ian1964

Me as well. I wouldn't be totally against him coming back,just think he is not what we need right now,if it happens then he will get my support,I just hope he doesn't return

Or because he wanted more money ?

A friendly it was,means nowt,good to see the sheep getting humped by anybody all the same

Ok,but not for me,maybe for you, however I just see him as a waste of money,and remember why he left Rangers in the first place

That's my point though,he isn't a winger,he is more suited to a striker role,how many strikers do we want/need ?, midfielders is where we all want to see some activity not wasting money on another striker

Very true,however IMO you get more out of the mentioned players,also i'm not sure what position Lafferty plays,left wing I think !!!

Agree with you here Pete,another overpaid player who plays every now and again,and he's certainly not a winger

I hope this doesn't happen

Jon,don't bite................

I've never ever been to a great friendly game,well maybe for the first half and then went for some ale,but i've also never ever been dissapointed as i've always known what to expect !!!

Smith was the right man to come in,when Rangers needed him,and he has almost bought a new team in a very short time and is still not finished building his team,if he will ever get the money to build a team I don't know.If Walter is not the right man then who is ?.I'm not saying WS is the manager who is going to bring the glory days back,i'm only asking who is if not him ?

What makes you think you are the '' real Rangers supporter '', is it because you know all the words to all the Rangers songs ?

So what is it you are expecting Pete ?,get rid of the majority of last seasons team and splash a lot of cash to bring in new players ?

I have already said in previous posts,does it really matter who is captain ?,Cuellar said enough times last season how much credit he gives to Weir for his own performances,I suppose he's just saying that to make Weir feel better!!!!!

I don't really understand guys that get so upset,annoyed,frustrated,angry etc about friendlies ?. I watched the game and thought both sides treated it like any other training game !!!!. What is it some people expect from these games ?,it's a training session ffs.It really baffles me how some fans react to training matches,I don't give a flying f***k about these games,we thumped Chelsea pre-season last year..........does that mean we are better than them ?,get a grip guys,I mean did Shalke kick oue ass today ?,don't think so,and if we had given them a hiding would that mean we are better than Shalke ?,don't think so. Some people are just looking for something to complain about at every opportunity,so yes it's going to be a long season................for some!!!!

JOHN FLECK says he's ignoring all the hype about him after he scored his first goal for Rangers on Wednesday night. John FleckThe 16-year-old broke his Light Blues duck when he grabbed the clincher six minutes from the end of the 3-1 friendly win over Sportfreunde Lotte. Big things are expected from Fleck, whose double proved decisive in last season's Youth Cup final win against Celtic at Hampden. But he isn't paying any attention to it the anticipation of others and is focused only on playing his way into Walter Smith's first-team plans now. Fleck said: "I just let all of that bypass me and allow people to keep talking. I'm sure there folk are a few out there who don't like me as well. "I feel I've learned a lot in the last 12 months but all that matters now is that I keep doing what I'm doing. "I don't know what will happen this season but I'll just keep working hard and doing my best to get into the squad. "A few of the young lads have a chance of being involved because of the SPL's under-21 rule but if I keep doing what I'm doing, hopefully that'll be enough for me." Fleck was thrilled to find the net against Lotte, his goal coming after a lay-off from debutant Andrius Velicka.John Fleck But it says much about the high standards he sets himself that he feels he should have got on the scoresheet much sooner than he did. Fleck added: "Obviously it was great for me to start and for the team to win. I should probably have had three or four goals but it was still good to score one. "With the first couple of chances I had, I was still nervous as it was early in the game and I hit them straight away. "I was unlucky with another one but the last one sat up well and I was really pleased that it went in." Fleck is relishing his opportunity to work with Smith's squad here in Holland and in Germany this week. He was also involved in last summer's pre-season tour, making a brief appearance in the 4-2 win over SV Lippstadt as a replacement for Nacho Novo. But having just completed a top-team game for the first time, the teenager believes he is making progress and few would disagree. Boyd congratulates Fleck after his great strikeFleck said: "It is great being away with the team this week. This is all I ever wanted to do and after being part of the group at this stage last year, it is good to be here again. "Last summer, I got a few minutes in one of the matches but now I've just played a full game and hopefully I'll just keep progressing now. "Getting that long on the pitch with the boys is only going to help me. I might feel a bit tired afterwards but it can only be good for the future. "People are stronger and tougher than me at this level and when I'm working with the first team, they move the ball about a lot quicker but I'm getting used to that."

WALTER SMITH has announced that Davie Weir will lead Rangers into the new campaign. The 38-year-old centre back who is such an influence will be captain while Barry Ferguson recovers from the ankle surgery he had last Monday. And Smith says he is a deserving candidate for the way he has managed to keep himself in such fantastic shape. He said: "David Weir will captain the team while Barry Ferguson is injured. He has done it before. "David was a big part of our major success last season. It is not an easy decision for any manager to make or even talk about when it comes to a player's age but he deserves tremendous credit. "Initially we signed him for a year and he did really well for us but it is starting to come into the equation when you get to 38. "Paolo Maldini is 40, was going to retire and then changed his mind so you have to compliment these guys for the discipline and professionalism. "Good luck to all of these guys but nobody deserves it more than big Davie for the way he conducts himself. "I have not come across a more honest professional. He is a great man but he has a lot about him as well; he does not like losing."

WALTER SMITH is predicting that Kevin Thomson and Stevie Whittaker will become key players for Rangers in the new campaign. As he prepares to face Schalke in the Veltins Arena this afternoon, Smith reckons the former Hibs pair will raise their game to a higher level. And he also feels Lee McCulloch can offer more have established himself at Rangers now. Smith said: "Not just because Barry is injured but I think in terms of his own progression Kevin can move forward and be a terrific and important player for us this season. "It always takes a bitKevin Thomson of time to make the transition from, for example, Hibs to Rangers and settle in. "I think he did that last season, when he played exceptionally well in parts for us. This season I am looking for more maturity and consistency in his play. "He is ready for that and Steven Whittaker is exactly the same; I hope he too can come to the fore a bit more. "I do not think he has been inhibited by Barry's presence I just think it is a natural aspect of coming to Rangers and Celtic and playing with that higher expectancy week in, week out. "It is different if you are talking about a player at 28 who has been around a bit but at 22 and 23 it takes a bit longer to settle. "Steven is a right back it was just last season, with him capable of playing in other positions, that circumstances dictated. At the start, we had Alan Hutton and I felt Steven could work well in front of him wide right. "Lee is another in that bracket. He is slightly more experienced but he has had that year behind him now and is also quite adaptable. He is another who will have an influence this season, I have no doubt about that." Smith has no doubts that Schalke will represent a major test for his side as he tries to find the right formation for the vital Champions League qualifiers.Steven Whittaker Carlos Cueller, Kyle Lafferty and DaMarcus Beaasley will all miss out along with Allan McGregor and it will be interesting to see who Smith chooses for the front places. He said: Schalke will be a good team. I think they came close to the title two years ago but won only one of their last four games and lost out to Stuttgart and they finished third last season "They have spent money again this summer to try and take it that one step further so they will be a good test. ahead of our Champions League matches, "They have changed quite a bit since last season and are maybe not totally at the stage they have been at." Meanwhile, Smith has revealed that he has arranged three closed door games for next week in addition to the friendlies against Clyde and Raith Rovers to give match action to all of his squad.

RANGERS Football Club has been informed that former goalkeeper George Niven has sadly passed away at the age of 79. George NivenThe Ibrox great, who enjoyed a memorable decade at the club from 1951-61 after signing for Bill Struth, was the successor to Bobby Brown and was both courageous and dependable between the posts. This was evident in the 1953 Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen when he suffered a horrific head knock going down at the feet of Paddy Buckley on 27 minutes. George Young took his place in goals but Niven reappeared at the start of the second-half and, with his head swathed with bandages, produced a superb display of shotstopping which kept the scoreline level at full time. Rangers won the replay and, in total, the Blairhill-born keeper played his part in five League Championship, two Scottish Cup and one League Cup triumphs, making 327 appearances for the club. His best ever season was perhaps in 1959-60 when he was outstanding throughout and was selected for Scotland against England. He was to play his last league match against Motherwell at Ibrox on March 25, 1961 before moving on to Partick Thistle where he played a further 232 games with distinction in one of the Jags best-ever teams. RIP

Just a wee injury,should be fit for the next game,if not then the Shalke04 game,same with Lafferty

Well I don't know how much he asked for,but why would we chase him only to then turn around say, he asked for too much money if it wasn't tue ?

Why would you hope he flops though ?,I mean how can that possibly help Rangers ?

Don't see what the problem is here,Rangers & Watford agree a deal,the player demands high wages and Rangers tell him to GTF,I have to agree with Rangers,why should we pay whatever a player demands,any player !!!

Good post Frankie.However the only reason this going to be a pressure pot scenario for KM & WS is that some fans are just never going to accept KM back,wrongly IMO,as by all accounts the boo boys have been active already in yesterdays friendly !!!!!.Any player deserves a chance IMO and WS certainly deserves our support,but unfortunately this is not going to happen and I fear the worst for KM in the coming season,hope i'm wrong but doubt it. I actually think the KM is a decent player and will improve the team,worth 2m ?,I don't know,but who is and isn't worth 2m. Bottom line is he has signed and gets my support as do all Rangers players and I for one hope he has a great season and prove he can improve Rangers.

Alot of guys were wanting BF dropped,obviously not through injury,however we will see how we play without him,bad news all the same.