The sort-of-new Scottish Football thread pt 2 and a half

Maybe not the best-advised comment he's ever made, but this was after having told the interviewer twice that he wasn't prepared to talk about anything other than the game. It was a total throwaway line that's been blown out of proportion.

Sycophancy aside, I'm in no way related to GS (otherwise you'd be seeing me up front against Kilmarnock). Just thought I'd add a different opinion on it.

Still, managing to INCREASE our lead after that display at least managed to shut Shug et al up.

The interview is linked from here ^^

I stand by "bawbag"

I'm no fan of Ferguson but this really isn't a million miles away from what happened to Pressley, and most people think he was treated unfairly.

Murray must be wondering whether his club captain and arguably his best player is more valuable to Rangers than a failing faltering manager who puts absolutely no value on captaining Rangers.

This is it, isn't it? 'Barry Ferguson won't play for Rangers again under the current manager' is what they're saying all over the press, but you get the feeling that perhaps the current manager's the variable factor in that.

If Murray decides that holding onto arguably the only player he has that's worth a bit of dosh (though only Ferguson's agent seems to be convinced of this) is more important than holding onto his manager - a view that the Radio Clyde panel seem to hold - then what sort of precedent does that set? One player actually *is* capable of holding the club to ransom? Pressley tried it and got booted (though his more valuable partners-in-crime seem to have got away with it), so why should Ferguson be any different?

I really REALLY wish someone had asked Gavin Rae if he feels he's stabbed Barry Ferguson in the back by accepting the captaincy after contributing bugger all to Rangers.

arguably the only player he has that's worth a bit of dosh (though only Ferguson's agent seems to be convinced of this)

Ferguson, *if* he goes, will go to a struggling Premiership team or a Championship team with ambitions. He's not a bad player, but he's pretty much found his level, having already scuttled back from the Premiership with his tail between his legs. Someone like a Cardiff or a WBA or a Wolves would take him, I'm sure.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42407000/jpg/_42407077_leguenferguson203.jpg

http://ilx.wh3rd.net/thread.php?msgid=7488118#unread

Also, I heart Lee Naylor. I want that on record here too.

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/whistleblower.cfm?curpageid=791

Ach well, these things even themselves out over the season (c)Derek Johnstone.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6364051.stm

Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov has accused the Old Firm of Rangers and Celtic of "buying off" referees and players in Scotland.

"They buy off players and referees," Romanov told Russian magazine Futbol.

(Haha I hope they come down a ton on mad vlad this time, I'm sure there might be a few legal actions being taken too)
To be honest I've been waiting for him to make this sort of comment.

Next he will be hiring private detectives to see if referees are in the Orange Lodge or Knights Of St Columba...

Whereas its obvious to everyone (including any lawyers watching, naturally) that everything to do with Hearts, Kaunas, and their respective dealings with Mr Romanov's bank are all entirely above board and not even remotely underhand.

I'm sure there might be a few legal actions being taken too

Given that both Martin Bain and Brian Quinn mention the possibility in that article Onimo linked to, I'd say there might be as well.

Did he say this before or after Rangers' marvellous and well-deserved victory against Kilmarnock at the weekend(it doesn't say in the article when he made the comments)?

So what's the chances of Hearts disappearing down the dumper in a year or two when Mad Vlad gets bored and turns Tynecastle into a supermarket?

Vlad is not only owner of Hearts but is also, with a different hat on, their banker. His bank gets the interest on Hearts' debt, basically, as I understand it. You can extrapolate from that as you will. No Hearts at all isn't going to do him any favours in any way, put it that way.

When and if Vlad leaves Hearts it will likely destroy them. When he took over they owed ~£19M to a Scottish bank. Now their wage bill has doubled (to 100% of turnover!) and they owe £28M to, um, Vlad. If the protests gather momentum he can decide to sell up because the fans forced him out - someone else will thn need to pay Vlad a mint plus take on a huge debt, to Vlad. If no-one buys them he can decide to sell the assets to pay his dbt to himself, or something. He can't really lose out of it unless his bank goes tits up.

Vladimir Romanov

Majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov tonight issued the following statement:

It's a pity that papers are not able to get an interview from me direct.

Thank God I haven't come across any corruption in Scotland.

I don't expect anything except lies and distortion of my quotes. I want to say that I'm surprised with many things, like, for example, the situation when betrayal is portrayed as an act of heroism.

To my mind, there are no values in this life that are worth betrayal, even if we're talking about hooped shirts. If kids are being pushed towards betrayal, I call it seduction - but seduction of their souls.

Let's see where it led in Webster's case: he hung around in different clubs and didn't play for the Scottish national team for a whole year.

Other players who fell under this pressure showed miserable results while playing for the national team despite all the chances it had to win.

Edinburgh is an amazing city. I'm so impressed with the genius of those who created it. It fascinates and captivates you immediately.

Its beauty was created during the times of the kings of old, and now I see how everything that people were gathering for centuries - a culture, all Walter Scott's heritage, is being ruled and destroyed by monkeys from the safari park.

http://i18.tinypic.com/436kepk.jpg

Q You've been in control at Hearts for two years now. What conclusions have you been able to draw during that time?

A That you can't trust anyone. You know, it's just like a scene out of an old movie: We're at war with the Germans. The unit is asleep. A soldier sees a white flag being waved in the distance but his commanding officer is sleeping. So he goes up to the priest and says, 'Father, there's a white flag over there'. The priest replies, 'The enemy is sly and cunning. Shoot them'. And that's how it is.