starchief

A step up then

If Godwin were alive today, he'd be turning in his grave.

I think Rangers defence is fine. It's the attack that's weak. Bearing that in mind: Esson Meekings - Williams - Gillet - G.Shinnie Hayes - Ross - Jones - Tansey - Foran Tade Probably my doubt is Tade up front. That might be better with McKay but we'll try that first off. Jones gives that reliability in midfield so the rest of the team can get forward. Tempted by Tokely but I'll see what Williams is made of. Gnapka from the bench for this one.

How did I miss it? Hang on, I'll check with BBC news....nope, not there? Sky? Not there either. Can't seem to find anywhere that the outcome of the case was announced. Ah, it must be trial-by-internet-forum. Much more reliable.

I wasn't sure who I'd support when the club was formed - the new ICT or the old St Mirren. I thought I might have a few years to come down on one side or the other. Instantly, I had to decide. Needless to say ICT won out. Even if we did get hammered by the Buddies.

Never said to let the case drop. Exactly. And how do they get the money owed (if it is owed - no-one knows yet)? Keep it going as a company, whilst fining them the maximum they can afford whilst still surviving. That's more than they'd get if the company went under.

If the full amount (again, I think we're jumping the gun here - no-one knows what the full amount is) means a large company that provides lots of jobs and income goes into liquidation, then yes, we should settle for less. If the situation with tax is lost by the Gers, then HMRC should take a large chunk, so that Rangers will be in no position to make any significant buys. No tax money and no jobs as a result of liquidation is vengeance - not the policy that should be followed. Strip them to the bone, yes. Receive no money, close down Scottish income and put people on the dole in a high unemployment area in a recession? That does no-one any good.

Apparently not http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17072133 So is Mandaric lying? The administrators? Some hoax on them both? I just don't get why Whyte would have battled so long for control, then be as abyssmal as he's been made out to be. I can get that he may be preparing everything for a new Rangers. To be honest, it seems an ideal scenario for the Rangers board and a disaster for the tax-payer (although all that assumes guilt, which is far from certain). Some of the points Whyte has come out with about this being a regular procedure over uncertainty, I can agree with. So Whyte is then a white knight. But then... Where's the missing millions and the promised investment? Is it a ruse by Whyte to get this new Rangers? Or is it fraudulent behaviour? But why battle for so long to get the club then? Asset stripping? Where would he hide? Hasn't he seen what Lennon has put up with? It's a cracking story and I've no idea how it's going to end. This'll make a great book for Xmas 2012, when hopefully it's all laid bare. (oh, and the Blue Knights scenario looks a great way to run a club - more power to them and any other club that goes down that route)

That was a belter. He's no longer someone that can play down the wings (the big failing of Strachan was that he never replaced Adam Johnson and Stewart Downing with genuine wingers - instead he loaded up central mids and people like Robson and Flood who favoured left and right but not to the byeline) but he'd still be a power for any team in the SPL in an attacking mid role. Well done Toronto.

Not seen too much of him this year but last year, he was a top player for Boro. Easily one of Strachan's best buys.

I have no idea what this is all about. Is it a game plan? Desperation? A storm in a teacup? Refusing to pay their share? Taking a stand against illegal taxes? No idea whatsoever.

It's not a case of brining in more players to make us go bust. We've got a lot of players who might well not be renewing contracts at ICT. If Golobart, Williams, Gillet, Piermayr, Proctor and Tokely all leave at the end of their contracts, we'll have to bring in players from somewhere. Why not look at the likes of Perry then for the back four if he's released? Sure, he might be kept on. But he might not. Nothng wrong with keeping an eye out.

Reading more about why they owe £9M adds more dirt to an already cloudy water. Apprently HMRC want £9M. Rangers dispute that figure, saying they only owe about £4M. That's been offered and refused by HMRC. Just like the £45M, no-one really knows if Rangers owe anything unpayable. It could be enormous and all go Rangers way. It could be virtually nothing for a club like Rangers. Or it could be a compromise. So, Davie, it's not £71, 500 minimum. That's only if they lose their cases. And no-one knows where the Ticketus money has gone either. Is it a debt or there just in case of a compromise and ready to be paid back (I know that's technically a debt but you take my point). I don't think there's enough info to really know what Rangers owe. Even Rangers don't know that. With the lawyers they will have behind them, plus other clubs no doubt desperate for Rangers to succeed (or they are next), I wouldn't be surprised to see Rangers win their case. I also wouldn't be shocked to see a compromise (as I've said before, in other industries, we'd do what we can to avoid liquidation, otherwise the money is totally dispappeared along with people's jobs - I suspect HMRC will, in the end, also employ that line). So, do Rangers have £70M-£100M to find? Or do they have the £25M in the bank from Ticketus and only £4M to pay in tax? 10 points to Alan Davies for holding up the 'nobody knows' sign.

Jamie Ness is one of the most promising youngsters I've seen in a long long time. Injury problems but then, would we even be in consideration if he didn't have them. Hope we at least make contact.

It's always used as an insult but Castle Greyskull is where the heroes live, i.e. He-Man, Man-At-Arms etc. Snake Mountain is where the likes of Skeletor are based. ...not that it's important - just sayin' that's all....

It's so great a double-barrelled appointment, I struggle to believe this will be sustainable. Would love a league with our rivals of Aberdeen, Ross County and Livi to play. That bit of needle makes it all the more interesting. For me, I still view Livi as the real rivals, although I know most say RC. There's such a history between us.

Statements today suggest it's nothing to do with the big tax bill - and that Murray still believes Rangers have a better than even chance of winning that case. Rather, it's about a £9M bill run up in the last year. I have no idea what's happening.

It's absolutely 100% not just Rangers in the mix for the tax avoidance scam. Expect many English teams to be quaking in their boots if the result goes against Rangers. Spurs was the first shot, Rangers, the second. Both barrels coming down for many clubs soon.

Huh? For what? Gate receipts?

How pathetic is Scottish football if selling your only real striker and losing 10 points does absolutely zero to the table. If this doesn't show what's wrong with Scottish football, I'm not sure what does. The things Craig Whyte is saying too just makes me believe that nothing much will happen with Rangers. A bit of restructing. Reduced means. Then carrying on with a budget that means buying McArthur and Cowie when they were in the SPL, instead of Edu and Jelavic. Not sure that would be such a bad move anyway. I've never worked in tax but I have in environmental regulation. If an owner polluted a river, we would be entitled to sue him (polluter pays principle). However, if he was going to go bust and we would get nothing, a solution would be found to try to recover some money and make sure he didn't do it again. Revenge was never really part of the issue. As much as many think morally Rangers should get shafted for trying to illicitly gain tax breaks, the HMRC should really be emotionless about this. Fine them as much as it takes but liquidation means no-one gains. Not HMRC, not the tea-lady. A hefty fine means no big-time players. Seems the likely solution.

Slightly Slightly off topic but... I get annoyed when the striker's missed a glorious chance, then he notices he's been flagged offside. He then proceeds to tell the linesman how blind he is. Personally, if I were the ref, I'd just say, ok, you weren't offside. You missed an open goal you buffoon. Bi-kick then, coz you nearly hit the corner flag, with your bloody awful shot.

Son of Rangers is no more 'outrageously unjust' that Son of Airdrie. Couldn't pay their debts. Slightly changed their name. Bought the licence out (from Clydebank) and continued playing. Can't see much of a difference there. Why is it one rule for one club and another for the rest? Indeed, if Rangers were treated like the rest of the SPL, instead of the one club (Gretna), they wouldn't even be docked any points. As for, the SPL would be more exciting coz Celtic wouldn't spend so much. As their finances decrease, so would the rest. They still have 5 to 10x the crowds of everyone else for a start, plus a worldwide following. In the face of a broke Rangers, a broke Hearts and no-one else investing, Celtic would expect Championships every season - just like Rangers did when they were the only ones spending. Scottish football has a bigger problem than Rangers going into administration. It needs root'n'branch work. A total redistribution of monies. I just can't see that happening. Despite all these tax and law experts in green telling us what administration means, I don't think any has a clue as to the machinations of why this is happening. I don't think it's anywhere as simple as 'Rangers have no money and Whyte doesn't know what he's doing'. I suspect he knows exactly where the club will be in 2 years time or so. However, I've no idea. But I'm pretty sure it won't be a league much different from what it is now. Unfortunately.

I find him annoying and offensive. ...and the sooner he stops opening pointless threads, the better.

Yes. The game is bankrupt across the world. FIFA/UEFA needs to take the stand to say it's unacceptable. I'd even be in favour of people going down like flies, clutching their faces when they are 10 yards from the likes of Samaras and Naismith.

Definitely needed either Sutherland or Winnall in that centre-forward, or, better still, Andrew Shinnie, who would have scored a couple. Let's hope he can get rid of his injury problems for good soon.