Rangers boss Walter Smith has hailed David Weir as his best value-for-money signing as the defender continues to defy all the odds.
Smith took Weir to Everton for less than £200,000 back in 1999, before calling on his services again as Scotland manager.
He then helped fulfil the player's lifelong ambition by signing him for Rangers after returning to the Ibrox helm in January.
Despite now being in the twilight of his career at the age of 37, Weir has been in outstanding form recently in the Premier League and the Champions League, as well as European Championship qualifiers with Scotland.
"We paid £180,000 for him from Hearts and I have to say he is the best pound-for-pound signing I've made," said Smith.
"He has done it on three occasions for me now as you have to look at what he did when he came back into the international team. From my own point of view, I don't think I could find anybody I could speak more highly of. Plus he is a nice lad as well."
Smith firmly believes Everton's loss has been Rangers' gain, after the Toffees sanctioned the switch to Ibrox almost a year ago.
He said: "At Everton, it was a natural thing for them to look at him and think 'how long can he go on?' But, when I see the way he is playing for us, he is beating that argument by making us aware that he brings something to the team that few people can do."
Smith added: "I don't know how he keeps going, but he doesn't like to take his days off. He does things properly, makes sure he gets plenty of rest and it seems to work for him. He has been terrific lately, not just for Rangers but for the international team as well. I said to him during pre-season training that maybe he shouldn't do as much as the rest of them, but he did every bit. He doesn't like to be looked upon as being different from anybody else and it has stood him in good stead. I think he is looking at a lot of players across Europe at the moment who are playing into their late 30s and sometimes 40s. He's only 37 so he's thinking he can keep going."
Smith believes Weir has been a shining example to his team-mates both on and off the park since his arrival at Rangers.
"I think Davie is good for any young player and even the guys in their late 20s, who want to play for as long as possible," he said.
"Any player who plays to that age has to sacrifice something and he dedicates himself to his profession. I would hope a lot of the other players look at him and try to pick up good habits from him."
24 October 2007
Stephen Frail has warned Saulius Mikoliunas he must be more careful after the Lithuanian was sent off for Hearts reserves.
Mikoliunas, who was condemned in Scotland and banned by UEFA for diving to win his country a penalty at Hampden last month, saw red in the second-string match against Falkirk.
Hearts assistant boss Frail watched on as winger Mikoliunas was booked twice for reacting to heavy tackles – the first on himself, the second on team-mate Andrius Velicka – during a 3-0 win for the Edinburgh side.
Given the reaction to his antics during the Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland, Frail admits 23-year-old Mikoliunas needs to keep his cool.
Frail told www.heartsfc.co.uk: 'He will need to learn because there will be a lot worse when he plays in the first team. You can understand that I am a bit cynical about the attention he is getting.'
24 October 2007
Dundee United's Barry Robson fears it is only a matter of time before a big club moves in for Tangerines boss Craig Levein.
Levein will mark 12 months in his job at Tannadice next week and has already dragged the team he inherited sitting bottom of the SPL table to fourth in the league, having recorded their best start to a season since 1993.
United, who host Rangers on Sunday, have battled with relegation more often than not over the last decade but look almost certain to finally break into the top six - if not the top four - this season.
The Tangerines' remarkable turnaround has ensured Levein's stock has steadily risen, so the former Hearts and Leicester manager, who led the Jambos to third place in 2003, is likely to be shortlisted for future vacancies around the country.
He was considered for the Scotland position following Walter Smith's departure to Rangers but, even though he missed out on that occasion, Robson is worried bigger clubs will start circling.
He said: "The manager has been here for nearly a year now and we've improved steadily all the time. I knew the minute he walked in the door that he was excellent and he has proved it over the last 12 months. He is very shrewd tactically, has got us organised and has improved every player. He commands respect because he has done it all in the game as a player. It's going to be difficult to keep him at Tannadice because I wouldn't be surprised if a bigger club tried to take him away. Hopefully that won't happen because we love working with him but the fact he has done so well won't be going unnoticed. He was linked with the Scotland job and that wasn't a surprise because of how good he is. We want to hang onto him but it wouldn't be a shock if someone big came calling."
Levein is renowned for pushing his players hard and will not allow standards to slip.
Robson was on the receiving end of a blast during the recent game with Falkirk but insists his manager's will to win is one of his biggest strengths.
He added: "We had a bit of a fall-out during one of the games but it was nothing. It doesn't matter who you are, what you are or where you are with the manager - if he has got something to say he will just say it. I think he would even go through the chairman! I've got great respect for him and get on great for him. He's a winner and so am I and so are the rest of the lads so we all work well together. He works on little things and in the end it adds up to a lot. He has improved me because he is so thorough, we watch videos of how we play and after it he goes over what I could have done better and also what I did well. It's all very positive and he does that for every player so I think all the lads would agree that they have improved."
Robson added: "He has got a really good eye for a player and has made some great signings for basically nothing, guys like Morgaro Gomis and Prince (Buaben) as well as the Irish boys so everything is going really well at the club."
Goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska has learned that his metatarsal injury is almost healed and will begin to increase his workload over the next few weeks.
23 October 2007
Stephen Frail insists Michal Pospisil still has a role to play with Hearts.
The Czech Republic striker has made just two substitute appearances for the club this season after a move to NEC Nijmegen fell through.
Hearts are spoilt for choice in the attacking department, but assistant coach Frail expects Pospisil to get his chance at some stage.
"Michal has been fine," said Frail in the Daily Record.
"He's not really figured, but he has been very professional. It's just we've had Nade and Ksanavicius in for the system that we're playing. Michal will have to bide his time and take his chance when it comes."
22 October 2007
Barcelona are facing an injury crisis and defender Eric Abidal admits they will need to somehow find a way to cope with the "physical" challenge posed by Rangers.
But Abidal insists the answer is not for manager Frank Rijkaard to push him forward to bulk up the midfield.
Left-back Abidal is fearing another costly defeat, having already been beaten twice on international duty by Scotland in the past 13 months.
"I have played against Scotland for France and we have lost twice," said the 28-year-old former Lyon player.
"They play very aggressive football, it is much more physical."
Barcelona have ruled playmaker Deco out for five weeks, striker Samuel Eto'o is still sidelined, and Yaya Toure, Gianluca Zambrotta, Edmilson and Rafael Marquez will also miss Tuesday's Champions League Group E clash.
They could be light in midfield, in terms of a ball-winner, but Abidal said: "I am a defender, not a midfielder. I am not used to playing in midfield. To be honest, it's not a position I fancy very much. There are players that can cover that area and it is up to the boss to decide which of us will have to do that."
Deco admits Barcelona's players, who visited Scotland on a pre-season tour and played matches against Dundee United and Hearts, may have pushed themselves too hard and paid the price.
He said on www.fcbarcelona.com: "I am no doctor but when we put in a lot of effort and play lots of games you reach the point where your body has hit its limit and that's when injuries occur."
19 October 2007
John Hartson has handed Bristol City the perfect incentive to win at Norwich and confirm their Championship credentials.
West Brom's outspoken striker, who joined the Canaries on loan in midweek, has caused something of a storm with his comments ahead of tomorrow's clash at Carrow Road.
Speaking at a press conference convened to announce his arrival in East Anglia, Hartson paid Championship newcomers City scant regard.
He said: "This is a good game for myself. Bristol City are a newly-promoted side and, with the greatest of respect to them, it's not as if we have to go to Sheffield United or Watford."
City's players are determined to make the former Welsh international eat his words and midfielder Lee Johnson spoke for his team-mates when he warned Hartson and Norwich not to risk underestimating the visitors.
He said: "You'd expect that from John Hartson because of what he's done in the game. But if that's his attitude, then it's excellent for us. If he underestimates us by just one per cent, we'll capitalise on it and take advantage. He's had an outstanding career at the very highest level and he's entitled to his opinion. But I wonder if he's looked at the league table recently."
Currently fourth after 10 games, City will seek to heap further misery on opponents who find themselves in the relegation zone and short of confidence.
Without a win in six games, the Canaries have not scored a goal in 555 minutes of football.
"We've got to be confident," said Johnson. "Results have gone well for us and, after 10 games, the table doesn't lie. We want to go into Saturday's game and show Norwich that we are here and that we deserve to be in this league."
He added: "We believe in ourselves as individuals and as a team. We know what we are capable of. We beat Sheffield United in our last game and played some great soccer. Norwich will have seen that."
Placed in temporary charge following Peter Grant's resignation last week, former assistant Jim Duffy has been given two games in which to prove himself and will select the side to face City. And the caretaker boss is well known to Johnson, who played under him at Hearts.
"He's a strong character with strong opinions," revealed Johnson. "I'd say he will be quite aggressive in getting his opinions across to the Norwich players this week. I got to know him quite well, quite quickly at Hearts and I know what he's like. He'll have them fired up. Those players who were not getting in the team will see it as a fresh start. A change of manager also relieves pressure and can be the start of a run of form. But we'll go there confident in our own ability and looking to prove ourselves."
16 October 2007
Andy Webster has called his old manager Graham Rix as a key witness in his court battle with Hearts.
The former Jambos boss will take the stand at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland later this week.
Rix is finally set to spill the beans on his reign at Tynecastle after settling his claim for compensation against Vladimir Romanov on the steps of the Court of Session earlier this year.
The ex-Chelsea coach has never spoken about his five-month reign at Hearts, which ended with his dismissal last March after only 19 games in charge.
But that will change when Rix is quizzed about the relationship between Webster and the club's hierarchy.
Hearts accused Rix of breaching his contract by telling players before a game at Dundee United that club owner Romanov had picked the side.
For his part, Rix claimed his sacking was unjustified and demanded £445,000 for loss of earnings before the row was settled out of court in March.
Webster, now on loan at Rangers from Wigan, believes Rix will prove a key ally as he prepares for the courtroom showdown in Lausanne tomorrow and Thursday.
Webster was controversially benched for the match at Tannadice that led Rix to tell players before kick-off he did not have full control of team selection.
Webster had refused a new deal with Hearts at the time and went on to play only two more games for the club following Rix's departure.
Rix declined to comment last night, but Webster quit Hearts last summer with a year remaining on his contract, citing FIFA Article 17, and joined Wigan without a transfer fee being paid.
Earlier this year, FIFA ordered Webster and Wigan to jointly pay Hearts £625,000 and claimed the player broke his contract without due cause.
Webster has gone to the Court of Arbitration to argue that ruling was too severe. He claims Hearts should only have been paid his final-year salary of around £200,000.
For their part, Hearts are demanding at least £4million for the player and have tagged the court case the new Bosman.
Wigan, who loaned the player to Rangers in January, have also appealed and claim they're not liable for any part of the £625,000 compensation set by FIFA.
All three sides will make their representation in front of a three-man panel of lawyers with experience in sport and contract law.
The panel could release their findings as early as next month.
11 October 2007
Aberdeen have appealed to fans who travelled to Ukraine with them last week to help identify the supporter who has landed them in trouble with UEFA.
The Dons are likely to face a sizeable fine after a flare was set off by one of their followers during their game with Dnipro.
Now Pittodrie chiefs want the person named and shamed - and banned from their games for life.
Operations manager John Morgan said: "We must track down this idiot and stop the club's reputation being damaged any further. Ukrainian officials praised the behaviour of the 500 Dons fans who were at the game but we've all been let down by the actions of one person."
Italian club Lazio were fined £5000 and Romania's Dinamo Bucharest £4000 after fans set off flares before their a Champions Leagueclash in Rome in August.
Both clubs were warned any repeat could lead to their grounds being closed and a ban on fans attending games abroad. The Dons' fate will be decided next month.
Meanwhile, Panathinaikos hitman Dimitris Salpingidis is ready to call on Hearts defender Christos Karipidis to help the Greeks in their UEFA Cup clash against the Pittodrie side.
The striker will ask his countryman, a former team-mate at PAOK Salonika, for a dossier on the Dons who make up Group B along with Atletico Madrid, Lokomotiv Moscow and Copenhagen.
Jimmy Calderwood's take on the Greeks in Athens in the group opener on October 25.
The 26-year-old Salpingidis reckons the draw has been kind because they play the Dons at home - and expects to take all three points.
He said: "I will contact Christos to find out about Aberdeen. We also have Takis Fyssas, who was at Hearts, in our squad so their knowledge will be useful to us. The draw is very good for us regarding the fact three teams will go into the next stage. In front of our home fans I am confident we can win."
Panathinaikos are fourth in the Greek League after four games and trail early leaders AEK Athens by five points.
Midfielder Alexandros Tziolis admits there will be no excuses should they fail to reach the UEFA Cup knockout stages.
However, having learned of how Aberdeen disposed of Dnipro in Ukraine in the first round proper he insists the Greeks will not underestimate them.
He rates Spanish cracks Atletico Madrid as the strongest side in the group but feels his side's European know-how could be vital.
He said "The Spaniards are strong but all the teams can cause problems, especially Aberdeen. But we are an experienced team and that will help us."
06 October 2007
Hibernian sprung a surprise with a 1-0 win away at Rangers to leapfrog the Old Firm side and go top of the SPL table.
Hibs' victory came courtesy of David Murphy who struck on the hour mark to give his side all three points and a place at the top.
Dundee United were 1-0 victors over Motherwell – a result which moves them up to fourth in the table.
The two sides started the day equal on points but The Tangerines are now three better off after Darren Dods hit the net with just over ten minutes remaining.
Hearts were the day's biggest victors after they beat Falkirk 4-2 at Tynecastle.
Andrius Ksanavicius, Marius Zaliukas, Andrius Velicka and Christian Nade gave the hosts a four-goal advantage but Graham Barrett and Pedro Moutinho both got their names on the scoresheet in the last five minutes to give the scoreline a degree of respectability.
Abime Koudou scored in the first minute of the 2-2 draw between Kilmarnock at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
A Simon Ford own goal pulled Inverness level but Colin Nish looked to have given the hosts the win before Don Cowie struck to give Falkirk a share of the spoils.
02 October 2007
Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has warned his Scotland team-mates they cannot afford to let their standards drop if they are to make their European dream a reality.
The Scots have powered their way to the top of Group B courtesy in part of a stunning double over France to put themselves in with a very real chance of making next summer's Euro 2008 finals.
However, with tough games to come against Ukraine and Italy on home soil and Georgia on the road, 24-year-old Gordon knows they can take nothing for granted.
He said: "It's an exciting time. We are top of the group at the moment, but we have got probably the hardest last three fixtures out of the top three teams who are chasing the two spots. Even though we are on top, it is still going to be difficult for us. We are only two points away from being third and that's why the two games coming up are going to be tough and ones we are going to need to do well in. But we have put ourselves in that position and it is great to be involved in that, and the pressure that comes from that is the type of pressure we want to be involved in."
Pressure is something to which Gordon has become accustomed in recent months after making his summer move to Sunderland for a British record £9million fee for a goalkeeper.
His performances for the Black Cats have been impressive in a difficult start to their first season back in the top flight.
However, the former Hearts keeper is only too aware that one poor performance would see the spotlight return to manager Roy Keane's big money swoop.
Speaking as he was unveiled as the latest member of a leading American sportswear company stable of athletes, Gordon said: "It's still only eight games and I am sure that if I went out and played poorly in a game, then it would be mentioned. I am well aware that's going to stick around. At the moment, I have not heard too much about it, which I would see as a good thing, but it really is something that does not concern me that much. It's the way transfer fees are going, especially in this league, and the top leagues around the world, so it is not something I concern myself with."
