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Now I'm not into conspiracy theories but does in not seem strange that Motherwell "rested" three first choice players against Celtic, with the kicker being, that all three were former Rangers youth players: Ross McCormack, Stephen Hughs and Graeme Smith. Do you not think that these three would be far more motivated to give Celtic a bloody nose than most players and therefore if he was going to "rest" anyone should he not have chosen three others and given the three former gers, tonight off instead? It all seems a bit too coincidental to me from a man who supports Celtic and has a future eye on the manager's job at CP... The fact that the Celtic minded are into conspiracies only adds to the likelihood that they actually participate in them...

Taking a look back over the last few weeks Rangers qualified for the Scottish cup final by beating St Johnstone in the semi-final. If St Johnstone had gotten through to meet Queen of the South we would have had the first ever Old farm final. News coming out of Parkhead was that Artur Boruc had auditioned for the BBC West-end talent search� I�ll do anything.� He heard they were looking for the right Nancy. Wee Gordy fancied himself as the artful dodger. And Peter Lawwell could be Fagin. Artur Boruc has applied for planning permission to build a completely round house. Seemingly after the old firm game he has developed a fear of corners. Jan Venegoor of Hesselink has become known as Jan Vinegar of Castlemilk. After the last two old firm Games, Assault and Vinegar would be more appropriate. After the last old firm match a link has been made between the Murphy�S and the Cambells. Neither will wave at a McDonald. Steven Whitteker was looking for a Brazilian name after his goal against Sporting Lisbon. He came up with Daya. It makes him Whitt daya ker. Talking about Brazilians, Ronaldo has made himself one of the hottest properties in Europe. Seemingly he can keep three men busy in little room. David Murray had asked the SPL to cancel Saturdays game against Dundee utd at the weekend, in the light that Zenit St Petersburg had games cancelled before the UEFA final. He was turned down. I guess the Russians had a better Advocaat. A primary teacher starts a new job at a school near Parkhead and, trying to make a good impression on her first day, explains to her class that she is a Celtic Supporter. She asks her class to raise their hands if they, too, are Celtic supporters. Everyone in the class raises their hand except one little girl. The teacher looks at the girl with surprise and says: "Mary, why didn't you raise your hand?" "Because I'm not a Celtic supporter," she replied. The teacher, still shocked, asked: "Well, if you're not a Celtic supporter, then who are you a fan of?" "I'm a Rangers supporter, and proud of it," Mary replied. The teacher could not believe her ears. "Mary, why are you a rangers supporter?" My mum and dad were born and raised in Govan, so my mum is a Rangers fan and my dad is a Rangers fan, and so I'm a Rangers fan too!" "Well," said the teacher, in an obviously annoyed tone, "that's no reason for you to be a Rangers supporter. You don't have to be just like your parents all of the time. What if your mum was a prostitute, your dad was a drug addict, and your brother was a car thief, what would you be then?" "Then," Mary said, "I'd be a Celtic supporter." The old ones are the best. Taxi!!!!

Sunday 4 May - Hibernian v Rangers Monday 5 May - Falkirk v Hearts Wednesday 7 May - Rangers v Motherwell. Saturday 10 May - Rangers v Dundee United, Falkirk v Inveress, Hearts v Kilmarnock, Motherwell v Aberdeen, St Mirren v Gretna Sunday 11 May - Celtic v Hibernian Tuesday 13 May - Gretna v Hearts (moved from 17 May then 8 May) Saturday 17 May - Motherwell v Rangers (rearranged game, postponed earlier in the season), Inverness v St Mirren, Kilmarnock v Falkirk Monday 19 May - St Mirren v Rangers (rearranged game, postponed earlier in the season). Thursday 22 May - Aberdeen v Rangers, Dundee United v Celtic, Hibernian v Motherwell (all fixtures moved from May 18)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/7370125.stm Sad little man. And so insignificant is he, no-one actually has been bothered about it. And he is a Pope too late, that one is dead. Polish Cunt!

I think he supports Celtic! Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooootttttttttttttttttttt!

NEIL ALEXANDER was the spotkick king for Rangers for the second time this season as the Light Blues marched into the UEFA Cup Final. The former Ipswich keeper crucially saved Fabio Liverani's effort in the nail-biting shoot-out and then Christian Vieri blasted over the bar setting up Nacho Novo to clinch it with Rangers' fifth kick. He took the pressure off skipper Barry Ferguson who had missed the first kick and it followed his shootout success in the Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone. He said: "It had crossed my mind a few times this week that the match might go to penalties and it could not have worked out any better for me. "It might not have been the prettiest game to watch but we got there in the end and that's the main thing. "It's a lottery when it goes to penalties and either side could have won it and fortunately it was us. It's just an unbelievable experience. "I just wanted to save one when Barry missed the first one to get us back in the game and that's the way it happened. "Then Vieri put his over the bar and the rest is history. "It's just getting better and better for me. Since getting in the team it has been fantastic. "We were obviously disappointed to lose to Celtic last Sunday but this was a great way to put that to bed and give the fans something to cheer about. "It's amazing. I was knocked out the League Cup in England by MK Dons on penalties at the beginning of this season when I was with Ipswich. "I have a god record on penalties. I saved three out of five. When it comes to penalties I am very confident. "I would fancy my chances if it goes to penalties in the final against Zenit but they must be a good side if they beat Bayern so convincingly.

Apr 29 2008 By Paul O'Hare CELTIC star Aiden McGeady was caught up in a street brawl just hours after Sunday's Old Firm match. The winger clashed with Rangers fans after being taunted as he left a nightclub with team-mate Scott McDonald, 24. McGeady, 22, was targeted by the yobs who squared up to him and chanted: "If you hate Aiden McGeady clap your hands". One onlooker said: "They were right in his face and very threatening." Seconds later, the Republic of Ireland international was attacked. McGeady is said to have defended himself and the bust-up was over in seconds. McDonald was not involved in the scuffle. The two players had been celebrating their team's 3-2 win over Rangers when trouble flared outside Bamboo in Glasgow. Hours earlier, Australian McDonald scored two goals and was brought down for Celtic's penalty clincher. But it was McGeady who was singled out by the drunken louts. Police were called to the city centre nightclub around 3.30am yesterday but no complaint was made. A Celtic spokesman said: "The players made the club aware of this incident on Monday. Aiden has made it clear he'd be more than happy to co-operate with the police as both players were undoubtedly the aggrieved parties in this unfortunate incident." Midfielder McGeady was last week named Scotland's player of the year and young player of the year by his fellow professionals. But one Parkhead season ticket holder who witnessed the fracas was critical of the star. He said: "Nobody deserves what happened to Aiden and he did his best to avoid the confrontation. "But I don't think it was too clever going out after a Celtic v Rangers game, especially after his team had won. "It's a sad indictment of Glasgow but players are best lying low after an Old Firm match." The incident came just 24 hours after Motherwell captain Paul Quinn was attacked in Wishaw, Lanarkshire. He suffered a broken jaw and is out for the rest of season. Meanwhile, a Celtic fan has died after being attacked in Govan, Glasgow. Patrick McBride, 51, was assaulted by a gang around 9.30pm on Sunday. It's believed the Gorbals man suffered a heart attack. He was not wearing any football colours but cops believe the confrontation was triggered by the Old Firm game. Three men, all aged 21, were arrested in connection with the incident and are expected at Glasgow Sheriff Court today. There were six other arrests linked to the Old Firm match, mainly for minor offences. I hoped we were above this sort of Bullshit.

..Is open the fridge door to a dog (Celtic) and revealed a massive steak but closed the door again then booted the little bassa in the balls and said - No you cant have it but you got close!! Thats all we've done to the mhanks!! Keep believing - WATP

Found this on the BBC, don't know what to make of it... Everyone knows he should have won POTY, but someone else had one good game against a very poor Aberdeen... and so the mhedia got to work on this campaign as their previous attempts to get it awarded to Brown failed when he played even worse than when he started... It would be good to see Weir make it, been a rock this year and thought he was excellent in the 1st leg! If not, King Carlos will keep whoever he plays alongside in check! Edit: link to article. Was correct as of 9am in case it gets changed...

http://www.gersnetonline.net/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=633&Itemid=1 Sasa Papac for me... We can still do this lads!

http://www.footballfancast.com/blog/premiership/celtic-newcastle-united-liverpool-rangers-leeds-united-who-h/3255 Get our vote up.

RANGERS' under-19 squad have clinched the SPL title for the second successive season and coach Billy Kirkwood is encouraging fans to flock to Hampden for Wednesday's SFA Youth Cup Final against Celtic. Billy Kirkwood with league trophyThe 19s drew with Motherwell at Murray Park last Friday afternoon to win the championship and current Captain Andrew Shinnie and winger Georgos Efrem were pictured with Kirkwood and the SPL trophy at Murray Park today. With the title secured, Billy's team are now concentrating on Wednesday's tie against Celtic - who were beaten 5-0 in last season's Final thanks to goals from Steven Lennon (3), Dean Furman and Andrew Shinnie - and supporters have the chance to see the latest crop of young Light Blues in action at Hampden. Turnstiles in the West Stand are open to Rangers fans who can pay at the gate from 6pm on Wednesday (Adults can attend for just �£5 with Concessions costing �£2) and the match kicks of at 7.30pm. Kirkwood commented: "The boys have worked hard all season and I am delighted they were able to win the league for the second season in a row. We are now looking forward to the SFA Youth Cup Final and we hope for another big crowd at Hampden. "An amazing 11,486 supporters turned out to cheer on both teams last season and it would be nice to top that. There will be a lot of talent on show and it would be a fantastic achievement for the Club to clinch another league and cup double. "It will be a difficult game, of course, but we hope to have a good crowd behind us to help secure further silverware for Rangers." The Under-19s squad will parade their league trophy at half-time in next Thursday's UEFA Cup semi-final tie with Fiorentina at Ibrox and from next season the Under-19s will play their Old Firm league games at the Andrew Shinnie with league trophyStadium, with entry free to Season Ticket Holders. The Club has already frozen prices on Adult Season Tickets for next season and reduced the cost of Juvenile Season Tickets by a third to encourage more families to football and Midfielder Andrew Shinnie knows playing at Ibrox in front of supporters will be beneficial for the Club's youth players. He commented: "We are fortunate to play the majority of our games at Murray Park and the facilities are excellent but moving the Old Firm games to Ibrox will be a great experience. "All the youth players here dream of playing for the first-team there so it will be nice to play in front of the Rangers supporters on home soil."

Rangers fear Allan McGregor may be out for season Apr 22 2008 By Keith Jackson INJURY-RAVAGED Rangers are bracing themselves for the bombshell news today that Allan McGregor's season is over. The keeper will report to hospital this afternoon for a second opinion on the ankle injury he sustained in last week's Old Firm defeat at Parkhead. But while McGregor is praying for good news, manager Walter Smith is all but resigned to losing his keeper for the rest of the campaign. McGregor has damaged ligaments so badly Smith doesn't expect him back in training until July when Rangers begin their pre-season preparations. It means Neil Alexander - the hero in Sunday's penalty shoot-out win over St Johnstone - will be placed in the firing line as Rangers' season goes down to the wire. Smith will be without seven top-team players on Thursday against Fiorentina in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final. Lee McCulloch, Charlie Adam, Steven Naismith and Chris Burke are also injured while Kevin Thomson and Barry Ferguson are suspended. Rangers did receive one piece of good news last night when it was revealed Burke could be back sooner than expected after fears he'd broken his ankle on Sunday in a challenge with Saints skipper Kevin Rutkiewicz. Doctors believe Burke's ligaments would have been severely ruptured had they not already been loosened by previous injuries and he could be back in action in a fortnight. But Smith admits Burke and his other weekend casualty Naismith are definitely out of the mouth-watering clash with the Serie A side. He said: "Naismith and Burke have no chance of playing on Thursday and I think they will miss our next three games at least. "We will wait and see what the specialists say but at this stage they look unlikely to feature in either of the Fiorentina games or against Celtic on Sunday." As I said before, thank God we replaced Roy Carroll.

From Sporting Life The Clydesdale Bank Premier League season will be extended by four days to May 22 if Rangers reach the UEFA Cup final. The Scottish Premier League have revealed two provisional fixture lists, one which will be implemented if Rangers beat Fiorentina in their European semi-final, and the other for if they are beaten by the Italians. Both fixture lists include a run of two SPL games in three days for Rangers, who would have to play the Scottish Cup final two days after their final league game if their European run continues. If they miss out on the UEFA Cup final, which takes place on May 14 in Manchester, Rangers must play St Mirren on May 13 and May 15. That would allow the season to end on schedule, on May 18. However should Rangers overcome Fiorentina those dates would become unsuitable. Walter Smith's side would instead face Motherwell on May 17, rather than travel to Aberdeen the following day, which was due to be their final game of the campaign according to the original fixture list. They would then play St Mirren on Tuesday, May 20, and face Aberdeen on Thursday, May 22 - two days before their Scottish Cup final date with Queen of the South. The other matches involving top-six sides - Dundee United v Celtic and Hibernian v Motherwell - would also be played on May 22 to ensure the season finishes for each club at the same time. Because Fir Park would be required on May 17 if Rangers reach the Manchester final, Gretna's final match would have to be moved and a date of May 8 has been pencilled in by SPL chiefs. Rangers' outstanding games against St Mirren and Motherwell presented the SPL with their problem. SPL secretary Iain Blair said: "It is well documented that this has been an exceptionally challenging season in terms of fixturing. "The combination of a number of diverse circumstances has produced unparalleled scheduling problems. "The publication of these two models now gives our clubs, their fans and our broadcasting and other partners early notice of when these games might be played. "Our aim throughout has been to protect the integrity of our competition, balance the interests of our member clubs and have regard to player welfare and fixturing precedent. The models we have prepared seek to discharge this aim. "Both models reflect the fixturing complications the SPL has faced this season. "The first model will be adopted if Rangers FC fail to beat Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. "The second model exceptionally provides a modest extension to the season to enable Rangers to represent the SPL and all of Scottish football in the UEFA Cup final. "It reflects the fact that the outstanding fixtures cannot reasonably be played in the available time and will involve some disruption for a number of our clubs. "This model will involve moving the last round of top-six games to Thursday May 22. "It is clear that future requests for changes to our scheduled fixture list will have to be compelling before approval is given." Games have been postponed for varying reasons this season, with four put back to later dates following the death of Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell in December. Eight have been postponed due to waterlogged pitches; the two games involving Rangers and Celtic ahead of Scotland's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy were called off after a Scottish FA request; and Rangers succeeded in a request to have their SPL game against Gretna postponed in December to afford them extra preparation time for their Champions League game against Lyon. ===================================== SO if we make the UEFA final we have to play that Final on May 14, followed by a game on May 17 and May 20, May 22 in the league and then the SC Final on May 24 - Gee, thanks SPL. That is a ridiculous run of games and the sole reason it seems they are doing it is such that the SC Final is the last game in the calendar - move it back a week or two. Even if we don't make the UEFA final we are being asked to play May 13, 15 and 18 to close out the season - again, 3 games in 5 days and the Tims think everyone is trying to help US win the league - aye, right !! Why not stretch the games at least a bit - May 13, May 17, May 20 - then the SC final on May 24 ? If this was the Tims being faced with the same fixture back-log and being asked to play 5 games in 10 days there would be outrage.

Is it just me or are the Scottish press desparate for Rangers to fail in their quest for a domestic treble and a uefa cup win ? , we have been slaughterd for our peformance's and given no credit for getting through to 2 Scottish finals and into a European semi final with a reasonable chance of Reaching the Final in Manchester. Last week before the old firm game it was "Strachan must go" "Celtic in Crisis" now after a last minute winner against us everythings Rosey again and their the media darlings again. The one that drives me mad the most is Bill Leckie this man cannot hide his hatred for our club he is a prick of the highest order Also McGreedy getting young player and player of the year can someone please tell me how many good games this little weasel has turned up in this season ?? to say he is better than Cuellar is a joke. We do have a lot of injurys at the moment but the chance to do a quadruople must spur the players on , i will be there on Thursday signing till i cant sign no more and give whatever playerrs smith chooses 110% backing and hopefully we pull of a result despite being written off already before a ball is kicked. Yours in "i hate Celtic with a passion mode"

What a season it's been, we've won the League Cup; booked our place in the Scottish cup final with only Queen of the South in the way; we're in a UEFA semi and with our European form his season, we've got a 50-50 chance of getting to the final; and to cap it all we're going in to the post spit period in the league with a game against Celtic, with 2 points behind but 3 games in hand... Anyone still excited about this season or just like the players, are we jaded with the number of games and relentless fixture list? I know I'm looking forward to the next three games, starting on Thursday. We might not be playing total football but, for me personally, it's been a cracking season so far. Fancy a dram? Make mine a quadruple...

So we've crawled into the Scottish Cup final, we can put that on the back burner until the near end of May and concentrate on the big 2 - the SPL and the UEFA cup. Everything was going so well but all of a sudden we have players dropping like flies and a few suspensions to deal with. Naismith and Burke are the latest 2 to join McCulloch and McGregor on the sidelines. And we have Ferguson, Thomson and Cuellar with pending suspensions. The squad is really going to be tested especially the centre and left side of midfield. On the right Novo and Davis can still fill in and we still have Darcheville, Cousin and Boyd upfront plus Buffel who made a rare appearance yesterday. The match yesterday should have been played on Saturday to allow us an extra day to prepare for Fiorentina. Less than 72 hours after that game we go over to Parkhead again for the last Old Firm Derby of the season. Even with 3 games in hand, getting something in this game is needed to reduce any growing pressure of having to win our all 3 games in hand. Walter must be scratching his head about the change in fortunes in injuries which have been quite kind all season. At least for the Celtic game Ferguson will have had the best part of 10 days off and should be re-charged a bit. But Im a little worried about personel for Fiorentina. At least both Cuellar and Weir are available for this one meaning Dailly can sit in midfield again - probably next to Davis and Hemdani. Time to really dig deep!!!

THE SFA have confirmed today that Davie Weir and Celtic's Gary Caldwell have been banned for one match following the post-match aggro at Parkhead last night. As we revealed last night, both players were ordered to referee Kenny Clark's room for getting involved as players scuffled at the final whistle. They were reported to the SFA this morning for violent conduct and have been suspended for the next match which means Weir is out of the St Johnstone Cup semi-final and Caldwell misses Celtic's SPL game with Aberdeen on Saturday. Celtic captain Stephen McManus was also spoken to by the referee and reported for aggressive behaviour. He was given three penalty points which takes him to 15 and therefore three short of threshhold. Carlos Cuellar's red card for hand ball automatically rules him out of the next Celtic match on April 27. However, the penalty carries only five points and that leaves him on 17 points. That means he is one booking away from a further one-match ban.

RANGERS' under-19s have drawn 0-0 with Motherwell at Murray Park this afternoon, a result which secured a second consecutive League Championship title at this age level. Under-19 captain Andrew ShinnieBilly Kirkwood's talented group of players only needed a point to be crowned Champions and did so with a disciplined performance on what was a bitterly cold afternoon. After the 90 minutes captain Andrew Shinnie proudly held aloft the League trophy alongside his teammates and the Gers' coaches who celebrated in typical style. Kirkwood made several changes to his starting eleven for today's game ahead of Wednesday night's SFA Youth Cup Final but praised the entire squad after the final whistle. He said: "It feels great to win the league again. The boys have done fantastically well and to go through the season with only one defeat so far is tremendous. "We changed the team around a bit but the lads that came in were fantastic as we came up against a Motherwell side who worked very hard. "We have had a lot of tough games over the course of the season but I think we fully deserve to be Champions. Rangers under-19s celebrate winning the League Championship "It was never going to be easy to emulate the double that we won this season but the we have put ourselves in a position to do it and that is something to be proud of. "We can now look forward to the SFA Youth Cup Final against Celtic at Hampden and that will be a fantastic occasion for everyone."

Come On The Sheep Last few weeks my Celtic thread starters have resulted them in defeats or losing points. Can't see it happening today, but we can always hope

WORRIED Rangers fans have demanded a big-game summit with Celtic chief Peter Lawwell after stating missile-throwing Hoops thugs have made Parkhead unsafe for players and supporters. http://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/41663/ http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/2008/04/18/rangers-trust-want-last-old-firm-game-behind-closed-doors-after-coin-throwing-86908-20386669/

http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk/rs...98&Itemid=2 This year is the centenary of the birth of Sam English who remains with 44 league goals in a season a club record holder despite achieving this over 70 years ago. Samââ?¬â?¢s Rangers career was prematurely cut short when he had to move to England following the John Thomson tragedy and the hate campaign he and his family suffered from ghouls who blamed him for the young Celtic keeperââ?¬â?¢s death. Itââ?¬â?¢s the intention of the Sam English Commemoration Committee to mark Samââ?¬â?¢s life and achievements with a variety of events and the creation and presentation of a cup in his memory. Samââ?¬â?¢s own story has been somewhat overshadowed by the Thomson tragedy - but his life did not stop then - his marriage was blessed with three daughters and numerous grand-children; he played with distinction for a number of other clubs - Liverpool, Hartlepool,Queen of the South; and he returned to Clydebank to coach his local team Duntocher Hibs. We hope to be able to tell the whole Sam English story in the coming months. The central focus of the commemoration will be on a dinner at Ibrox on Saturday August 16th where a specially commissioned cup will be unveiled. We have engaged the services of a Northern Irish silversmith - Cara Murphy - to produce the cup. - You can view Caraââ?¬â?¢s work on her website by clicking here. The cup will not simply be a trophy but also a work of art befitting the stature of this remarkable Ranger. To produce the cup in silver will require a reasonable expenditure of funds - around Ã?£8,000 - and hence we are asking fans to support the Commemoration by participating in events and making a donation. DONATE AND PARTICIPATE! - DONATE - all donations over Ã?£25 will receive a special certificate of thanks. This can be done securely via the Trust website facility ââ?¬â?? click here. Please ensure you mark your donation with 'Sam English Fund'. - BADGES - Ã?£3 UK, Ã?£4 overseas. Design is being finalised and will be available in 4-6 weeks. Buy via PayPal by clicking here. - RACE NIGHT - Friday 9th May - venue tbc - entry Ã?£3. Buy tickets via PayPal by clicking here. - 5-A-SIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT - Ã?£50 per team - Sat 17th May @ Five on 5 (Paisley). Contact the Trust directly for more information on entering a team. - DINNER AT IBROX - Ã?£50 per seat. Ã?£500 per table. Buy tickets securely via PayPal by clicking here. We shall also shortly announce the details of a golf day and dinner in Samââ?¬â?¢s native Northern Ireland. All our plans have been fully discussed with Samââ?¬â?¢s surviving daughter. The committee will also produce a commemorative menu - brochure and are very keen to make contact with fans who have information on Samââ?¬â?¢s early life and memorabilia/photographs.

Rangers have the stamina for fight on four fronts, vows Ally McCoist Apr 18 2008 By Keith Jackson ALLY McCOIST last night insisted that burn-out will not see Rangers' quest for a quadruple go up in flames. McCoist was rolled out to face the media yesterday as part of his duties as "caretaker" boss for the Ibrox club's Scottish Cup run. He has been handed increased responsibility for team affairs by manager Walter Smith and will again be the front man at Hampden on Sunday as Rangers bid to see off St Johnstone and reach the Final. But while Smith and his players are still licking their wounds after Wednesday night's Old Firm defeat, McCoist remains adamant Rangers are not about to run out of gas on the last leg of their incredible journey towards a clean sweep. He said: "There will be questions levelled against us now, I'm aware of that. As far as I'm concerned it's questions that must be levelled at the players. "This was always going to happen at some stage this season. So far the lads have answered all the questions and I don't have any doubts that they will keep on answering positively. "There are a lot of strong characters in the dressing room. We'll need those strong characters, that's for sure. "But we've never, ever said that the league campaign was over. We have a cup game next but I have no doubts we'll bounce back. "I see comparisons with the team I played in back in 1992. There is a real togetherness and there is a real team spirit. There are characters who just don't know when they're beaten and you learn more about yourself in defeat. "Just like that 1992 side this lot are prepared to roll up their sleeves when they have to and that's exactly what they will do now." By the time Rangers get back to league business at Hibs on May 4, Celtic could have opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the SPL pile. But McCoist said: "I wasn't aware of that because I only look at the next game. "We have a lot of games to play in a short space of time. It's a problem but it's one we will have to address. It's a case of getting on with it. "I'm not overly concerned about the burn-out issue because we have a squad of players who can handle it. "We asked for one game off so people could throw that back in our faces. We could have squeezed games in had we looked at things a little bit better but this is the situation we find ourselves in and we have to deal with it. And I have no concerns with this squad of players." McCoist is relishing the chance to work with a group of players who could yet go down as the most successful Rangers side of all time. A win over Saints on Sunday will see the quad squad move one step closer to their improbable dream. And McCoist said: "When we pick the team we all pitch in but Walter obviously has the final say. For the cup games he is letting me handle the media and take the team talks - but he is still the manager. "I might have more responsibility but I would be foolish not to ask him for advice - even if he gave me full permission to pick the team. "But I do have a lot more to do with the cup games in terms of organising things and I am thoroughly enjoying it. "When I think back to what I was doing 18 months ago, with my TV work and that kind of thing, then yes, I must admit, I'm very surprised to be sitting here now preparing a team for a Scottish Cup semi-final. Very surprised - but delighted. "It's been a fantastic year. We've had a lot of highs and then we had a massive disappointment on Wednesday night. But you sit back and think that might not be such a bad thing. It's all part of the learning curve." Never realized that Walter was letting him basically take charge of the team during the cup run. Another season under Smith then McCoist to take over?

First chance to come on here after the game but i would like to say well done to every player that was wearing the blue or red jersey last night that they done themselves proud. It all started at the start of the game, when i have never been so proud in my life, Barry Ferguson shouts all the Rangers players over and they turn their backs to the Celtic huddle. Wee Nacho warming up during the first half thumping the badge, winding up Celtic fans Yes we got beat last night but it was down to a wondergoal and a goal on the last minute. Adding to that we had only 10 men and we have played the most games in europe this season some tiredness might of creaped in aswell. No one could fault your huger, fight and desire to come away with a point last night. Looked like it was going to be a great night with saving a penalty etc, but it wasn't to be I felt sorry for the King last night when he got sent off, looked like he was holding his hand up to us apologising. Anyway we are still 1 point clear with two games in hand, 15 out of 21 points lady and gents means the league's ours. Chin up everyone, the league flag's coming home

I say no, always no. The punishment is a penalty (which is usually scored) a sending off, meaning you have to fight back with 10 men, and you lose the player for the next game. In this case not only did we lose our best defender while being down to 10 men, we're doubly punished in that the next SPL game is also at Celtic and we lose our best player again. It's easy to use hindsight of the save to say he did the right thing - but if they'd scored as you'd expect them to, then we'd have been 2-1 down with only 10 men. As it was, we were under the cosh for the rest of the game and it was inevitable they'd score unless we could hold out long enough. We almost did, but the 10 men and without the services of the brilliant Spaniard, we couldn't hold on for one more minute. Now we're without him for the next installment and he's a big, big miss. If he'd just let the goal in, we'd have been 2-1 down but with 11 men to get an equaliser. We were in the ascendancy so I think we'd have had a better chance of drawing or winning. I'm not criticising Cuellar as it's one of those rush of the head, in the moment things - and I've been sent off once for it myself. But I still think it's definitely the wrong thing to do in most cases. More-so this time.