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Really interesting article and thread, love this type of debate on this board. Personally I am not ready to join the sack him movement just yet. 8 wins out of 10, no defeats domestically outwith them, these are title winning credentials, and all with a broken squad of patched up soldiers and many injuries, plus some who have not managed to reach previous levels, yet. Unbeaten in domestic cups also, something SG couldnt manage. Yes the football is not much to watch, but give me a dire winning team over an entertaining defeat every time. Gio has also shown he can learn from mistakes, ditching the bottle-merchant keeper and the zonal defence from his early season mission. I give him some credit for that. My biggest issue is who brings in the players? Is Gio the only Dutch manager in history to have 2 windows and not bring in any Dutch players or players from a previous club/league? I find that very strange. If Wilson is doing all the player trading and Gio is just there to coach, then it is surely more important to get rid of Wilson before January than Gio?

I'm not going to go out to bat for GvB but the crisis lies mainly within the playing squad. You can talk all day about how we got here but pragmatism dictates it is what it is and the only issue is where do we go from here. Changing the coaching staff won't necessarily rescue this season but it might sink it altogether. Sacking GvB and keeping the players wont solve what's wrong at Rangers. There are clearly changes necessary among the playing staff and that is primarily the responsibility of Ross Wilson. If players need released or sold or loaned out or replaced then it's his job to get it done, albeit after consultation with the coaches.

Point 1 - so what? King is sniping because he wants his money back and there's been a fall-out along the way but that's always going to happen with business owners with massive egos. Point 2 - do we know that for sure? If he had been able to spend more, would he have turned down the AV job? I doubt it. Point 3 - One director has resigned over the past couple of years, and he previously resigned and came back. That happens all the time when businessmen feel they can't contribute meaningfully due to time. I'm not sure what the issue is. Points 4-7 - the board talked to a party who expressed interest in the club and then said no. Again, it'll be something that happens all the time, and we mostly wouldn't hear about it. We heard about it this time due to the behaviour of third party acting in an amateurish way. Hardly the fault of the board. We didn't lose in the US courts, did we? Point 8 - the board may be safeguarding the financial stability of the club over the next 5 years, and if so, can we criticise after what happened under Murray? Points 9-10 - not sure about the relevance of these points, but everyone agrees that things around the club can be improved, but it hardly that things stink. As you say, not much going on in isolation but even looking at them all, I can't get excited about them.

We won't know until it happens unfortunately. Anything else is guesswork (on both sides of the argument). Theoretically, we could play terrible and continue to defeat the SPFL clubs outwith Celtic, then show up twice and defeat them. That would secure the league title. Outwith OF games, Gio has the best record of all recent Rangers managers, so in theory all that is missing, is beating them. Would there be any justification to sack a manager who won you the league no matter how "dire", or otherwise, the performances were?

I'm hoping the WC will derail any momentum the Tims have and in turn will give us time to reset and get viable options back in the squad. A fit Goldson, Hagi, Roofe and Lawrence will undoubtedly make a difference to our options for the 2nd half of the season. This however is dependent on being within touching distance to them.

Gio record doesn’t tell the whole story. He doesn’t have what it takes in the league. I think we are looking at handing them another title and free access to the Champions League. Many of us had worries about his track record and although at times he has proved us wrong, he generally hasn’t. The football we play is every bit as dull and predictable as it was at Feyenoord. We should be speaking to guys with a good track record who are looking to take the next step like Knutsen.

If he succeeds at QPR he gets a better offer than Rangers can afford. If he fails at QPR, Rangers shouldn’t be giving him a job.

I've been concerned for a while now about our medical side esoecially in regards to recovery times which appear to be frankly ridiculous.

Bring him home.

2 points off the leaders after 10 games, qualification to CL secured and now into semi-final of the League Cup. Have we sacked a manager previously who could claim the above? We often say that player wise, you build from a position of strength, but with managers it's the opposite. Gio has the look and sound of a beaten man, but what are the alternatives? Would any other manager be able to get any better out of an aging, out of form and injury ravaged squad? We missed the boat after 55 and appear to be unable to release the funds required to add genuine quality to the squad and changing manager won't solve that issue.

I am 100% behind Gio. He cannot kick the ball for these old, inconsistant, oft injured players. Some find his demeanor with the press too laid back. He cannot be without the necessary teeth in the dressing room. He captained the Dutch squad to runners up in the 2010 World Cup when it included characters like Van Bommel, Kuyt, Sneijder, Van Perise & DeJong. On talksport yesterday Neil Warnock stated that he thought that Gerrard was under the belief that he got out of Rangers at the right time. What does that say for what Gio was coming in to. The director of football role is something I would be more likely to point the finger at. The strategy & direction the club is moving in should be relayed to us the fans. The transfers have also been questionable to say the least.

I suspect thats still in the post then.

This is to do with behaviour at the away game at Anfield only.

Will it, though? They provide better quality than most other sides in the league, which will be enough most of the time, but it'll still be the same boring football that will come unstuck eventually, and won't allow us to overcome 'better' sides (i.e. Them).

It's hard not to think about what a terrific header of the ball he was and link it to the dreadful battle he had with dementia these last few years. A hell of a price to pay.

I agree about Europe in particular and I will forever be grateful for what SG did as part of our rebuild, winning #55 and making us a real force to be reckoned with in Europe. But he wasn't perfect. I think his reputation is growing with every passing month since he left, like one of those former players who isn't good enough to make it but becomes a world beater after he's gone. If he could have motivated the players a bit and sorted out the malaise which seemed to have set-in, I think he'd still be here and his managerial stock would be on the rise. That said, there's echoes of what's happening with this group of players this season, with what happened during the start to his last one.

And yet they have underachieved for, in my memory, 30 years. They’ve chewed through managers in that time ruining every single managers career, that’s 10 managers over 12 seasons. It’s a poisoned chalice for sure.

The football on show was of Rangers level dreich and dire he had to go .

Yeah, can't say I'm overly excited about travelling through tomorrow but at the very least it will be interesting to see how VAR works domestically...

With regards to injuries, Jack, Roofe, Helander and Souttar all had pretty poor injury records prior to joining Rangers.

Ach well. I can never really understand our support's constant desire to focus on the past. He had his time and left. I hope he does okay but won't lose any sleep over it, either way. And f*ck Liverpool.

Thanks for posting video,was probably at many of those games. Great to see game flowing as wel instead of all the boring stuff of full team running into corners to celebrate. Sad that we have lost another legend but as we get older it is more and more going to happen. Goodbye Jimmy and thanks for the memories.

I am assuming the £14K fine for the fireworks will be forwarded directly to the Union Bears? It was a pre-planned and co-ordinated display which they knew would lead to the club being fined. Why do that? Timmy behaviour.

God Save the King?

I think you can tell when a manager/team could go to the next level with better players. You can see a style of play and you can see players improving and outperforming their abilities. Better quality players would clearly bring better results and allow the system to work even better. We are the opposite of that under Gio, there is a total reliance on having better players to get results.

Utterly sick of persisting with players who contribute next to nothing and leaving potential undeveloped on the bench. I'd go with ... Colak Sakala - Tillman - Wright Sands - Davis - Arfield Yilmaz - Davies - King - Divine McGregor

Injury news: Hagi in 'final stretch' Goldson prognosis more positive (should be back for January) Yilmaz doubt for tomorrow with knock to the knee Lundstram has had scans and is fit Kamara been cleared by consultant and available for Napoli

That is a total myth IMO.

But no one knows why Rangers dropped the lawsuit .... or even why they raised it in the first place.

It's now clear that Michael Beale was the power behind the throne. Could be our manager one day.

Done...

I was thinking about Gerrard's time with us when the news broke he'd been sacked. One of things that stuck out to me when comparing our current manager with him, is that opposition players in europe in their post match pressers would always comment on how Rangers wouldn't let them breathe. Relentless, dogged etc. Compare that to the hands in pockets style of play GVB has us playing is soul destroying. Shoulda known he'd fuck up after insisting on being called the boss and not Gaffer.

I disagree about Villa. They’ve got a name and a following and a bit of money. A Brummie Souness and Smith combination would transform them. SG’s managerial record is not a good one.

SG supposedly wanted to buy Kevin Nisbet from hibz. Hibz asking price was £4m. The board wouldnt back the move. think they got that one right

Her silent partner, and primary business associate. Mr. Montana is a successful Miami/Dade venture capitalist. His business interests range pharmaceutical manufacture, and importation, real estate acquisition, home security, and arms. Mr. Montana is a native of Guantanamo, Cuba.

Did he choose or was his hand forced???.

it's a strange one to some extent. As Bill pointed out he has never lost to anyone other than Celtc in the league. He has won every domestic cup game played. He made the EL final and the CL group stages. he also has 3 defeats and a draw against Celtc no wins. Ultimately the issue is how far players have regressed under him. Performances are god awful

I’m afraid United may be on their way back. Are Liverpool? Can the Gunners sustain their bombardment? City possibly not invincible after all. Will Hotspur ‘Spurs it? Meanwhile, in the basement, a desperate struggle to see who can get into the worst three. Interesting League this.

That was soul destroying and that bad that Dundee looks the fitter team in the second half and was waiting for them scoring near the end to force extra time. I would lay most of the blame with the players for last nights lackluster performance. There is no way the manager sets the team up to play a dull boring passing game with no end product. Sure the manager lays out tactics but really what tactics do players need to beat a first division outfit? When the players step over the white line it's up to them to perform, not many did last night. They need to roll up their sleeves and leave everything on the pitch, every game, not many are even get close to acceptable. If they are not playing for the manager then i demand, as a paying fan, that they do it for me and every other fan who pays to watch and so far this season they are serving us up shite. I don't care what goes or going on behind the scenes, when it comes to match day give your fucking all.