Predictions: Who will be 2010/11’s main winners and losers?

If everything I predicted 12 months ago came true I would be a very rich and happy man right now. Unfortunately Arsenal let me down in the league, West Ham failed me in the FA Cup and letting my heart rule my head in the SPL by putting £10 on my beloved Aberdeen to win the SPL really was a waste of ...

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Predictions: Who will be 2010/11’s main winners and losers Part 2

Well you’ve heard what our Panel members have had to say for themselves, now it’s time for the “experts” to have their say. We’ll start off with writer Hugh Larkin. He loves the underdog but he thinks Chelsea are just far too strong for anyone to cope with and thinks Arsenal and Spurs are going to...

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Fantasy football 2010/11 reminder

Do you think you can spend £100 million better than Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini? Do you think you could assemble a better squad than Spurs boss Harry Redknapp? Do you think you can guide your side to glory like Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti? If so then we want to hear from you. We at Squarefootba...

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Squarefootball fantasy football invitation 2010/11

I saw more action and excitement this summer down at the mortuary than I did at the World Cup in South Africa. There was also a better atmosphere between me and my ex-girlfriend than there was inside the grounds, thanks to the constant drone of those awful vuvuzelas. And as for entertainment, I th...

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Blame it on the Bougy

Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra was axed from the Rangers starting eleven as the Ibrox side crashed out of Europe with a whimper. A third successive home defeat for the Gers ensured there would be no parachute drop into the Europa League. After two crushing 4-1 defeats to Sevilla and Unirea Ur...

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CL Preview: Do or die for Rangers

By Danny Law Rangers can resurrect their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a win over Bundesliga strugglers Stuttgart tonight. The Gers have endured a woeful campaign so far with only two points from four matches, including two 4-1 home defeats to Sevilla and...

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Bolton's canny thoughts of Premier League Division 2

The gap in finances between the Premier League and Championship is turning into a chasm and increasingly the clubs that have finances suggesting that they will finish below tenth are favouring a Premier League Division 2. This new second division is most prominently pursued by Bolton's Phil Gartsid...

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The Old Firm: Premier League? You’re having a laugh!

Martin Luther King famously had a dream of racial equality and an end to discrimination. I too have a dream but sadly it isn’t as prophetic as that. I just want to live to see Aberdeen crowned as SPL champions. Now that may sound ridiculous to many of you given the Dons’ recent lack of silverware bu...

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Squarefootball's fantasy football challenge

Do you see yourself as the next Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger? Do you think you can pick a better team than Harry Redknapp or Rafa Benitez? Brilliant, then why don’t you join us in competing for the coveted Squarefootball fantasy league crown? For the past few years we at Squarefootball towers...

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West Bromwich Albion: Brunt out, Ferguson in – Would that be good business?

Hoots Mon. The Hawthorns is definitely attracting the attention of Scotland right now. Manager Tony Mowbray is a target for Celtic, Chris Brunt is being linked with a £3 million move to SPL champions Rangers while the Baggies are reportedly looking at signing the former Rangers captain Barry Ferguso...

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CIS Cup final special: Celtic V Rangers – Who'd make the ultimate Glasgow team?

Gordon Strachan’s Celtic take on Walter Smith’s Rangers on Sunday as the Glasgow giants fight it out for the first piece of silverware of the season. Rangers are the reigning CIS Cup holders and still have eyes on completing the treble, but standing in their way are the SPL leaders and city rivals C...

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Disaster For Rangers Will Be A Warning To Others

Most of the top British sides have avoided the pitfalls in the Champion's League qualifiers, since those fixtures became the norm in the competition. The fate of Rangers against FBK Kaunas will have sent a shudder through North London and Liverpool though. Everton suffered at this stage a few seaso...

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SPL predictions 08/09 Can Rangers end Celtic's reign as champions?

Walter Smith's Glasgow Rangers looked to have had the SPL all wrapped up last season before their tiring schedule got the better of them and Gordon Strachan's Celtic crept up to make it three-in-a-row. Will the Teddy Bears, fresh from their European exit, be able to go one better this season or will...

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Game of the week: Rangers v FBK Kaunas

Just over two months on from their defeat by Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Cup final, Rangers play their 10th European game of 2008, this time in the Champions League qualifiers. Unusually for a side from Lithuania, opponents FBK Kaunas are much-talked about in Scottish football circles, given th...

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Teething troubles for Rangers ahead of European return

Just a matter of weeks after their epic UEFA Cup run ended in defeat at the hands of Zenit St Petersburg, Rangers are back in European action at the end of July with a Champions League qualifier against either Kaunas of Lithuania or Santa Coloma, the champions of Andorra. Walter Smith moved quickly...

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Rangers Get Kaunas Again in Champions League Qualifiers

FBK Kaunas are becoming familiar Champions League opposition for British clubs. In recent seasons the Lithuanian side have played Celtic, Rangers and Liverpool in the qualifiers. Rangers will expect to progress at their expense from this year's Second Qualifying Round. That is assuming the little k...

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Transfer Speculation: Allan McGregor to Tottenham Hotspur

If the number of Scottish players plying their trade down south is a sign of a healthy game north of the border then the good times must be returning. After a season which saw both Craig Gordon and Alan Hutton make £10m moves from the SPL to the Premier League, Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor cou...

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Thursday finish in keeping with the strangest of SPL seasons

The Scottish Premier League title will be decided on Thursday night and the midweek finish is in keeping with the strangest of seasons north of the border. Fixture pile-ups, freak weather conditions, accusations of favouritism towards and against members of the Old Firm, glorious European nights an...

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Uefa Cup Final: Rangers achievement deserves the highest praise

An intriguing game is in prospect at Eastlands on Wednesday night as Glasgow Rangers take on Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Cup Final. Zenit, managed by ex-Ibrox boss Dick Advocaat have employed a counter-attacking style to devastating effect in their run to the final, hammering both Bayern Munich...

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Rangers Chasing A Scottish First

When Glasgow Rangers step out in Manchester Walter Smith's squad will be attempting to become the first Scottish winners of the UEFA Cup. This is onlythe third occasion a Scottish side has appeared in the Final. Celtic were the first Scottish club to bag a trophy in Europe with their unforgetable E...

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5458 Rangers: Will Allan McGregor b

by : Alex Wolstenholme A superb season for Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was capped on Thursday night by a man of the match display as the Glasgow giants fought their way past Werder Bremen to reach the last eight of the Uefa Cup. Against Bremen, one of the most dangerous attacking sides in Eu...

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5401 Rangers & Celtic: Trio of Old

by : Alex Wolstenholme Rangers and Celtic are slugging it out at the top of the SPL as the season enters its final straight, with Walter Smith's side four points clear of Gordon Strachan's at the time of writing following a 10th successive league victory, recorded at Hearts on Wednesday night. "Ce...

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4864: SPL: Rangers well equipped to

by : Alex Wolstenholme This week's CIS Cup games in Scotland allowed Rangers and Celtic to test the depth of their squads in ties against East Fife and Dundee respectively as the battle for the SPL and Champions League considerations took a back-seat. Rangers made nine changes from their league ga...

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4787: Champions League Preview Group

by : Hugh Larkin As the 25th ranked side of the 32 Champions League qualifiers for the group stage, Glasgow Rangers management and fans had steeled themselves to expect a difficult draw and the section they were placed in could hardly be tougher. The Gers have to get past 2006 Champions of Europe ...

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4699: Rangers: Smith’s Rebuilding Jo

by : Paul Grech Having revived the fortunes of Scottish football, Walter Smith now has to put his beloved Rangers back to where their fans feel they belong: at the top of the league. It must have been gut wrenching for Smith to walk out on the national team job, especially with performances and re...

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4683: Rangers v FK Zeta- A Professio

by : Hugh Larkin Rest of the Top 30 11 AC Milan – up 1 place 12 Sheffield United - up 1 12 Blackburn Rovers - down 1 14 Juventus - up 3 15 Real Madrid – up 9 16 Barcelona – down 2 17 Fulham –up 12 18 Charlton – up 2 19 WBA - down 3 20 Manchester City- down 2 21 Bolton – down 6 22 Inter Milan - up 1...

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4632: Champions League- Rangers Take

by : Hugh Larkin The final word deserves to go to club chairman Gareth Baldwin who took over fifteen years ago with the club in Division One of the Eastern Counties League. “It’s amazing when you consider that 15 years ago we were wondering how we were going to keep the club going in the Eastern C...

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4582: Rangers Season Review 2006/07

by : Alex Wolstenholme Of the four players mentioned at the opening of this article, Ajax’s Huntelaar would perhaps be the cheapest option at around £10million. The 23-year-old Dutch international has an outrageous goalscoring record having bagged 34 in 46 games for Heerenveen, followed by 37 in 48...

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4492: SPL: no trophies but Rangers e

by : Alex Wolstenholme Saturday's Old Firm derby at Ibrox ended in a 2-0 win for Rangers against champions Celtic, a result that sealed second place in the SPL and continued the revival brought about by the appointment of Walter Smith and Ally McCoist as the club's new management team. Smith broug...

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4287: SPL Preview- Rangers v Aberdee

by : Hugh Larkin Easy to choose the match of the weekend in Scotland- the visit of third placed Aberdeen to Rangers who hold the second Champions League qualifying spot by four points. After being knocked out of the UEFA Cup in midweek Rangers have to pick themselves up to defend their position in...

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4210: Ibrox revisited: so far, so go

by : Nick Rowles-Davies It isn’t a common occurrence for a national manager to give up his post to take the helm of a club side, at least not without being sacked. It is usually the other way round. But, this is Walter Smith and Rangers, and the pull from the scene of his previous successes proved ...

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4042: Rangers; Fergie Sacks His Bos

by : Stephen Orford “We don't play Barcelona or any of the English teams next but we can play Real Madrid, Roma or Inter Milan. It'll be tough. But playing the second leg at home can be a little help.” he observes. Speaking of Barcelona, the European champions must beat Werder Bremen to keep their...

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3741: UEFA Cup Group A Preview: Rang

by : Hugh Larkin Rangers section doesn’t contain any of the favourites for the UEFA Cup, so there would be keen disappointment if the Gers didn’t make progress in the competition. Paul Le Guen should be feeling happy with his team’s draw. Livorno Rangers start with probably their most tricky assig...

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3519: SPL Match Preview: Rangers v H

by : Sam Cullen At Ibrox today, two challengers for the SPL title will both be looking to secure a morale boosting victory, as Valdas Ivanauksas brings his Hearts side to Glasgow to face off against Paul Le Guen’s side. Since taking over at Rangers during the summer, Le Guen has seen the need for ...

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3392: Pen Portrait: Jeremy Clement (

by : Paul Grech When a new manager comes in, it is inevitable that he will bring in his own people, not just coaches but also players that he knows well and is certain of the qualities they will bring to the side. Particularly if that manager is foreign in which case he will want players with whom...

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3308: Pen Portrait: Lionel Letizi (R

by : Paul Grech “We were playing a very determined team. They were ready for it and better than us, it's as simple as that.” May 7 is the final day of the Premiership season, and it is shrouded in controversy. Tottenham’s crucial trip to West Ham United is left in some doubt as a mischievous lasag...

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3108: SPL Season Review:Rangers

by : Sam Cullen Last minute winners of the title last season, Rangers looked to 2005/06 to get another one over on the old enemy Celtic. As has been a common characteristic of his tenure, transfer funds were limited for Alex McLeish, so he was restricted to mainly free transfers, bringing in playe...

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2821: Rangers: Back in the Big Time

by : Hugh Larkin Way back in 1992/93 UEFA were trying out the Champions League concept for only the second time. Back then it was a modest concept as the knockout stages produced eight quarter-finalists to split into two sections. That season Glasgow Rangers came desperately close to qualifying for...

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2790: Rangers: Can McLeish continue?

by : Stephen Orford Birmingham City’s Steve Bruce has been under the cosh a bit at St Andrews and Ian feels that he would be a very poor choice for Newcastle. ”Bruce? Plastic Geordie. I would be unhappy, and I know thousands of others would. That would be seen as swapping like for like, as far as ...

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2780: Rangers: Axe Falls At Ibrox

by : Sam Cullen A decision most pundits had been predicted for many months was finally sealed today when Rangers announced that Alex McLeish would be leaving the club in May, although to all extent and purposes, he has been sacked. It is unsurprising considering their poor domestic form as they cur...

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2502: Rangers: McLeish teetering on

by : David Hulott These are tough times for Alex McLeish. Not only are his Rangers’ side struggling to make an impact in the SPL this season, but his job is already being linked with all and sundry. Chairman David Murray has already stated that he has plans in place to replace the current manager...

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2447: Rangers: Cheerio Alex McLeish

by : Chris Sherrard There comes a time when you just have to say it isn’t working any more. And that is surely the kind of thoughts which are going through the minds of the powers that be round Ibrox way this week. Because something has to change. Alex McLeish has lost against teams he should be...

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2360: Rangers: Wishing better luck f

by : Sean Graham Today as Rangers head out for their latest Champions League adventure against Inter Milan, it is the birthday of a former idol of the Rangers support. The man in question is "The Tin Man", Ted McMinn. Ted became the darling of the Ibrox crowd with his, unique style and great win...

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2301: Champions League Preview: Rang

by : Chris Sherrard The irony of Rangers’ current poor run in the Scottish Premier League is they have got a great chance of actually progressing in the Champions League if they can shake themselves soon. The Scottish champions are stuttering against the likes of Falkirk and Aberdeen in domestic m...

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2254: SPL: Rangers hold the advantag

by : Alex Wolstenholme Ibrox is the scene of the first Old Firm clash of the season on Saturday as champions Rangers take on their great rivals Celtic. The ‘Gers, current SPL champions, go into the game in better shape than their neighbours despite a surprise 3-2 defeat at Aberdeen last week. Aft...

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2212: Rangers: 20 Handy Facts about

by : Hugh Larkin The Cypriot champions are the unexpected opponents for Rangers in the Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round 1. Anorthosis are managed by ex-Newcastle and Dundee star Temuri Ketsbaia who is still registered as a player. 2. Also in the squad is his Georgian compatriot Georgi Kinkla...

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2194: Rangers: Unwanted Lovenkrands

by : Chris Williamson A 90th minute strike from Danish forward Peter Lovenkrands sealed a 3-0 win for Rangers over Livingston yesterday afternoon and put the Govan side into a familiar position at the top of the SPL. Earlier goals from Dado Prso and Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan ensured that the Gers wo...

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1988: SPL Preview: Rangers vs Hearts

by : Chris Williamson Rangers approach tomorrow’s clash with Hearts knowing that a win would move them back to the summit of the SPL, a scenario which seemed improbable following their 2-1 defeat by Celtic a fortnight ago. That Old Firm victory had sent the Bhoys five points clear of their fierce ...

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1932: SPL Preview: Rangers vs Celtic

by : Chris Williamson Rangers’ Marvin Andrews has defied the odds to declare himself fit for the crucial Old Firm showdown at Ibrox on Sunday. The Trinidad and Tobago centre-back has not played a first-team game since limping out of a 2-0 victory over Dundee on March 13 with cruciate ligament dama...

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1507: SPL: Rangers set the bosman be

by : David Hulott Selling their best defender to Newcastle United may have led to some Rangers’ fans questioning the club’s ambitions but, in pure business terms, the £8 million they were offered for Jean-Alain Boumsong just six months after signing him on a Bosman free from Auxerre was simply too ...

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