robgersfan51

LEE McCULLOCH knows he has to get off to a flier this season - after carrying the can for Rangers' shock Champions League exit this time last summer. McCulloch played in both legs of the disastrous second qualifying round defeat to FBK Kaunas. The fact he made just FOUR appearances in Rangers' next 23 games following that shattering loss tells its own story. The rugged midfielder-turned-defender hasn't always been the apple of Rangers fans' eyes. But he ended last season as a late substitute in May's Tannadice title win, and finished last Tuesday's German tour victory over part-time outfit SC Wiedenbruck 2000 wearing the captain's armband. The 31-year-old has also been handed old pal Barry Ferguson's No 6 jersey for the new season - but knows he faces a battle to beat the 10 SPL starts he managed last term. He said: "Kaunas was a big shock. No-one played well. I was in the middle of the park with Christian Dailly and after the second game I think I played two games and that was me until Christmas. "I played a lot more after Christmas but Kaunas probably had a bit to do with that. "I did have injuries but a loss of form and not playing well enough to stay in the team was more to do with it. So I want to be there or thereabouts all season this time." He added: "If you're not doing well enough, you won't be in and I accepted that. I worked harder to get back in. "Reality kicks in and you realise you could be moving on from one of the world's biggest clubs. It's certainly not something I'd want. A few of the boys were left out after Kaunas. You think, 'Where do I go from here?' I've two years of my contract left but that doesn't mean anything. "It took me a while to get my dream move here after going to Wigan from Motherwell. "While I was out I kept being linked with a couple of teams but I didn't listen to it all. Until the manager has a word with you it's just speculation." Cautious McCulloch is refusing to take anything for granted just because he's been handed Ferguson's jersey - with his former captain's blessing. He said: "I didn't think anyone was going to get the No 6 shirt. When Barry went down to Blackburn for the 18 months he was away, no one got it then. "I think the kitman, Jimmy Bell, was reluctant to give it to anyone but on his last day, Barry said to give it to me. I didn't ask for it, but I've got it now. "I think Barry will do well down there and Alex McLeish has shown a belief in him. It's a big season for the club and for Barry. He's looking forward to it. "I suppose No 6 could be a number that plays a couple of positions, centre-half or midfield - it doesn't bother me. "I'll just be looking to get in this team and do well enough to stay in." fairness to lee he did play well against psg

RANDY Rangers rat Maurice Edu spent weeks seducing a sexy TV presenter - only to BOOT her out of bed just MOMENTS after scoring. The Ibrox ace wooed blonde Rangers TV star Lindsey Archibald with a string of texts begging for a date. But as soon as midfielder Mo had broken down the busty babe's defences he coldly rolled over and called her a cab. And the soccer star then IGNORED devastated Lindsey at Ibrox, except to turn on the charm for the cameras whenever she had to interview him. Last night a close pal of Lindsey's revealed: "She was heartbroken - she'd started to fall for Mo. Lindsey Archibald "She's spurned the advances of so many players. But she thought he was special. She told me she really fancied him but purposely didn't sleep with him for a while as she wanted it to develop into a relationship. "She let her guard down - but she will never go near another footballer." Curvy Lindsey couldn't help being flattered when Californian Edu flirted with her after signing a £2.6million deal with the Glasgow club last August. And although the ambitious presenter tried to resist his romantic advances, her pal told how the strapping six-footer pursued her for months. The friend said he'd pull her aside for secret, intimate chats and shower her with compliments. He sent a series of lusty texts begging her to come round to his bachelor pad. The friend said: "Lindsey is very professional and sleeping with a footballer is something she'd never done. "But Mo was very persistent. He promised her the world and bombarded her with sexy texts for so long that he made her feel special." But Lindsey continued to play it cool even when Edu, 23, followed her around like a lovesick puppy at the Rangers charity ball in Glasgow's plush Hilton hotel last November. The 29-year-old, of Denny, Stirlingshire, looked sensational in a pink gown that showed her off curves. Lindsey and Edu Edu took her to the bar to splash out on champagne at £80 a bottle. The friend said: "Wherever Lindsey went, Mo followed. It looked as if they were a couple, he was so possessive of her. "He had his arm round her waist with his hand on her bum. "An elderly couple actually approached them and said what a lovely couple they made. Mo was obviously delighted and boasted how gorgeous Lindsey was." Lindsey left Edu behind to head to trendy nightclub 29 with some pals. And her friend said: "He sent loads of messages begging her to come to his place. He was very complimentary and kept telling her she was gorgeous." Even though she refused, the texts kept coming for weeks, as the pair exchanged secret smiles at work. Finally, the crackling sexual tension led to Lindsey being lured to his posh pad in the West End. Our source revealed: "She was at a party with pals in Hyndland, round the corner from Mo's flat, and he was sending loads of messages, begging her to come and see him. "By then Lindsey had fallen for Mo, he seemed so sweet and kind . . . so she took a taxi over there at 1am." But instead of a tender, romantic encounter to treasure, the move turned out to be a DISASTER. Ardent Edu took the route one approach, whisking her straight through to the bedroom without even pausing for a nightcap. Maurice Edu But smitten Lindsey had lapped up so much of his Casanova chatter that she let herself go for it. Her pal said: "He knew what he wanted and he was determined to get it. They had passionate sex. You know what his body is like, he's very muscular, so she was up for it." But if the sex was hot, the mood cooled immediately afterwards - and Lindsey was in for a devastating let-down. Our source said: "Straight after they'd had sex, Mo threw Lindsey out! "We don't know exactly what he said but she was still sobbing when she arrived at her pals' flat. She couldn't believe she'd been used for sex. It looks like he phoned her a taxi and didn't even give her an explanation. "Then to make matters even worse, Mo then went OUT to meet his pals at a club." But the ratty Romeo piled on the agony, refusing even to look at her when their paths crossed at Ibrox. Humiliated Lindsey, who also lives in Glasgow, had to interview the Californian for Rangers TV at least seven times in the weeks after their romp. Her pal said: "She was so surprised by Mo's childish behaviour. He was very polite if she was interviewing him, but otherwise he ignored her. "Lindsey would smile while the camera was rolling, then leave as soon as she could. He made it so awkward for her." The final blow came weeks after their one-night stand last December. When Edu was teased about their romp by his pals in the dressing room, he began a new text bombardment - furiously blaming Lindsey for blabbing. Lindsey on Rangers TV Her pal said: "Mo lost his head and sent nasty messages demanding to know who she'd told. He really overstepped the mark. He was a total s***." Lindsey, who shed four stone before she became the Ibrox golden girl, lost her job last month when sports channel Setanta went into liquidation. And it emerged this week that Edu was embarrassingly caught out by Celtic pranksters, who tricked him into giving a "shout out" to Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams on Ustream web site. Last night US international Edu - who missed his team's Emirates Cup 1-0 victory over Paris St Germaine due to a knee injury - was unavailable. Rangers refused to comment. Lindsey didn't want to talk about it either but her friend told us: "She fell for his charms - but was devastated to find he was just a soccer playboy." we should ask edu what lindsey was like

Mcgregor Whittaker Weir Bougherra Papac Novo Davis Thomson Mendes Naismith Miller subs alexander mcculloch smith adam beasley shinnie little arron lafferty boyd velicka

my team would be alexander whittaker weir bougherra papac naismith davis mendes arron boyd miller subs mcgregor mcculloch smith adam shinnie thomson novo beasley lafferty velicka

in january our debt was 25 million so with the champions league money and the ferguson transfer money our debt is 9 million so if we sold boyd and mcgregor we could get about 8 million for the both of them and with the likes of s.smith mcculloch adam gow beasley look like they might be off we could get 2 million for them so if walter got 6 million to spend he could buy tonel for 2 million mcarthur 500 k brunt 2.5 million harewood 1 million so our total debt would be 5 million hardly anything champions league money 15 million ferguson money 1 million boyd 4.5 million mcgregor 3.5 million adam 500 k gow 250 k s.smith 250 k mcculloch 500 k beasley 500 k total 26 million

STEVEN NAISMITH will fly to London this afternoon intent on showing Arsene Wenger what he missed out on three years ago. Back in August 2006, the Rangers striker was invited to join Arsenal for a week on trial from then employers Kilmarnock. Steven NaismithAt the Rugby Park's request and because of international commitments, Naisy got just three days to work with the Gunners instead. And despite giving everything he could, the Premiership outfit's manager Wenger chose not to follow up his initial interest. Naismith will finally get the chance to play at Arsenal's magnificent Emirates Stadium over the next two days. Competing in the Emirates Cup pre-season tournament, he'll be part of the Gers squad that faces PSG tomorrow and the hosts on Sunday afternoon. Having made a good start to pre-season with a goal against Nuremberg on Sunday, Naismith is keen to build on the early promise he has shown. And he's keen to prove to Wenger that he should have taken a chance on him when he had the opportunity to rather than let him slip through the net. "Going to Arsenal three years ago on trial was a great experience," the 22-year-old said. "When I went there, the first thing they wanted me to do was a whole load of fitness tests. big season for naimsith this season i think if he stays injury free he can be a great palyer for us

Rangers boss Walter Smith has been studying the Arsenal blueprint as he faces up to more frugal times at Ibrox. Smith is a huge admirer of Gunners counterpart Arsene Wenger, who has operated on a fraction of the budget of his Barclays Premier League rivals while still managing to produce world-class talent. Rangers play Arsenal in the Emirates Cup on Sunday, where Smith will get to see Wenger's latest crop of youngsters at close quarters. Light Blues boss Smith has not dipped into the transfer market at all this summer, with the collapse of the Scottish Premier League's Setanta television deal appearing to spark a further tightening of the purse strings at Ibrox. Even before the broadcaster's demise, Rangers needed to sell in order to balance the books. It is therefore no surprise that Smith has been keeping a close eye on the way Wenger has focused on youth development while Arsenal pay for their new stadium. "If you take into account the things Arsene has won, he has achieved a lot and handled his club very well financially," Smith told Rangers News. "When you consider they were building a new stadium and their outgoings were restricted by that, they have done very well. "They haven't had the luxury of being able to spend the same amounts of money the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have spent. "Arsene has done a fantastic job there to keep his team in touch with those other three and to keep producing a high level of football. "He obviously has a scouting policy of looking in depth at young players and, when you do that, you're always at the mercy of clubs that will spend lots of money. "There are clubs in England and abroad who will spend cash and Arsenal have benefited from that. "When Arsene's club's finances have been drained because of the money going towards the new stadium, it has been a big achievement to keep Arsenal in touch with the rest." Smith added: "I've come across Arsene on a number of occasions, both when I was the manager of Everton and since then as well. "That said, I don't think you need to meet him or know him to have a great amount of admiration for the man. "He's now in his 14th season at Arsenal and that's fantastic. Everybody always looks at his teams and talks about what a fantastic level of football they play. "He had a great level of success with players who had already been at the club and gradually evolved to play in a manner his team has played in in recent years. "Arsene isn't somebody who came in and discarded everyone right away but still did very well. "That's good management and I think you can look at him as one of the best we've had in Britain over the last 25 years or so." With Champions League games on the horizon, Smith believes this weekend's Emirates Cup is the ideal way to step up Rangers' pre-season preparations. "I don't think we could get a tougher game than the one we have coming up against Arsenal," Smith said. "It's going to be a tough weekend against both PSG and Arsenal because they are both very decent sides. "When you take into account we'll still have Manchester City and Portsmouth to play, we feel that's a good build-up ahead of the new season." hopefully the likes of wilson mcmillan ness shinnie and fleck will all be involved this season

the evening times

all mguire care abouts is the balance sheet trophy haha mguire get it right fucking up you cunt

i think smith has 1 year left on his contract

ANDREW SHINNIE hopes he has done enough to stay involved with the Rangers first team squad at the Emirates Tournament this weekend. Shinnie has just returned from Germany where he spent the last week with Walter Smith's senior group of players. And the 20-year-old said: "If I am included in the group that travels to the Emirates Tournament this weekend that would be great. "It would be an amazing experience and any playing time you get against teams like Paris St Germain and Arsenal can only be good for you. advertisement "But the last week in Germany was brilliant and hopefully I have shown the coaches what I can do." Shinnie spent last season on loan at Dundee, but knows he is one of a few youngsters who could get a chance to play this term as Smith looks to integrate some home-grown talent in the midst of squad trimming. He added on the club website: "All we can do right now is work hard and when the gaffer gives us a chance we have to go out and do the job. "Hopefully we have all shown in Germany that we can play a part for the first team going forward and that we can give the gaffer a few options." hope that lad has a chance this season

SASA PAPAC has welcomed the return to fitness of Stevie Smith - even though he knows the comeback star will push him all the way for the left-back starting slot. Smith finally got over his long-term injury problems last season and made six appearances in the last few weeks of the Gers' double-winning campaign. He was used on the left side of midfield ahead of Papac, although a more natural full-back. But the Bosnian thinks it's healthy to have competition for the position he has made his own. advertisement Papac told the club website: "I am happy because Stevie is back and fit again. We need every player to be fit and fighting for places because we have a busy season coming up. "We will be playing in the Champions League, trying to defend the league title and we'll have the cups too, so we will use our whole squad again. "It is good to have competition because it means everyone will keep working hard to stay in the team and that is healthy." Few savoured the clinching of the SPL title in May more than Papac did, but already he is looking forward, rather than back. "It was very nice to win the title but last season is now history," he added. "We must now fight to win the league again and it won't be easy. "Celtic will be stronger this season and they have a new manager, so it will be hard for us. "I know I am the last person left who was signed by Paul Le Guen, but all I want to do is give everything I can for the club - as I have always done since I came to Rangers. "The last two years have been very good for Rangers. Two years ago we won two cups and played in the Uefa Cup Final and this year we won the title and also got the Scottish Cup again. "I went home to Bosnia to celebrate the title with my family and we had a nice time. My medal is at home and when I stop playing football I will find a good place for it in my house. "So it has been a very good two years. But in football the most important thing is always tomorrow. "We have to focus on what we have to do next and not think about what is in the past." Of most pressing concern is this weekend's Emirates Cup, when Rangers take on PSG on Saturday, and then hosts Arsenal 24 hours later. The senior members of the Rangers side laboured against SC Wiedenbrueck of the German fifth tier on Tuesday night, and had to be bailed out by their younger colleagues in the second half. Papac knows the team must up their game in London - but he is also looking forward to meeting an old friend. "We must play better than we did on Tuesday night and show a lot more concentration. "I will get to see Jeremy Clement again if he is playing for PSG. He is a good guy so it will be nice to say hello to him even if we will be in different teams." hopefully papac can be as good as this season as he was last season

Any goal will count for Andrius Velicka ... hitting the net is not a part-time job for Rangers striker THE goal might have come against a team of part- timers during a match in which there were more substitutions than shots on target. But Rangers striker Andrius Velicka hopes that his first strike of pre-season against German Fifth Division side SC Wiedenbruck is a sign of things to come from him as he prepares for the forthcoming campaign. The Lithuanian striker has been earning rare reviews from within the Ibrox camp since he reported back for pre-season training in top condition following his first proper break in three years. While a goal against the level of opposition Walter Smith's men faced on Tuesday night in Germany isn't exactly going to make the Rangers manager stand up and take notice, it certainly won't have done Velicka any harm. advertisement Although there is competition for places throughout the Ibrox squad, there can be no disputing the fiercest battle will take place in the final third of the field among a host of attacking players. Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller started both matches out in Germany, highlighting that they are the men at the front of the grid for the strike roles. However, the contributions of others will certainly provide the management with food for thought. Steven Naismith climbed off the bench in the opening match against FC Nuremberg to score an impressive solo goal despite only being on the pitch for three minutes and Nacho Novo grabbed the second in a 2-0 win. And Velicka, who netted the opening goal in the 3-0 win over Weidenbruck to round off their spell on German soil, was pleased to find the back of the net and once again prove he has an eye for goal. "It was nice to score," he said. "It doesn't really matter if it is a pre-season game or a competitive match. It is always good to score. "I managed to do that in the second game over in Germany and that was pleasing for me. As a striker you are always looking to score goals in every game you play in and it was nice to achieve that in our second outing." Velicka is now back in Glasgow briefly before heading to London tomorrow for the Emirates tournament. It is a hectic schedule for Smith's players, but the Lithuanian international is pleased with the way their trip to Germany worked out and believes it will prove highly beneficial. He said: "We were supposed to play three games, but because of the weather the first one was twice cancelled. "But we played two games and we also worked very hard between matches on the training pitches. "It was hard work, but that is what you expect during pre-season. We trained very hard for two weeks back in Glasgow before we flew to Germany and all the players are working really hard on their fitness levels. "And it has also been nice to get away with the rest of the players for a week as it always helps morale." Now, however, the Light Blues will step up their preparations with some extremely tough fixtures. This weekend, they will face PSG and Arsenal in the Emirates tournament and then it's big-spending Manchester City, with their multi-million pound summer signings, and finally Portsmouth in Gers' last pre-season friendly. Velicka said: "I have never played against any of these teams so I'm looking forward to these matches. "They are all very good teams and will provide us with good tests as we prepare for the new season. We are stepping up our preparations by playing these games and it will be interesting. "PSG and Arsenal are very good teams and Manchester City have bought a lot of fantastic players. Portsmouth are a Premiership team, so all the matches between now and the start of the season are going to be difficult." As you might expect, Velicka is hoping to play a bigger role for Rangers this season after spending large parts of the previous campaign on the sidelines. He explained: "Like every player, I want to play. I want to be included in the starting eleven, but that is the same ambition for every player at the club." Velicka also admits he is feeling the benefits of being able to relax and switch off from football for a number of weeks after last season ended. "I needed a break but, as a professional footballer, you can't turn around and say you are too tired," he said. "Plus, we had injuries to Kenny Miller and Kyle Lafferty. "But I came in and scored some goals, and now I'm hoping to do that more often this season." i think if has a good pre season and he can stay injury free he can score 20 plus this season

it is on tonight at 6 if any of u guys listen to it

alexander whittaker weir bougherra papac novo mendes davis naismith miller boyd subs mcgregor mcculloch smith wilson shinnie thomson adam beasley arron lafferty velicka fleck

SEXY Ali Douglas is the stunning new face of Sky's SPL coverage - with ex-Celtic boss Gordon Strachan as her sidekick. The glamorous anchorgirl, 33, has signed up for the satellite telly giant just weeks after disappearing from our screens in last month's Setanta collapse. Telly girl Douglas is joined by ex-Gers ace McCann and former Hoops boss Strachan Telly girl Douglas is joined by ex-Gers ace McCann and former Hoops boss Strachan Former Rangers TV babe Ali will team up with outspoken Strachan, 52, in a live football line-up that's also likely to include ex-Ibrox and Scotland winger Neil McCann. Last night, a telly insider said: "It's a coup to get Gordon back on the box - everyone enjoyed his performances as a pundit on Match of the Day 2. Former Beeb man Stubs teams up with Rae and ex-Scotland midfielder Burley Former Beeb man Stubs teams up with Rae and ex-Scotland midfielder Burley "The fact that Sky's first game is his old club Celtic at Aberdeen - where he won the European Cup Winners' Cup as a player - also gives it added spice. "And Neil's intelligence and knowledge means he can be a big asset." Sky will show 30 SPL games next season, on top of Scotland home matches and Scottish Cup ties. Advertisement It won the rights with ESPN on a five-year deal after Setanta folded. ESPN's coverage will be fronted by ex-BBC veteran Ray Stubbs when the new season kicks-off on August 15. Exiled Scot Derek Rae returns as its commentator, alongside ex-Scotland midfielder Craig Burley. ali douglas is so fucking fit

alexander whittaker

my team would be alexander whittaker weir bougherra papac novo davis mendes naismith boyd miller subs mcgregor for alexander in the scond half wilson for bougherra in the scond half mcculloch for weir in the second half s.smith for papac in the second half shinnie for whittaker in the second half thomson for mendes at 60 minutes adam for davis in the second half fleck for naismith in the second half beasley for novo in the second half velicka for boyd in the second half lafferty for miller in the second half

my team would be alexander whittaker weir bougherra papac novo davis mendes naismith boyd miller subs mcgregor mcculloch s.smith wilson mcmillan adam thomson beasley fleck lafferty velicka

i would sell mcgregor 4.5 million broadfoot 500 k s.smith 250 k mcculloch 750 k adam 500 k beasley 500 k mendes 4.5 million gow 250 k boyd 4.5 million total 16.250 million in b.foster loan tonel 2million hutton loan deal maybe brunt 2.5 million gomis 1 million mcarthur 750 k total 5.750 million that would reduce alot of the debt aswell so my squad would look like this next season alexander b.foster hutton whittaker tonel bougherra weir wilson mcmillan papac davis naismith edu shinnie ness thomson gomis mcarthur brunt arron velicka lafferty miller novo fleck little that is 20 senior players and 6 youngsters from murray park

KEVIN THOMSON couldn't care less how well he played against FC Nuremberg - he was just thrilled to be back in action again after eight months out. Kevin ThomsonThe midfielder made his comeback from a cruciate knee ligament injury yesterday when he came on in the second half of the 2-0 win at the Frankenstadion. Thomson completed the final 30 minutes and the sight of him in a Light Blues jersey once more was fantastic for the travelling fans in Germany. Even though he was quiet when he appeared against the Bundesliga outfit, the 24-year-old was simply happy to be in the thick of it. Thomson said: "It was good to be back. When the subs were warming up at half-time, the manager told me not to bother and to do it at the start of the second half instead. "I knew then that I was going to get on but waiting for it lasted for ages - I've never looked at a clock so often in all my life! "That 15-minute warm-up felt like it lasted about four hours but I finally got the shout from Kenny McDowall with about 56 or 57 minutes gone. "It was nice to get on for the last half hour and my performance wasn't that great but it was just great to be back out there again. "I'm a wee bit disappointed I didn't get more involved in the game than I did because I'd have liked to do that. thommo will be like a new sighning for us

do u think walter might play him more this season if he sells boyd to big mcleish for about 4 or 4.5 million because when velicka was at hearts he used to score goals for fun there

we can get atlest 4.5 million for him and with that money i would buy tonel for 2 million and brunt for 2.5 million

Rangers boss Walter Smith looking to turn on the style this season LIONEL MESSI famously put the boot into Rangers two years ago when he accused them of playing anti-football in a Champions League tie against Barcelona. But as the next phase of Walter Smith's Ibrox rebuilding job kicks off in Germany tonight, the Light Blues boss hopes to see his side turn on the style. Smith has successfully set about completing each task since he answered Sir David Murray's call to return to Rangers in January 2007. The first was to restore the club's battered pride after the ill-fated Paul Le Guen era and just get them challenging again. He did that, reaching a European final in the process. After that it was all about getting the SPL title back to Ibrox. That mission was accomplished last season in his second full campaign back in the Ibrox hotseat. Now, as the wily 61-year-old prepares for another domestic and Champions League assault, his vision for his Rangers side is starting to come together. Criticism over style - even Messi aside - has never been far away since Smith came back to the club. Moulding But while there has been much talk of free-flowing football at Parkhead under new Celtic boss Tony Mowbray, the Ibrox gaffer now hopes to come up with his own brand of exciting play. The first step in the process of moulding a more attack-minded side comes in Germany tonight when Rangers take on minnows Sportfreunde Lotte. Smith rhymed off midfielders Pedro Mendes, Steve Davis and comeback man Kevin Thomson as key players to the way he hopes his side can play. Asked about his vision for the team, he said: "It's starting to get there, domestically at least. "The Champions League is a hard environment to play in and we need to make sure we're right defensively. "But domestically I feel we're operating with a good level of player. In midfield, Thomson, Davis and Mendes are all good footballers. "I would hope that will show in the level of football we're starting to play. I felt at times last season we were getting there and playing some decent football and I would hope we would see more of that this time." But while Rangers look to turn on the style, their most gifted midfielder - Portuguese ace Mendes - is looking to adopt a more Scottish mentality and put a bit of aggression into his play. Smith said: "He has spoken to me about it. He doesn't mean he's going to become a tackler but if he wants to try to impose himself on the game he needs to change a wee bit. "It's a different type of game in Scotland. It's not easy for somebody to come in and play. We play the majority of our games with four midfielders and we're up against five or six. "That's not easy for someone like Mendes to get used to. "It's an aspect he found a wee bit difficult last season. It took him a bit of time to settle in but I think Pedro will be a lot steadier this season and will be a big influence on the team." Smith is delighted to seeThomson on the comeback trail after his horrendous knee injury in November. Steven Naismith is another who is fully fit again and on top of that Smith believes the likes of Steven Whittaker and Kyle Lafferty started to prove their worth in the title run-in. The Gers boss said: "Thommo is back but it will be September before he is fully match fit. He won't play a full 90 minutes until then. He's with us in Germany and he'll train and play here and there but he's not ready for a full match. That said, he's looking good, as is Naismith. "He had a similar injury and missed a lot of football but is looking terrific at the moment. "His fitness is first class and he's a player I'm looking forward to getting back. People forget about Stevie. He's ready now. He has that realisation of what is required to come in and play. "The one thing I'm really looking forward to this season is the progression. Not just in the team but in the individual players. There is Naismith and Thomson but also Lafferty and Whittaker as well. "Thomson was just getting to know the demands of playing for Rangers when he got injured and Whittaker was arguably our best player in the second half of last season. "John Fleck is another one. There is a change in his approach and he's showing much more aggression." Balance Fleck could be a possible solution to Smith's left-midfield problem which he admits continues to have him scratching his head. He said: "We're no closer to solving that. "We've still got the same problem, players who can offer us a lot in one sense and not a lot in another. "It's an area where we are short of someone who gives us abalance. "But we're just going to have to keep going as we have been. A number of boys will be used there depending on the situation." hopefully we will see some good football this season

so what about this idea sell mcgregor 4 million adam 500 k s.smith 100 k mcculloch 500 k beasley 500 k mendes 4.5 million gow 100 k boyd 4.5 million total 14.2 million buy b.foster loan tonel 2 million brunt or driver 2.5 million gomis from dundee united 500 k mcarthur 800 k harewood 1 million total 6.8 million that would be 7.4 million aswell to clear some of the debt aswell