TheRedThreat

I don't trust Bougherra when the ball is in the air. He also has transfer value. Cult status or no, we need the cash and could probably achieve the same sort of results we have been without him.

Compelling and rich.

Amoruso. If you happened to touch his hair your hands would have no grip for a week. I wish I had long hair sometimes.

In fairness, I do rate the Ibrox Underground design.

I suppose that a consultant can only offer up so many strategies: if the Chairman doesn't listen to them, that's his perogative. In relation to the Novo point, that may be the case: that SDM and co wanted to steele us against the prospect of losing one player with no additions. Why then the theatrics? Why not just say that we will consider all bids, but not be making any purchases? The "ONE BIG NAME MUST, I REPEAT MUST GO AT BARGAIN BARGAIN PRICES!!!!!!!" was hardly being honest with us as supporters. Can they just be honest with us? Where is the love? I'm not feeling the love.

Regardless of the eventualities of the trade window (or lack thereof, in this case), I cannot help but comment on the amateurish handling of the media during the whole process. From day one, the Manager, Chairman and Staff were all harping on about how there were to be fire-sales of big name players, that we should all expect dramatic changes and that the financial situation was about to result in the earth being engulfed by the sun. Then, unbelievably, we hear reports from the same group of talking heads that they are glad that no trades were made, that the squad was kept togeter, blah blah blah. A little to late for all that. The only thing that these representatives have achieved is to destabilise moral of the playing group and create unrest amongst the supporters. The whole manner in which interviews were conducted were completely in the realms of primary school. Do we actually have a Public Relations team? Is there a firm employed to advise our fine club as to how to handle the media and create a spin that works to the club's advantage? Hopeless. I hope that the key players have learned from all this, and next time they will bide their time and learn when to shut their mouths when the time is right. The whole organisation should be geared towards winning the title, and that can start right now with instigating a level of professionalism at corporate level. I feel better after that rant.

Stay classy San Diego.

Hard to know what to make of this one for a few reasons. Papac and Broadfoot played some of the most reliable defensive games I have seen for quite some time. Recent games have led me to believe that they would need additional support from a more defensive minded midfield, which is what may have led WS to go with a formation that would provide such backup. But as it stood, they stood strong. But that could have been due to the additional midfield strength. Circular argument. If we went with a more attacking structure from the start, would the back four have been as resolute as they were? Unknown. However, the decision to switch from a defensive/steadying mindset into a goalscoring one came much to late. Once we had established superiority in the midfield and achieved confidence across the back (BTW - has anyone else noticed the shaky starts lately???), the switch should have been made. Why are managers so old fashioned that they can't make a sub at an earlier time? God forbid, should Walter actually try to seize some initiative in a game at a key moment, other than following the same old script, "I'll make a sub at the 60 minute mark, that will be a forward, and then with 15 minutes to go I'll scrap a midfielder for another quick forward to play at the feet in front of him". I'm sure that Calderwood was bamboozled by that absolute masterstroke. What about we start trying to win games, instead of trying not to lose them?

Boyd and Novo coming on was the only thing that kept us in the hunt. Not playing him from the start is the sort of defeatist attitude towards goal scoring that I have become used to expecting from WS. A guy is in form, GOALSCORING form, and is relegated to merely an afterthought on the basis of 'well, he hasn't scored well at this ground before'. Ridiculous. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you don't give Boyd experience in big games against quality defenders, then he is unlikely to score.

Hey All, new to the area, Can someone give me some pointers to a Gers' friendly bar in Edinburgh for tomorrow's festivities?

Essendon. No one else. http://www.essendonfc.com.au http://www.bomberblitz.com/forum/index.php?showuser=3034

How dare he not tip in another 40mil right this second???

Bougherra is the only one who could possibly break into an EPL side. But there are multiple potentials for the championshit - McGregor could find himself in a side that could push for promotion.

Got incredibly frustrated listening to the broadcast tonight. In particular, the rabbiting on about SDM's decision to speak in relation to what he deemed to be noise created by a small, insignificant group. "If these are such insignificant numbers of supporters, then why does SDM give their arguments oxygen..." blah blah Irrespective of whether the 17pp is actually the opinion of RST or Rangers' supporters as a whole, it was incredibly naive from a broadcaster who makes his living in the media to not understand just why the chairman had to respond. Was he seriously arguing that SDM shouldn't have even responded in the media to the complaints made? Bizarre journalism, if I can even call it that. Crap or not, the fact that the issue is now front page news on every tabloid and broadsheet, first news story on every TV bulletin, and talked about adbloodynauseum on every sports segment on every radio station means that it is now in the public interest. Given the current climate of fear (not just in football) rumours can escalate very quickly, and false statements can become self fulfilling prophecies if they are not nipped in the bud. Imagine if some old bat from Wick declared that the RBS is insolvent, then regardless of her credibility, the chairman of the bank would be on TV that night declaring "all is well", so why is it so hard to believe that in this current environment of economic panic, that the chairman of the football club would come out and respond to what the entire media world is talking about. I would have been horrified if the club had not officially responded to the 17pp.

With the current staff (playing and non-playing) on the books, I would be reluctant to throw my hard earned cash into the club unless I was sure that I going to get some sort of reward from it. SDM has seen countless thousands flushed in this season and last, so if we are all hoping that he'll just go ahead and tip in another 40 million, we are sadly deluded.