Borrowed From Another Site

[ian1964 10,666]

Traynors' view.I can't stand the cretin,but this is a good read.

 

THEY are still so far away from reach but at least now the glint of the three trophies Rangers seek can be seen by the naked eye.

 

All they have to do is keep following the light.

 

Walter Smith is constantly told his players are running on empty but all he can see is a group of believers still striving to reach beyond human limits.

 

If what fuels some of these players could be siphoned off, the Grangemouth refinery's workers and management could close the place, argue the toss from now until the end of time and our motors would still be running.

 

But this Rangers squad don't even need to keep their legs pumping like pistons for ever. They have only to make sure their limbs function through just a handful of matches, starting tomorrow with the final Old Firm encounter of the season.

 

Celtic won the last one - Gordon Strachan's first Old Firm victory over Walter Smith - which ensured the championship remained a live issue, but the Parkhead side must come out on top in this final meeting also if the pressure is to be piled on their rivals.

 

Anything less than three points would make it virtually impossible for Celtic to hold on to the SPL title even though Rangers have a punishing run-in.

 

If Rangers win, or draw, they would be boosted by a powerful mix of adrenalin and confidence and the effects of a spineless SPL's refusal to sanction a meaningful extension to the league campaign wouldn't be too destructive.

 

Rangers would be almost certain to collect the remaining points necessary without operating at full tilt, but to ensure that luxury they have to be prepared to summon up one more massive effort at Parkhead.

 

Strachan's side are in better shape and the manager has probably been struggling to hold them back in training but just after midday tomorrow he'll let them off the leash.

 

They are likely to attack Rangers at pace and try to dominate the midfield areas just as they did 10 days ago and Smith's side will be willing to soak up pressure, believing they'll also pierce Celtic's defence at times.

 

However, this time Rangers will have to match up, especially in the middle, if they're to take what would be the most important step towards winning the title.

 

The bulk of the evidence, though, suggests Celtic are fairly firm favourites to even the score, at least in terms of matches won against their traditional rivals.

 

Strachan and his players know that if they can win again they will force Rangers to doubt themselves, perhaps for the first time this season.

 

Barry Ferguson and the others won't be able to prevent their minds from wandering up ahead and looking at their packed schedule which is enough to frighten even the most seasoned pros like DavidWeir and Christian Dailly.

 

Celtic, Fiorentina in Florence, Hibs, Motherwell twice, Dundee United, St Mirren and Aberdeen all between now and May 18.

 

That's eight matches in 22 days and don't forget Rangers, who also have a Scottish Cup Final on May 24, could yet have a UEFA Cup Final to play.

 

That's not a match schedule, it's hard labour as a result of criminal negligence on the part of the SPL.

 

Let's make it absolutely clear just one more time that this group of preening lame brains have done nothing to help a Scottish side reach a European final and have failed also to protect the integrity of their own competition.

 

Should Rangers overcome Fiorentina and reach the final in the City of Manchester Stadium, it will be in spite of the people who are supposed to be working for the benefit of the Scottish game.

 

If Rangers claim European glory, Lex Gold and the rest shouldn't dare try to bask in the success.

 

No doubt he'd be tempted but it would be disgraceful if he were to hold up his league structure as the reason for this success.

 

In fact, in finding it impossible to assist Rangers properly in their quest to reach the heights, the SPL might inadvertently have boosted their determination to get the jobs done.

 

Rangers now feel victimised. They believe it's them against an establishment they suspect were afraid to upset Celtic and if this anger is channelled properly it could give the Ibrox club added momentum at the most critical time of the season.

 

Rangers are equipped to go to Parkhead and do just enough to end Celtic's interest in the title pursuit and then do the same to Fiorentina next Thursday. If they are in the final and cruising towards the championship, they would go to Easter Road next Sunday on an incredible high.

 

Fatigue wouldn't come into it and Smith would then find himself trying to subdue his players just as Strachan has been doing in the build-up to tomorrow's match.

 

Although they allowed Celtic to win the psychological and physical battles last time, Rangers know they can kill off their rivals tomorrow but it will take a tremendous effort, remarkable calmness and buckets of belief.

 

They have to put everything out of their minds except this one challenge, simply because the outcome will have such a significant bearing on how many trophies they win.

 

Three points tomorrow would give them vital breathing space in a hectic few weeks and you can be absolutely sure Smith has been using the SPL, as well as Aiden McGeady's comments, to fire up his men.

 

He'll have been telling them to prove they don't need the SPL's help and to show McGeady, who said Rangers shouldn't be allowed an extension to the season, that the balance of power really has switched from one end of Glasgow to the other.

 

McGeady, of course, will be one of the key players along with Shunsuke Nakamura and Barry Robson, but Rangers believe they have been pushed into a corner. They are wounded and there is only one thing they can do now.

 

They'll come out fighting and despite their aches and pains they'll keep going until they drop. They'll be battling for Smith, themselves, and the fans.

 

There are a lot of angry men in Smith's squad and if they really do believe this is their season, all their effort and sacrifices now come down to this one match, they could clamp both hands around the championship.

 

Win tomorrow and they'll be on such a high they wouldn't need an aircraft to get to Florence but lose and they could crash and burn.

 

There is just too much to lose in this one match and the very fear of seeing everything slip away in the wake of defeat could galvanise Rangers just enough to do what is necessary.

 

[Gribz 745]

Yip he makes a lot on sense here.

 

I actually dont think there is an agenda or conspiracy against us by the SPL / SFA, I just think those who run it make decisions when they feel like it meaning 1 rule for some and 1 rule for others - however they do this with no common sense or dignity what so ever.

 

So we will just have to get on with it and I hope we turn round with the quadriple and say 'up yours' to the SPL / SFA. I also hope next time they ask for our assistance we tell them no and remind them of this season.

 

Its a must the League cup gets put back to the first half of the season and the league should be expanded to 14 or 16 with less matches meaning weekends off for internationals and re-scheduled matches. But more importantly put a winter break in there too as the pitches have been disgraceful this season.

[craig 5,199]

I agree Gribz - it may sound like sour grapes, and I understand there is a difference between SPL and SFA - but one reason we are in the position we are in is because of the postponed game to try to accomodate Scotland's Euro 2008 quest.

 

We also, to be fair, caused some of the problem ourself in that we requested the Gretna game to be postponed priot to the Lyon game - IMO a request we should never have made - but it was, and the game was postponed, and the rest is history.

 

But we also can't forget our "friends" from the East End who are now (Mcgeady and Lawwell) of the opinion that the season should not be extended - very importantly it was CELTIC who wanted our New Year game postponed due to a player dying who hadnt represented them for TEN years. No disrespect to Phil O' Donnell. But I happen to think that the request made by them to have the game postponed was a request made more because had the game went ahead they would have lost one of their most influential players (McGeady) and they also would have been playing with a very weakened team (they had injuries at that point and had no RB's....). We on the other hand were flying and at full strength (save DMB and Stevie Smith, who had been out all season anyway).

 

We now hear all this nonsense from Lawwell about "sporting integrity" and how the league season shouldn't be extended...... we NEED the extension, in part, thanks to HIS TEAM'S request to postpone a game.

 

So if the league loses its integrity by extending then it is thanks, in part, to CELTIC.

 

I also agree, if we see a similar situation in subsequent seasons, even if the request is made for the benefit of Scotland, that Rangers stick two fingers up to the establishment and say "piss off... where was the assistance when WE needed it".

 

No disrespect to Scotland - but if Rangers are being dicked around, they have a right to look after their own interests first and foremost.

[ian1964 10,666]

Agree with all that Craig