Search the Community

Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan and Birmingham's Semih Aydilek move to Motherwell on loan until the end of the season. More...

A 4-4-2 or a 4-51? I'm presuming it'll be a 4-4-2 so who would you play up front. I'll put down some options and we can try to gauge who we want to see there cos there is obviosly a huge split in opinion.

Do Rangers have a new gem in John Fleck? It is too early to say, but in an age scarce for precocious Scottish talent, the 17-year-old certainly looks something to savour. On Saturday, Ibrox once more rose and paid tribute to the young midfield player, perhaps with gratitude as much as pride, given the way Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s team toiled to overcome Dundee United. While Rangersââ?¬â?¢ teething problems continue, over on their left flank there remains a rare ray of light. Fleck, blessed with a robust physical presence, has a wonderful poise over the ball, enabling him to skip past opponents, and can also see a pass. He also has bags of confidence, as evident in the way he hungrily grabbed the ball for himself, after Mihael Kovacevic had pulled him down, to shoot home the 76th-minute penalty that set Rangers on course for this win. For Rangers fans there was an obvious downside. Part of the reason for the adulation of Fleck was born of relief, given the sheer poverty of Rangersââ?¬â?¢ approach up until then. Facing a five-man midfield is nothing new these days but Smithââ?¬â?¢s men got into quite a stew trying to find a way past United. Rangers created precious few chances and, as has been the case so often before, an increasingly irate Ibrox crowd let them know about it. Related Links * No worry over lack of Ibrox transfers * Chairman defends Rangers housekeeping * Novo fires Rangers into the final The young man on their left-midfield, however, remained unfazed by it all, and there is going to be excitement around Ibrox at seeing how well Fleck can progress. It wouldnââ?¬â?¢t surprise anyone if Walter Smith chose to rest him for Wednesday eveningââ?¬â?¢s glamour friendly against AC Milan, but his Rangers future looks full of promise. ââ?¬Å?It is scary how good he is,ââ?¬Â Steven Whittaker said of Fleck. ââ?¬Å?Heââ?¬â?¢s got talent in abundance and has shown that he is more than capable of playing on this stage. Heââ?¬â?¢s got a great future ahead of him. John has got that special type of talent ââ?¬â?? he sees pictures in his head. His touch and his contribution are very good.ââ?¬Â An irate Ibrox crowd? How often have we seen this before? Kris Boyd, in particular, became the object of scorn from a section of the Govan faithful. This was one of those classic occasions the striker would sooner forget, when all he does is replenish the ammunition of those who, bizarrely, want him removed from Ibrox. Boyd fluffed at this and fluffed at that as the play bobbled around him and became a desolate figure in the second half as United began to press. And the crowd let him know of it. ââ?¬Å?Four million pounds-worth of mince!ââ?¬Â a voice boomed from the main stand as Boyd ââ?¬â?? the subject of such a bid from Birmingham City ââ?¬â?? was relieved of duty by his manager after 73 minutes to make way for Kyle Lafferty. And as the poor Rangers striker trudged to the touchline, another voice rang out: ââ?¬Å?Aye, Boyd, just you keep walking... right out the front door.ââ?¬Â His manager gave him a heartfelt handshake as the striker sank into the dugout. Smith knows how unforgiving Ibrox can be. Fleckââ?¬â?¢s penalty with 14 minutes remaining, and Laffertyââ?¬â?¢s goal right on the 90th minute, spared Rangers any more angst. United, however, were once more a credit under Craig Levein, and are well and truly the third force again in Scottish football. With Willo Flood having gone, the battle goes on for Levein to keep his squad keen and vigorous with players that have remained under the radar. In such as Flood, Craig Conway, Scott Robertson and Morgaro Gomis, Levein has revealed his perceptive eye for a player, and over these remaining 24 hours of the transfer window he wants to try to acquire a new midfield player for Tannadice. The situation is all the more acute given Robertsonââ?¬â?¢s absence through injury for up to two months. ââ?¬Å?If your team is doing well you have to accept that the vultures will start to arrive,ââ?¬Â Levein said when asked about the loss of Flood to Celtic. ââ?¬Å?You just have to get on with it. My job is to find new players, but there is no doubt these have been a tough three or four days for us.ââ?¬Â Just three days earlier, United had lost to Celtic after 120 pulsating minutes and 24 penalties in the Cooperative Insurance Cup semi-final, but you wouldnââ?¬â?¢t have known they felt drained at Ibrox. While Leveinââ?¬â?¢s side have played better football than this, they remain a force to be reckoned with, on good days or bad. ââ?¬Å?I have some fantastic players and it was a testament to us that we came here expecting to win,ââ?¬Â Levein said. ââ?¬Å?We didnââ?¬â?¢t play particularly well but we worked our backsides off and the game was on a knife-edge for 75 minutes... basically, until their penalty. We were well in it up until then.ââ?¬Â Levein complained that the award against United was ââ?¬Å?softââ?¬Â, yet all the danger was caused by Fleck, who squirrelled into Unitedââ?¬â?¢s box from the inside-left channel and immediately got the better of Kovacevic. The United defender was forced to hastily try to stop the Rangers youngster, and Fleck hit the deck. Soft or not, plenty have been given in such circumstances, and Rangers were grateful to suddenly have their lead. Strangely, United wilted when both Jon Daly and David Goodwillie arrived to make up a three-man attack for the final 15 minutes, and Rangers eased to victory. With seconds remaining, Lafferty was left to prod a shot home from 18 yards after Lukasz Zaluska had saved from Barry Ferguson. Rangers, though, were under no illusions. ââ?¬Å?We were off the pace for an hour, and we struggled,ââ?¬Â Smith said. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article5636186.ece

Celtic open talks with Premier League rivals Hibernian about signing Scotland striker Steven Fletcher. More...

Anyone else get the feeling that we'll see Walter field a 4-5-1 at Parkhead on the 15th? Would it be a bad idea? I think it's fair to say that there's a pretty good chance that's exactly what we'll see. Nacho Novo is reportedly out for 2 or 3 weeks with an ankle injury and after the impact that Kyle Lafferty made when he came on against Dundee Utd today, there's the chance that we might see him getting a start up front as the lone striker. There's also a good chance that we'll see John Fleck deservedly retain his place on the left of midfield, since he's got the pace, skill & game awareness to give most defenses a troublesome time. In the absence of Kevin Thomson, the midfield 3 of Barry Ferguson, Pedro Mendes & Steven Davis practically picks itself, so the big question might be whether Walter goes with Naismith or Miller on the right wing. Despite the fact that neither of them are natural right wingers, they're both capable of doing a good job out there, so it's difficult to predict who Walter would start in that position. I'm undecided myself as to who I'd like to see starting there, but I'd probably go with Naismith & bring on Miller to replace him if need be. So, my prediction is that we'll be playing a 4-5-1 with the starting line-up looking something like:- .........Broadfoot - Bougerra - Weir - Papac........... Naismith/Miller - Davis - Mendes - Ferguson - Fleck ..............................Lafferty........................... If we happen to take the gamble & play a 4-4-2 the starting line-up would be looking something like:- .........Broadfoot - Bougerra - Weir - Papac........... ...........Davis - Mendes - Ferguson - Fleck........... ...................Boyd - Lafferty/Miller..................... It'll be a tough game, but I think we can definitely beat them. Score prediction:- Celtic 1 - Rangers 2

Exclusive by Lindsay Herron RINO GATTUSO will be hurting at Ibrox on Wednesday night because he will not be able to play against his beloved Rangers. A serious knee injury has wrecked his season and he is so disappointed that he won't be able to grace the turf once more. However, the combative midfielder who became a cult hero with the fans 11 years ago, will be thrilled to meet his mentor Walter Smith and believes the manager can deliver the SPL title this season. Rino Gattuso and Walter Smith Speaking exclusively to Rangers Media at the sensational Milanello training complex, he said: "My knee is getting better and I hope to be back in the squad within three months so I'm happy with that but I'm not happy that I will miss the chance to play against Rangers at Ibrox, "I will be coming to the game, though, and it will be great to meet up with some old friends. "I had only one and half years in Glasgow but it was a great time for me. I met a lot of great people and they all stay in my heart. "It's great that Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant are all back at the Club and I saw them recently.Rino Gattuso celebrates his goal against Beitar Jerusalem "I was back at Ibrox a year ago for the game with Motherwell and I went down to the manager's office after the match and it was like meeting up with the family again. "Walter was the most important man in my career and the best man in career. He gave me my big chance to play for a big club and I will never forget that. "But he has been an influence in my life too, not just my job. He is a nice person and I speak to him on the phone from time to time. "I hope that Walter can be successful again and of course I want him to win the league. "There is a smaller gap now between Rangers and Celtic so there is a chance. "It is four years since Rangers won the league so I know that they will be desperate to win it this year. "Celtic are a hard team. They have players who have been together for a while and Strachan is a very clever manager. "But Rangers have good players too and they still have a good chance."

Terry Butcher's Inverness end their run of defeats as they hold Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic. More...

Dundee United manager Craig Levein hopes to sign at least one midfielder after Willo Flood's exit to Celtic. More...

Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic are the guests for Terry Butcher's first match in charge of Inverness Caley Thistle. More...

By David Melvin STEVEN DAVIS has praised John Fleck for having the confidence to make a vital breakthrough for Rangers after the teenage star opened the scoring against Dundee United from the penalty spot. John FleckThe Northern Ireland international admits he expected the 17-year-old to pass on the penalty taking responsibility after he was fouled by Mihael Kovacevic. But the talented midfielder refused to surrender the ball and confidently slotted it past Lukas Zaluska to rapturous applause from the Ibrox crowd. Davis said: "He showed again today what he's all about. It took a lot of bottle to take the penalty in a match that was so important for us to win. "But he was obviously brought down for the penalty and he was more than confident of taking it and he stroked it away well. John Fleck, Rangers scores a penalty for Rangers"It was a key moment in the game and he won it for us, but you maybe expect him to get the ball and hand it on to one of the more senior players. "But he grabbed it with both hands and obviously wanted it and he took it well so we're delighted that he's got his first goal for the club and hopefully he can build on that again." It was a crucial moment for the home side after they had been frustrated by a dogged United team for 76 minutes. Davis was relieved to get another important three points against difficult opponents with the small matter of an Old Firm game to come in a little over two weeks time. Steven DavisHe added: "We've seen that in most home games teams come and are compact and make it difficult for us and that's why that first goal is so important. "It took a penalty to get there today but once we scored that the lads relaxed a little bit and started to play some good stuff after that. "I've said it before, but all we can do is concentrate on ourselves and keep picking up wins. "We've done that today and it puts a little bit of pressure on Celtic but they'll be looking to go and win too ahead of the Old Firm game in a couple of weeks." Davis was also delighted to see his compatriot Kyle Lafferty return to action and grab a late goal to put a more comfortable look on the scoreline. Kyle Lafferty, Rangers celebrates scoringLafferty finished comfortably in to an open goal in injury time having replaced Kris Boyd shortly before Fleck's opening goal. And Davis was impressed with the way his international team mate's introduction changed the game. He said: "I think he made an impact when he came on today and to get a goal was an added bonus. "He's been out for a little while with some niggling injuries so it's good to have him back after Nacho picked up a knock."

WHO, in their right mind, seriously expected bigger attendances for this weekâ��s Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-finals? I reckon that every paying punter should have been given a gold medal. Rangers v Falkirk pulled in more fans than watched Premiership contenders Liverpool at Wigan on Wednesday. The following night Celtic and Dundee United, with Scott MacDonald scoring the decisive penalty, above, drew a bigger crowd than the midweek Portsmouth- Aston Villa match despite live, terrestrial TV coverage. Set against the bigger picture, the Co-op Cup is an irrelevance. It lost its sparkle the moment its winners were denied a place in Europe but in these dire financial straits football needs every thin dime it can get. We should be on our knees thanking the insurance giant for its continued support of our game. For over a year, the SFA failed to hook a sponsor for its own flagship Scottish Cup before Glasgow entrepreneur Willie Haughey stepped in to save it. Football sponsorship will be the first casualty as the multi-nationals battle for survival. Be in no doubt, this game of ours is in a bad way. Every club in the country is in uncharted water. This is no ordinary credit squeeze and those who believe weâ��ll still have 42 senior clubs standing by this time next year need counselling. Even Carol Vorderman would struggle to make sense of Hearts' balance sheet Face facts, there will be no government bail out of Scottish football. In the current financial climate it will be every club for itself. When we see Sir David Murray is prepared to jeopardise Rangersâ�� title hopes by selling one of his best players in mid-season then we should all recognise the gravity of the situation. This week there was talk of Livingston players striking after their wages failed to appear in the bank on time. It was a carbon copy of events at Tynecastle earlier in the season. Even Carol Vorderman would struggle to make some sense of Heartsâ�� balance sheet as owner Vladimir Romanov continues to pile up the debts. But if Livi and the Jambos were the first to show signs of distress, they wonâ��t be the last. With sounder leadership in the past, Scottish football would be in better shape to get through this, but weâ��re reaping what has been sown for decades. Take that poor Hampden surface the other night. Those criticising the groundstaff or stadium director David Kells are missing the point. The pitch is poor because the amateurs of Queenâ��s Park are the only people who have the right to use it. Everyone else, including our international football team, pays through the nose for the privilege. We shovelled millions of pounds of taxpayersâ�� cash into rebuilding the ground but then we allowed Queenâ��s to keep the title deeds. You honestly couldnâ��t make it up. It might be called the National Stadium but it no more belongs to the nation than Harrods does. In a deal that would make the eyes water the SFA originally agreed to pay �£22million over 20 years for office space and use of the pitch! Not that the SFA ultimately represents the biggest threat to Scottish football. That distinction goes to the SPL, a private members club which is clearly no longer fit for purpose. Their manifesto promised to foster youth development. FAILED! They're doing their best to sink Scotland's World Cup hopes They promised supporters a better standard of football. FAILED! Better value for money? FAILED! Their only success was in driving clubs into the hands of banks through the 10,000 seat rule. Currently, theyâ��re doing their best to sink Scotlandâ��s World Cup hopes by kicking off the SPL season just days before George Burleyâ��s boys travel to Norway. Well done Lex Gold, take a bow. There is so much wrong with the game you wouldnâ��t know where to start, but start we must. Itâ��s several weeks since SFA president George Peat promised a major review of Scottish football. Independently chaired, it was to include all the relevant parties for the common good of the game. Since then we havenâ��t heard a cheep. If this was a throwaway soundbite to earn Peat some kudos he should be strung up. We donâ��t have time on our side. Half empty grounds and mudbath pitches will be the least of our worries unless Hampdenâ��s sixth floor gets its act together. More than a decade ago Fergus McCann told us Scotland couldnâ��t support more than 20 senior football clubs. Thereâ��s every chance heâ��s about to be proved right. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/150637/For-credit-crunch-read-meltdown.html

WALTER SMITH does not expect Dundee United to still be suffering a League Cup hangover when they visit Ibrox on Saturday. Walter SmithRangers' SPL opponents suffered a heart-breaking semi final defeat to Celtic at Hampden on Wednesday night after a remarkable penalty shootout. That set up an Old Firm final for the first time in six years and left United deflated after another spirited performance against one half of the Old Firm. But Smith fully expects Craig Levein's men to be back to their best when they take to the field tomorrow afternoon. He said: "I think there will be a good reaction from Dundee United tomorrow. "They will obviously have felt the disappointment of not reaching the final of the League Cup but they can be pleased about their performance on the night. It was excellent. Barry Ferguson and Morgaro Gomis"They have had good results against the Old Firm in recent games but not only that they have been terrific matches. "If you are a supporter coming along you would have enjoyed almost every one between the sides recently. "They have always been very tight and there are usually goals so it is a game to really look forward to." Smith again spoke of his respect for Levein and the job his opposite number has done since taking over at Tannadice. Walter Smith and Craig LeveinHe added: "He has done an excellent job at Tannadice. He went to United a couple of weeks before I returned to Rangers and he has lifted them up and they have played very well over the past 18 months or so. "This season they have shown that they are stepping up again and they have been terrific in terms of the manner in which they have played." The Ibrox boss can welcome Kyle Lafferty back to his squad ahead of the visit of Levein's side and he admits he is hopeful the Northern Ireland man can now get a run of games under his belt. He said: "It's important for him to get a run. He has not had that yet so we are hopeful he can get a level of consistency in to his play."

Gus MacPherson has been left raging with The SPL over rules that have prevented him taking Rangers defender Steven Smith on loan. SPL clubs are only allowed one loan signing over the age of 21 a season, and, with 21-year-old Scott Cuthbert on board from Celtic, a deal looks dead. But MacPherson has been left confused by the rule over three players under 21 being in the matchday squad, by which Cuthbert qualifies as one of the representatives. The conflict between the different rules has left the St Mirren manager unhappy and he wants it cleared up by the league. ââ?¬Å?The deal is dead and it is frustrating,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?We agreed a deal with Rangers, we spoke to the player and he was delighted to come. ââ?¬Å?We were double-checking the rules on loan deals when we found out. ââ?¬Å?There must be a reason for the rule being put in place but it seems strange. ââ?¬Å?You can't have conflicting rules regarding under-21 players. ââ?¬Å?Scott Cuthbert was 21 when he came to us yet he qualifies to play as an under-21 week-in, week-out in The SPL. ââ?¬Å?But according to the rule for loan deals, he is over 21 and we are only allowed one per season from this country. ââ?¬Å?We have highlighted an error in the rules, which hopefully will be looked at with common sense. ââ?¬Å?The SPL have explained to the club but it is a conflicting rule and I think it will be changed. ââ?¬Å?We have one or two players that we have enquired about but we are running out of time.ââ?¬Â It would have helped Stevie, shame.

KYLE Lafferty is desperate to put his injury problems behind him and return to the Rangers team as they bid to reclaim the SPL title. Kyle LaffertyLafferty has been sidelined since early January after taking a heavy knock to his knee and ankle in a closed door game at Murray Park. But now the Northern Ireland international is battling to make his way back in to Walter Smith's side as they aim to close the gap on rivals Celtic at the top of the table. He said: "It's good to be back. The injury wasn't as bad as we first thought and I'm back now and raring to go. "To be fair the whole of the first six or seven months have been about injuries for me and I haven't really got going. But hopefully this is the end of it and I can kick on now. "I supported this club when I was younger and I know how great a club it is so I want to prove to the fans and anyone who is doubting me that I can do a job for Rangers. "All I can do when I get my chance is to try to do my best and that's what I do every time I put on a blue shirt." Kyle Lafferty celebrates with Pedro MendesLafferty will aim to do that against Dundee United this weekend, but he knows that whatever team Smith fields, they will face a difficult challenge from Craig Levein's men. The Gers No.27 hit the net at Tannadice in December to earn his side a 2-2 draw and he is expecting another tough meeting with a side that have run Rangers close this season. He said: "They are a good side and we haven't managed to beat them yet this season so everyone in the dressing room knows what a good team they are. "I haven't been surprised by the challenge the teams outside the Old Firm are making because this is a good league, there are a lot of good teams in it." If he does get a chance, Lafferty knows it may not come in his favoured position - as a striker - but he insists he is ready for the fight he faces to earn a regular starting spot. He added: "The Gaffer has said that he bought me as a striker and that's my position. If I can't get a chance there in the first team hopefully I can show in the reserves what I am capable of. "Everybody knows what Kris Boyd is about and as long as he is scoring and the team are winning I'll be happy. So it's going to be hard to budge him but I'm up for the challenge."

This from Roddy Forsyth (I know, I know) in The Daily Telegraph - the heat is being turned up on Murray and his bullshit. David Murray is supervising a careful retreat over Rangers' ambitions. Rangers are still on course for a clean sweep of the domestic honours and have it in their own hands to overhaul Celtic for the Scottish Premier League title and an automatic and lucrative berth in the group stage of next season's Champions League. So why are so many Ibrox supporters so vocally fearful? The answer, quite simply, is the confusing mixture of actions and statements from the club chairman, Sir David Murray, over the course of a bleak month. Murray was in the headlines again this week, having provided his house journal, Rangers News, with a lengthy statement highlighting the virtues of prudent housekeeping, reduction of costs and the nurturing of new players. Since this was a rehash of his declarations at the start of the month in defence of Rangers' abortive attempt to sell top scorer, Kris Boyd, for a measly net gain of around Ã?£2.5 million, what was the point? In this case, look at the timing, not the substance. The transfer scene has been moribund since New Year, but it is a buyers' market and those with money to spend will drive hard bargains as Monday's deadline looms. Rangers have players who are surplus to requirements but, like Woolworth's stock in the latter days of that institution, what is on offer has been gathering dust for months. On the other hand, if Allan McGregor, Barry Ferguson and Boyd attract bids totalling Ã?£10-Ã?£11m this weekend, they will be off, no questions asked. Hence Murray's reiteration of his newfound commitment to an austerity regime in which – dread phrase – "youth is the future". Murray sarcastically observed: "I find it amazing that football scribes question my financial management." Well, a cat may look at a king and it requires no mastery of economics to see the contradictions in the Rangers' chairman's claim that defeat by Kaunas in the Champions League qualifiers had been "a disaster". When Murray plans Rangers' budget each year, he makes a prudent assumption of no European revenue beyond that of the first round of the Uefa Cup. So the difference between projected European income and this season's reality adds up to only two home games. Moreover, Kaunas knocked Rangers out of the Champions League qualifiers on Aug 5 – but after that Murray sanctioned the spending of Ã?£8.6m on Pedro Mendes, Steven Davis and Maurice Edu, in the full knowledge that there would be no further European income. The earlier summer acquisitions of Andrius Velicka, Kyle Lafferty, Kenny Miller and Madjid Bougherra cost Ã?£9.8m. Meanwhile, between January and September Rangers sold Alan Hutton (Ã?£9m), Carlos Cuellar (Ã?£7.8m) and Daniel Cousin (Ã?£1.5m). In total, then, expenditure in 2008 was Ã?£18.4m and income Ã?£18.3m – nothing there to petrify Mr Micawber. Plus the fact, the most recent accounts (to June 30, 2008) reported record turnover of Ã?£64.5m and a pre-tax profit of Ã?£8.3m. True, the overdraft was up to Ã?£21m and is now evidently around Ã?£25m – but debt never frightened Murray, except when he realised that he had allowed Dick Advocaat to become the Scottish football equivalent of Fred the Shred (and to much the same end). However, what does concern him is the health and morale of the other companies in the Murray Group. Murray's executives are famously discreet, but there have been mutinous mutterings about Rangers' place in the chairman's affections. Put simply, their feeling is that when he is asking them to sweat the companies for optimum revenue and profit in torrid trading conditions, the time and energy spent by Murray on Rangers is not only disproportionate, but unseemly. The attempt to get shot of Boyd may have shocked Rangers fans, but it had exactly the opposite effect within the Murray Group. And this is more than gesture politics. When Murray's father went bankrupt while he was in his teens, the future tycoon began his business career selling shirts to schoolmates. In that respect, he had a soul mate in Peter Cummings, who started in the Bank of Scotland at 17 by sweeping the floors and went on to be head of corporate banking at HBOS. But Cummings, a Glaswegian with a native sympathy for football, is one of the scapegoats for the HBOS debacle and lost his position in this month's takeover by Lloyds TSB. Under the new banking regime, there is no question of the benevolent attitude that allowed Murray to remedy Advocaat's excesses by buying up his own rights issue from other resources, as he did for Ã?£50m from Murray MHL Limited in 2004. All of which is a far cry from the bombast Murray once uttered about spending Ã?£2 for every Ã?£1 laid out by Celtic. Napoleon observed that an orderly withdrawal was worth a victory. Murray is supervising a careful retreat with the sensible aim of preserving his empire. Rangers fans, though, are not accustomed to occupying an outlying province. Nor, having been promised cakes and ale, do they have an appetite for powdered egg and Spam – and certainly not if Celtic should uncork the bubbly yet again this season.

Cardiff midfielder Willo Flood has completed his move to Celtic after undergoing a medical in Glasgow. More...

England's transfer market will eventually go into meltdown, predicts Celtic manager Gordon Strachan. More...

4 minutes to go in ET and it's 0-0. Been a pretty decent game. Flood missed a good chance at the start of the 2nd period of ET. Maybe he did it on purpose against his potential employers. End to end now, brilliant stuff! The last 2 minutes have been crazy. The dhims have hit the bar twice in the last couple of minutes.

By Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH paid tribute to Nacho Novo after the Spaniard's brace inspired Rangers to victory in the semi-final of the League Cup against Falkirk. Novo scores the first goalThe former Dundee hitman struck twice in the first half at Hampden to give the Light Blues a two-goal lead at half-time. A constant threat to the Bairns, he had chance in the second half to complete a hat-trick before Kris Boyd netted to make it 3-0 at the end. Novo has been used sparingly this season and tonight's match was only his eighth start of the campaign. But it was easily his best game of the season to date and Smith admits he was impressed with the striker's work ethic. He said: "Nacho is always alive and well and tonight he caused Falkirk a bit of trouble with his movement. Novo was the goal hero at Hampden"He managed to get himself a couple of good goals and that is great for him as he deserves them for the amount of work he puts in." It was a comfortable night for Smith's men in the end as they adapted to a poor surface far better than John Hughes' Bairns. The manager was pleased to see the team reach its fourth final in his second spell in charge at Ibrox with some good football along the way. Now he will take his team back to Hampden on March 15 to face either Celtic or Dundee United, who meet in the other semi-final tomorrow night. Smith added: "We are delighted. It was always going to be a difficult game tonight and Falkirk had two opportunities in the first five minutes. "It took good saves from Allan McGregor to keep them out and it took us a little bit of time to settle down. "Once we did that, we got the first goal and I felt whoever got that would have a big advantage as the evening went on. Stevie Naismith in action against Falkirk"From there, we went on to play some decent stuff and created some good chances throughout. In the end, I felt we deserved to win." Another bright spot for Rangers was the second first-team appearance by Steven Naismith after his return from a serious knee injury earlier this month. Just as he did at St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup two weeks ago, the former Kilmarnock youngster put in a good shift and caused all sorts of problems for Falkirk. Smith said: "Steven has been doing well in his comeback, although I've stressed to people it takes a number of games for a player to find their rhythm. "Defenders and central midfield players can come back a little bit easier than those who like to play further forward. "It takes them a bit of time to get started again but Steven is getting there now and he did well tonight."

MADJID BOUGHERRA was delighted to help Rangers beat Falkirk 3-0 at Hampden and progress through to the first final of his career. The Algerian defender produced another solid performance at the back alongside David Weir but admitted the poor surface at the national stadium made it a difficult evening for both sets of players. Bougherra and Mendes battle with BullenIn the end a first-half double from Nacho Novo and a third goal from Kris Boyd sealed the win and Madjid was quick to praise his Spanish teammate after his man-of-the-match display. He said: "I am very happy to reach the first final of my life and it is a special moment. "Falkirk made it difficult at the start but, after that, I thought we played very well although the pitch was not very good. We had to be careful. "It was important that we scored early and Nacho's second also came at a crucial time before the break. "He had a very good 90 minutes and played an important role in the win. "He is a clever player who works hard and definitely deserved to be man-of-the-match. "But this was a big result for Rangers as all the players were desperate to reach a final for our fans. "I now look forward to coming back to the stadium when it is full and we can expect a very good game against Dundee United or Celtic."

DAVID WEIR believes his good friend and former teammate John Hughes deserves great credit for the job he has done at Falkirk over the years and is confident his hometown club can pull clear of the SPL relegation zone in the next couple of months. David WeirRangers' League Cup semi-final opponents are currently languishing in eleventh place in the league table after a disappointing first-half to the season and four wins from 23 games has sent their confidence crashing. Weir, however, believes the form book will go out the window tonight at Hampden and that both sets of players will give their all to make it through to a showcase final against either Celtic or Dundee United on March 15. It will be a special evening for the 38-year-old defender who still has fond memories of his three year spell at Falkirk and being in a squad with Yogi Hughes. Davie joined the then First Division side in 1992 and went on to play over 100 games in a Dark Blue jersey. At that time survival football was served up on the old Brockville menu with the club skipping back and forth between divisions. And Weir insists that the current crop of players at the Falkirk Stadium have more than enough quality to avoid the drop and start climbing the league before May. He said: "I don't think staying in the SPL will be a problem for Falkirk. I know it's easy for me to say that but they have a lot of good players in their squad. "The first-half of the season might not have gone how they would have liked but there is no doubt they can pull away from that and I hope they can. David Weir "Over the years I think John has done a great job at Falkirk and he has firmly established them as an SPL club. "They were in the semi-final of the League Cup in 2007 and they have done the same this season so they will be looking to go one step further and that's something we need to be wary of when we face them. "But John's definitely raised the bar and brought a bit of stability and credibility to the club along the way." Davie is relishing the prospect of returning to the national stadium and still looks back at last season's epic League Cup final against Dundee United as one of the highlights of his career. David WeirKris Boyd's winning penalty in a dramatic shoot-out handed the defender his first winners medal in a Light Blue jersey and for that reason alone he would love to retain the trophy. He said: "All the players here want to beat Falkirk and reach the final, that goes without saying, but it will be a tough game. "We lifted the League and Scottish Cup last season so, of course, we want to do the same. "Winning trophies is a good habit to get in to but first and foremost we need to reach the final this year which will be tough. "Reputations count for nothing and it's the best team on the night that will go through. "It will be a great occasion and the fact that Falkirk is one of my former clubs will make it a wee bit more special."

Newcastle United enquire about the availability of Celtic defender Stephen McManus after Celtic express interest in Magpies full-back Jose Enrique. More...

Dundee United face a battle to retain midfielder Willo Flood, who has been linked with Celtic. More...

Scott McDonald fires a double as Celtic move four points clear at the top of the SPL with a hard-fought win over Hibs. More...

Aberdeen host Rangers in the early kick-off, while Hibs visit Celtic in the pick of the three o'clock starts. More...