Tontospal

So I lack ambition for not wanting Smith out after Kaunas? Even though he was the very same manager who lad us to the UEFA Cup Final? Negative yes, but those tactics got us pretty far last season. Yes he got Kaunas wrong and it was a shocking and embarrassing result, but calling for his head after that is a knee-jerk reaction that didn't take the big picture into account. And i dont understand why he should stay out of the press for this reason. Can you expand on that one please. My 'big picture' would have seen him thanked for his efforts at the end of last season and replaced. The European results last season were certainly good but the quality of football throughout was dire and far too negative and of poor quality for a club the size of Rangers. IMO a better manager would have won the SPL title and may even have won the UEFA Cup Final. I don't subscribe to the opinion that 2 domestic cups was satisfactory for us just because it was an improvement on the previous 2 trophyless years. We needed to sign at least 4 quality players to go straight into the first team if this season was going to be a success. No players were signed before the Kaunus games who it could be argued actually improved the squad nevermind the starting X1. As a result there was a good chance that we would lose to a side that are far inferior to us as a club and whose total wage bill is a small fraction of that paid to our 'superstars'. Not a knee-jerk reaction for me to sack him but a realistic and justifiable action for a club with any real ambition of doing well in Europe. Losing the UEFA Cup Final is very much a consolation to not getting in to the lats 16 of the CL for me. Ragarding ypur question: My point was thet he should be keeping a low profile in this of all weeks, given the 'Battle of Britain', nevermind attacking the fans, faceless minority or not. He should be feeling the pain we are feeling having to read, listen or view all this pro-celtc propoganda not forgetting the endless references to the behaviour of our fans in Manchester and the comparisons with the self proclaimed greatest fans in the world. Since he came back he has undoubtedly steadied the ship but we have actually played well in a handful of games. Although we have a chance of winning the title this season I fail to see any evidence of the qulaity or style of play improving under Smith.

My understanding was that Hartson was desperate to sign for us and the night before his medical he allegedly went out for few drinks to celebrate. The next day he turned up for his medical allegedly smelling of drink and it was a no go after that.

No chance with the muppets currently in charge

We have no fixture this week whilst our greatest rivals are playing a competitive match against arguably the biggest team in the world and the reigning CL champions. You would think that our manager would want to stay out of the press given the quality of opposition that put us out of Europe and ensured that we have no meaningful European games for almost a calendar year. Is he embarassed at his poor tactics and team selection that led to such a humiliation? It doesn't appear so and instead he has a real go at our fans. The same fans who stuck by him but who, if they had any real ambition for the club, should have demanded his sacking after losing to Kaunus. His time would be much better spent on the training pitch to try and teach his side how to play decent football because after the St Mirren game it is patently obvious that the coaching staff and the playing squad leave a lot to be desired. With regards to TFO, I only hope that our support actually stay united on this one and do not 'surrender' as they did with TBB. There is absolutely nothing in either the intent or words sung by the matchday support that could be deemed sectarian, racist or actually insulting. I am confident that any court in this country would have no grounds for prosecuting anyone guilty of singing the 'matchday' words. The truth of the matter is that the MOPEs don't like it.

It's nothing to do with pride v money. Despite how much we don't want to admit it, the truth is that we are the second team in Scotland and have been for the best part of the last 10 years. If we were top dogs and going for 4 in a row and were asked after them then fair enough. There has been little pride in supporting Murray Rangers in the last few years and that is a much bigger issue IMO for the fans to consider.

Can you blame them for asking the Scottish 3 in a row champions and a team that have qualified for the last 16 of the CL the last 2 seasons before a side that has only won 2 domestic cups in the last 3 years? If you were in their shoes who would you ask first? FFS, we've been second to them on the park for the last 3 years and our support have meekly accepted it. Thanks to Murray and Bain we've been second best for the last decade.

I am absolutely mystified why we have rejected the offer and opportunity to play in the Dubai tournament with Juventus, Bayern Munich and another club. We have no European games - so too many games can't be the reason. I can only think that it was refused on the grounds that Bain, Murray etc did not want OUR support, that's you and me, to travel to Dubai and potentially embarass the club further after Manchester. This is another bizarre own goal from Bain/Murray and was a wonderful opportunity fior the club to boost its profile and play against top European clubs and give the ex-pats and our travelling support the chance to see Rangers away from Scotland this season.

I'm still waiting on anyone convincing me "The Billy Boys" is sectarian. F*nians are not a 'sect' See you in court Mr UEFA man I'm still disappointed with Rangers - the club and the fans - that we meekly surrendered TBB. I also fear that the same thing will happen with TFO unless the fans stand firm. P.s. I would bring back TBB. We ALL sang it for years and never had a problem with it. Let them try and fine us or dock points because I fail to see how they can do that when they openly refer to themselves as FENIANS in song and title.

well at least until Dec 27th when we will hopefully hear tens of thousands of our fans singing TFO throughout the game. I would also like to see the Rangers support issuing a press statement before/after the game explaining what the song is all about and why we will not stop singing it when we play the Glaswegian Irishmen. I think the song is the best piss-take ever by our fans and it sums up the whole situation with the Plastic Paddies. Whoever made up the lyrics should take a bow and I would even put them in a Rangers Supporters Hall of Fame.

Never heard that before. What an absolute c*unt reid is. This link should be sent to every paper that just published that crap!! The press are well aware of this and are not interested at all. It would be much more worthwhile if it was sent to every Rangers fan/protestant that you know and ask them to forward it on to all the ones that they know.

How does that reconcile with the SOS to Davie Weir on Saturday due to the McAnus suspension? Remember he told Vogts where to shove it.

Of course I would but that is a different argument and set of circumstances. None of Eddie Thomson's family play for Utd, they were all employed by him. Would you take time off your work if your boss, his boss or a senior manager/director died? I wouldn't and I doubt most folk would. Would your work close down and inconvenience/alienate your customers 4 days after the owner/chairman's death so that you could mourn? I very much doubt it, although granted your work might stop for the funeral or the day of the funeral. Another argument for the game being played is that we are in difficult financial times and a considerable number of fans will be out of pocket through the late cancellation of the game. I do feel there is a difference between a boss, and your footballing chariman, especially one such as Thomson. However my reply was based on your comment stating that if a fellow player, a teammate died, then you would still want the game to go on. I don't understand how Thomson being a football chairman is different from him being a boss. Have all of his convenience stores closed today as a mark of respect or have they stayed open to serve their customers and carry on as a business? It may be just me but death is a fact of life. As they say after the 'KIng' dies and his heir takes over - The KIng is Dead, Long Live the KIng. I would have no problem playing if a teammate etc had dies. If anything it takes your mind off the death if only for the 90 minutes you are focusing on the game.

Like us all Grieg will die one day and I hope that when it happens (hopefully not for a good few years) it is during the season in order that our support can show the Greatest Ever Ranger the respect he deserves. The greatest tribute the players and fans could give someone like Greig would be for the fans to observe a minute's silence and then create a magnificent atmosphere by singing/chanting his name and cheering the team on to victory. I'm pretty sure if you asked Greig his opinion he would agree and would not be for a game being postponed in his honour. I wouldn't be surprised if Eddie Thomson had held similar views.

I believe that Rangers actually played celtc the same week as the funeral.

Of course I would but that is a different argument and set of circumstances. None of Eddie Thomson's family play for Utd, they were all employed by him. Would you take time off your work if your boss, his boss or a senior manager/director died? I wouldn't and I doubt most folk would. Would your work close down and inconvenience/alienate your customers 4 days after the owner/chairman's death so that you could mourn? I very much doubt it, although granted your work might stop for the funeral or the day of the funeral. Another argument for the game being played is that we are in difficult financial times and a considerable number of fans will be out of pocket through the late cancellation of the game.

The decision has been made to postpone Saturday's game and although I can appreciate and understand why it is not the right decision for me. If Murray, Bain, Smith or one of the players died a few days before a match I would not expect the game to be postponed. On the contrary, I could think of no better tribute or way of paying respect than the team going out and winning a game in the memory of the deceased. Death is a sad fact of life and one that we all have to deal with from time to time. A minute's silence and black armbands shows sufficient respect IMO.

That is exactly the reason why the game should not be postponed. They couldn't care less about the fans and I think you know the answer to your question.

I fully support Boyd's decision. His record is 7 goals in 15 appearances yet Burley rates him as his 5th choice striker behind Miller, McFadden, Iwelumo, Fletcher. If I was Boyd I would have told Burley on Saturday before going home. There was absolutely no logic in his decision to play 2 international rookies before a player who has proven he can score goals at this level. If Burley thinks so lowly of him then he shouldn't have picked him in the squad in the first place.