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RangersMedia Club News: It Is Imperative (Not Desirable) That You Read This
RangersMedia .co.ukJan 27, 2009
Welcome to the RangersMedia news round up—bringing you all the news stories from the weekend in one easy, bite-size place. Keep your eyes peeled at the start of every week for all the weekends' news and at the end for all the week's shenanigans.
The News
Semantics. Sometimes they are more important than you can imagine. Today, according to the Scotsman newspaper, the club are somehow wavering on the stance that we must sell now to "balance the books". The newspaper states that it is now “desirable and not imperative” that we sell.
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To me that is a complete shift in the club's stance.
It reads now as “aye sure, it’d be pretty alright to sell someone” and not the doomsday scenario of “sell someone, quick, do it, make it happen, we neeeeed it”. But should we be buoyed by this change of tact?
While my heart is happy at the notion our squad may not be depleted, my cynical side is much more cautious. Also in the newspapers today are quotes from Walter Smith saying that for us the transfer window is effectively over.
We will not buy anyone; which is fair cop, no one had any expectations. But reading further of the quotes, it seems that there has been no more enquiries for any of our players, particularly the ones we would really like to shift on *cough* Charlie Adam *cough*.
Putting it simply. I believe that this change of focus is 100% based on the fact that we now want to appear as either 1) we now don’t need to sell or 2) we never really did care about selling.
Is this protecting us as fans? Shielding us away from the first time since I can remember, management admitting that finances are a real issue. Or again, being cynical, is it some kind of message being put out to potential buyers that we will not be held to ransom at the end of the transfer window as the last minute bids come in?
We will have to just wait and see, thankfully it is over in four days (not our debt, don’t get excited).
Elsewhere, there was news at the end of the weekend that Old Firm sponsors Carling would be pulling out of their relationship after a "failed attempt" at making a dent in the monopoly Tennents seems to have over much of Scotland.
The sponsorship, worth around £2 million to each Glasgow club, is due for review at the end of next season. T-Mobile, another dual sponsor has already pulled out of backing the clubs. However, today Coors—brewers of Carling—have denied this story in a short press release. Time will tell again on this one.
The weekend's game saw rising starlet John Fleck start his second game in a row on the left side of midfield. This has prompted Walter to defend the long held perception that he is not good at promoting youth. His record seems to show otherwise, yet the gaffer’s argument was as follows:
“I always try to make sure I am careful with young players. I had Barry Ferguson coming through in my first spell at Rangers, but I like to wait until it is the right time. Once you arrive at that time, then that's it.
“I always try to make sure I am careful with young players. I had Barry Ferguson coming through in my first spell at Rangers, but I like to wait until it is the right time. Once you arrive at that time, then that's it.
"John came in last week and showed that he was not fazed by it. Like everything else, people get to the stage where they make assessments about me, but I would point to Steven Pressley, Gary McSwegan, John Spencer and others who all came through under me first time around. So it is not really a problem for me what people think. I pick who I think is best.”
I’m not sure the use of Elvis, McSwegan and Spencer are perhaps the best examples to support any argument though. They could in fact be used to support the completely opposite argument, that the players he has brought though are complete garbage. Four players across that many seasons is not a supportive counter-claim Walter.
I’m not sure the use of Elvis, McSwegan and Spencer are perhaps the best examples to support any argument though. They could in fact be used to support the completely opposite argument, that the players he has brought though are complete garbage. Four players across that many seasons is not a supportive counter-claim Walter.
The Games
In a game as boring as the stadium and city that it was held in, (await replies from Granite City fans), Rangers and Aberdeen fought out a goalless draw. Both managers played restrictive, boring football, sorry, fierce and staunch defensive plans (meh) which ultimately cancelled out the threat from each team.
In a game as boring as the stadium and city that it was held in, (await replies from Granite City fans), Rangers and Aberdeen fought out a goalless draw. Both managers played restrictive, boring football, sorry, fierce and staunch defensive plans (meh) which ultimately cancelled out the threat from each team.
It also cancelled out any attacking play that either side may have had and almost all of the entertainment value. The away fans, as ever, were in fine fettle, singing a broad chorus of songs.
Walter has since been drawn on the topic of the tactics he used, a 4-1-4-1 **starring** Lee McCulloch in the Makélélé role. I’m sure there is a joke there somewhere about that role being considered the "water carrier" for the team and Lee just being pish. But here is some quotes from Walter instead:
“I don't think it was detrimental to the way we played. I felt it was a worthwhile change today and with the way the game eventually went I felt it was the correct one. But that's just the life of a manager. I don't think there is any doubt that we did enough to win the game.
Walter has since been drawn on the topic of the tactics he used, a 4-1-4-1 **starring** Lee McCulloch in the Makélélé role. I’m sure there is a joke there somewhere about that role being considered the "water carrier" for the team and Lee just being pish. But here is some quotes from Walter instead:
“I don't think it was detrimental to the way we played. I felt it was a worthwhile change today and with the way the game eventually went I felt it was the correct one. But that's just the life of a manager. I don't think there is any doubt that we did enough to win the game.
"I thought we played very well today and dominated most of the possession. We didn't take the two best opportunities that came our way. It's obviously disappointing not to take three points away from a game that we largely dominated.”
A full report of the game can be found from the following link:
A full report of the game can be found from the following link:
Tonight see’s us take on Falkirk in the semi final of the cup at Hampden. Falkirk always give us a hard game and tonight will be no exception. Walter came out today and intimated as much:
“Falkirk played very well against us the other week and they often do against Rangers. They play a good level of football and I must say I am surprised by the situation in which they find themselves in the SPL table. Naturally, more often than not, I see them when they play against us. So I always find Yogi’s teams tough to play against. They have changed their system a little bit and have tightened up. It was awkward at Ibrox but the incentives are there for us at Hampden.”
Encouraging words indeed, it seems as though Boyd will return to the line up and Fleck with retain his place for now in the first team.
Rangers will chose an eleven from the following: McGregor, Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac, Davis, Ferguson, Mendes, McCulloch, Fleck, Novo, Miller, Boyd, Alexander, Naismith, Whittaker, Aaron, Ness.
An indepth preview of the game can be found from the following link:
http://home.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php/articles-mainmenu-2/16-match/747-preview-rangers-vs-falkirk
“Falkirk played very well against us the other week and they often do against Rangers. They play a good level of football and I must say I am surprised by the situation in which they find themselves in the SPL table. Naturally, more often than not, I see them when they play against us. So I always find Yogi’s teams tough to play against. They have changed their system a little bit and have tightened up. It was awkward at Ibrox but the incentives are there for us at Hampden.”
Encouraging words indeed, it seems as though Boyd will return to the line up and Fleck with retain his place for now in the first team.
Rangers will chose an eleven from the following: McGregor, Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac, Davis, Ferguson, Mendes, McCulloch, Fleck, Novo, Miller, Boyd, Alexander, Naismith, Whittaker, Aaron, Ness.
An indepth preview of the game can be found from the following link:
http://home.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php/articles-mainmenu-2/16-match/747-preview-rangers-vs-falkirk
The Injury Front
There is not much news in terms of injuries as Lafferty is edging closer to full fitness and Edu is still struggling with a knee injury. Thomson is still going to miss much of the rest of the season.
Other than that, Walter has stated in an interview that he expects Fleck to drop back out of the team sometime soon, so he doesn’t push him too hard:
“John will almost certainly come out of the team at some stage—that’s natural with a 17-year-old. He will come out and get a rest but not necessarily just yet. He has already shown what he is capable of against Falkirk and Aberdeen.
The manner in which he has played has been excellent. He deserves his opportunity ahead of others who have tried to play that position beforehand.”
That last sentence especially sounds as though he is leaning towards the ideologies of a lot of supporters. We now hope that Aaron see’s Fleck playing well in the first team and raises his own level to fight for his own opportunity.
That last sentence especially sounds as though he is leaning towards the ideologies of a lot of supporters. We now hope that Aaron see’s Fleck playing well in the first team and raises his own level to fight for his own opportunity.
The Transfers
We are not signing anyone this transfer window.
However, we are still whoring our deadwood around like it is going out of date. They are like the unsold sandwiches in the reduced section of ASDA (or Sainsbury’s if you are a certain RM member). Branded with their yellow sticker.
Brahim Hemdani has hired himself an agent to try to get himself a club, with Espanyol and Valencia apparently interested. Both of which are news to Rangers. The Hemdani situation is a peculiar one, with him declaring he wants his contract settled up before he thinks about going: and it must be on a free.
The only other cast iron bit of transfer news is that Rory Loy will be staying at Dunfermline till the end of the season.
“Obviously my ultimate goal is to play for the club I am signed for which is Rangers, so hopefully I can do that by playing as well as I can for Dunfermline and looking to impress. I’m getting on well here and I’m now on loan until the end of the season, but I’m in talks about my contract with Rangers and will just need to wait and see what happens. I came here to play first- team football and I have been involved in most games.”
“Obviously my ultimate goal is to play for the club I am signed for which is Rangers, so hopefully I can do that by playing as well as I can for Dunfermline and looking to impress. I’m getting on well here and I’m now on loan until the end of the season, but I’m in talks about my contract with Rangers and will just need to wait and see what happens. I came here to play first- team football and I have been involved in most games.”
The Rest
In other Rangers related news, Greater Manchester Police are releasing photographs of 49 men that they wish to talk to in connection to the problems in Manchester at the UEFA Cup Final. It is part of an appeal that will be part of Crimewatch and also a video that will appear in Ibrox for the game at Dundee United. I could furnish you with links to the video and the GMP website, but I wont.
Website News
RangersMedia are proud to be fully behind the efforts of the club to make the upcoming game against Dundee United a game to celebrate Scottishness—Scotland Day. We hope to have more announcements later in the week about what we aim to do.
Keep yer peepers peelt!
RangersMedia are proud to be fully behind the efforts of the club to make the upcoming game against Dundee United a game to celebrate Scottishness—Scotland Day. We hope to have more announcements later in the week about what we aim to do.
Keep yer peepers peelt!
"Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure, and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. No matter the days of anxiety that come our way, we shall emerge stronger because of the trials to be overcome. That has been the philosophy of the Rangers since the days of the gallant pioneer"
Bill Struth
W.A.T.P
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