Remember this piece of scum ? A victim ?

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

Teenager Maguire says he is old enough to take Ibrox flakGraeme MacPherson and Frank Gilfeather

When the precociousness of youth meets the heavily scrutinised world of professional football the results can often be messy, awkward and embarrassing. Add the instant accessibility of the internet and you have a genuine recipe for disaster.

Chris Maguire, the young Aberdeen striker, became a 'vicTIM' of the Bebo generation when he reportedly used the social networking website last year to call Rangers "scum", as well as making unsavoury comments about Barry Ferguson, the Rangers captain, and Alan Hutton, the former Rangers defender now with Spurs.

Aberdeen insisted at the time that the player had been an innocent victim of computer sabotage and that hackers had posted the inflammatory messages but the seed was sown.

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Three days later and Ferguson greeted Maguire in a heated Aberdeen-Rangers contest at Pittodrie by shaking him warmly by the throat. Aberdeen travel to Ibrox tomorrow afternoon and Maguire, who made his Scotland under-21 debut in midweek, will likely come in for some vocal barracking from the home support.

The 19 year-old insists he is man enough to take it. "I've put all that stuff behind me now and I'm just concentrating on the game itself," he said. "When I'm on the pitch I try not to take any notice of what is being said, whether it is praise or criticism. Once you are on the pitch you just have to take care of yourself and not worry about anything else. I put the blinkers on and take no notice of it. You can always silence them by putting the ball in the back of the net. Zander Diamond usually takes the flak off me in any case."

The only thing consistent about Aberdeen this season has been their inconsistency. Their recent form has shown a slight improvement and an impressive performance, if not result, at Celtic Park in September also offers hope ahead of the trip to Ibrox.

"We've started to get the results that matter," Maguire added. "A while ago we were bottom of the table but if you look at the league it's very tight this season. If you get a couple of good results you can be straight back up into the top three or at least top six. We have to keep plugging away and try to get the points. Usually the games between us and Rangers are quite close so we will try to play a positive game and try to sneak something. When Rangers came to Pittodrie in August we showed they couldn't just push us over and get the three points."

Rangers have been fallible at home in recent weeks, drawing with Dundee United and being pushed to the brink by St Mirren last weekend.

Maguire, who last started an Aberdeen match against United in September, hopes to be given the chance of inflicting more discomfort on Walter Smith's side.

"The last couple of weeks we have seen teams like Dundee United have gone there and got a point. When you play the Old Firm away from home they give you time to play and get on the ball so it's up to us to do something on the day. Hopefully we can get a victory or even take a point. Hopefully I can get back into the manager's plans. I thought I did well the other day when I came on against Hibernian and hopefully he was watching me in the first half for the under-21s as well and will give me a chance."

Meanwhile, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood is hoping that Lee Miller's elevation to George Burley's squad for Scotland's friendly against Argentina will encourage some of his club-mates to try harder for recognition at Scotland level.

"I was chuffed," said Calderwood. "I spoke with him at training this morning and he was pleased with the way he played. I had told him to go an enjoy it and give George Burley problems for the future in terms of his selection and that's what he did. I think Lee's selection gives encouragement to some of our other players.

"Kirk Broadfoot played at left-back against Argentina and that's a role Charlie Mulgrew could contend. He's good on the ball and has a physical presence but needs to improve the defensive side of his game. Zander Diamond and Andrew Considine, our centre-backs, are others."

A good welcome for the poor victim should be on the cards today I hope ?

[JohnGalbraith 0]

Good to see the media stoking the flames.

OK Maguire is a little rat, but we all claim bais with paranoia the minute McGregor makes the papers before a game, don't we?

Or do we only see the big bad media in action when it's one of ours in it?

[Pedro 32]

Someone injure him please

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

aye this wee guy has got to be the biggest arshole thats came to ibrox he was laughing it the fans the day when he warmed up. but we geed him abuse right in front of his face after it haaaa the wee arsehole