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It would be amazing if he could bring to Rangers the success Everton have enjoyed over the last two decades.

You need to sort out your priorities.

A snippet of an Athletic article from February: A director of football does far more than just manage transfers, even if some fans still mistake them for heads of recruitment. Thelwell oversees the medical and sports science departments, the academy and women’s teams and data/analytics. Three years in, his fingerprints are evident across all of them. Jack Nayler, formerly of Chelsea and Real Madrid, was appointed head of sports science in September 2022. Gareth Prosser, Thelwell’s former colleague at Wolverhampton Wanderers, became academy director and Carl Darlington, previously of the Welsh FA, joined as head of coaching. Former player James Vaughan initially returned in the new role of loan pathways manager and now also heads up academy recruitment. There have been promotions for the highly-rated Dan Purdy, now head of recruitment, Charlie Reeves (head of insights) and Matty Hawkes (head of first-team analysis). Data has been moved to the start of the recruitment process, while Reeves produces game reports to be presented to managers and coaching staff. Under Thelwell and Vaughan, Everton’s loan strategy has been revamped, with the focus shifting from winning youth matches to player development. Loans are used for different purposes — to give players the necessary exposure to secure a deal elsewhere and help Everton recoup some money, or to help a potential future first-team player like Harrison Armstrong, who moved to Derby County last week, take the final leap into the senior set-up. Deals contain penalty clauses if a certain threshold of games is not reached. Everton sold Tom Cannon and Ellis Simms for a combined £15m in the summer of 2023 after successful loans in the Championship. Also factoring in the departures of Ishe Samuels-Smith to Chelsea and Gordon to Newcastle, they have made around £70m from academy graduates in Thelwell’s time at the club. They would not have wanted to lose all of those players, but PSR and the financial situation dictated that they had to make difficult decisions. After consultation with staff across all levels, Thelwell, Prosser and Darlington have produced a ‘game model’ to be implemented by every Everton side, with the aim of improving the pathway to the first team. There is a feeling strides have been taken, but an acceptance stocks will need to be replenished at academy level too if Everton are to compete again. It is a familiar picture across the board. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6134154/2025/02/14/kevin-thelwell-everton-future-transfers/

I notice Mr Thelwell has a little Rangers connection with Billy Davies who got him into football the same Davies who was big Sam’s Assistant. 😅 yes it’s on the cards. 😂😅

Imagine if his surname was Hogarth!! We might consider this engraving: It is, of course, his 'Satire on False Perspective', and we might feel that this is appropriate, in the present circumstances (without naming names)..........

First task for new owners: Tell Mr Thelwell that there are NO consolation prizes in Scottish Fitba'...!!!

... alas, Rangers are not swimming in the shark-pool of the EPL, with 19 out of 20 teams able to compete with you for any scrap of player-meat available. And 10+ teams having better players than you can even hope for. We need a solid shift of players capable of beating rabble most of the time, and the Scum 3 to 4 times per season. Mind you, Ange and his fellow East End gang leaders grabbed 3 or 4 Japanese guys that were laughed at this side of the Clyde, but who beat the living shyte out of the rest in Scotland week in and week out. I'd be happy if we find a guy who knows how to attract and get similar players (no matter their origin) for us.

Rangers Rumours mentioned him last week so I did a little reading about him. He was well thought off at Wolves initially and he is very well thought off at Everton both within the club and the fan-base. Source - Everton's official Reddit feed. IIRC he's "spent" £140M in transfer and recuperated over £225M. There is also a couple of good articles about him in The Athletic. Overall, seems he'd be a positive appointment.

Looks like a Temu Frank Lampard

Regardless of who comes and goes we can all rely on Keith Jackson to be there to lead us around by the nose.

Syphilis is more appealing than Dyche.

I'm optimistic, guess I'm a lunatic 😂

Its the smart move, however ruthless it seems. Farke probably wont mind, will get a nice promotion bonus, nice payoff and walk into another job with his stock still high.

Who isn't? Only a complete lunatic could be optimistic given the past few years.

As with players, and not the least business people I have no clue of, I'm going to give them a bit of time to prove themselves. It simply doesn't matter what a player did elsewhere, or how a DoF performed*. What matters is how they perform for us in our environment. * I grew up with Rangers in the days of Wallace, Souness, and Smith. Men who didn't need 5 to 15 men behind them to assemble, coach, and select a team.

I think the reason he's leaving Everton is that (a) the new owners are looking to implement more of a committee structure - a la Liverpool under FSG (outwith Klopp gaining more power latterly) - and (b) his contract is ending. I don't think there's much more too it. Of course, who am I to stand in the way of the doom-mongerers...

The Granary at Shawlands X, although I haven't been there to watch football for a while. Across the road: The Linen used to show matches (the owner/manager was a Rangers' man). Across the road: The Georgic (a watering hole of the late Baxter, J.), may show games. It certainly shows racing. Along the road: I think the James Tassie, on Kilmarnock Road, shows games, if memory serves. There's a slophouse on Pollokshaws Road, across from Queen's Park which you should avoid (Sweeney's on the Park; the clue is in the name). I hope this is of some help.

The lowest form of wit, what can I say. I know nothing of this person. Everton strike me as a basket case of a club massively underperforming and really badly run. Now, perhaps our new man performed heroic work under really difficult circumstances or he was a large part of the problem. I don't know which. Seems surprising he's leaving just as some stability and investment arrive.

I am quite sure Madrid were just trying to scare the spanish FA, but they were reported to have been attempting a move to serie a. If that happened would it set a president of some sort 🤔

Thelwell has a nose for a player. Mark my words.

Well let’s hope with this new ownership / franchise knows how too work out maths properly and knows about buying and selling players at the right time whilst also developing our youth system and buying young players who are going give us a profit and not losses when the time comes to make us profit. They have the loyal fan base so that side of things will never dip in value let’s just keep our out goings low while maximising the income for the club by making Shrewd decisions both on and off the pitch, we get rid of the rotten apples and not just feel grateful for the odd few million pounds hear and there I want us to get back to the glory years of a successfully run football club we all know has been missing for many years now! Plus on the upside of things I want one of those bear hats you can add water/ juice( Irn-Bru ) at half time as the emptying the water into those cups is ridiculous, plus time you gulp all the liquid in the paper cups as for fear of the arse falling away your away to the 🚾 missing ten minutes of the second half.

And Duncan Ferguson.

Very good news. Certainly a good appointment on paper.

Should take anyone's dual ownership fears or whatever is happening at Leeds right off the table. There in black and white, it is not the 49ers taking over us, it's a consortium which they are part of.

Now we have something meaningful. Positive marker !!

Decent Club the Lilywhites. Their Juveniles were called Clach Rangers. They had a giant wing half named Jim Baxter. Signed for the Famous Rangers in 1939 but his career was interrupted by Herr Hitler and he returned to Clach at the end of hostilities to captain a stunningly successful side. Commenting on his Ibrox spell he said: “Rangers at the time along with Arsenal were looked upon as the two greatest clubs in the world of football.” Inverness’ finest. (A low bar my old mother would have said)

Casting for Trainspotting III

The old stand under construction 1928

Now, now John.... It just won't do to be sceptical now that we are on the cusp of getting all the appointments and player trading right and reaching the promised land en breve. As some of the posters on here inform us, it is wonderfully straightforward. Just get stuff right and everything will fit into place. The Alchemist is coming.....

I would be very surprised if there is any real new manager news until either the takeover is completed and/or the Sporting Director is hired. The Sporting Director will likely have the main say in the new man and he's not even in the door yet, so for me anyway, all the manager stuff like Gerrard and Mourinho is pure guess work with no underlying facts

Its a fair criticism, but it also reminds me of a fat Australian manager who did ok up here.

To be fair, it wasn't aimed at you. It was aimed at @Yorkie Bear

I'm surprised, but then again, not. He doesn't have a good record in the PL. He's better when his teams can dominate. I wouldn't mind Rangers having a look if he is sacked - I actually had him on my list before he was appointed Leeds manager.

The yanks demand success it looks like the current Leeds manager is in the sack despite winning promotion I think we’ll need to put plenty of WD forty on the hinges of the Ibrox doors as it might resemble a transit station for a period of time until they get it the way they want it

As usual you've got me thinking John.

The big difference is that we're part of the same country (UK) whereas France isn't. I reckon that the main reason that it wouldn't be allowed is that it would raise the question of whether there should be 4 separate UK teams which both the FA and SFA wouldn't entertain.

I wonder if we are in a position to plunder the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Bayern, PSG, Barcelona or Real for their sporting directors?

Sarcasm?

94th minute for City, that doesnt get much more frustrating. Whats even happening with their 115? Its a good result for Forest though.

Yeah, read similar. Believe they need to win the EL and finish top 4 in league.

I applaud your optimism. Enjoy is not the term I would use. I'm more a view with trepidation sort of person.

I believe the small print in the Gersnet membership application states that before anyone comments of the appearance of anyone, they must first post a picture of themselves so that we can all compare and contrast.

As a matter of fact, I am led to believe that there is nothing in the English FA rules to stop us buying a small English league club, moving it to Ibrox and changing its name to Rangers FC and therefore being eligible to play in their league. You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one.

Naw. Jist naw.

It's a fascinating puzzle, isn't it? This question of "why?" hangs heavy in the air, especially given our history. You've laid out the landscape of potential motivations brilliantly, and I agree, the romantic notion of pure supporter ownership feels like a distant memory for most clubs at our level now. Your analysis of the three remaining possibilities – prestige (inflated ego), profit, or a hybrid – feels spot on. I also lean towards dismissing the "prestige" angle in this specific instance. As you say, these aren't individuals typically associated with that kind of image-building through sports ownership. That leaves the financial motivations, and your breakdown of those avenues is insightful. The Champion's League dream is certainly the one that ignites the fanbase, and you're right to question the level of investment required to make that a consistent reality. Gerrard's spending, while ultimately delivering the league title, didn't guarantee that golden ticket of Champions League qualification. The financial outlay for sustained success at that level is immense and carries significant risk. Your point about player development and sales being a more "attractive" option from a purely business perspective resonates strongly. The Strasbourg/Chelsea model you highlighted offers a stark illustration of how a multi-club ownership structure can prioritize the needs and financial well-being of the flagship club. The potential for Leeds' growth in the Premier League dwarfs the immediate financial rewards of even a successful Europa League campaign for us, making that pathway seem like the more logical focus for a purely profit-driven entity. And your final point about reducing overheads is a sobering but realistic possibility. Maintaining a competitive edge domestically to ensure European football while streamlining costs could be a sustainable, albeit less glamorous, strategy. It wouldn't necessarily bring the trophies and European nights fans crave, but it could be a pragmatic approach for owners focused on long-term stability and modest returns. Ultimately, without any direct communication from the potential owners, we're left to speculate and piece together the clues. Your analysis of the financial realities of Scottish football and the potential synergies (or lack thereof) with their existing club in England provides a compelling framework for understanding their possible intentions. It certainly gives food for thought beyond the initial excitement of a potential takeover. Let’s see what our future brings and may it happen soon as it can’t be any worse than it already is.

Hamilton relegated from the Scottish Championship to League One.