Scotland (National Football)

You can discuss this article within our forums from the following link: http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=103774

The BBC this week kindly provided us with footage of THAT goal by Archie Gemmill to wet our appetites for this weekend’s clash. What we could do with a moment of magic like that on Saturday.

On paper in doesn’t look good I admit, with the Dutch ranked the third best team in the world,  having a 100% in the group and a line-up full of more stars than an Oscars after-show party. We haven’t even mentioned our injury list – we have enough casualties to fill Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

But when haven’t we been the underdogs? Some of our best performances have come when people have written us off (Wembley, Paris anyone?) it is when we are expected to win that things go wrong!

We also shouldn’t forget that we have talented players of our own. If Barry Ferguson makes it he will join Darren Fletcher and Scott Brown in midfield for the first time under Burley and I think they can compete with most sides.

Christophe Berra has shown huge promise since moving to Wolves and could form a useful partnership with Caldwell at the back. While up front, even without the likes of McFadden and O’Connor, we have enough firepower to keep the Dutch defenders occupied.

If we play without fear—we have nothing to lose after all—the pressure may just get to the Dutch.

What we don’t want is a repeat of the 6-0 drubbing dished out six years ago in the very same stadium in the Euro 2004 play-off.

But I honestly can’t see that happening this time. The win in Paris two years ago diminished our inferiority complex and should have given us the self-belief that we can beat the top nations.

The heart might rule the head on this one, in fact it probably has to, but amazing things can occur in football. If we we get behind the lads and they put in their all (which we know they will) then anything can happen.

Plus if the hordes of Tartan Army fans who have invaded the Amsterdam over the past few days indulge in some of the local delicacies, they may not care if we win, lose or draw!

Also on international duty is the surprise call up, Andrew Little. The Young gun got the call after Northern Ireland suffered the set back of not having other Ranger, Kyle Lafferty. Little is relishing the chance to get one over Celtc and Polish keeper Artur Boruc.

Little joked: "It hurts my head when I think about the situation. I knew Kyle and Martin were injured but it was a complete shock to get called into the full squad if I'm honest.

I was just preparing myself for under-21's game against Ukraine next week and had been looking forward to that. I didn't even think that I might get my chance and I'm absolutely delighted to have been brought into the group.

A few people have been joking with me about coming on against Poland and scoring against Boruc. That would be great, but I'm trying not to think about that. I'm just aiming to do well in training and if it gets me a shot, then great.”

Want More?

More Information, Less News?
Written by Andypendek
http://home.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php/a...ation-less-news

McGregor Made It
Written by Danny
http://home.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php/a...cgregor-made-it

This article by RM writing stalwart Danny is a timely release today, as it appears that George Burley has given the Rangers stopper the number one jersey for the weekend ahead of Sunderland 'keeper Craig Gordon.

It'll be tough for Allan, but there will be no better test and chance for him to show his international credentials and lay stake at making that jersey his own for the coming years.

Scotland have never been short of great goalkeeping talent traditionally (apart from the dire Douglas/Sullivan days) and to be we haven't seen such a wealth of talent in that area since the time when Leighton and Goram were both vying for the number one berth.

At that time I backed the Rangers 'goalie' as the man for the job and for me its the same again. McGregor is Scotland's best goalkeeper. Can he become the 'new goalie'? Time will tell. This weekend will be his first major test.

Within the article, Danny discusses McGregor as the man who stuck to his guns at Ibrox and showed the determination, character and faith in his own ability that many of the fresh faces at Ibrox could learn from.

As Danny says, "It’s quite a turnaround for a stopper who once struggled to even get a loan out to the first division."

I have read with interest the numerous threads speculating on who may be our next manager. I also noticed a significant difference in choices between "desired" and "realistic" targets. Certainly in the former, Ally McCoist rarely, if ever, figured.

However, McCoist is the perfect answer for Sir David Murray.

It allows him to remove Walter without any significant loss of face for the manager, and, as we all know, Murray has a reticence for sacking managers. I would imagine that the prospect of sacking Walter is almost unthinkable for him.

It would be easy to dress up; "natural progression"; "Ally has been groomed for this role"; a "natural successor." These are phrases we may become familiar with, perhaps even this summer.

It would also prevent the embarrassing scenario of a public humiliation, as Rangers offer a host of coaches the hot seat at Ibrox, only to be turned down.

Additionally, McCoist knows the Scottish game inside out, he is good with the press, and he knows Rangers through and through. I think its safe to say a section of our support, though I would not like to predict how significant that number would be, would deem this a popular choice.

Therefore, the availability of Ally McCoist offers an easy option should, for the second year running, Walter fail to re-capture the SPL title, despite spending significantly in the transfer market.

But what of McCoist himself? Would he take the role? What sort of manager would he be?

I remember an interview McCoist gave when he first became Assistant Manager, where he resolutely stated he had no wish to become Rangers manager. Perhaps since then the "bug" has caught him, and he would be eager to grasp the mantle so to speak.

Of course, outside of Rangers, Ally has no managerial experience, but that has not stopped us from taking such a gamble in the past; one only has to look at the John Grieg and Souness appointments. It would be a fair argument to suggest that his current role leaves him better qualified than the previous examples were when they took charge.

But if he did assume the mantle, what could we expect from Ally as a manager? Would his thinking be influenced by his experience as understudy to Walter?

Would we see a clone team of fairly negative football, or does he have a burning desire to see Rangers play more attacking football? He has certainly played under a few diverse managers in his time—at both club and international level.

Of course only time will tell, and this has all been a journey of speculation on my part, albeit based on some very realistic factors.

As most of you know, I'm not a betting man, but if I were to place a bet on who the next Rangers manager would be, my money would be on a certain Alistair Murdoch McCoist MBE.

This article also features on RangersMedia.co.uk

Jimmy Calderwood told angry Aberdeen supporters that he won’t walk away from the club despite being demands for him to quit as manager. The Aberdeen fans flooded websites and phone ins calling for his sacking, after their Scottish Cup defeat by Dunfermline in midweek.

But Calderwood, who was a target for vicious abuse at the end of the penalty shoot-out defeat at Pittodrie, insisted the defeat has made him more determined to win the club a cup.

He said, “I know that fans are calling for my head but there is absolutely no chance I will walk away. I’m not a quitter. When I suffer disappointments they only serve to make me even more determined to do better.

"I only wish I could be in the trenches with the players doing something more physical to help rescue the situation. I am not going to run away from my responsibilities just as I won’t be running away from taking my share of the blame for what has gone wrong.

"I was up all night after the match because I was hurting so badly. I accept it was a long, long night for thousands of Aberdeen supporters but it has gone now. There is nothing any of us can now do about that defeat. All we can do is look to the next game at Easter Road and hope to do better.

"I can understand why the supporters were so angry but I’d rather they had directed their fury just at me and not the players. They are right to be so disappointed and if I was a fan I would have reacted in the same way—my scarf would have been one of the first thrown.

"But the fans have always been there for the players when they needed them and I hope that backing continues. That doesn’t mean they should stop displaying how passionate they are about this club. It’s one of the main reasons why I’m at Aberdeen.

"The club lives through the fans and whatever happens, good or bad, sparks a big reaction. That is what makes this club so special in comparison to a lot others in Scotland.

All of us at Pittodrie face a massive test of our characters. Looking back will do no good as that could deflect attention away from the challenge which lies ahead.”

Despite Calderwood’s rallying cry, many Dons fans have had enough with a poll being conducted on one Aberdeen forum, with 52.2 percent of the votes wanting rid of Calderwood, 31.3 percent to keep him and 14.9 percent wanting him to stay till the end of the season.

Aberdeen Fans Views - source: Red Ultras

“I think get him to f**k. He has done brilliantly for club but we need a change, players and management team seem too content and don’t have any bottle. Can’t see it happening though as it will cost too much to get rid of him.

"And before minicooler starts last night was unacceptable and there cannot be any excuses for losing to a first division team in our biggest game of the season.”

“The players didnt look like they had any clue what they were meant to be doing last night. Punting long balls didnt work but JC made no effort to change it (either by bringing on a targetman or by getting them to keep it on the deck).

"His substitutions are baffling at times and his commitment to his favourites beggars belief. Most of the people ive heard from put the blame squarely at his door for last nights defeat and i think he’s got a tough job to win back the majority of the supporters. He wont be sacked & he wont resign so he’ll stay on.

"If the standard of performances dont improve drastically between now and the end of the season then i think his position should be under serious scrutiny.”

“He’ll be fired by Saturday I think. I’ve backed him ALL season, but last night was the final straw for me.”

“I think he`s taken us as far as he can. I`ve never been one of the Jimmy GTF brigade but I don`t think he will ever be forgiven for last night especially after last season. You have to ask how many must win games have we actually won? There seems to be a problem motivating the team.”

“Give him to the end of the season. start 09/10 with a new manager, new faces, fresh approach to games.”

Holland play host to Scotland on the 28 March at the Amsterdam Arena in the first of a double header, four days before Scotland play host to Iceland at Hampden. Dutch manager Bert van Marwijk trimmed his initial squad of 25 to just 23, leaving out Celtic’s Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Orlando Engelaar.

Ibrahim Afellay, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Khalid Boulahrouz and goalkeeper Michel Vorm are called up once again having missed last month’s friendly against Tunisia. Defensive duo Edson Braafheid and Gregory van der Wiel have the chance to win their second caps after making their debuts against the Tunisians.

While the Dutch are a major test for Scotland, they are certainly not invincible. Given our performances in the EURO 2008 Qualifiers against France we can certainly take the game to our opponents, despite overwhelming pressure.

With the Dutch strike force and midfield one of the best in European Football let alone World Football, the Dutch have a weakness.

In fact they have two—their defence and their goalkeeper, such is the opinion of the current crop of goalies, Manchester United’s Edwin van der Sar was asked to change his mind over retiring—which he refused.

Despite experienced players in the Dutch defence with the likes of former Rangers and Barcelona defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Blackburn’s Andre Ooijer, and Khalid Boulahrouz of VFB Stuttgart, one thing is certainly clear: they aren’t a world class defence.

If we can take the game to them, and restore some pride after that humiliating 6-0 defeat in Holland some six years ago under Berti Vogts.

One thing that may work against us though is that dodgy French referee that is to take charge, despite being suspended by his own FA for incompetence, only time will tell.

Holland squad

Goalkeepers
Henk Timmer (Feyenoord)
Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax)
Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)

Defenders
Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord)
Andre Ooijer (Blackburn)
John Heitinga (Atletico Madrid)
Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart)
Edson Braafheid (FC Twente)
Dirk Marcellis (PSV Eindhoven)
Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg)
Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax)

Midfielders
Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich)
Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid)
Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven)
Nigel de Jong (Manchester City)
Demy de Zeeuw (AZ Alkmaar)
Arjen Robben (Real Madrid)
Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)
Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar)

Strikers
Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Real Madrid)
Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel (both Liverpool)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

Spurs full back Alan Hutton has been recalled to the Scotland squad for the doubleheader against Holland and Iceland.

Despite being out of action since November with a foot injury, he has resumed training and is pushing for a starting role at domestic and international level. Derby County winger Gary Teale is also back in the squad for the first time since Burley’s opening match in charge almost a year ago.

However, the big question mark still surrounds who the Scotland No. 1 will be.

Gordon and McGregor have both been called up. There are strong indications that without First Team action for Sunderland, Craig Gordon will make way for Allan McGregor in goals.

Scotland has made a good start to their Group Nine campaign. Sitting second after three games, with one win against Iceland, one draw versus Norway, and they were defeated by Macedonia.

With Scotland classed as the underdogs against Holland, currently ranked third in the world, no one is giving them a chance of an upset.

But they said the same thing when they played France in the EURO 2008 Qualifiers, and Scotland were victorious home and away against Les Bleus.

A full Scotland squad for World Cup qualifiers, against Holland on March 28 and Iceland April 1, would like similar to this line-up.

Goalkeepers

Gordon (Sunderland), McGregor (Rangers), Marshall (Norwich)

Defenders

Alexander (Burnley), Barr (Falkirk), Berra (Wolves), Broadfoot (Rangers), Caldwell (Celtic), Hutton (Tottenham), McAllister (Bristol City), McManus (Celtic), Naysmith (Sheffield United), Weir (Rangers)

Midfielders

Brown (Celtic), Commons (Derby), Ferguson (Rangers), Fletcher (Manchester United), Hartley (Celtic), Morrison (West Brom), Rae (Cardiff), Teale (Derby)

Strikers

Clarkson (Motherwell), Fletcher (Hibernian), Iwelumo (Wolves), McCormack (Cardiff), Miller (Rangers)

Our Premiership expert, Jon Hobbs, spoke to Robbie Russell about his career with Scotland and London Irish, the last round of the Six Nations, his predictions on which teams will make the Guinness Premiership playoffs, and his passion for shoes.

With professional rugby getting more serious than ever, at which stage of your career would you say you had the most fun?

When I first started playing for Scotland in 1999. It was an amazing time for me earning my first cap and playing in a World Cup.

What was the best tour you went on and why?

Australia World Cup 2003. There was just a great atmosphere the whole time.

Are Scotland any better now than they have been for the past 5 years? Will this squad be able to challenge in the 6 nations in the years to come?

I am not sure we are any better than 5 years ago but of course I may be a bit biased! Most definitely the team will be able to challenge the top sides in the Six Nations but unfortunately don’t have the same player base to pull from so it maybe a greater challenge.

How do you rate Martin Johnson’s tenure as England coach so far? What could he have done differently to gain better results?

I think it’s too early to rate his performance so far and don’t think they should go making any major changes. I believe he and his team will get their successes as well.

Who is going to win the championship this weekend?

Wales - I think the Irish will be devastated again.

Who’ll win between Scotland and England?

I think both sides are improving throughout the tournament but home advantage may see England through this one.

Who will be the four teams making the premiership play-offs this season?

London Irish, Harlequins, Leicester and Gloucester

Will London Irish flatter to deceive again or can they get their act together and win it this year? If not then who will win it?

I think for London Irish it really depends on a few key players. If they are fit then I can see them getting to the Guinness Premiership Final but I am not certain if there are enough old heads in the team to win it.

What will become of a Saracens team filled with South Africans? Will the fans stay loyal?

I think a lot of the fans will remain loyal even if it is regrettable for them. This will depend on where they play as well. The fans have already been through so many changes at Sarries that I am sure this one will be no different and they will still have their support next year. It’s more of a concern for some of the players.

Who was the dirtiest player you ever packed down against?

There were a number of cheapshotters out there. I would be taking a cheap shot myself however if I was to name them!

Why can’t the Northern Hemisphere break the South’s stranglehold on the IRB world rankings?

I think the southern hemisphere breeds a different game and this generally comes down to Back play. For most of the season they get to hone their skills in great conditions and that is the difference.

If you could change one rugby law, what would it be?

Bring back rucking.

Have you always had a passion for shoes?

My wife has. I have a greater passion for business and trying to make a success out of something. We started Shudoo and it is really going from strength to strength.

Robbie Russell used to play for Scotland and London Irish at hooker, and since retiring has setup Shudoo - an online designer shoe store

“Back” when Scotland and Edinburgh were one-dimensional in attack and never got the ball past 12, at least you could count on Rob Dewey.

When within 10 meters of the line, it would be “Rob Dewey time.” Chuck him the ball and let him have a batter—at close range he was tricky to stop and you stood a good chance of crossing the line.

Soon, fame and injury beckoned at Ulster and by then Scotland’s opponents had him well marshaled. Briefly last year he appeared in the Churchill Cup A Team looking like an almost different player, displaying the “worrying” trait of varying his lines of running and offloading with fairly decent results.

With Scotland having a few problems getting the ball past the No. 12 shirt at times on Saturday (so much so that BBC pundit and former Ireland center Rob Henderson had worked out most of Scotland’s Morrison-centric game plan by half time), could now be the time to announce Rob Dewey’s return to Scotland to team up with former central-belt foes the Glasgow Warriors?

Yes it could.

Having been shunted into a club team by lovable Aussie Matt Williams, Dewey is ready to return to this fair country and stake his claim in a Glasgow back line which next year will already have the likes of Chris Cusiter, Mark McMillan, Ruaridh Jackson, Andy Henderson, Graeme Morrison, and of course both Evans brothers competing for places.

Exciting times are ahead for Sean Lineen’s Glasgow. If you were him, you’d want to stick around there for a while rather than get involved with the muck, higher up...

Speaking of which, after a considerable session in the Irish-mobbed Roseburn Bar on Saturday, your fearless Scottish Rugby Blog correspondents witnessed the second half debacle at Murrayfield first hand.

Hopefully Al will be here with his near-patented Big Rant later. Watch out, Frank.

A crack squad of bankers have been put together to cut £25 million debt from Rangers. The Ibrox club have suffered during the current financial crisis, causing some of their loans to be put under the microscope.

Bank of Scotland bosses have hand picked a team of bankers to examine how the club can pay back much of its debt. Experts believe the bank could demand repayments of £20 MILLION over the next few years, cutting the Rangers debt down to around £5million.

Rangers Chairman Sir David Murray has already slashed some stadium jobs and told manager Walter Smith to axe eight players in the summer. However last night media reports gave warnings that more cuts could see Rangers facing a decade living in Celtic’s shadow.

A Bank of Scotland insider revealed, “The debt has been deemed too big and it was felt the time had come to start clawing back some of the cash. The credit crunch means there’s no such thing as easy money any more—we cannot keep loaning companies big money against assets that leave us exposed.

"We don’t want Rangers to suffer on or off the pitch so we’ve pulled together some of our best brains to make sure that the club comes down as gently as possible. But the current situation cannot possibly continue. Ultimately, this is big business and, I’m afraid, sometimes it hurts.”

Stephen Morrow, Professor of Sports Studies at Stirling University, warned fans that the bank’s crackdown could see their club “in the wilderness” for the next ten years. He said, “This will make it even more challenging for a club like Rangers to compete. In some ways, Celtic’s financial basis is different—they’ve been run in a different way which has left them less exposed. If Rangers have to pay back, say, £15-£20million over the next few years, there’s a risk of a big gap opening up between them and Celtic.”

It is believed the specialist lending team of bankers will study the club’s estimated £25million debt before making a string of recommendations to claw back some of the club’s loans. The options would include selling off assets, such as players, trimming overheads, selling other assets or attracting more investment.

Professor Morrow added, “What you’ve got with a mature business like Rangers is that the business has developed—there’s only a fixed number of games they can play, they’re playing those games to capacity crowds and there’s a TV deal which is not going to get any better. Once you’ve brought players’ wages under control then that’s it, there aren’t many more ways to lever huge sums of money into the club. Unless someone comes along and gives you the cash, the only other way is to sell some of your assets and that means players.”

Rangers’ finances are tied into chairman Sir David Murray’s companies, Murray International Holdings—which the bank owns around 10 per cent.

The club debt has risen at an alarming rate—despite Rangers’ run to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. Last year it stood at £21.6million but is believed to have reached around £30million before the bank stepped in. Half-yearly figures released in January show the club’s turnover is 50 per cent lower than 2006. And they are facing a 71 per cent jump in interest payments to nearly £8,000 a day. The credit crunch has hit the club hard as Murray International Holdings’ huge commercial property assets have plummeted in value.

Last night insolvency expert John Shields said, “Murray International Holdings is built on steel, property and football. The bottom has fallen out of the market for steel and property, so the football cannot carry on being a loss-making luxury. The Bank of Scotland has specialist lending teams whose job it is to protect the bank’s money. Those men in grey suits will be looking very closely at the Rangers balance sheet and may suggest pruning the Ibrox staff.

"The team will probably be three-strong and they’ll spend up to six months poring over Rangers’ accounts and working with the club to identify where the savings are. They should have a strategy in place for when the transfer window opens at the end of the season and then guide the club through until it closes at the end of August.

"We’re in a recession so season ticket revenue could fall, corporate hospitality has been cut, the Murray Park Academy hasn’t delivered enough young players. The only way to raise revenue short-term is to sell players. Usually, the fact that the club has a wealthy parent company would be enough to satisfy the banks. But Murray International Holdings has taken a hit as well so Rangers is more exposed than it would normally be.

"David Murray is a realist—he is trying to bring a sound business structure to the club which is essential for it to survive but if the bank is now restructuring the debt then there may be even deeper cuts on the way. I think the fans need to rally round the chairman at this time, not barrack him for putting his neck on the line.”

Sir David recently admitted Rangers had lurched deeper into the red, losing nearly £4million between June and December 2008, with £1.4million paying off interest alone. An early exit from European football at the hands of Lithuanian minnows FBK Kaunas in the Champions League this season cost the club around £13million in potential revenue.

During January’s transfer window, Murray sanctioned the sale of star striker Kris Boyd for £3.8 million in a bid to rake in cash. Boyd was on the verge of a move to Birmingham City but the deal fall through when personal terms could not be agreed. Goalie Allan McGregor and captain Barry Ferguson, on salaries of £25,000 and £30,000 a week respectively, were linked to a move to Newcastle United which also fell through.

Walter Smith’s squad is to be trimmed to only 20 in the summer after failing to offload Boyd in January. But Murray has insisted that long-term loans were keeping the club stable, saying, “What I’m doing is not panicking. We have a financial facility with the bank and we must work within that framework.”

Now that strategy has been thrown into uncertainty and earlier this month, Rangers admitted twenty backroom staff would lose their jobs. John Macmillan, general secretary of the Rangers Supporters’ Association said, “It’s a pretty bleak picture—the fans won’t take kindly to this. Most really don’t care about who owes what to whom, so we may see a split between the club and the fans over the next few years.

"But the club must recognise that it’s not the fans’ fault that Rangers are in such a mess—there’s been mismanagement and unwise signing policies which continue to this day. The way through this crisis is to put bums on seats, not to penalise the fans. The club should look at lowering prices and even letting in kids for free.”

Source: News of the World