ian1964

Agreed,however never mind the next qualifiers,lets get intae the Italians and get to the finals :cheers:

You're Fan-tastic RANGERS Chief Executive Martin Bain today praised the Club's supporters for creating an 'outstanding Champions League atmosphere ' against Barcelona at Ibrox. He said the Rangers fans ensured that Ibrox was seen 'at its very best' and the supporters provided a massive boost to the team. The chief executive said: "Our fans deserve real credit for the effort they put in to create another outstanding Champions League atmosphere at Ibrox. "The players have asked me to convey their thanks to the fans for their tremendous support. It really makes a difference to the team to have the whole stadium in full voice. "Our supporters put an enormous amount of work into creating a card display which reflected the visitors are 'more than a club' and that they feel the same way about Rangers. "They also made sure the atmosphere was kept up throughout the game which was a great boost to the team and showed Ibrox as an excellent arena for these big games. It was a very good night all round for Rangers." Mr Bain also paid tribute to Rangers fans groups for launching their 'Champions League - We're Having a Ball" campaign to celebrate the Club's two glamour games against Barcelona. He said: "The fans are determined to create a party atmosphere around these games and Barcelona is a special place for our Club. To see the Barcelona supporters applauding the Rangers fans at full time was fantastic. "The 'Having a Ball' campaign deserves the full support of every Rangers fan and everyone associated with the Club." :cheers:

A bit different from BORAT :cheers:

UEFA Champions League : Group A Table 03 October 2007 21:38 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Marseille 2 2 0 0 3 0 3 6 2 FC Porto 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4 3 Liverpool 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1 4 Besiktas 2 0 0 2 0 3 -3 0 UEFA Champions League : Group B Table 03 October 2007 21:38 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Chelsea 2 1 1 0 3 2 1 4 2 Valencia 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3 3 Schalke 04 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 3 4 Rosenborg 2 0 1 1 1 3 -2 1 UEFA Champions League : Group C Table 03 October 2007 21:39 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Olympiakos 2 1 1 0 4 2 2 4 2 Real Madrid 2 1 1 0 4 3 1 4 3 Lazio 2 0 2 0 3 3 0 2 4 Werder Bremen 2 0 0 2 2 5 -3 0 UEFA Champions League : Group D Table 03 October 2007 21:39 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Shakhtar Donetsk 2 2 0 0 3 0 3 6 2 Celtic 2 1 0 1 2 3 -1 3 3 AC Milan 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 3 4 Benfica 2 0 0 2 1 3 -2 0 UEFA Champions League : Group E Table 23 October 2007 01:00 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Barcelona 3 2 1 0 5 0 5 7 2 Rangers 3 2 1 0 5 1 4 7 3 Lyon 3 1 0 2 2 6 -4 3 4 VfB Stuttgart 3 0 0 3 1 6 -5 0 UEFA Champions League : Group F Table 23 October 2007 01:00 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Man Utd 3 3 0 0 6 2 4 9 2 Roma 3 2 0 1 4 2 2 6 3 Sporting 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 3 4 Dynamo Kiev 3 0 0 3 3 8 -5 0 UEFA Champions League : Group G Table 23 October 2007 01:00 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Inter Milan 3 2 0 1 4 2 2 6 2 Fenerbahce 3 1 2 0 3 2 1 5 3 PSV 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 4 4 CSKA Moscow 3 0 1 2 4 6 -2 1 UEFA Champions League : Group H Table 23 October 2007 01:00 P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Arsenal 3 3 0 0 11 0 11 9 2 Sevilla 3 2 0 1 6 6 0 6 3 Slavia Prague 3 1 0 2 4 12 -8 3 4 Steaua Bucharest 3 0 0 3 2 5 -3 0 We're sitting good as it stands just now, CAN WE GET THROUGH ?

Henry Says Rangers Will Make Knockout Stages Oct 24 2007 By Craig Swan THIERRY HENRY insists Rangers are heading to the knockout stages of the Champions League. The French flyer made his assessment after the Scots produced a heroic display to quell Barcelona in an engrossing Ibrox encounter. Henry and the Catalan giants enjoyed large chunks of possession against Smith’s men but were unable to find a way through the disciplined Rangers rearguard. The point earned kept Rangers in joint-top spot in Group E after three matches and leaves them in a position few of their supporters could have dreamt about when the draw was made. Henry insists the opportunity is there for Rangers to follow through with their good start and grab a spot in the last 16 at the expense of French champs Lyon and German title winners Stuttgart. The key game game could come for Rangers against the French on matchday five but their 3-0 success in the Stade Gerland last month has left Henry in little doubt about the chances of Smith’s side. When asked if Rangers were heading through the former Arsenal star said: "Why not? I don’t know how the game is going to be at our place but I think Rangers have what it takes to also win in Stuttgart and the decisive game could be here against Lyon. "If it goes like it is right now Lyon would have to come here and win with a big scoreline. "To be honest, although I am French, I don’t see that happening here. "You have to give Rangers credit. They fought very hard, they are top of the group with ourselves and they deserve to be where they are." Rangers entered the group as bottom seeds and were expected to be cannon fodder for their more illustrious opponents. But the Light Blues have refused to accept their underdogs tag and now stand on the verge of a sensational progression to the last 16. Henry said: "The seeding situation is just a question of what you did in the past in the Champions League. "At the moment Rangers, Celtic and Scottish football is showing that they are doing well. "I surely know all of the players who are playing here and I know what they are capable of. "Seedings are just about the past years and I am not surprised. Some people might be but not me." The form of Rangers and Scotland’s other sides in Europe was predicted by Henry before the season started. The ex-Gunner spoke out during the club’s pre-season stay at St Andrews and was adamant that good times were ahead for the nation’s football. Now it is happening and Henry admits he’s taking great pleasure in seeing the people who scoffed at his prophecy eat humble pie. He said: "I said it and sometimes you just have to try to believe in it. When I said it at St Andrews I saw a couple of people were laughing when I spoke of players who were at Dundee United. "I was sure they were more than decent players and they are showing that Scottish football is way better than some think. "Milan lost 2-1 at Celtic and although we didn’t lose here, it is still a good point. Rangers won convincingly in Lyon and that is a team which won the league six times in France. "It is not easy to win that league and I know what that takes. "You just need to go and win and Rangers and Celtic and Scotland have shown that you can do it. "They have shown there are no such thing as small and big teams." Henry knows that Barca controlled large portions of the encounter last night but credited Rangers for their sterling defending. Keeper Allan McGregor was not overworked during the contest and the French ace said: "I thought the game was going to be this way. I thought they would stay back and try to get us on the counter attack. "I think Rangers did well. We had control of the ball for long spells in the match, although Daniel Cousin had a chance in the last 15 minutes when he shot over the bar. "Overall we might have played our game a little quicker when we passed it around but I think a point away from home in the Champions League is a good result. "We have played two away matches since the group started and now we have two home matches coming up. "If we can get the wins I think we can go through. "It was also an important point for Rangers and I think that is why they played the way they did and all credit to them. "They managed to go to Lyon and win 3-0 so the draw for them was a good result, although a victory would have been better." Henry heaped praise on the Rangers support after the game as well as Smith’s team and added: "The fans were unbelievable again. Not shouting, swearing or calling stupid things. They just supported their team and that is what you like to see." Rangers, of course, will face a similar siege when the go to the Nou Camp in a fortnight but Henry said: "I don’t know if they can expect a different Barcelona because the only thing we missed was a goal. We had so much of the ball at our feet. "We tried to play and do some good movement but we have to give credit to Rangers. We will try to play the same in the Nou Camp and add a goal."

To be fair to Henry,he is tipping Rangers to qualify and praised them and the fans for a great atmosphere

He's French !!!!!!!,he would not have been looking forward to coming to Scotland because we always beat the French !!!!!!

It's only a matter of time before one of the big clubs come knocking on the door for him IMO

That was a massive point IMO,Barca are one of the favs to win the competition and before a ball was kicked I would have taken a point,and we're still top of the league with Barca

The TimesOctober 23, 2007 Frank Rijkaard glowing in acclaim for opposition leaderPhil Gordon Frank Rijkaard and Walter Smith exchanged compliments yesterday about their respective playmakers but the Barcelona manager’s endorsement of Barry Ferguson was so glowing, that if the Rangers captain lives up to his potential tonight, he might be playing alongside Andres Iniesta in the Nou Camp next season. The coach of the Spanish team admitted before the Champions League encounter between the sides at Ibrox that he was wary to nominate a player from the opposition, because it always “leads to stories that Barcelona is interested”. However, with Ferguson, he could not help himself. The 29-year-old Scotland midfield player was described as “the spirit of the Rangers team” by Rijkaard and the back-to-back fixtures with Barcelona in group E represent an excellent shop window. “I do not like to speak about just one player in particular, but I have to say I like Barry Ferguson,” Rijkaard said. “He is one of their key players. He has been at the club a long time and represents the spirit and mentality of the team. “He is a good team player but also a very technical footballer. He makes decisions and reads the game very well. Rangers have a lot of important players but sometimes it is necessary to have someone that draws the attention of everyone else, and that is Ferguson.” Rijkaard, of course, is usually spoilt for choice when it comes to just about every position. However, the absence of Deco and Yaya TourÃ?© through injury has impacted upon Rijkaard’s options in midfield, so much so that he may restore Eidur Gudjohnsen to the team and asked the former Chelsea striker to help out Iniesta and Xavi in the the centre of the pitch. Related Links Smith: Rangers will not suffer from fear Smith revels in newfound status Ironically, just a few hours earlier, Smith had also held a press conference inside Ibrox, when he specifically picked out Iniesta as an unsung hero in terms of the global coverage of Barcelona, which is infatuated with the galacticos, such as Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi or Ronaldinho. “Xavi and Iniesta are very good players and get overlooked,” he said. Iniesta has the same feel for Barcelona that Ferguson has for Rangers. It is home. The player who was given his debut by Louis van Gaal at the age of 18 was linked during the summer with a Ã?£40 million move to Real Madrid, but says that he wants to remain at the Nou Camp until he retires. However, Iniesta expects a fierce contest in midfield tonight. “Rangers are a strong team and I know they will fight us for every ball,” the 23-year-old Spain player said. “They have good forwards and two Spanish players [Carlos Cuellar and Nacho Novo] who will want to do well against a side from their own country.”

Stuttgart Boss Dismisses Rangers' Chances Oct 23 2007 By Roddy Thomson Champions League Crunch... Rangers V Barcelona, Ibrox, 7.45pm Stuttgart V Lyon STUTTGART boss Armin Veh wrote off Rangers' win in Lyon as a fluke and insisted the French are favourites to progress with Barcelona. The Group E bottom pair meet in Germany tonight with the losers almost certainly being eliminated. If Veh is right he must be expecting Lyon to get off the mark - but that's not the case. He said: "Rangers played a better game in Lyon than they did against us at Ibrox but Lyon should have won. "The French were better when you count up their opportunities. They are getting back to their best and you can't overlook their European experience. "That could prove crucial in terms of who goes through with Barcelona. "We are both looking at Barca winning in Glasgow and in Spain so Rangers are in a false position because of the way the fixtures have fallen. "Six points is a lot to make up but we each have a great chance to turn it around." Mexican midfielder Pavel Pardo was more wary and worries the Germans and Lyon will cut each other up. The Stuttgart midfielder said: "When you say Rangers are lucky to win 3-0, you're asking for trouble. The Scots are in such a good position because they worked hard to get the two wins. "I have warned my young compadre Giovani dos Santos that the biggest obstacle Barca face will be the fans in Glasgow - they give their team such power." Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Hamburg was Stuttgart's sixth in 10 league games and Veh is without seven first picks tonight. Lyon have hit top form since losing to Rangers and Jeremy Toulalan is convinced his side will qualify. The midfielder said: "Everyone says we're now competing for third place but the players know we can do it"

Boruc: Why I Didn't Shake Rangers' Hands Oct 23 2007 By Keith Jackson And Neil Cameron Celt Insists They Are Enemies ARTUR BORUC admitted he did not shake hands with Rangers players because he does not like them and considers them as the enemy. Celtic's keeper has spoken for the first time since his latest Old Firm flashpoint, which saw him snub Barry Ferguson, David Weir and Lee McCulloch after his side's 3-0 Ibrox defeat on Saturday. Now Boruc has sparked further controversy by insisting he only reacted in such a stroppy manner because Walter Smith's players had deliberately set out to "hurt" him during the game. Speaking in Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, Boruc said: "Why should I shake hands with any player? Do I have to? "I don't have to like anybody - and I don't. I don't like them, I don't like the club and I don't like the players - end of story. "They were provoking me throughout the game. They were teasing me and and they were trying to hurt me. "And then they were suddenly full of love and warmth towards me? That is ridiculous. "We are enemies. We are fighting for the title and any form of friendship is out of the question. "Of course, if we meet outside in the city centre I would obviously shake hands with them. "Otherwise it's not my duty. I don't have to do that."

Barcelona defender Eric Abidal believes they need to cope with the "physical" challenge posed by Rangers if they are to overcome the Scots in Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash. Abidal is wary of the threat posed by Rangers having lost twice to Scotland in the past 13 months with France. The former Lyon player is expecting a physical battle at Ibrox and he has called on his team-mates to stand up to the fight. Aggressive "I have played against Scotland for France and we have lost twice," said Abidal. "They play very aggressive football, it is much more physical." Barcelona go into the game without a number of key midfielders and Abidal is hoping he is not pushed up from defence to cover for the injured Yaya Toure, Edmilson and Rafael Marquez. Position "I am a defender, not a midfielder," added Abidal. "I am not used to playing in midfield. "To be honest, it's not a position I fancy very much. There are players that can cover that area and it is up to the boss to decide which of us will have to do that."

Here's an interesting wee treble, Lyon to win 7/5,Shaktar to win 6/1 & Getafe to to beat Spurs on Thursday 5/1

It is true though,the Rangers players must get a huge lift when the fans are giving it laldy :cheers:

All the pressure is on Barca IMO,the players should just go out and enjoy the night

Hemdani & JCD out injured for the Barca game,Boyd joins the squad

Highly rated Austrian Referee Konrad Plautz will take charge of the the Champions League game at Ibrox tomorrow night. And that could be a lucky omen for Rangers,because Plautz was the man in charge when Rangers drew 1-1 with Inter Milan two years ago when we qualified for the last 16 of the CL. He was also the Ref at the Parc de Princes last month when Scotland won 1-0. Plautz has proved he is not intimidated by the glamour clubs as he sent off Cristiano Zanetti at Ibrox in that qualifier and was fiem and fair throughout. Plautz is a toolmaker to trade and is highly thought of by UEFA and covered the super cup final between AC Milan and Sevilla in Monaco in August.He was also in charge of Milans narrow 1-0 win over Celtic in the last 16 of the champions league last season.

I tend to agree with you here......................however I never thought Scotland could go to France and win 1-0,YOU JUST NEVER KNOW.........IT'S A FUNNY OLD GAME :cheers:

Rangers v Barcelona Group E tomorrow Sky Sports 2, kick-off 7.45pm Giovanni van Bronckhorst has spent so many years on the Champions League stage that it feels strange for him to be sitting in front of the television at his home in the Netherlands watching this season’s tournament unfold. Tomorrow night, he will not just be a passive viewer. The Dutchman’s heart will be pulling in two separate directions. It has been six years since Van Bronckhorst left Ibrox but that has not diluted his great affection for Rangers. Normally, the 32-year-old would be giving his complete backing to the Glasgow club. However, they are playing Barcelona, the team with whom he lifted the European Cup in 2006 after a memorable comeback against Arsenal, another of his former teams. “I just hope it is a great game for the fans and obviously I would love both teams to qualify,” is Van Bronckhorst’s diplomatic stance. He may well get his wish. Rangers have come out of the blocks so impressively in Group E that two victories in the first two games, against VfB Stuttgart and Lyons, have given Walter Smith’s side six points and a surprise share of the leadership with Barcelona. Related Links Aberdeen limp off to Athens No one has been more thrilled than Van Bronckhorst, who won two Scottish titles during his three years at Ibrox before a Ã?£7.5 million move to Highbury in 2001. “I said before the tournament started that Rangers could progress this season and their results so far have been fantastic,” the Holland player told icons.com. “However, this will easily be their biggest test. Barcelona are playing some great football and even at Ibrox they will be incredibly dangerous.” Celtic can testify to that. Barcelona are the only one of the past 17 Champions League visitors to win at Celtic Park, thanks in part to Henrik Larsson, who scored in a 3-1 success in September 2004 only months after leaving the Scottish club. The east end of Glasgow reserved a few jeers for Van Bronckhorst that night because of his association with the other half of the Old Firm. However, while Barcelona are the sort of club that players find it hard to say no to, that is exactly what Van Bronckhorst has done. The gifted left-sided midfield player, who frequently played at left back for Barcelona just to get into Frank Rijkaard’s stellar lineup, left the Nou Camp during the summer to return to Feyenoord, his first club and the one he left in 1998 when Dick Advocaat paid Ã?£5 million to bring him to Rangers. Van Bronckhorst put his heart ahead of money, eschewing a larger salary at BarÃ?§a – to whom he was contracted until 2008 – so that he could return to Rotterdam, to the city in which he was raised, and to the club he supported as a child and joined at the age of 7. Feyenoord, however, are not involved in European action this season. They were banned after their supporters caused trouble at a Uefa Cup tie in Nancy, France, last season. He may have thought he had escaped the limelight by returning to the Netherlands but this week he has been besieged by journalists from Spain and Scotland seeking his views on the Rangers-Barcelona contest. One player, above all others, excites him: Lionel Messi. Ibrox should be able to see the mesmeric Argentina player, but Van Bronckhorst already detects a maturity from the forward who turned 20 only in June. “Lionel is living up to all the hopes that everyone has for him,” he said. “He is a player with amazing skill and is putting those talents to the best use for the team. I enjoyed watching him progress at the Nou Camp and, to be honest, we are all amazed by him.” And Van Bronckhorst insists that, at 32, the learning curve is not over for him either. “As a captain now at Feyenoord I know the responsibility of leadership when things are not going well. I have played under some great captains, like Barry Ferguson, Tony Adams and Carlos Puyol, and I learnt from them.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article2710409.ece

The guy was just letting the unwashed know who was BOSS !!,exactly what we have been missing,superb attitude from Hutton

LOUIS VAN GAAL last night warned Rangers they face mission impossible tomorrow night against Barcelona. The Spanish giants have big injury problems ahead of the Champions League clash with Portuguese ace Deco out for five weeks and fellow midfielders Yaya Toure and Rafael Marquez also on the sidelines. Ronaldinho missed Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Villarreal amid more reports of partying while away on World Cup duty with Brazil while Thierry Henry failed to sparkle at the weekend. But former Barca coach van Gaal has written off Walter Smith's side despite their emphatic Old Firm victory and successive group wins over Stuttgart and Lyon. He said: "Anything can happen in football but it's impossible for Rangers to beat my old club. "Rangers are doing well and have surprised many with the way they've started the group stage of the Champions League but facing Barcelona is something else. "I'm sure they will believe they can do something in Glasgow - but I just don't think it's possible. "Not only do Barca work hard but they also have a great physical strength and I don't think you can stop them at the moment. Rangers can try but I do not think so." Van Gaal knows what it takes to win the Champions League after guiding Ajax to glory in 1995 and the AZ Alkmaar boss believes Rangers' best tactic is to sit in. The man who delivered two La Liga titles during his four-year spell at the Nou Camp knows stars like Ronaldinho, Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o can pick holes in any defence in the world but reckons Barca are vulnerable to the counter-attack. He said: "People talk a lot about Messi but there isn't just one star at Barca - there are 11 stars. "My advice to Rangers is to reduce the space and look for any opportunity to hit them on the break. "The way Barca play there is always space in behind their defence and Rangers must use their quick players to make the most of this." Meanwhile, one of Henry's old Arsenal team-mates reckons the Frenchman can be stopped at Ibrox. Robert Pires was in the Villarreal side that won on Saturday night and he reckons Barca aren't giving Henry the ball enough Pires said: "Barcelona are not playing as they have to with Henry. "They are not looking for him enough. He hardly touched the ball against us. He is a player who needs to be on the ball. "He has to be involved in the game. At Arsenal when we had the ball we would always look for him but at Barcelona that is just not happening." Henry scored three times for France last week to become his country's all-time record goal scorer but delivered his worst Barcelona display ahead of the trip to Scotland. However, Pires blamed the poor club form on Barcelona's failure to play to Henry's strengths rather than any lethargy from his former team-mate. He said: "They both have to adapt to each other. Barcelona have to adapt and Thierry also but he is a player who is very easy to play with - and I'm not saying this because I played for three years with him." Pires led Villarreal's assault on Barcelona's jittery defence with the Barca back-line breached three times inside the first 35 minutes. And he believes a similar hightempo game can earn Rangers a shock win tomorrow. Pires said: "Rangers have to be aggressive in midfield. If you want to beat Barcelona you have to put them under pressure in the middle of the park. "You have to be on top of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Deco, although Deco won't be playing after his injury on Saturday. "Those three are the most important players in their team and it is from there that the danger comes so you cannot afford to let them play. "It will be very difficult for Barcelona in Scotland because of the pace Rangers play at. "You would expect Barcelona to win but they always give you chances to score. You have to put them under pressure - that is why we won on Saturday. "We put them under pressure, we defended well, we got hold of the ball and we played with great intensity." Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna reckons Ibrox' intimidating atmosphere can roar Rangers to victory. The midfielder, who scored two penalties in the surprise weekend win, played at Ibrox two seasons ago for Villarreal in the last 16 of the Champions League. Senna said: "The fans are like an extra player for Rangers. The Ibrox atmosphere is one of the best in the world. "When I played there it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "I would love it if the fans in Spain were like that. Rangers' supporters are among the best in the world and they can help their team enormously. "When we played there we drew 2-2 - we went ahead and then they came back at us and the fans made anoise I have never heard before. I will never forget that night." Senna agreed with team-mate Pires that Rangers can take the points if they get in among Barca's superstars. He said: "When you play against Barca you can't give them space to play. They have great players in midfield so you have to put them under pressure and play with speed and intensity because if not then they kill you. "I think Rangers can play that way - they are a very strong team, a big team in Scotland - and I think they can play with that intensity and beat Barca. "Of course, they have to play a very complete game because Barcelona are one of the best sides in Europe. "It doesn't get you anywhere to sit back against Barcelona. They will just play the ball around and they will wear you out with their passing game. "We were playing at home and we have a good team so we were not going to just sit back and defend. "We did what we always do - we played our football and tried to get forward whenever it was possible." Barcelona were criticised in the Spanish press following the defeat at Villarreal but Frank Rijkaard's No.2 Johan Neeskens insists his side aren't worried. He said. "Rangers always play the same way - especially at home - so we are not expecting any surprises. We know they had a big win at the weekend but that is good. "It won't change how we approach the game. Always when we go out to play a game we play for the win."

It's a great idea IMO,it's now down to a one off game against the world champions,we must give ourselves every chance of beating them

I don't really care who they bring/play,no-one expects us to take anything,however I right good battling 0-0 could be got,you just never know though,another shock result !!!!