ian1964

The thing is on Saturday,I was disapointed that we never scored at least one more goal in the second half,however I am expecting the whole team to get a lift after the MOPES drew yesterday,we have the recipe for the players to go on a push for the title

Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured knee ligament. The 26-year-old fell awkwardly just three minutes into Everton's 0-0 draw away to Newcastle on Sunday. He was stretchered off after receiving treatment and underwent scans on his right knee on Sunday night to ascertain the full extent of the injury. Arteta has been a key figure for Everton this season, making 31 appearances and scoring seven goals.

KRIS BOYD fought off a cold to help Rangers take three points against Killie at Ibrox. Kris Boyd, Rangers celebrates scoring Rangers' first goalThe prolific striker was a doubt in the lead up to yesterday's SPL clash but was given the all clear to play and put in an excellent shift for his team. Kris scored his side's first goal with a typically instinctive strike and took his tally for the season to 24. He said after the final whistle: "From yesterday to this morning I feel a lot better and the gaffer gave me a chance to play. "It was a tough match but I am just pleased that we came through it and got three points, that was so crucial. "In the first ten minutes I had a couple of chance and was disappointed not to score. "We then went behind against the run of play which was disappointing but we fought back and I was pleased to get us back in the game. "Kenny then got two but apart from that I thought he was excellent today. Kris Boyd in action against Killie "I think the critiicism he gets his unfair. "That was his 11th goal which is not bad for someone who is not supposed to be a goalscorer. "But the result gives us a huge boost and the pressure is now on Celtic. "Fir Park is a difficult place to go and they now have the added pressure of us being above them. "Even if they win against Motherwell we play Hamilton before their game next weekend so this is an important period for both clubs."

RANGERS forward Nacho Novo has been named the world's most annoying footballer by the lead singer of indie rock band Glasvegas. James Allan, who played for Falkirk before becoming a musician, says he really dislikes the Spanish winger. "I played against him years ago and I was booked for kicking him up in the air," Allan told talkSPORT Magazine. "That must have been six or seven years ago and he was an annoying wee b*****d even then. He's a slimy little s**t man, a little creep so I quite enjoyed smashing in to him." http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Changing-room-chat-How-to.5000410.jp

No excuses!!!!,anyway, how can they try and blame the pitch?, the MOPES just play long high balls from back to front,always have, and the big Dutch donkey elbows + kicks everything except for the ball, then the wee skippy dwarf sniffs aboot the box,and if that fails the wee Asian chap falls over a divet to try and cheat another win........THE CELTIC WAY

I wouldn't say Aaron is better than Fleck, TBF we haven't seen enough of Aaron where as Fleck has been doing it consistently for the youths/reserves

1 Rangers 26 11 1 1 34 10 6 5 2 22 9 37 57 2 Celtic 26 9 3 1 29 12 8 3 2 24 14 27 57

Is that 3 wins in 10 for the MOPES ?

Aye, back where we belong

Go on the Murderwell

The big Dutch Donkey up front is kicking,elbowing everything that moves as usual and getting away with it,fuck me he even took the Motherwell defender out and he gets the free kick..........unbelievable..........but typical

Brines is trying his best for the MOPES the day, no surprise really

By Amir Rashid at Riccarton YOUNG starlet Archie Campbell fired ten-man Rangers to the top of the table following a 2-0 win against Hearts at Riccarton today. The frontman was in inspirational form as he set up the first goal and then scored the winner in a crucial win which saw Rangers take advantage after Hibs' defeat to Falkirk yesterday. The Light Blues had to battle for all three points as third-placed Hearts were eager to show that they still had ambitions of lifting the title themselves, especially after losing Gregg Wylde to a red card after just 30 minutes. Kane HemmingsWylde was dismissed for a professional and Billy Kirkwood had to re-organise with Stephen Forbes filling in for Wylde at left back. The Jambos tried to push home their one-man advantage but Rangers were resolute. Paul Mulrooney pounced on the ball following some sloppy play by Rangers - through on goal, he pulled his chance wide of Arturs Vaiculis's far post. Just minutes later and a nice turn and cross from Arvidas Novikovas allowed Mulrooney a header at goal but he was unable to hit the target. With 17 minutes of the second period played Campbell and Kane Hemmings linked up brilliantly before Campbell's low cross to the near post was met by Stephen Stirling who bravely slid in to put Rangers a goal up. Hearts pushed forward after the goal but were unable to create any genuine chances. Mark Cowan saw his shot sail over the bar while Novikovas failed to test Vaiculis from distance. The ten men of Rangers were battling hard in windy conditions with Kyle Hutton and the rest of the midfield helping out the sturdy defence - led by captain Ross Perry. And on 75 minutes Hemmings picked up the ball in the Jambos half, ran at the heart of the defence before opting to pass wide to Campbell rather than shoot. Campbell showed his strike partner had made the right choice when he curled in a sublime strike from a tight angle inside the box. Hearts continued to search for a goal but the resolute Rangers defence held firm. Ryan Wallace came closest with five minutes remaining his jinking run produced a fine save by Vaiculis low down to his left. The Light Blues however held on to ensure that they took all three points with destiny now in their own hands as the race for the title hots up. Team: Vaiculis, Cole, Wylde, Wilson, Perry, Hutton, Campbell (Durie), Stirling, Hemmings (Wright), Naismith, Forbes Subs: Adam, Bagci, Dick, McAusland

Fuck me,an extra 5 min to go without a smoke !!!!!

Kenny Miller for me,worked hard and looked sharp,scored a couple of good goals

IT is best known in Russia as the place where Ivan the Terrible massacred the entire population in the middle ages. But Kenny Miller has been reassured that Kazan is not murder any more ââ?¬â? by a South African called MacBeth. The Rangers hitman is weighing up the prospect of a Ã?£2million move to Russian champions Rubin Kazan. And one player who has been there for six years reckons Miller will find it far easier to settle than he did thanks to the transformation of the city 700 miles from Moscow. MacBeth Sibaya admits he struggled with the massive culture shock when he moved to Kazan in 2003. The Bafana Bafana international could not find anyone who spoke English, and ate all his meals in the club house because there was nowhere decent to eat. He could not even open a bank account because foreigners were not allowed to. Now Sibaya reckons that Kazan is on the up, thanks to money being ploughed in by the local government. They have used the oil wealth of the Tartarstan Republic to give a makeover to a city that was the centre of the military industry back in the days of the USSR. They built tanks and planes here, and latterly helicopters for the campaign in Afghanistan. Stopper Sibaya said: ââ?¬Å?When I first came here it was so difficult for me in terms of lifestyle. ââ?¬Å?It was a different world. It was like the places you saw in the movies when they portrayed the old Soviet days. ââ?¬Å?No one spoke English. I could never find a newspaper to read and eating out was not really an option because the only restaurants were Russian. ââ?¬Å?I used to eat all my food at the Rubin club house after we finished training and thankfully I was a good cook before I came here. That meant I ate properly at home. ââ?¬Å?It was difficult to get things from supermarkets, but now we have everything on the shelves. ââ?¬Å?There has been so much development in Russia over the recent years and Kazan is more comfortable now. ââ?¬Å?There are plenty of places to have a coffee and there are plenty of new restaurants ââ?¬â? my favourite one is a Chinese ââ?¬â? while there are also huge shopping malls with all the best clothes. ââ?¬Å?There are plenty of nice apartments now, so that is no problem. I can catch up with all the news from home on my computer. ââ?¬Å?In fact, most websites in Russia now have English language pages. If Kenny Miller came here, it would be good for me to have someone to talk English to though. ââ?¬Å?Most of the players only speak Russian and you have to learn it to survive. I played against Miller when South African faced Scotland in 2007 and he has played for top sides in Scotland and England, so he will do well here.ââ?¬Â In Kazan, only half the population speak Russian. The other half are Tartars, fiercely proud of their own language and culture. Sibaya came to Rubin in 2003 from Norwegian club Rosenborg purely because of Kurban Berdyev, the manager who last November guided the club to its first-ever Russian title. Advertisement The midfielder admits he had never heard of Kazan, but next season the whole of Europe will know all about them when they make their Champions League bow. Berdyev has been trying to bring a few star names to Kazan for that campaign, failing in a bid for Udinese hitman Fabio Quagliarella before switching his attention to Miller. Ghanaian star Stephen Appiah, who was once at Juventus and was on trial at Spurs last month, is also being lined up. Former Spurs hitman Sergei Rebrov, is another who could smooth Millerââ?¬â?¢s switch to Russia if he takes up Rubinââ?¬â?¢s offer to almost double his Ibrox wages. Veteran Rebrov understands English from his four years in London with Spurs and West Ham and has rebuilt his career since Berdyev took him under his wing. Sibaya added: ââ?¬Å?I didnââ?¬â?¢t know what to expect when I came to Kazan. I put my trust in the manager. He wanted me and he gave me a lot of support off the pitch. But I had to leave my family back in Johannesburg because my three kids are all young and there are no schools here for English-speaking kids, it is not like Moscow. ââ?¬Å?Itââ?¬â?¢s too cold most of the time and anyway, South Africa is a better way of life for them.ââ?¬Â Right now, it is minus 14 in Kazan ââ?¬â? which is why the team are holed up on the Costa del Sol for a pres-season training camp. Their defence of their title starts in late March. There is no skimping when it comes to the players at Rubin. They are enjoying the luxurious facilities at La Manga. Sibaya said: ââ?¬Å?The club never has any problem paying its wages on time, which is not always the case at other teams in Russia. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ve heard stories from other African players about delays, but we are well paid and I was given a new one-year contract last month which Iââ?¬â?¢m really happy with. Now Rubin want to go to the next level, which is why they are looking for new signings from Europe.ââ?¬Â If Miller takes up Kazanââ?¬â?¢s offer, he will not be the first Scot to play here. His old Hibs team-mate Garry Oââ?¬â?¢Connor had a shortlived spell with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006-07 before quitting to join Birmingham City. Oââ?¬â?¢Connor claimed he could not settle in Moscow, something that Sibaya finds amazing. He explained: ââ?¬Å?If you canââ?¬â?¢t settle in Moscow, then you will never live anywhere in Russia because it is the most cosmopolitan place. ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t really remember Oââ?¬â?¢Connor, but the Moscow clubs do a lot of buying and selling and change players often.ââ?¬Â Oââ?¬â?¢Connor cited the long plane journeys to away matches as the real low point of his tour of duty at Lokomotiv. But Sibaya insists Miller would not struggle the same way. He said: ââ?¬Å?We no longer have Vladivostock ââ?¬â? which is a 12-hour flight ââ?¬â? in the league because they were relegated last season. Most of the teams are from the Moscow region, and thatââ?¬â?¢s a 90-minute flight away. ââ?¬Å?Basketball is still the No1 sport here, but our crowds have doubled to 20,000 and we will fill the place when we are in the Champions League. ââ?¬Å?We are only the second team in Russia from outside Moscow to win the title, after Zenit St Petersburg. ââ?¬Å?They won the UEFA Cup and proved that Russia is not just about Moscow. ââ?¬Å?We beat Zenit 4-0 last season, just after they beat Rangers in the final and that was the moment the whole Rubin team felt we could bring the title to Kazan.ââ?¬Â http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2258876.ece

WALTER SMITH believes there is more to come from his group of young stars as Rangers work towards the end of a huge season. Aaron celebratesThe Rangers boss saw young Spaniard Aaron Niguez notch his first goal for the club in Forfar in Wednesday night and feels the under-21 international will continue to be involved in the business end of the season. After signing on a two year loan deal from Valencia in the summer Aaron has been a regular in Tommy Wilson's reserve side but has seen his first team chances restricted. However Smith now sees the winger emerging from a period of settling in Glasgow and hopes he can make a similar impact to Murray Park starlet John Fleck. He said: "I don't think we've held Aaron back. He's like a lot of the younger players that we've had come in this year. "From the start of the season they have all found that they have a settling in period to work through before they can show their best. John Fleck and Andreas Hinkel"Aaron has - in the last month or so - been doing very well, but unfortunately for him that coincided with John Fleck coming in to the team and playing well in the same position. "But he has been doing well and he has shown when he comes on that he's very bright - and he's an entirely different kind of player from John. "So I would hope that we will start to get him featuring in quite a number of games between now and the end of the season."

By Andrew Dickson BARRY FERGUSON insists one bad derby with Celtic doesn't make Rangers a poor team to watch. Barry FergusonEver since the sides' 0-0 draw at Parkhead on Sunday, there has been much condemnation of the game as a spectacle. Many have said the Old Firm clash isn't what it used to be and claimed a dip in quality signings by each club has led to a more disappointing product overall. But Ferguson has hit back and is determined to prove Gers are still an entertaining team when they take on Kilmarnock in the SPL at Ibrox tomorrow. He said: "We've heard all week about the derby and we know it wasn't great game for people to see. "But I've played in plenty of great Old Firm matches and it's just a case that the latest one wasn't a great spectacle. "Hopefully we'll show that was the case tomorrow against Kilmarnock and we will give a better performance against them. Barry Ferguson"We want to go and entertain people. It would have been great if we could have gone out on Sunday and won 4-3 but it didn't turn out that way. "Now we'll move on. There have been plenty of times this season that we've played good football and we'll do that again. "People criticised us for the way we played last season, despite the success it brought us, and they're going to have their opinions. "But we try to go out and play as well as we can every week and we are still capable of doing that for our fans." Ferguson is eager to take Gers top of the league tomorrow ahead of Celtic's game with Motherwell on Sunday. It is more than three months since the Light Blues found themselves at the top of the summit but now they're only a victory away. Ferguson battles for the ballFerguson added: "We are under pressure this year and we know that so we need to handle that and win the league. "Now it's close again. After the last Old Firm game, people said we had lost the title but we're only two points behind. "We never believed it was over and if we win against Killie, we'll go top. That is a big incentive for us and I feel we've got a good enough squad to take the title. "When you set out at the start of the campaign, your focus is on winning the championship but we've not done that in the last three years. "That's not good enough. It was nice winning cups last season and getting to the UEFA Cup final but me and the rest of the guys in the dressing room really want the league."

Yip, and the MOPES will be Flecked

To be fair,that's not a bad line up,if played correctly,ie midfield getting up in support

JOHN FLECK will become Rangers' youngest OId Firm debutant for almost 25 years when he faces Celtic at Parkhead today. Walter Smith has kept faith in the teenage star, who will play on the left side of midfield in a 4-1-4-1 formation which means a holding midfield slot for Lee McCulloch and a lone striking role for Kyle Lafferty. Derek Ferguson was two months younger than Fleck when he played against Celtic in a 1-1 draw at Parkhead in December 1984. The line-up is much as expected with Lafferty given the major striking role and McCulloch charged with sitting in behind the regular four of Steve Davis, Barry Ferguson, Pedro Mendes and Fleck. RANGERS: McGregor; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; McCulloch; Davis, Mendes, Ferguson, Fleck; Lafferty.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9eLeZS9OeY]YouTube - The Clash - White Riot Live (1978 Victoria Park London)[/ame] After a Rangers win

Mon the wee Fleck chappie

RANGERS midfielder Steve Davies last night backed Northern Ireland pal Kyle Lafferty to silence his critics and star against Celtic. The Ibrox side travel to Parkhead for today’s crunch Old Firm clash, with boss Walter Smith likely to operate his favoured 4-5-1 formation. Kenny Miller has shaken off his hamstring injury and could feature as lone striker rather than Rangers goal machine Kris Boyd, who has scored only once against the Hoops since he arrived from Kilmarnock in 2006. But Davis, 24, is confident that Ã?£3.2million striker Lafferty could also do a job in attack as he bids to score his second victory at Parkhead this season. Davis said: “We’ve got different options up front. I don’t know who the manager is going to go with but if Kyle is picked I’m certain he will do well. “Because he’s so tall, people assume he’s a target man, but there is a lot more to his game than that. He could definitely do a job for us if the gaffer chooses him. “His favourite position is up front and that’s probably where he plays best. “Up until now, Kyle’s had a few niggling injuries which have kept him out the team. He has mostly played on the left as Boyd has been playing so well and scoring lots of goals. “In the last couple of games the gaffer has brought Kyle on and he’s done well. He’s going to be a great player for us and you can see already that he’s starting to settle in. “Some people forget that he’s still only 21. Kyle’s come off the bench a few times and scored some important goals.” While Davis backed his fellow Ulsterman to shine, he insisted he was happy to play in the formation that brought Gers so much success last year. He added: “You saw last season that formation, especially in Europe, worked very well for us. “If we had gone 4-4-2 in most of those games we probably wouldn’t have got anywhere near the final and the manager is experienced and knows his tactics well and will have us set up correctly for the derby.” Davis is delighted today’s match has come quickly after the 1-0 home defeat to the Hoops in December. And the midfield ace is hoping Rangers repeat the form they showed at the start of the campaign when they travelled to Parkhead and thrashed Celtic 4-2. He said: “The last time we went to Parkhead we won pretty comfortably and we probably played our best game away from home this season there. “Hopefully, we can go there again and get the victory that we need. “Our performances have been quite good as a team recently, especially in midfield where Barry Ferguson and Pedro Mendes have shown they can play together. “Both Rangers and Celtic just want to get the title and we are all hungry to bring the trophy back to Ibrox. “But regardless of the result, Rangers and Celtic will still drop points so it’s not going to have an overall effect in deciding the title.”

CELTIC ace Artur Boruc last night LAUGHED off an internet smear campaign, declaring: “This is just typical of Glasgow.” The Polish star — who WILL play in today’s Old Firm match — had been left bemused by a week of unfounded speculation about his private life. Rumours circulated via texts and fans’ websites that the Hoops hero had failed a drugs test. But today we can reveal that the allegations are COMPLETELY untrue — and the Holy Goalie is ready to face Rangers at Celtic Park this afternoon. A senior Parkhead executive told the News of the World: “Artur knows all about the rumours. “He’s laughed them off, saying it was ‘just typical of Glasgow’. “He doesn’t take a blind bit of notice about what other folk say about him.” And last night a club spokesman said: “There’s absolutely no foundation to these rumours. They are absolute RUBBISH. “Artur is completely focused and ready to play.” Football fan sites were buzzing all this week with the false claims. The frenzy culminated in speculation that Boruc, 29, was to be DROPPED for today’s big game. Last night one message board user said: “I’ve never seen anything like it — these rumours just spread like wildfire.” Boruc IS facing a heavy club fine for PUNCHING his own Hoops team-mate Aiden McGeady, 22, earlier this month. And off the pitch, he’s split from wife Kasia, 28, and is dating sexy Polish model Sara Mannei, 24. The former contestant on the Polish version of Pop Idol is the ex-lover of notorious Polish gangster Rafal Majewski. When contacted yesterday at his new home in Bearsden, near Glasgow, Boruc — who signed from Legia Warsaw in 2005 — refused to comment. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_news/177712/Rumour-is-a-big-joke-to-Boruc.html