Bougherra eyes Premiership return

[Muff 245]

Madjid Bougherra admits he would relish the opportunity to take in a second spell in the Premier League.

The Algerian centre-half has turned out in England for Crewe Alexandra, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic, but took in just half a season in the top flight during his time with the Addicks.

He has spent the last two years with Scottish giants Rangers, helping them to wrestle SPL dominance back from Old Firm rivals Celtic.

Bougherra has, however, been strongly linked with a summer move away from Ibrox, with the likes of Hamburg, Liverpool and Arsenal all reported to be keen.

The 27-year-old insists he has no plans to sort out his future just yet, having only recently wrapped up his World Cup commitments, but he has revealed that the chance to test himself against the best in the business appeals to him greatly.

"I am tired after the World Cup so I want to have a holiday and recharge for next season," Bougherra told skysports.com.

Contract

"First of all I am a Rangers player, my contract runs until 2012, so I am fine there.

"I heard that Hamburg and Arsenal are interested through the papers, but there is nothing official as yet.

"I would choose the Premier League if I had a choice, I love the English mentality and their football is the best.

"I want to test myself against the likes of (Wayne) Rooney, (Didier) Drogba, (Fernando) Torres and (Emmanuel) Adebayor as those guys let you know what level you are at.

"For me, it is also time for pay back because I don't think a lot of people remember that I played in the Premier League with Charlton."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11781_6235659,00.html

If true, I'd expect Madjid Bougherra to leave this summer - if clubs are interested? If he doesn't want to be here, then get rid of him.

If they are, then hopefully we get a good return, and the money is used to strengthen our first team!

[Amac9 2,060]

Pretty much the same kind of thing he has been saying for the past 12 months.

If he wants to leave then no point keeping him but we will need a replacement for him because going into a 45+ game season I wouldn't feel confident with Broadfoot, Weir and Webster as the CB options.

[Emerson 2]

How about some payback for Walter, his team mates and fans and the rest of his current employers for his 'wee adventures' which seen him miss half the games last year?

[Cappa 24]

Sell him and bring back King Carlos. A Defender who knew he was a defender. A player who didn't eat chocolate fudge cake several times a week and was a total professional.

With Weir being Superman and Webster coming onto form, Bougherra isn't needed and would bring in a good fee. I wouldn't be disappointed if he went down south. He'd soon realise just how good it is up here.

[Cappa 24]

"First of all I am a Rangers player, my contract runs until 2012, so I am fine there."

People keep forgetting to read this part; the guy is obviously not going to hand in a transfer request any time soon; he's perfectly happy here. It's another case of the media putting words in a player's mouth.

The rest of the quotes tell a different story.

How many times did Cristiano Ronaldo say he would stay at United then go to Madrid. He was actually talking about a new contract with United about 2 months before he went to Madrid and everybody knew that deal had been done for about a year.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

I'm getting sick of this shit.

I don't know if its him, the media, the club or his advisors leaking all these sorts of stories.

One minute it's claimed we tried to sell him twice in Jan, he wouldn't go.

Then he said he wouldn't go unless it was a top EPL side.

Then apparently he wants to go to Bordeaux or Marseilles in France.

Then he's on the BBC website saying he wants to sign a new contract.

It's just mischief making.

It might be his fault, it might not be.

Either way I'm getting sick of it. Give us 5 or 6 million and sell him and put it an end to it all.

[bostongeorge 0]

Same shite just a different day TBH........At the end of the he's contracted to us until 2012 so we shouldn't sell him unless it a deal that's good for the club as a whole.

[Muff 245]

Sell him and bring back King Carlos. A Defender who knew he was a defender. A player who didn't eat chocolate fudge cake several times a week and was a total professional.

With Weir being Superman and Webster coming onto form, Bougherra isn't needed and would bring in a good fee. I wouldn't be disappointed if he went down south. He'd soon realise just how good it is up here.

Madjid Bougherra is one of the quickest and fittest players in our squad, doesn't matter if he eats 'chocolate fudge cake'.

Our best defender isn't needed - we saw last season that when Bougherra wasn't in the side, we missed something, both defensively and in an attacking sense. You maybe happy with Weir and Webster, but I wouldn't be.

Not too sure if Weir is up for another grueling season, three games a week... Webster still has his injury problems, his history is terrible. He struggles to train every day, and still has problems with his back and calves. They both lack pace, not the most mobile, there is only so long Weir can go on for, and there are always doubts over Webster's fitness. Lose Bougherra, and we have to bring in another quality centre back. We also don't know what's going to happen with Danny Wilson (if he doesn't sign a new deal, then we have to cash in on him), and Ross Perry has never kicked a ball in the first team.

[docspiderman 1,262]

Pretty much the same kind of thing he has been saying for the past 12 months.

If he wants to leave then no point keeping him but we will need a replacement for him because going into a 45+ game season I wouldn't feel confident with Broadfoot, Weir and Webster as the CB options.

The usual media talk; he has said he wants to stay here, he has said the prospect of playing in the EPL at some point would be an attraction; I bet if they asked him if he would like to play for Barcelona or Real he would say it would excite him but it doesn't mean he does not want to play for us --- although I am not sure he would be happy as back up to Webster.

[JackAlex93 11,625]

If he goes he goes if he stays he stays

yes bougherra is a top player and we will miss him but until the transfer window is closed or a deal is done i dont really give a fuck who he is linked with! walter gave that man a career lifeline and it would be nice if he would stay but its just the way things are now.

[Muff 245]

Would be interesting to see what would happen if both Bougherra and Wilson stayed. What would Walter Smith go with?

He wouldn't drop his captain, so you would have Bougherra, Webster and Wilson fighting for the one place - also, if rumours are true, Gonclaves could be an option.

[JackAlex93 11,625]

Would be interesting to see what would happen if both Bougherra and Wilson stayed. What would Walter Smith go with?

He wouldn't drop his captain, so you would have Bougherra, Webster and Wilson fighting for the one place - also, if rumours are true, Gonclaves could be an option.

i honestly think that walter would play bougherra or wilson 1 of the 2, i think webster will be a cert to play in there though by the sounds of it from walter. if wilson comes back id like to see him rot in the reserves!!

[Amac9 2,060]

If Bougherra and Wilson stay, although I think one will leave, then I'm sure Walter Smith would go with Weir-Bougherra as first choice CB's. The tried and trusted pairing.

[JackAlex93 11,625]

If Bougherra and Wilson stay, although I think one will leave, then I'm sure Walter Smith would go with Weir-Bougherra as first choice CB's. The tried and trusted pairing.

with all due respect to davie weir i hope he hangs up his boots

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

If it were upto me (everyone staying, fit and on form) then Wilson and Bougherra would be my pairing.

[J-Maestro 11,862]

Pretty much the same kind of thing he has been saying for the past 12 months.

If he wants to leave then no point keeping him but we will need a replacement for him because going into a 45+ game season I wouldn't feel confident with Broadfoot, Weir and Webster as the CB options.

Yeah we would have a void for those 22 games he actually decided to play.

[Jelle1880 318]

Sell him and bring back King Carlos. A Defender who knew he was a defender. A player who didn't eat chocolate fudge cake several times a week and was a total professional.

A defender who fucked off as soon as possible.

[JackAlex93 11,625]

Sell him and bring back King Carlos. A Defender who knew he was a defender. A player who didn't eat chocolate fudge cake several times a week and was a total professional.

A defender who fucked off as soon as possible.

i dont think carlos ever wanted to leave, he was pushed out the door just like alan hutton

[BlueSuedeSambas 54,497]

Neither Cuellar or Hutton were pushed out the door.

[Gaffbear 4,104]

I think Hutton and Carlos were persuaded to leave as both brought us in £17m.....maybe not pushed

[Poetry_In_Blue 1,043]

Don't know about Hutton too much, even though it's my personal view that he could have easily said no to a move down South.

As for Cuellar, what a load of shite, when we didn't qualify for the CL and Villa invoked the buy out clause Cuellar was gone faster than Roadrunner getting chased by the Wild Coyote, he was never persuaded to leave either mildly or forcibly, it came as a surprise to the management team as well as to us.

If Cuellar hadn't jumped ship, I feel that Weir wouldn't have been staying as long as he did and we would have had a defensive partnership of Cuellar and Bougherra, remember Bougherra was already a Rangers player before Cuellar left.

[papaguy51 912]

Honestly, I admire him for being honest about it.

Not that I held anything against Cuellar for being a bit sneaky about it, I suppose we could let him off with that for almost single-handedly carrying us through that season.

If Bougherra is open about it and wants to test himself against better players every weekend, then fair enough. As long as we maximise the earning potential.

[papaguy51 912]

Would be interesting to see what would happen if both Bougherra and Wilson stayed. What would Walter Smith go with?

He wouldn't drop his captain, so you would have Bougherra, Webster and Wilson fighting for the one place - also, if rumours are true, Gonclaves could be an option.

It would give us options, no doubt.

Bougherra could be used as a flying wing-back. People don't seem to accept it/like it, but he's played there plenty in his career and is very effective. It would also leave cover at the back as it would mean that we don't have one of our CBs going for Goal Of The Season.

This could perhaps leave Whittaker to play right-mid, another position he is comfy in, which would allow Davis back into the middle.

We have a flexible bunch of players when you think about it.

[plymouthranger 3,947]

Would be interesting to see what would happen if both Bougherra and Wilson stayed. What would Walter Smith go with?

He wouldn't drop his captain, so you would have Bougherra, Webster and Wilson fighting for the one place - also, if rumours are true, Gonclaves could be an option.

It would give us options, no doubt.

Bougherra could be used as a flying wing-back. People don't seem to accept it/like it, but he's played there plenty in his career and is very effective. It would also leave cover at the back as it would mean that we don't have one of our CBs going for Goal Of The Season.

This could perhaps leave Whittaker to play right-mid, another position he is comfy in, which would allow Davis back into the middle.

We have a flexible bunch of players when you think about it.

If we keep both Wilson and Bougherra this summer, I hope Walter goes for Boogie as a RB. He looked fine their for Algeria, and actually can drift inside and help cover Wilson to ease him through the harder games. I think Papac is becoming more of a weak link in our defense than Weir to be honest, and it worries me that we have no backup!

[Muff 245]

Would be interesting to see what would happen if both Bougherra and Wilson stayed. What would Walter Smith go with?

He wouldn't drop his captain, so you would have Bougherra, Webster and Wilson fighting for the one place - also, if rumours are true, Gonclaves could be an option.

It would give us options, no doubt.

Bougherra could be used as a flying wing-back. People don't seem to accept it/like it, but he's played there plenty in his career and is very effective. It would also leave cover at the back as it would mean that we don't have one of our CBs going for Goal Of The Season.

This could perhaps leave Whittaker to play right-mid, another position he is comfy in, which would allow Davis back into the middle.

We have a flexible bunch of players when you think about it.

If we keep both Wilson and Bougherra this summer, I hope Walter goes for Boogie as a RB. He looked fine their for Algeria, and actually can drift inside and help cover Wilson to ease him through the harder games. I think Papac is becoming more of a weak link in our defense than Weir to be honest, and it worries me that we have no backup!

Possibly where Jose Goncalves comes in (if we are interested?). Back-up/to rival Sasa Papac!?