ian1964

Rangers and Northern Ireland youngster Andrew Little was deployed as a defender by Walter Smith at Portsmouth, but the 20-year-old still regards himself as a striker. Little has been called into the Northern Ireland squad that will face Israel on Wednesday night and it is up front he believes he will be jostling for a position. "I enjoy playing as a striker and that is ideally where I would like to play in the future," he said. "In recent times I have been playing up front for Northern Ireland and at the under-age levels. "I made my senior debut as a forward against Poland. I definitely feel I have something to offer as a striker and hopefully I can show that to the Northern Ireland coaching staff this week. advertisement "I was a little surprised to be named in the squad, but it is a boost for me at a time when things are going well at Rangers. "I went with the first-team squad to Germany in pre-season as well as the Emirates Cup, but made my first start against Portsmouth. "Some people may find it strange that I play in two different positions, but I am happy to play anywhere I'm needed. "I've played at the back a lot for Rangers' reserve team and I think if I am going to become a regular in the squad at the moment it will be at the back because of a injuries, but they still see me as a striker." Little admits that despite his preference over playing positions, just being involved with the Ibrox top team has delighted him. "Maybe somewhere down the line a decision will have to be made as to whether I am a striker or defender but, at the minute, I'm just loving my football," he said. "For this week, I will do everything possible to impress the international staff and if I get a chance against Israel, hopefully I'll show what I can do in front of goal." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2524792.0.0.php

BARRY FERGUSON won't watch Scotland in action against Norway on Wednesday night. But he hopes they get a result that will keep their World Cup dream alive. Ferguson's decision to blank the game in Oslo is not based on any over-hang from the Boozegate chaos that caused his international career to come to a dramatic end. It is just a ritual he has of never watching games. advertisement "I won't watch the game, but I never watch games on TV to be honest," he smiled. "Look, I've got a lot of pals in the team and I hope they win. "James McFadden went away from down here last week and I wished him all the best. "I hope the team wins and gets a result to keep them going. "My bitterness is not towards any of the team in the set-up, just with the way the SFA dealt with things." And what of his relationship with George Burley, the man who is trying to steer Scotland to South Africa and take the nation to a major tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup in France. "I never had a problem with the manager," Ferguson went on. "I was straight with him, and we were fine. "People have suggested he wanted me out and the Cameron House thing was the excuse he wanted. But I never sensed any problems so I don't think that was the case. "It might come home to me that it's all over in terms of Scotland seeing that it's the first game since what happened in March. "But I hope they win the game, you want your country to do well." What upset Ferguson, though, was the accusation that he ducked out of international duty at times, faking injuries to avoid playing. He said: "That really annoyed me. I was totally committed to my country, there was NEVER one squad I pulled out of because of something that was not genuine. "It got thrown at me that I didn't want to play for Scotland and that Rangers was all that mattered. "That is a lot of rubbish, there were games when I took jags and tablets to play through injuries for my country."

EXCLUSIVE by Darrell King in Birmingham BARRY FERGUSON today speaks for the first time about his Scotland Boozegate shame - and his fury at the way the SFA ended his international career. The former Rangers captain, now at Birmingham after a �£1million summer move, has kept his own counsel on events at Cameron House back in March when he stayed up all night in the bar drinking with team-mate Allan McGregor. But Ferguson has spoken exclusively to SportTimes writer Darrell King and, in Part One of a series that will run in our pages this week, he reveals: His anger at the way the SFA informed him he was banned for life. Why he wants Scotland to beat Norway this Wednesday night in Oslo to keep the World Cup dream alive. His feelings towards George Burley and the rest of the international hierarchy. Here's the first of our exclusive articles: THIS time was unquestionably the most difficult two hours of Barry Ferguson's life. In a Murray Park office alongside shell-shocked team-mate Allan McGregor - with Martin Bain, the Rangers chief executive, his right-hand man Andrew Dickson, and Players' Union head Fraser Wishart all for company - the details of his fine and suspension from the club he had just disgraced were being laid out in cold, hard facts. Ferguson's head was all over the place. Just a few hours earlier he had reported to Rangers' training ground for the first time since the now infamous Scotland Boozegate controversy had exploded and turned his world upside down. Fatally - and if he could turn back time this is one of many things he would reverse - he had walked past Walter Smith's office that Friday morning. It should have been his first port of call, he should have sought his manager and apologised for his conduct. But he didn't. And he was paying the price for that lack of respect to the man he held - and still holds - in the utmost regard. There was no grey area with what was happening. Ferguson had shamed Rangers. For that, Smith had decreed, he was going to face severe punishment. The now infamous Cameron House drinking session with close pal McGregor that had become public to the Iceland World Cup qualifier at Hampden, Smith could accept. He didn't like it one little bit, but these things happen - and will no doubt happen again sometime, somewhere - such is the way with football players. But the images of the captain of Rangers making V-sign gestures at photographers - along with McGregor on the bench at the National Stadium - was something that saw Smith explode with rage. Head bowed, he was taking his medicine. Then, the fax machine in the corner of the office began to whirr. A sheet of paper appeared, a carbon copy of the press statement the SFA were about to release to the world. Ferguson was being informed by fax that his international career was also over. And that, more than anything else, is something that the now Birmingham City player still struggles to get his head around. "Listen, I was totally in the wrong with what happened at the hotel, I would never sit for a second and try to dress that up in any way or try to make a case for what went on that night with the drinking," he says, relaxed in the hotel grounds of the luxurious hotel close to Birmingham that is his temporary home until a permanent abode can be found. "If I could go back and change things I would, of course I would. I should have gone to bed, and I should never have made the V-signs - when I see the pictures of that I feel so stupid. I looked like a daft idiot and I should have known better. But it was an error, a bad call. "I let myself down, my family down, my country down and I let Walter Smith, Rangers and the supporters down. "That's something I'll need to live with and it does still hurt me. I should have gone to bed, that's the bottom line. "But I made a mistake and people do that - I am a human being, not a robot and I made a costly mistake. "The thing that rankles with me now is the way the SFA handled the entire situation - for me it was a joke. "I had played for Scotland 45 times, I had captained my country for years - and they sent a fax to Murray Park saying that I would never play for my country again. It was just the same statement they put out, that was it! "That just astonished me. The machine starts to ring, and in comes a fax from Hampden for my attention telling me that I would no longer be picked, and neither would Allan. "The people in the room just looked at each other in total disbelief - is that how something like that should be handled? "No-one has ever spoken to me from the Scotland set-up. Not the manager, the chief executive, a PR guy, anyone. "I was driving back into Murray Park after being sent home for a few hours and I heard on the radio that the SFA were going to ban me for life. "I was in such a whirl that I wasn't taking anything in -then a fax arrives and that was it over ... no phone call, no anything. That, for me, sums the SFA up. They don't know how to handle anything properly." Rangers were also seriously unhappy with the way the governing body handled the whole episode. The thought inside the club was that they piggy-backed' onto their punishment when it should all have been dealt with swiftly at the time, and that the players should have been banished from the squad instantly which would have avoided the subsequent media frenzy that ensued, and prompted the V-sign gestures. "Maybe that was the case, I don't know and the SFA would need to answer that," said Ferguson. "The whole thing was a bit of a farce to be honest. First of all we were to leave Cameron House, then some of the players went to the manager and said they didn't want that, and the next thing we were told to stay. "The manager then said we would be subs, and then two days later we were banned for life and they said it was down to what had happened at the game on the bench with the V-signs. "Fair enough, if they think sending a fax to tell you it's all over is the right thing to do, then that's up to them. "What I would say is that Rangers handled the thing the right way. We sat face to face, I took my punishment and it was done properly. "I wasn't happy, of course I wasn't, but I knew why the club had acted the way they did and I just had to go away and try to deal with it. "But the SFA? That was a shambles for me. Then I hear a few days later Gordon Smith saying on the radio the door might not be closed, we could still play and all that sort of stuff. "That sums it up for me, the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing in that place." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2524783.0.0.php

Who are they supporting.............???? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBadHa6EHF8]YouTube - celtic fans in Eastlands (man city v celtic)[/ame]

Indeed it is the MOPE way...........win anyway we can.......PATHETIC shower of cretins

Jeez..........I just had another visit to the Arsenal forums......the MOPES that are on there trying to be friends ??????, and obviously none of them can go on the forum without bad mouthing Rangers.....unbelievable they chunts, '' don't read too much into your result against the huns, we are by far the better team and GS gifted them the SPL '', they are getting worse, feckin MOPE bassas

1..The Scottish league has the standard of our Championship at best (Div 2 in old money) 2..We already made Rangers look silly and they are Scottish champions 3..We are currently ranked 4th in Europe, Celtic do not even appear in the top 20 (Glasgow Rangers are 19th) 4..We have Cesc Fabregas, they have Barry Robson ? 5..We have Arshavin, they have Samaras 6..We Have Wenger, they have Mowbray, he looks like David Pleat and can not even get a job at a mid-table English Premiership club 7..We play a nice passing game, they hoof it more than Liverpool 8..Last season in the CL Celtic lost to Aalborg BK ??? 9..Celtic's CL record is very poor, 9 times out of 10 they are out before Christmas. 10..Arsene knows, but big jock knew... http://www.fansonline.net/arsenal/article.php?id=423

Agreed,it's all about the money

http://imageevent.com/wertp/emirates2009

What!!!!!!, go wash your mouth out young man,his name should never be mentioned again on this forum.............:devil:

Me thinks Boyd will be away at the first decent offer

Oh how Barry Ferguson would shine in a team that had lots of movement from players around him

You mean we played football ? , as I said we will see how we approach the bead & butter games in the SPL

Why ?................what about the coefficency

I'm asking you guys. That's what I'm thinking,let's not get too excited by '' friendlies '',let's see how we perform in the SPL & CL, not trying to put a downer on what seems to have been a good performance tonight against an EPL team full of big money buys, and having not seen the game I am just interested in why all of a sudden we are playing at a level that we haven't for years, maybe it was just a daft question

What exactly has changed though,I mean we have the same players ?.

Cheers Craig. It takes about 5 minutes to load a page on here nevr mind watch it ,very poor connection mate,hence I need your updates

C'mon Craig.....why has your commentery stopped ?,what's the score now ?,still 1-1?

That'll be the MOPES going to win the treble & CL !!.........the C****c way ??

EVERTON are ready to gamble on Rangers hothead John Fleck. The midfielder, 17, has fallen out with boss Walter Smith and was dropped into the reserves. Fleck will cost �£3million and is also a target for Wigan http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2571655/Everton-eye-Gers-ace.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=Football

I Like it,pretty smart IMO

Aye..............I wish I was going !!!

PEDRO MENDES rejected a return to the Premier League in the last transfer window to focus on winning a title medal with Rangers. Now the dream of ending a five-year wait to return to the Champions League will keep the Portuguese playmaker at Ibrox. Mendes is getting a reminder of life in England's top-flight as Rangers take on Arsenal, Manchester City and former club Portsmouth in glamour pre-season games. But it's the chance to get back among Europe's elite which is driving the midfield star this summer. Mendes sparkled at The Emirates Cup in London at the weekend, but he insists he's in no rush for a permanent return south. He said: "The transfer window is still open, but I'm really pleased to be here at Rangers. "I'm happy with the way I have been treated by the club and really happy to still be here. "Yes, we have to get through August until the deadline is over and, in that time, anything can happen. "People can come in, people can move out - but these are decisions for the chairman and the manager to make. "I remember in January there was a lot of speculation because of the financial situation at the club. "People said we would have to lose players - but I said then I wanted to stay. "That was because I believed that I could be a champion with Rangers and that is what happened. "Now we have a big season ahead of us. We have a title to defend and we have the Champions League to look forward to. "I don't think my attitude has changed too much since January. It also helps when the fans are on your side. "It's always good as a player when you feel the fans are behind you. It reflects the effort you put into the team for them. "When things are going well it's great but, when things go wrong, there is another side to it and you need to be prepared for that. "The most important thing for me is I feel good at the club and my family is settled in Glasgow." Mendes has yet to play a European match for Gers after arriving in the aftermath of last season's disaster against FBK Kaunas. Advertisement His last experience of Euro action was winning the 2004 Champions League with Porto. He got a reminder of that contest when he faced a Paris St Germain side including Jerome Rothen and Ludovic Giuly - who were in the Monaco side which lost to Jose Mourinho's aces. But Gers were given a stark warning about the scale of the task they face in this season's Champions League when they were hammered 3-0 by classy Arsenal on Sunday. Mendes knows it will be tough and isn't expecting to repeat the heroics of Porto. But he remains eager to test himself against the best - and sample his first-ever Euro night at Ibrox. He added: "When I joined it was just after the team had lost in the Champions League qualifiers, so I have not had the chance to play in Europe with Rangers yet. ''It's something I'm looking forward to. In fact, the last time I played in Europe was in the Champions League Final for Porto against Monaco in 2004. "They had Rothen and Giuly as well as Dado Prso and Fernando Morientes. But we managed to win. "It's been a long time to wait for me personally and I'm looking forward to experiencing it again. "People keep telling me how special the atmosphere is at Ibrox on a big European night and I want to taste it for myself. The Champions League is something a little bit special for the fans and the players. "It's a break from the pressure of the SPL and it will be good for everyone at Ibrox." Rangers manager Walter Smith has made several changes since the last Champions League group campaign two seasons ago. He has added the likes of Madjid Bougherra, Steve Davis, Kyle Lafferty and Mendes to the squad. And the Portuguese cap believes the return to fitness of midfield sidekick Kevin Thomson will be like a new signing. Mendes added: "When Thommo got injured last season he was having his best spell. He was playing some terrific stuff at that time. "Hopefully his confidence will now come back. It can take some time to build that up again after such a long time out. "It will be great for Rangers to get him back as the player he was before the injury, or maybe even better." Smith pitched Mendes, Thomson and Davis into a new-look three-man midfield for part of The Emirates Cup. And Mendes reckons it was a worthwhile experiment as the SPL champions plot the title defence and prepare for a tilt at Europe. He said: "The 4-3-3 system gives us a little more space to play and it's great for me and Davo to have a more defensive midfield player behind us. "That gives us more freedom to get forward." http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2569471/I-cherish-those-big-nights-in-Europe.html

Reading elsewhere,not in the media, mixed reports regarding the Rangers fans that attended the Emirates games, from '' Rangers fans were superb '', to '' some of the songs they were singing were vile '', anybody on here that could clear it up ?.

I'm pretty sure the MOPES would rather they got beat by Spurs and beat the Russkies