McCoist All smiles: But rangers boss Walter Smith and assistant Ally McCoist know their team need a positive Champions League result on Wednesday Bougherra, who has missed the last four games and Sundayââ?¬â?¢s abandoned fixture at Tannadice, is confident Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s players can still have a successful season despite indifferent form and off-field concerns. ââ?¬Ë?It has not fallen for us in recent weeks because we have had so many players injured in key positions,ââ?¬â?¢ he said. ââ?¬Ë?We havenââ?¬â?¢t had a full team and that explains some disappointing results. ââ?¬Ë?We play in Romania on Wednesday and we know that we absolutely must win to have a chance of getting to the next round of the Champions League. ââ?¬Ë?I wonââ?¬â?¢t play in this game because a knee sprain requires at least four weeks of rest, and I am in my second week. But my heart is with my team-mates and I really hope they come back with a good result.ââ?¬â?¢ Rangers fans and management will be intrigued to see if Bougherra is fit to face Egypt with Algeria in a fortnight in a crucial World Cup tie. Lee McCulloch will fly out with Smithââ?¬â?¢s squad and, if he is required in midfield, there could be a European bow for 17-year-old defender Danny Wilson. Injured pair Maurice Edu and Kirk Broadfoot will continue training this week, with a bounce game scheduled for next Tuesday to help the Scot step-up his return to fitness after being out since March. Meanwhile, Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain has thanked fans for their support amid takeover speculation. ââ?¬Ë?It has been a difficult period for fans both in regard to results and speculation about the future of the club,ââ?¬â?¢ said Bain. ââ?¬Ë?However, they have stepped up to the plate in their thousands to voice their support. ââ?¬Ë?The overarching message from the fans is that the interests of Rangers must come first and foremost.ââ?¬â?¢ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1224839/Rangers-star-Madjid-Bougherra-insists-happy-stay-rest-season.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0VkmmKUTC

MY inbox has been filling up with concerned Rangers fans asking what letting Lloyds into the boardroom means for the club. Fans are concerned, but Rangers letting the banks in doesn't mean they're dangling above the fire. Whenever a company does business with another, they often insure the credit they offer to the other business as part of their risk management strategy. This credit limit is the amount of money a major credit insurer thinks the business is good for in its day-to-day business. I've just credit-checked Rangers PLC and trust me, it's OK! In the run-up to Woolworths going belly-up their rating was nil. Rangers' credit rating, out of 100, is 98. To put Celtic fans at ease, your club's credit rating is also 98 out of 100. It's Lloyds who should be worried here, with a paltry credit rating of 95 out of 100! But why has the bank become such an important player in the future of Rangers? In business, when a company borrows money from the bank they need to be able to repay the debt, which for a football club is secured against assets and cashflow. Rangers' assets can be broadly broken down into two types. Property assets, namely Ibrox stadium and Murray Park, and the squad, including top players like Kris Boyd, right. When assets decrease in value or cashflow declines, the bank's exposure increases. In the current economic climate, banks are scrutinising their loan books, looking to reduce exposure like never before. As Rangers' debt has risen to �£30million, the bank is perhaps their most important stakeholder. Today's debt is a side-effect of their spending spree during the 90s and early 00s when money was cheap. At the peak of the spree, manager Dick Advocaat shelled out �£36m including �£12m on striker Tore Andre Flo. But as I see it, the bank would never pull the plug on Rangers for a number of reasons. The taxpayer saved Lloyds from going bust because they were too important as an institution and for the British economy. Lloyds must then realise that many Scots feel the same about the Old Firm. Let's be honest, the end of Rangers is the end of the Old Firm and perhaps even Scottish football. The bad publicity Lloyds risk from scrapping Rangers would spell the end for the bank's presence in Scotland. The appointment of turnaround specialist Donald Muir makes sense. One of the most respected business gurus in the world, Muir previously worked to save the Department for Work and Pensions, ailing NHS trusts and Northern Rock. He is in the premier league of big-hitters. Specialists such as Muir are charged with ironing out immediate problems and sorting finances no matter what the industry. Much was made of Donald Muir saying there are no sacred cows in a business but Muir knows "sacred cows" can only be removed if they're superfluous. The crucial word here is superfluous. In a case such as Rangers, prized assets are top players. If you sell the best - generally the most expensive - players it is difficult to enact a recovery plan, making the problem worse. Rangers' prized assets are not superfluous so Donald Muir's remit will be to closely monitor Rangers' business plan, and protect the bank's interests. This may mean reducing costs elsewhere whilst seeking new investment, or even an outright sale of the club. Advertisement If the business is sold, Muir's job will be to ensure that the bank's position is protected as part of the deal. He is not there, as fans have been asking me over the last week, as a hatchet man. Do we honestly think Lloyds the bank want to obliterate Scottish football or that Donald Muir wants that as his legacy? Aye right! As a businessman I will offer a summary, a purely business perspective on the situation... Even in this financial turmoil Rangers still maintain an excellent credit rating. Their debt to the bank is less than 50 per cent of annual revenue and this, coupled with their esteemed history in Scotland, means Rangers FC looks to be safe. Their position is not enviable at the moment, but as one of the biggest clubs in the world they, and their fans, have enough clout to get through this sticky time. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/papercolumnists/shafrasul/2708925/Shaf-Rasul-column.html

Unirea 0 Rangers 2 Miller,Davis :spl:

You don't often get the chance to bet Rangers @ 3/1, and IMO we are capable of beating them so it's worth a bet.

I think Papac carries more of a goal threat than Smith,IMO. I will not be dissapointed to see Papac @ CH & Smith @ LB, I am simply saying Wilson has showed enough to be given a go in Romania and I don't think he will be put under as much pressure as he was against DUTD. Again I don't think Wilson would let anyone down,as he has already shown he has strength & pace and is a CH.

Rangers are a good price @ 3/1, think I'll have some of that http://www.skybet.com/skybet?action=GoEvType&id=10002764&aff=1456&SS_PromoAd_HP

Pete, we need to win this game on Wednesday so I would have thought Papac would be more use to us at LB so he can get forward, Wislon has strength & pace so I don't think he would let anyone down

I would play him, if we can go to Stuttgart and get a decent result with McCulloch at CH then I'm sure Wilson will not let us down in Romania, he is young but he has strength & pace

I predicted MOPES 3 Killie 0,Hivs 2 Sheep 0 & St Johnstone 2 Falkirk 1 which got me 7 pts

You spotted it first.............I think it was you,how many places did you jump ?

He was taking a chance dressing up as a sheep, I think he got of LIGHTLY

I was very impressed with what I seen of Wilson in that first half today, he looked assured and with a bit of pace,his challenge to prevent a certain goal was excellent,he jumped with two DUTD players and managed to get a head on the ball,although the ref gave a goal kick for us. I see no reason why he shouldn't play on Wednesday

Just pm'd you check your inbox