Davie P

To be fair, we are talking about an article in the Daily Record who are speculating on MW's future. The board has not made any public comment on the manager's future and given our 'dignified silence' on all matters, it seems unlikely that this stance will change. Are we not reading too much into articles from Jackson and co, who are always are writing to their market? Their job is to sell newspapers/get clicks on websites and the more controversial, the better (from their perspective). Personally, I think it is unlikely that there will be any short term management changes. MW will be given to the end of the season and then the performance would be assessed, even if we lost to Morton in the SC. Although that would seal his fate. (IMHO). Simply put, what is the alternative? Frank de Boer is unemployed currently, but what could he do with this team now? Gary Rowett ex-Birmingham? Would follow the same model as Warburton i.e. identifying cheap youngsters with potential from the lower English leagues. Could Davie Weir step up? Nothing to suggest that he would take a radically different approach and has blotted his copy book with his inability to improve a porous defensive unit over the past 18 months. The entire team was signed by Warburton/McParland, and although they have been found wanting, they are the team until the next transfer window. If a new manager comes in now, they know that they are going to be replaced and could just down tools. Not everyone is like Lafferty who only played well in the last few matches of a season when he was looking for a new contract!

For the most part and taking the emotions out of the picture, he is not wrong. Where he is wrong though, is in his answers to the last 4 questions. This team has an excellent home record (undefeated for a year before the Celtic game) but has a very poor away record, particularly against the better teams. Difficult to argue with the facts. If the players have the mental toughness to play well in these away matches (as Warburton alleges), then the tactics are wrong and he needs to hold up his hand for that.

You're spot on there. With Hibs contesting the SCF with us, and our beating Kilmarnock and Dundee (and Pen win over Celtic), I honestly thought that there was basically no gulf between the divisions. Not blaming Warburton for assuming the same, but he does have to shoulder the blame for allowing Kiernan to continue when it was blatantly obvious that he could not even cut it against the Hibs strikers (SCF). Senderos was a panic buy, but the money spent on Garner and O'Halloran should have been used to strengthen the spine of the team. Fairly sure we could have got a half decent Scandinavian CB for R2m!

The players that Warburton brought when he first joined were good enough to play an attacking and exciting brand of football, which was sufficient to win the Scottish Championship. The reality though is that those players (most of whom are still playing this season, for various reasons) do not have the quality to play that style of football at a higher level, without being found out. Warburton is unable/unwilling to change his style of football and the defensive players cannot cope with being pressed and constantly under pressure which constantly leads to conceding goals. Recipe for disaster if we continue along the current path. Either Warburton adapts his game to suit the quality/ability of the players that we currently have, or gets better quality players (which is unlikely until such time as the finances are in better shape). Was delighted when Warburton and Weir came in, but his refusal to change formation and structure, his continued selection of certain players and his inability in the transfer windows to strengthen those glaringly obvious weaknesses, leaves a big question mark over his future.

At what stage does Warburton realise that Halliday and Kiernan are liabilities and not fit for purpose? How many mistakes can be made and overlooked? I keep thinking back to the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic and both had really good games, but have come to realise that their performance that day was the exception to the rule. They found their level in the Championship/lower English leagues and are unable to take the step up. Warburton has had two transfer windows to address the problem (which virtually every fan has identified) and we have nada. Don't know if it purely a lack of income, or the right targets being unavailable/going elsewhere, but I do find it hard to believe that we could not find better players in their position than the 2 incumbents. We all love the supporter who gets to wear the shirt, but he is not a defensive midfielder. Perhaps he needs to tried in his more traditional position (wide on the left) or viewed as a utility player from the bench, rather than discarding him entirely, but we need better in the middle of the park. I have no excuses for Kiernan who has perhaps the worst positional sense I have ever had the misfortune of seeing in a central defender. He is a ball watcher and has been caught out constantly from corners and crosses by not marking his man. Not blaming them exclusively for the defeat tonight (Hyndman and Foderingham are the only two who would get a pass mark) but the on-going inability to cut out the mistakes (and crosses) is going to cost us goals this season. Given the fact that we have missed out at the past transfer window, we are stuck with what we have. The only solution (imho) is a change of formation. We have to go to 3 at the back (would have to bring in Senderos for Kiernan [that's how bad we are]), Hill and Wilson. Clearly we didn't learn from the previous Heart's debacle and any team that presses us high will always force a mistake. Will be interesting to see how Ross County approach the game on Saturday.

I wonder if this was a quid pro quo for Toral?

I honestly cannot see the FDB possibility ever coming to fruition, but it should be remembered that Ajax are not exactly rolling in cash these days. When we started the journey, Ajax were mentioned as a club that we should be attempting to emulate i.e. worldwide and local scouting and sourcing of young talent, develop those players and sell at a substantial profit. Repeat ad infinitum. I have no doubt that he would have a vast knowledge of young talented Dutch men who would have very little difficulty in adapting to the Scottish way of life in the same way that MW has scoured the lower English leagues for potential. In my eyes, most of the young English signings have done a job and it really is only in respect of the big names (Barton) and amount of transfer fees spent on MoH and Garner, that he has been found wanting. If I was the board, those are the questions that I would want answering before dishing out more hard earned income.

He has only played 6 matches (from memory) for Grenada during his loan spell, which was the reason that Arsenal cancelled the arrangement. I think he would be physically fit, but probably not match fit.

I see Toral coming in for Holt, rather than Windass, but I do take your point re the players on loan. To me though, Holt, for all of his industry and effort, was ineffectual on the weekend, and has been for most of the season. We just have zero creativity in terms of creating goal scoring opportunities (and I include Barrie in that), and you would hope that a fit Toral would be able to supply that. I agree with BD that he did not play well against Motherwell, and my hope is that this is just match fitness that he is lacking. You would have thought that Warburton would have learned his lesson from Barton and Kranjcar being forced into the team when both were so obviously unfit.

Absolutely correct, unfortunately, the work permit issues prevents us from considering 99% of those individuals. Anyone without an EU passport (currently) would not be able to play in the UK, unless of course, you are Celtic and have signed a Japanese wonder boy (aka the next Messi), in which case, the rules do not apply.

Agreed, I was never a fan of Aird, but really thought that Walsh had shown his potential and at the very least, keep him on a for a further year to see how his loan spell developed his game. However, best wishes to both lads.

Why could C1872 not provide a soft loan in exchange for equity at the next share offering? (In exactly the same manner as King and the 3Bs.) In this way, the club gets an immediate cash injection, which could be ring-fenced for transfers. If the bears can see where their hard earned cash is going to (i.e. something tangible like the signing of a player), fairly sure that if Lionbrand was affiliated to C1872, and profits are going into the project, it would receive massive support. You just have to take a look at the Joey Garner song and uptake on Rangers Lotto, to see that once the support get behind a project, it snowballs. If there isn't enough available shares now, C1872 could offer to underwrite and take up the unsold shares.

I believe the shirt sponsorship deal with 32 Red ends this summer - perhaps freeing up the potential for a front (and rear?) shirt sponsor. Doesn't that income go to SD or RR? Hard to keep track with all of the dodgy dealings under Green's watch.

Interesting that the only bright lights in that dismal season under Ally/Kenny/Stuart were Murdoch and Walsh, both of whom have now been released. I genuinely expected Walsh to do a McKay, i.e. go out on loan and come back pushing for a first team place, but if RBR is correct and his attitude is questionable, then, disappointingly, perhaps it's for the best. However, it wasn't that long ago that McKay was having his attitude questioned while he was on loan at Morton (I think). Some players do better at big clubs where they are sheltered (and cocooned), and don't enjoy the realities of life when exposed at a smaller club. Not defending him at all, but really thought that he was a very balanced player, comfortable on either flank, and looked a real talent. Best of luck to him and the other two boys released.

John Morrow was being touted as the 'next George Best' at one stage, but just never kicked on. I didn't know if it was a serious injury or just a young lad losing his way? Speaking of the Journey, I saw that Robbie Crawford has signed for East Kilbride. If memory serves, Big Jig thought that Robbie was the best of the youngsters at that time. I never felt that he was at the standard required by Rangers, but still surprised that he hasn't found a professional league club.

What's the point of having a CEO if you are expecting a non executive Chairman to come out with all announcements? While I would dearly love to have a better idea of what is going on and more importantly, where are we going to, in terms of our finances, I can only imagine that there is nothing that can be said (for confidentiality reasons iro Ashley) or should be said until the dodgy contracts have been resolved or run-off. We cannot (presumably) have a further share offering until the legal issues have been resolved, in the absence of new investment, all that Kingco can do, is ensure that the club breaks even in the short term. We do appear to be moving in the right direction given the recent financial results, but obviously, this is not exciting enough for the Scottish Media.

I thought I had read that his contract with Arsenal expires at the end of this season?

IMO that was a large part of the problem. Wilson was basically playing left back, when he should have been on the left of the central defence. He had no real wing back in front of him. I can recall McKay dropping back a few times but essentially, Wilson was dragged out of position to fill the vacuum on the left hand side. I don't remember Windass on the left hand side of the field, particularly defensively, at all? Kiernan should never be left exposed on a one-on-one situation, as he has no concept of positional sense (or pitch geography, as MW would call it) and with players of the quality of Dembele, and more particularly Sinclair attacking him, Kiernan again looked like a fish out of water. Not sure when he is going to "learn from this" as he did exactly the same in the SCF against Hibs. I thought Hodson was tailor made for this game, particularly when Tav has been so ordinary this season. Hill was steady, but got turned a few times by Dembele and with no pace at the back we were immediately opened up. I do think that MW has been unlucky with injuries as you would have imagined that Rossiter would have provided some solidity in the centre of midfield, but overall, we just looked like conceding every time they attacked. Foderingham really saved the team's blushes on the day, while McKay showed his undoubted qualities. Everyone else was anonymous.

Thanks for this cooponthewing, but being a fully paid up member of the Pedantic Loyal, I have to point out that Kenny Miller hasn't scored 100 goals this season. Wish he had though!

Geseënde Kersfees en 'n gelukkige nuwe jaar

Costa has Hazard and Pedro running off and around him; Garner has McKay and MoH/Forrester, who seem to be stuck on the wing! The support for Garner is currently non-existent, hence the clamour for 4-4-2. I actually think that with our existing squad, the Chelsea formation of 3-4-2-1 might suit us better. Kiernan and Wilson as a pairing are a bomb scare, but when partnered with an experienced defender (Davie Weir in the case of Wilson, and Kiernan looks half decent when partnered with Hill), the 3 at the back would certainly make us more difficult to expose. You could then push Wallace and Tav into the midfield, providing the width (both are better suited to going forward than defending), with Halliday and Rossiter playing centrally. McKay would be more effective as a 10 (until Kranjcar returns, at least) and MoH could then use his pace to run onto and past Garner when the opportunity arises. Forrester and Holt can both play in the '2' as well. Wes Kiernan, Hill, Wilson Tav, Halliday, Rossiter, Wallace MoH, McKay Garner Never going to happen, I know, but until we can improve the quality of the players (either better signings who are better suited to 4-3-3 or the promotion of youngsters from the U20's who have played the system for a period of time), I think we are going to continue with our inconsistent results.

To the best of my knowledge, he is still contracted to Rangers and was only on loan to Vancouver. The MLS season has now been completed and he has returned to Glasgow. However, unless he has taken massive strides forward whilst in Canada, I cannot see him getting anywhere close to the first team squad (from a playing perspective.)

I have no problem with the Manager's footballing philosophy i.e. playing from the back. However, you do need to have a certain level of player capable of doing so. We do not have the John Stones, Claudio Bravo (moot point at the moment!), Mascherano etc. When you have a Foderingham, Kiernan, Senderos etc. then you need to consider a quicker release to by-pass the high press employed by the opposition. If that means a ball over the top every so often, for variety, then so be it. We dominate all possession stats, but I would be curious to see how much of that possession is actually in our own box, or deep in our defensive half. We just seem incapable of hurting any team and the only match in which we played well (imho), against Killie, they did not attempt to play the high press. As a result of their attempt to park the bus, we were able to have much more possession in dangerous parts of the field and could take the game to them for a change. Hopefully over time, the quality of the players being brought into the club is at a higher level and we can implement the philosophy more efficiently.

I laughed!

I understand that the purchasing of Rangers shares is the raison d'etre for Club 1872, but would it not have been better to have kept the war chest securely closed until after the AGM, when existing shareholding is likely to be diluted by any new share issuance? In that way, at least the money is going back into the club. This is not a criticism, just curious as to the strategy behind it.