ian1964

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

Dunno,once WS has got rid of the players he wants off the books,and if the MOPES don't qualify for the CL I suspect we might bring somebody in ?

Looks like it mate http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1204079/Blackpool-boosted-500k-loan-star-Charlie-Adam-quits-Rangers-Championship-return.html?ITO=1490

Celtic players talk the talk..............Rangers players walk the walk

Hopefully it's just the '' fringe players '' that leave !!!!

Rangers manager Walter Smith says he took the decision to drop teenager John Fleck to the reserves for reasons other than a training-ground bust-up. The 17-year-old swore at Ally McCoist after the assistant boss criticised Fleck for missing a chance while being training-ground five-a-side team-mates. Fleck thereafter missed out on Rangers' games in this weekend's Emirates Cup. "It has nothing to do with that," said Smith after a 3-0 defeat by Arsenal. "I left him out for another reason." Privately, Rangers are suggesting that Smith, who claims to have made the decision without knowing of the training-ground spat, has concerns about Fleck's general attitude. So, while the first-team were losing to an Arsenal side inspired by two-goal 17-year-old Jack Wilshere, Rangers' own teenage protege was in Northern Ireland playing in a 2-1 defeat by Glentoran with the Scottish champions' second string. Referee Brian Turkington forced Fleck to be substituted rather than brandishing a red or yellow card during that match. But the attacking midfielder had been the star man, scoring two goals and setting up two others, as Rangers' reserves defeated Portadown 6-1 on Thursday. And, on Friday, McCoist told Rangers' website that Fleck was sent with the reserves "for his own benefit" because he needed more game time. MY SPORT: DEBATE He has to remember he's not made it to the top yet and still has a lot to show what he has to offer Rangers bluericksen "The situation is that we want John to get games and that's why he has been given to the reserves," the assistant told Rangers' website. "We felt it was more beneficial for him to do that rather than come to London and maybe only get short periods." Fleck, the jewel in the crown of the talent emerging from Rangers' Murray Park training facility, made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old in a Scottish Cup tie against East Stirlingshire in January 2008. Although he made his Scotland Under-21 debut in March this year, Fleck has to date made only 13 appearances, six from the substitutes' bench, for Rangers and has become frustrated at not yet having become a first-team regular. And he was particularly disappointed not to feature last month against Nuremberg while Charlie Adam, whose future at Ibrox looks to be coming to an end, played in the pre-season friendly. Fleck had rejected the overtures of Manchester United and other major European clubs to sign for his beloved Rangers, so there is little possibility of his dissatisfaction leading to a transfer request. Instead, he will view Smith's decision to relegate him to the reserves as part of a steep learning curve and it is understood that he will return to the first-team set-up on his return from Northern Ireland. Sent to Ulster along with Fleck was fellow forward Alan Gow, who it was decided also needed game time. Gow has made just two first-team appearances for Rangers since moving from Falkirk in 2005 and ended last season on loan to Norwich City as they were relegated from the Championship in England. Meanwhile, Adam could be poised to complete his protracted �£500,000 move to Blackpool, the Championship side for which he played on loan last term. The 23-year-old was also missing from the Rangers squad for Saturday's 1-0 win over Paris St Germain. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8180391.stm

I love positive posts , as I said I am looking forward to this season with a bit of confidence in retaining the SPL :spl:,but I have to agree with you about Bougherra,it is a big worry

Not forgeting OOH AHH SAMARAS!!!!!!:fish:

I never seen the gaame,again,however losing 3-0 to Arsenal can't be looked upon as a downer for the season ahead,we won't be the only team to lose 3-0 to them. As for the CL I think we all know we won't do much in that competition, it was just crucial to win the league and qualify for the CL for the money.I am looking forward to the season ahead and as long as we don't get humped in every CL game we can then get into the Europa competition and maybe have a wee run in that,but again winning the SPL is hwat is all about

RANGERS wonderkid John Fleck has been sensationally axed from the first team squad - after a furious bust-up with Ally McCoist. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_news/431838/Rangers-John-Fleck-was-sent-home-from-German-tour-in-disgrace.html

I never seen the PSG game, BUT I'm guessing Bougherra/Rangers played well,am I wrong for worrying that if Bougherra, as well as Davis,Mendes etc, keeps playing well in our preseason games it could invite an offer for him from one of the English sides ?

Poor attempt at '' operation tango '', and I don't find anything funny regarding terrorists

Remember though Craig...........we didn't win the league.........the MOPES threw it away

Dinamo will be shitting their pants at the thought!!

Apologies,I never seen it

Surprised there isn't a thread alreadt running on this ?,RIP Bobby. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8177945.stm

THE Old Firm should brace themselves for FIVE years in the Champions League wilderness. The gloomy prediction came last night from former Scotland winger Pat Nevin. He reckons this will be the last season a Scottish club competes in the group stage until at least 2013. Rangers went straight into the groups this season, but future champions will need to qualify against seeded sides from England, Spain, Italy and Germany. Nevin said: "We're going through a bad phase. It's coincided with our clubs' skint phase and the collapse of Setanta. "However, these periods tend to last for only so long and we should be through it in about four or five years. "The SPL have a get-out clause in their Sky/ESPN deal which allows talks with someone else in 2012. "We should be over the worst of the recession by then. Hopefully clubs will be able to buy better players. "Coming seasons will be difficult for our clubs in Europe. That's not being negative, it's being realistic." http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2564588/EU-Old-Firm-patsies.html

Dinamo goal [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi11afV0qOk]YouTube - Celtic - Dynamo Moscow , Goal 0-1[/ame]

Love the second and third photos,check the fat MOPE in between the Dinamo players http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8175621.stm

You just need to go over to KDS