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Same old story for us, very good business wise but for the team and the fans it's getting beyond a joke RANGERS boss Walter Smith admits he might not be able to keep Madjid Bougherra beyond the transfer window. Newcastle United are preparing a �£5million bid for the Algerian defender, as revealed by Record Sport, and Marseille are also keen. Smith is anxious to retain his top-team regulars and hopes only fringe performers leave the club in the next four weeks. But he admitted the chance for Rangers to double their money on a player they brought from Charlton in the summer might prove too tempting. The manager said: "I've never said as a club we will transfer any player we'd like to keep. There are obviously players in our squad we wouldn't like to lose. "We were in a situation last year when Alan Hutton was sold to Tottenham. We didn't want to lose him but the bid was such that we had to take it from a purely financial sense. "You can never say that won't happen again. We'd want to try to keep the group who have been involved in playing on a regular basis together and add to that if we can. "First and foremost, we have to adjust the numbers we have and that's the group who haven't been taking part in a lot of the games." Alan Gow is set to follow Jean-Claude Darcheville out the door as Smith continues his cull of Ibrox misfits. Rangers owner Sir David Murray and chief executive Martin Bain were at Murray Park yesterday to rubberstamp Gow's move to Wolves. A �£500,000 fee has been a greed with the Championship pacesetters and personal terms should be hammered out over the weekend. Wolves' chief executive Jez Moxey said: "We're having discussions with Rangers." Other fringe players such as Chris Burke, Andy Webster, DaMarcus Beasley, Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly could go before Smith looks to bolster his squad with one or two additions. However, Andrius Velicka is not among the players Smith wants to move on, which will dash the hopes of Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo. Rangers have been boosted by the return to fitness after eight months of Steven Naismith who is in the squad for tomorrow's game at Inverness although he may not feature. Smith has set his side a New Year's resolution to go on a winning run that will take them closer to rivals Celtic after last week's Old Firm defeat left them trailing by seven points. He said: "We went on a run at this stage last season that eventually took us to the top of the league so we hope this campaign mirrors that one, although there are no certainties. "We have to make sure we're more steady and consistent - starting at Inverness." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2009/01/03/walter-smith-i-may-not-be-able-to-stop-madjid-bougherra-leaving-86908-21011887/

Celtic midfielder Scott Brown insists he is not interested in a move, following links with English clubs. More...

Andrew Dickson reports from Caledonian Stadium WALTER SMITH insists the most important thing Rangers can do is keep winning after they closed the gap between them and Celtic in the SPL to five points. Pedro Mendes celebratesThe Light Blues' 3-0 victory over Inverness at Caledonian Stadium today was crucial after their Old Firm rivals could only draw with Dundee United yesterday. It was the perfect response after last Saturday's derby defeat and showed, if proof was ever needed, that the championship race is still far from over. Pedro Mendes opened the scoring in the frozen north before Kris Boyd's double clinched a vital success. Smith said: "We started well enough in the first 10 or 15 minutes but then I thought we were poor in the last half hour of the first half. "The game itself dropped down a bit so it was up to us to lift things and we got off to a terrific start after the break. "Pedro scored a great goal once the game got underway again and I think that set us up for a good win. "We were a lot better in the second half than we had been in the first and were far more incisive. "The important thing for us just now is to win. Everybody makes the comparison between us and Celtic but the biggest thing is that we go on a run of victories.Kris Boyd scores the third goal against ICT "We need to look at our own performances rather than anybody else's. It's our fault we are trailing in the championship and we have to adjust to that. "We must make sure, in the games we have coming up, that we get into a situation where we can eradicate a few of the errors we've made in the first part of the season." Smith paid tribute to Mendes, whose goal just 24 seconds into the second period broke the deadlock for a Gers team badly needing to come out on top. The Portuguese midfielder's effort was sublime as he curled beyond Ryan Esson from 25 yards after good work by Nacho Novo. Smith added: "Pedro's goal was good and it was a welcome one as we needed something to lift us a little bit. "As I said to the players at half-time, we needed to get ourselves up as the game suited Caley Thistle with the way it was panning out. Pedro Mendes celebrates"We had to go on and win the game and we went on to do so after a good start. I felt we deserved to win." Mendes and Kenny Miller both came off in the latter stages with minor injuries but Smith does not expect either to be sidelined for long. With nine days now until the team's next game against St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup, it is hoped both will be fit enough to take part in that fixture. Smith said: "Kenny had a knock just above his knee and Pedro had to come off because he had a thigh strain. "Hopefully neither injury keeps them out for any great length of time. We'd like to think they'll recover before our next match."

Kris Boyd's double helps Rangers defeat Inverness and narrow the gap with leaders Celtic to five points. More...

Rangers travel to bottom side Inverness to try to close the gap on Celtic at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. More...

Dundee United fight back from two goals down to claim a Scottish Premier League draw against Celtic. More...

DAVIE WEIR hopes that a win at the Caledonian Stadium tomorrow can kick-start Rangers title challenge this season and that the club can follow that by going on a lengthy winning run. David WeirWith the Light Blues trailing seven points behind league leaders Celtic a victory in the Highland capital is now imperative at the start of 2009. Weir is fully aware that there is now an additional pressure on every Rangers player to hit top form week in, week out but has no doubt his team can rise to the challenge. He said: "It's true that there is not any margin for error for us now but perhaps that is a good thing. "We all realise that we can't drop any more points and we have to win every game. "This is always the case when you are at Rangers anyway but even more so now. "We've got to out and make things happen and only we can turn our current situation around. "There is still a lot of football to be played this season and anything can happen but we have to improve, especially away from home." Inverness Caley are currently joint bottom of the league with SPL newcomers Hamilton and their home record is the worst in the top flight. Nevertheless, Davie is expecting a 90 minutes battle with both teams in desperate need of three points. He said: "Everywhere is tough. In this league there no ground that you go to and get points easily. Steven Naismith "Inverness has been one of the harder places to go in the past even though they are in need of a good result as well. "We can take nothing for granted and all the players are aware that we need to play well to get all three points." Steven Naismith's return to the Gers squad is a huge boost for the club and Davie is delighted the club's �£2million signing is back in action. He said: "He has been out for a long time but he has worked very hard and he now deserves his chance to get back. "He is a good lad and the sooner we get him back into the squad the better. "You always welcome quality players returning and he falls into that category. He will offer competition up front and that's good. "I'm sure he will be desperate to make an impression.

First Adam and now McCulloch. I wish they would show it on the park at not in the papers.

PORTSMOUTH are lining up a stunning �£9million bid for Celtic midfield ace Scott Brown. SunSport can reveal Pompey boss Tony Adams has had the dynamic playmaker watched in THREE recent Hoops games. And Brownâ��s all-action performance in the 1-0 Old Firm triumph at Ibrox has convinced the Fratton Park club to tee up a move. Parkhead boss Gordon Strachan will be reluctant to offload a player he sees as crucial to his sideâ��s hopes of clinching a fourth successive SPL title. But former England and Arsenal hero Adams could test Celticâ��s resolve with a bumper offer for the Scotland star. Pompey have just sold Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid for a breathtaking �£20m. And Jermaine Defoe is set to follow him out the door â�� handing the south coast side another potential �£16m windfall. That leaves them well placed to come in with a megabucks bid should Celtic give any hint they are willing to deal. Losing the all-action Diarra was a huge blow for the FA Cup holders. But itâ��s understood Adams has discussed Brownâ��s abilities with his staff and been sufficiently impressed to include him on a short-list of targets, which also includes Middlesbroughâ��s Gary Oâ��Neil. Brown cost Celtic a record �£4.4million in May 2007, but he failed to convince fans in his debut campaign. This season, though, the 23-year-old has been outstanding in Celticâ��s engine room and Strachan wonâ��t want to lose him. The Fifer signed a five-year, �£25,000-a-week deal as Celtic beat off competition from rivals Rangers to his signature. Pompey would comfortably be able to improve Brownâ��s wages. Newcastle United are among other clubs who have tracked his progress. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2086783.ece

Newcastle United are poised to test Rangers' resolve by making a �£4.5m bid for Madjid Bougherra. Sources in England claim that Joe Kinnear, the Newcastle manager, is considering an additional move to take Barry Ferguson too, but any attempt to sign their captain will be rejected by Rangers. Rangers are resigned to losing Bougherra but, while Ferguson has only 18 months left on his contract, Ibrox officials they will not countenance the sale of the 30-year-old midfielder, especially after the 1-0 Old Firm derby defeat at Ibrox which has left Walter Smith's side seven points adrift of Celtic in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. The Herald understands that Martin Bain, the chief executive, was informed yesterday afternoon of Newcastle's intentions by Bougherra's agent, Charles Collymore. It is also believed that Marseille will follow up their initial enquiry and may be the more appealing option, despite Bougherra's reiteration only last week that he had no intention of playing in Ligue 1. Sir David Murray, the Rangers chairman, is aware of the potential backlash if Bougherra leaves six months after his �£2.5m transfer from Charlton Athletic. Sanctioning the sale, even if Rangers double their investment, will be regarded by the beleaguered support as surrendering the championship. It is believed, though, that Rangers have already earmarked Christophe Berra, the Hearts captain, as a prompt replacement if Newcastle or Marseille make an irresistible offer. Rangers are preparing themselves for official contact and the inevitability of another deeply unpopular exit at the worst possible time. The club were heavily criticised for encouraging the �£9m transfer of Alan Hutton to Tottenham Hotspur last January, a move some supporters believe cost them the league. Bougherra was originally signed to partner Carlos Cuellar and facilitate the gradual phasing out of the 38-year-old David Weir but instead the 25-year-old replaced Cuellar, who joined Aston Villa in a �£7.8m transfer. The similarities with Cuellar's departure are now compelling. The Spaniard injured a calf muscle in pre-season and only returned to full fitness after completing his move to Villa Park. Bougherra has missed Rangers' last four games with a thigh strain. He is expected to make an overdue comeback against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Sunday but, with a move beckoning, his chances of reappearing have diminished. Kinnear is determined to plug a leaky defence and has been promised financial support by Mike Ashley, the chairman who has renewed his commitment at St James' Park after an unsuccessful attempt to sell the club. Newcastle's supporters will be wary of another central defender arriving from Scotland. Graeme Souness signed Jean-Alain Boumsong for �£8m in January 2005 but the Frenchman endured a disastrous stay in England before joining Juventus on loan. Bougherra has at least sampled the rigours of the Coca-Cola Championship. Pedro Mendes has also been linked with a reunion with Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur but selling another first-team asset would cause mutiny among the supporters. Wolverhampton Wanderers were on the verge of completing a �£250,000 transfer of Alan Gow. The striker was scheduled to return to Ibrox yesterday when his six-month loan deal with Blackpool ended but Mick McCarthy moved quickly to strengthen the Championship leaders' promotion push. Gow has been told he has no future at Rangers after only two first-team appearances and, despite his desire for a reprieve, he is now expected to join forces with the Scotland internationalist, Chris Iwelumo, at Molineux. Rangers have declined the chance to sign Hermann Hreidarsson. The 34-year-old Portsmouth defender is available for a nominal fee but, while Smith is an admirer of the player, he is in the market for a younger defender. Bain is also under pressure to move on the squad surplus that is draining around �£80,000 per week from the club. Jean-Claude Darcheville's move to Valenciennes has freed-up �£20,000 per week while Hearts are expected to re-sign striker Andrius Velicka. Rangers are keen to offload Brahim Hemdani, one of the club's highest earners, and will also listen to offers for Graeme Smith, Chris Burke, Charlie Adam and DaMarcus Beasley. http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2478755.0.Newcastle_prepare_4_5m_offer_for_Rangers_defender_Bougherra.php

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan says he will consider Aiden McGeady for selection against Dundee United despite their dressing-room bust-up. More...

I am afraid he won't have much option but to go. We need the money. As simple as that. Another player treated unfairly. I suppose we are better off with Charlie Adam in the team:brick:

RANGERS boss Walter Smith has added Lee Miller and Robbie Neilson to his January wish-list. SunSport understands Smith has been keen on the Aberdeen striker and the Hearts right-back for the last year. And the Ibrox gaffer could move for both this month ââ?¬â? IF he can raise funds from a major clear-out. On-form Miller signed a two-year deal at Pittodrie in the summer to dash Smithââ?¬â?¢s hopes then. But now he is back on the trail of the target man, who has hit seven goals so far this season. Miller offers strength and finishing power and is also forcing himself into Scotland manager George Burleyââ?¬â?¢s thinking for the World Cup qualifiers. The 25-year-old was snapped up by boss Jimmy Calderwood for a nominal fee in August 2006 from Dundee United and has proved to be one of the Donsââ?¬â?¢ best signings in recent years. Neilson, meanwhile, was handed his one and only Scots cap by Smith in the Ukraine in October 2006. His contract is up at the end of the season and he is weighing up his options after 12 years at Tynecastle. Neilson joined Jambos from Rangers Boys Club. He could now agree a pre-contract for the 2009-10 season or be captured during the transfer window for a nominal amount. Alternatively, Gers could also use flop striker Andrius Velicka as a makeweight for a possible loan return to Tynecastle. Neilson, 28, is close to his best form again after injury worries, although he was at the centre of an explosive weekend post-match bust-up at Pittodrie. SunSport revealed how he hooked both Chris Maguire and Lee Mair in the tunnel after Aberdeenââ?¬â?¢s 1-0 win. Rangers gaffer Smith is desperate to overhaul a squad now languishing seven points behind bitter rivals Celtic who, after the 1-0 win at Ibrox, are hot favourites for four-in-a-row. He is also keen on bringing in a commanding stopper and has trailed the likes of Sporting Lisbonââ?¬â?¢s Tonel and Hearts captain Christophe Berra. Advertisement Click here But first he has to hope that the likes of Brahim Hemdani, Charlie Adam, Andy Webster, Alan Gow, Christian Dailly, Stevie Smith and Chris Burke can attract clubs. Meanwhile, Smith has had a loan bid for Swedish international Mattias Bjarsmyr thrown out by IFK Gothenburg. Smith asked if he could bring the twice-capped centre-half, 21, to Glasgow for the rest of the season.But Gothenburg are thought to want an up-front payment in the region of Ã?£2.5million for their prize asset, whose contract expires at the end of 2009. And they have vowed not to budge over their demands for the Sweden Under-21s skipper. Sporting director Hakan Mild said: ââ?¬Å?We are not interested in a loan deal. Such a move has never been in the equation for us.ââ?¬Â It seems certain Bjarsmyr will be sold this month. The player and Gothenburg are at loggerheads after he rejected a new deal. He was left fuming when Gothenburg placed such a massive fee on his head. Earlier this week Bjarsmyr had admitted he would be keen on a move to Rangers. But Gothenburg donââ?¬â?¢t want to lose him for nothing so will look to flog him elsewhere. Reports in Sweden claim he will move to either AZ Alkmaar or FC Groningen in Holland. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2084353.ece

WALTER SMITH says Rangers only have one way of getting back into the title race ââ?¬â? by showing the same PRIDE as Celtic. Gers are seven points behind their rivals after Saturdayââ?¬â?¢s Old Firm loss. Smith reckons that thereââ?¬â?¢s little between the pair but insists they have to show more grit to claw the Hoops back. Champions He said: ââ?¬Å?There is not much between the teams but Celtic have shown pride and determination in terms of being champions. ââ?¬Å?It has seen them through a period when they have maybe not been playing their best football but have been winning games. Credit to them for that. We have not shown that edge. We have lost this month to Celtic and Hearts which has been disappointing for us ââ?¬â? it is something we have to develop.ââ?¬Â Smith knows there is little room for any more slip-ups. He wants his side to show the form they showed this time last season when they went on a 13-game winning streak in the SPL. Smith said: ââ?¬Å?We have a situation where we know we have to go on that type of run if we hope to get ourselves back in the championship race. Trailing ââ?¬Å?It was a big disappointment to lose the game and losing our home record at the same time. League wise, it gives us a lot to do now in the second half of the season. ââ?¬Å?We have reached the halfway stage and we find ourselves trailing Celtic by seven points which is not what anyone wants.ââ?¬Â Smith added: ââ?¬Å?We won the game at Celtic Park ââ?¬â? when the chances came we took them. There wasnââ?¬â?¢t much between the two teams in the first half there. ââ?¬Å?We took our chances and capitalised on an error. The games have been like that. We maybe edged the number of opportunities on Saturday but Celtic got the goal and we were struggling after that.ââ?¬Â Charlie Adam was a surprise starter against Celtic and Smith insists he still has a part to play at Ibrox even though the club will listen to offers. He said: ââ?¬Å?He gives us good balance and a bit of strength.ââ?¬Â Smith hopes Madjid Bougherra will be back for Sundayââ?¬â?¢s clash with Caley Thistle after missing the Celtic game due to a thigh strain. Meanwhile, Hamilton have made a bold bid to sign highly rated Gers reserve star Jordan McMillan in a six month loan deal. Advertisement Click here Accies boss Billy Reid is desperate to bolster his squad for their relegation scrap. And McMillan has been targeted as the man to help keep the club in the top flight. The 20-year-old is one of the most promising youngsters on the books at Ibrox. McMillan has yet to make his first-team debut but is a regular on the bench as one of the under-21 players. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2081746.ece

Has Spiers just written a decent article?? Novo a chancer!!! Graham Spiers In the stampede to laud Celtic's heroic win at Ibrox last weekend, it appears that many have fallen over themselves in their rush to dismiss Rangers' title chances in Scotland come May. It may be a dangerous assumption, for no other reason than the evidence of last season, where Celtic were deemed to lag too far behind Walter Smith's men in early April before clinching the championship on the final, dramatic night. With five months and 18 games of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League still to go, is seven points really such a frightening gap between the Old Firm? Rangers next face Celtic at Parkhead on February 15, with one remaining Old Firm clash to follow, and anything can happen in these matches. Moreover, there appear to be wider pitfalls this season in the SPL for Rangers and Celtic which will determine their success or failure. Rangers have been to Motherwell and dropped points. Celtic recently lost to Hibernian at Easter Road. Rangers lost to St Mirren at Love Street in October. For both teams, visits to Tynecastle and Tannadice, in particular, are going to be fraught. In this haphazard excitement Celtic can certainly be caught. Walter Smith has repeatedly argued that his team is capable of going on one of their unbeaten runs, and the time appears to be ripe for such a venture. Moreover, if Kris Boyd, who looks on target to deliver 35 goals this season, can continue in his recent scoring vein, then Rangers have a weapon which cannot be dismissed. Boyd's form, in fact, will largely determine his team's fate. One thing Smith should certainly consider doing is playing Kyle Lafferty, a tall, strong, skilful player, as a partner for Boyd through the middle. Lafferty may not yet be worth the �£3.5m that Rangers paid for him, but he is a good footballer, and a far better player than many give him credit for. From Lafferty's earliest days at Ibrox, Smith has repeatedly said that his best position is "through the middle", yet too often the striker has been turned into a refugee on the left wing. It would be fascinating to see the effect it had on Rangers if a Boyd-Lafferty central partnership was struck up. The Northern Ireland striker's height would give added menace to Rangers in attack, quite apart from his poise in front of goal, which has been seen, for instance, at Tannadice on December 13 when Lafferty deftly scored against Dundee United in a 2-2 draw. It is time, surely, that Smith gave Lafferty a chance in his true position. The obvious deficiency for Rangers is in central defence, where Kirk Broadfoot can look lumbering and David Weir is in his final Ibrox season, though Smith is actively looking to address this in the coming January window. If Smith can pluck a good defender from somewhere, and finally put an end to Lafferty's on-field obscurity, Rangers will certainly still have a healthy chance of winning the 2008-09 title. Changing sides Nacho Novo pulled off a remarkable feat last Saturday. Having played for 15 minutes as a sub for Rangers in the Old Firm derby at lunchtime, he then played for his home region of Galicia on Saturday night back in Spain in a friendly againts Iran, scoring twice in Galicia's 3-2 win. That's not bad going for Novo, who is about to leave Rangers. While we're on the subject, does this wee chancer still want to play for Scotland? Or is he still hoping for a Spain call-up? in Columnists, Featured, Graham Spiers | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/297284/37620274 Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Don't write off Rangers just yet:

Velicka another million down the toilet pan. Well done Walter your bargain buy's are worse than my wife's.

Dec 29 2008 By Keith Jackson NACHO NOVO may have fired his way to a shock January return to Spain after starring for an all-star select in La Coruna hours after his Old Firm snub. The Rangers striker bagged a stunning double for his home region of Galicia on Saturday as the Spaniards beat Iran 3-2. Novo was flown by private jet to the North of Spain right after playing for only the final 16 minutes of his side's 1-0 defeat against Celtic at Ibrox. And he shook off his disappointment to steal the show with two terrific goals in front of a host of onlooking Primera Liga bosses who were among the 25,000 crowd at the Raizor. Novo, who only made it to the ground 30 minutes before kick-off, was subbed after an hour but left to a standing ovation from the home fans. And his performance is understood to have caught the eye of Deportivo La Coruna's president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro. Novo has become an increasingly frustrated figure at Ibrox because of a chronic lack of first-team chances and was linked with a s2million move to Hull City ahead of the derby defeat. The 29-year-old has never hidden his desperation to win over boss Walter Smith but hasn't started a game since November 9. The lure of returning home to play in La Liga could tempt him into ending his love affair with the Glasgow club. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/12/29/exclusive-nacho-novo-set-for-la-liga-switch-86908-21002362/

As Rangers search for solutions to their title predicament, they have been urged to put their faith in the $5million man yet to be granted a proper opportunity to prove his value. Maurice Edu cost that round sum, about �£2.6m in August from FC Toronto, before sterling began its exchange-rate plunge, but the American international has started only two games this term - the last back in October. Even when Kevin Thomson's cruciate-ligament injury robbed Rangers of a natural holding midfielder in November, Edu did not receive the call to step up and fill his place. Now, however, it's understood the player is winning his battle to convince the Ibrox management team that he is worthy of more exposure as the club seek to claw back a seven-point deficit against Celtic. Former U.S. national coach Bruce Arena, now David Beckham's boss at LA Galaxy, is in no doubt that Edu would thrive under the pressure of the 'must-win' situation currently confronting Rangers as they prepare to face Inverness Caley Thistle on Sunday. Arena has watched the 22-year-old develop from his formative days at the University of Maryland and believes the time is right for Walter Smith to trust Edu's ability to add more steel to his side. 'Maurice is a player who can step up to that kind of pressure and do well,' said Arena, who led the U.S.A to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup. 'It's always a difficult time when you are a scrambling in a title race. Rangers are chasing Celtic and it can feel like an awkward time to introduce young players to the starting line-up. 'But there is no better way to really see the kind of potential a player has. If Walter feels comfortable that he can place Maurice on the field, then, within no more than a couple of games, Maurice will show the qualities that he has. I'm sure he is a player who can help Rangers in their current situation. 'Rangers have paid good money for him and that is another reason why he probably needs to play more. The club has made an investment, so the quicker they can bring him on, the better it is for everyone. 'But Walter is a very experienced manager and my view is that he will make a good decision in this situation. He has seen a lot of young, promising players come and go and I'm sure he will understand when it is the right time to introduce Maurice to the Rangers first team on a permanent basis. 'Right now, Maurice lacks experience, but he has the tools to become a very good player indeed. There is a great deal of promise there. 'It was always going to take him time to adapt to the different demands of professional football in Scotland but he has the right kind of self-confidence and I'm sure he has faith in himself making the breakthrough.' Edu has established himself as part of the U.S.A national squad under Arena's successor, Bob Bradley, and needs more first-team outings to maintain that position in the push for a place in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. The fact he has not made an immediate impact at Ibrox comes as no surprise to Arena, who is well versed in the difficulties of American players leaving their homeland to seek their fortunes in Europe. 'I know coach Bradley thinks a lot of Maurice and will be keeping an eye on him,' said Arena. 'In America, though, we have been through this situation with a lot of players - DaMarcus Beasley is one example who has had similar experiences in the past. 'The unfortunate thing for American players is that, because of their lack of exposure to high-level games on a consistent basis in the States, they tend to be a little bit up and down when they move overseas. 'They take a little bit longer to establish themselves but, once they cross that bridge, they tend to have a very strong quality to them and are players who can really help teams. 'With the right period of adjustment, Maurice will be a strong contributor to Rangers. 'America needs more players playing in a better environment. Seeing a player like Edu move to Rangers motivates other young players in America to improve their standard, so that they might get a European opportunity of their own. 'Everyone here is hoping he will establish himself in Scotland and I'm sure he will.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1103320/Rangers-Edu-tipped-thrive-heat-title-run-in.html

By Andrew Dickson CHARLIE ADAM insists Rangers can still catch up with Celtic and win the league the way the Parkhead club did last season. The Light Blues find themselves seven points behind in the title race after they lost today's Old Firm derby 1-0 at Ibrox. Kenny Miller, RangersBut having seen the title go to Glasgow's east end after Gordon Strachan's men made up a similar gap before the summer, Adam sees no reason why Gers can't do the same thing. He said: "It was a tough day for us. Goals win you games and on this occasion it was Celtic who managed to score. "The first goal has a big say in what happens in these games. It has been that way over a number of years. "We had opportunities to score and might have won if we'd gone ahead but we never did that and they made the breakthrough. "Now we'll get on with it. We'll bounce back and we know there is still a long way to go in the championship. "We're perfectly capable of winning anywhere and we know we've got to roll our sleeves up, work really hard and try to claw the gap back.Davie Weir "Celtic did that last year so I don't see why we can't do the same thing again ourselves this season. "The title is not lost and there are plenty of games left to play with lots of points up for grabs. "There will still be twists and turns from now until May and it's just up to us to capitalise on it if Celtic make any mistakes" Adam was a surprise starter as he came into the team for the first time in four weeks at Kyle Lafferty's expense. Although he has been linked with a January move away from Ibrox, he's determined to stay and fight for his place. Charlie Adam, RangersAnd having lost in the derby after he was a winner last time out, he's just as eager to ensure he tastes victory in the big game again in the future as a Gers star. Adam added: "It has been the case a few times now that I've only played in certain matches but I train as though I'll play in every game so I was prepared to play. "When I'm not in the first team, I'm taking part in bounce games or in the reserves so it's not a difficult situation for me. "To come back into the team was fantastic and it showed the manager still has faith in me. "It was great to be back in the side but you obviously you to come in and get victories so it was disappointing the way the game ended."

By Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH insists Rangers have not been made aware of interest in any of their players ahead of the transfer window opening on Thursday. A number of Ibrox stars have been linked with moves away from the club in the last few days, with Andrius Velicka and Nacho Novo two of the latest. Nacho NovoOne report has claimed Hearts are keen on resigning Velicka while another has said Deportivo La Coruna want to take Spanish striker Novo back to his homeland. Smith is getting used to the speculation that comes with the transfer window system, having only become caught up in it for the first time when he returned to Gers. All he would confirm is that as he looks ahead to what's expected to be a busy month in the market, he will have to trim his squad before he can bolster it again. Smith said: "We would hope to be active in the transfer market in terms of bringing players in but that is dependent on who we get out. "We have too many lads in the group who are not playing and they don't like that, which means it's not conducive to having a good squad. "Nacho is going to Spain in one newspaper then going to Hull in another and there's quite a gap between the two. "We get to the open season when people are free to speculate but the fact is we've had no contact at this stage regarding any of our players.Charlie Adam "We will just have to wait and see what happens. You go for a few months when the transfer window is closed and you don't have any speculation but now it has started. "When I returned to Rangers, it was the first time I had really experienced that sort of situation with the window and there are a great deal of rumours at the moment. "Of course, we have scouts in place as people do at every club but, first and foremost, we must adjust our current squad before we look at bringing bodies in." Smith has hinted Charlie Adam might have a future at Ibrox after all, just days after it seemed his time with Rangers was poised to come to an end. The midfielder was a surprise starter against Celtic on Saturday and the manager was relatively satisfied with how the 23-year-old performed. He added: "Charlie has been in and out of the team and whether he's happy with that or not is another matter. "But he can do a job for us. He has done so in the past and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead."

By Andrew Dickson WALTER SMITH bemoaned Rangers' lack of a cutting edge after they failed to take their chances and lost 1-0 to Celtic. The Light Blues had several opportunities to go in front in the second Old Firm clash of the season but were off target too often. Ally McCoist and Walter SmithThey then paid for that when Scott McDonald put the Parkhead outfit in front and his strike ultimately proved to be the winner. Smith feels his men did play well enough to get a positive result from the derby but admits his men weren't sharp enough in front of goal. He said: "We are obviously disappointed to lose the game. I felt we started well enough and until the goal, I felt you could argue we were the better side. "But after we went behind, we lost a bit of composure as we started pouring forward in search of an equaliser. "Celtic defended very well from then on and we never created many opportunities - if any at all - in the latter stages of the game. "After having a lot of the territorial pressure, it was extremely disappointing not to get a good result with it." Smith accepts his men must improve in the SPL when 2009 begins, with a need for results against so-called lesser sides to get better essential. With one win each against the other, Glasgow's big two are seven points apart because of Celtic's better record against the teams further down the table.Walter Smith Smith added: "The Old Firm results cancel each other out and we're behind because of what we've done elsewhere. That has been our season. "We must face up to that fact and there is no margin for error now. Celtic have that but we don't. We have to make sure we can go on and keep winning in the months ahead. "Another disappointing thing is that we've lost our unbeaten home record. We have played extremely well at home and I felt we did that for the first hour here today. "Now we will keep going, we'll push on and make sure this defeat does not affect us too greatly. "There wasn't a great deal between the teams and we felt we could win this one but that didn't happen and we must look to bounce back."

Over And Out Seconds after Scott McDonald rifled home the only goal of a frustrating Old Firm game on Saturday, the only sound that drowned out the celebrating Tims was the strains of an overweight lady warbling the last rights on our SPL title challenge. It is gut-wrenching that even before the strains of Auld Lang Syne have faded away, the destination of the SPL title is out of our own hands. I will attempt to keep this part of the article to the dire performance on Saturday but there is so much wrong with our club at the moment that this may not be possible. We actually started the game well, and didnââ?¬â?¢t we all just know that weââ?¬â?¢d live to regret missing so many guilt-edged chances to take the lead? However, we still didnââ?¬â?¢t test Borat enough, he had an easy game and we failed to capitalise on his eccentricity and his ability to self-destruct and lose stupid goals. There was little surprise that Walter Smith had decided to reintroduce Charlie Adam into the fray after Adam being frozen out for 3-4 weeks. We all knew either Adam or McCulloch would be reintroduced. Throughout the entire 90 minutes, all our failings became even more glaringly obvious. We donââ?¬â?¢t have a striker who can take a guilt-edge chance when it matters. We play far too narrow. We canââ?¬â?¢t capitalise on set-pieces. We canââ?¬â?¢t retain possession from a throw-in. Celtc had a corner in the 84th minute, we were trailing 1-0 in a game we couldnââ?¬â?¢t afford to lose and we had every player back defending. Walter Smithââ?¬â?¢s tactics and substitutions reek of a manager who has lost the plot. He pays Ã?£3.5M for a STRIKER and continually plays him left wing when its obvious that the lad CANââ?¬â?¢T play there ââ?¬â?? yet Walter persists and is close to ruining this lad. He then withdraws our right back (who is really a midfielder) and goes 3-3-4. All fine and well until you notice that we have 4 centre forwards on but still no wide players (you know, someone to get in behind the deep lying Celtc defence). So with 4 forwards on and men short down the channels, we decide to throw high balls into the Celtc defence. Their two centre halves could be heard laughing from my seat in the Govan West Corner. They just headed the ball clear, their midfield picked up the lose balls and fed their stickers down the channels. So easy when youââ?¬â?¢re playing a team with no width and no clue on how to get in behind a static back four. The most glaring deficiencies are the fact that we are attempting to win the SPL with players from St Mirren, Hibs, Kilmarnock etc. These players are run of the mill SPL players, nothing better, nothing worse. We have no creativity, we have no fast paced players who can beat an opponent. We have no drive from midfield and we have a creaking 40 year old defender who is now well past his best. I have been hearing and reading some very scary stories recently. Rangers Football Club are in a worse financial position than any of us knows, or cares to imagine. If these stories are true, and I have no basis to doubt them, all of our players are currently up for sale. As well as reducing the wage bill, we MUST recoup money and weââ?¬â?¢ll do this by selling players. This means players like Novo, Boogie, McGregor, Boyd, Mendes et al will be sold if we receive a ââ?¬Ë?decent offerââ?¬â?¢ for them. Inability to sell players like Burke, Adam, McCulloch et al will determine that they will be the ââ?¬Ë?qualityââ?¬â?¢ left to win us this league. We are being downsized dramatically by SDM and we are all happy to sit back with an air of inevitability whilst we witness the demise of this once great club. The ââ?¬Ë?qualityââ?¬â?¢ of player being looked at to ââ?¬Ë?strengthenââ?¬â?¢ our team sends jubbers down the spine of this Rangers supporter. Lee Wilkie, Dean Shiells, Bobo Balde all names that have been mentioned and deals are already being struck. So the fat lady has sung and our challenge for the title appears to be over. Is this overly pessimistic? I donââ?¬â?¢t think so. I can see Celtc dropping points, but unfortunately, I can see us dropping as many, if not more than them. We are unable to win away from home, and have two tricky away games in the SPL (Inverness and Aberdeen) and one in the Scottish Cup. It is fair to say that if we donââ?¬â?¢t win all three of those games, the manager MUST be removed. Personally, I would remove him (and his staff) just now as they have proven that they donââ?¬â?¢t have what it takes to win the SPL title against what is one of the worst Celtc teams in over a decade (and yet they stand on the verge of 4 consecutive SPL titles). Without Fear Or Favour We as Rangers fans have heard the above quote from Doctor Reid regarding sectarianism, and this quote has now been adopted by politicians and Police respectively. However, just like Doctor Death, the politicians and police are very lax in enforcing this quote, and in the Policeââ?¬â?¢s case, enforcing the law. In the lead up to the Old Firm game we had a politician who represents constituents in Bethnal Green and Bow informing all of Scotland that any Rangers fan who claims that Big Jock Knew is a bigot. Thatââ?¬â?¢s right folks, George Galloway believes that if you dare tell the truth regarding Jock Steinââ?¬â?¢s refusal to report a child molester to the Police makes you a bigot. George tells us that Jock Steinââ?¬â?¢s name wonââ?¬â?¢t be tarnished by us bigots. Youââ?¬â?¢re right George, he tarnished his own name he didnââ?¬â?¢t need any help from us. Next up we have an SNP MSP and a Cardinal informing us that the hokey cokey is a sinister song mocking the Catholic Mass. Apparently, we have all known this for over 300 years and participating in the hokey cokey makes you a sinister, anti-catholic bigot. If this sectarian issue wasnââ?¬â?¢t so serious, last weeks revelations would be laughable. Not happy with informing the country that the hokey cokey was sectarian, the Cardinal and MSP informed Strathclyde Police that any Rangers fan caught doing the hokey cokey should be arrested. Strathclyde Policeââ?¬â?¢s response was predictable ââ?¬â?? they informed us that anyone indulging in sectarianism at the OF game would be arrested, without fear or favour. Now, this is where it gets interesting. As well all know, during the OF game on Saturday, the entire Celtic end indulged in sectarian and offensive songs, openly breaking long established laws on sectarianism and singing songs in support of outlawed terrorist groups. So, given that we had heard a spokesman for Strathclyde Police saying that anyone indulging in such behaviour would be arrested without fear or favour. Well I can contest that this isnââ?¬â?¢t the case. From a very personally experience on Saturday, I can inform you that instead of arresting people clearly breaking the law, Strathclyde Police (officer xyz ââ?¬â?? I do have his number and have written a letter of complaint to the Police and Rangers but didnââ?¬â?¢t think it wise to print it here) are now more interested in arresting law-abiding citizens rather than those openly breaking the law. When challenged to tackle the sinister, hate-filled and sectarian songs emanating from the Broomie on Saturday, the Police decided to turn a blind eye (or deaf ear if you wish) to the complaints from Rangers support, as well as the songs being sung. Given that, and the frustration of the Police clearly neglecting their duty to uphold the law, I stated that the Celtic fans participating in songs glorifying terrorist (and therefore the murder of thousands of innocent people) were nothing more than terrorist loving scumbags. Now, I have spent the last two days determining if my outburst was anyway sectarian, racist, offensive or criminal. As yet, there is no evidence to say that my outburst was sectarian, racist, offensive or criminal. However, an officer promptly grabbed me in a violent manner (I still have bruises) and shouted at me in a threatening and aggressive manner. He informed me that if I said terrorist loving scumbags once more that Iââ?¬â?¢d be arrested. He refused to specify why Iââ?¬â?¢d be arrested and refused to confirm why he was happy to ignore the Celtic fans songs. He then informed me that he clearly heard my outburst (he was standing 20 feet behind me) but couldnââ?¬â?¢t hear the Celtic fans and couldnââ?¬â?¢t identify who was singing. Yip, thatââ?¬â?¢s right, he heard me over a 50,000 crowd but couldnââ?¬â?¢t pick our any one of the 7,500 singing IRA songs. I wonder if the same officer was to respond to a burglary and witness the thieves stealing from a house and being chased by the house owner. Would he ignore the burglars and threaten to arrest the home owner who stated that the people stealing from him / here were ââ?¬Ë?thieving scumbagsââ?¬â?¢? So there you have it, a prime example of Strathclyde Police without fear or favour campaign. Iââ?¬â?¢ll let you know if I get any reply from Strathclyde Police or Rangers FC, although I donââ?¬â?¢t hold out much hope.

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