SteveC

Hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

utterly dire. Streets ahead of our last opening half though

Lively start from us

Probably the beginning of a campaign to take us over again

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/15107561.Mark_Wotte__Restoring_Rangers__39__fortunes_is_one_of_the___39_ultimate_challenges_in_football__39_/ *** I haven't seen this elsewhere but I've not read every page so apologies if it is elsewhere. Some very good point, I thought. MARK Wotte said last night that the challenge of restoring Rangers' fortunes was "one of the ultimate challenges in football" and something that he "wouldn't walk away from". The Dutchman, currently employed as performance director for the Moroccan Football Federation, spoke with Ibrox director Paul Murray back in 2015 but hasn't been mentioned in an interview process thus far this time which has been thought to involve Southampton's Ross Wilson, Tottenham Hotspur's Paul Mitchell, Huddersfield's Stuart Webber, Alex McLeish, John Park and current Brentford head of football operations Robert Rowan. The former SFA performance director, however, feels Rangers are a "sleeping giant" and would be be open minded if the board wanted to contact him for their director of football job this time around. "To get Rangers back to European level, that is one of the ultimate challenges in football, so I wouldn't walk away from that challenge," Wotte told Herald Sport. "There is a lot of potential there, a lot of history and they play now in the Scottish Premiership but they have to make one, two or three steps to get back into Europe. I would be delighted to get my hands on a job like that but I know there are a lot of names going on and former Rangers people involved. So I am not sure they are waiting for a Mark Wotte. Maybe they have forgotten about me because I have been away now for two years. "I spoke to Paul Murray two years ago and I know Andrew Dickson very well," he added. "He is a great guy, one of the stability factors there. I know that Douglas Park is involved as well and the owner is more remotely involved. I am happy out in Morocco with a great project and a great job, but if anyone wants to contact me then I am always open minded. I think they are still a sleeping giant at the moment so it would be important to wake them up to get back into the Champions League." Wotte, formerly director of football with Feyenoord, is convinced that the club are going down the correct route as they bid to appoint a director of football to dictate the wider strategy of the club and a head coach to work under him. He said it was more important to take their time over appointing the right men, rather than rushing someone in to assist Graeme Murty ahead of the next Old Firm match at Parkhead in March. "It is now or never for Rangers," he said. "If they want to go back into Europe, they need to appoint someone who has a knowledge of European players as well. They need to think big and think European. Don't sign an inexperienced director of football because it is the most important job at the club. They have always had a good tradition of signing European players, from Michael Mols to De Boer or Lorenzo Amoruso, Scandinavian players too. They have to think in a European style, not just a Scottish style. Because they are so much bigger than Scotland. "Any new coach can't change the team any more so I think it is going to be marginal any difference if you appoint a new coach right now," said Wotte. So I would stick with Graeme Murty for now and take my time to make the right decision. This is no time to rush into the wrong appointment. "It is not about now for Rangers, it is about next season and the season after. That is the goal of Rangers - not just to win the Old Firm match which is coming in three or four weeks' time. You should just ignore the fact that you are heading towards an Old Firm game. For the fans of course it is an important game but more important for the fans is getting the club back to the highest possible level - the Champions League."

no chance of this happening in Scotland, of course - exempt from the investigation!

It was the Super Cup. the first year of it - that Cup was largely our idea. I remember the incident you are talking about as though it was yesterday. it was an astonishing piece of football against Europe's finest. He nut-megged someone that day , too. He was immense that night, the total centre-half.

Oh I agree that we have bigger problems - and not just up front. Everywhere I'd say. I do worry about Wes but I worry more about our defence, midfield and attack.

Sorry Rab. I only meant that we keep hearing about the "tsunami" that's about to hit them but nothing ever seems to happen to them. I was questioning if this so called bomb really is ticking rather than having already 'exploded' and been swept away.

Are you saying that you trust Foderingham with the ball at his feet? He gives me nightmares!

Apparently we lost the big man yesterday if Wikipedia has the date correct. Very sad news indeed. "John Roger Shankly Hynd was a Scottish professional footballer, who played as a centre half. He started his playing career at Rangers, for whom he played in the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, before moving to the Football League. Born: 2 February 1942, Falkirk Died: 18 February 2017 Position: Defender" Wikipedia

As I said at the time, I'd have let Wes go and keep Gilks. He's a safer keeper from what I saw.

Who would you want playing in the team next year from the current lot? Hyndman and maybe McKay for me (but the latter only really when we are winning and no stomach is required, though granted he gets battered a lot). That's about it and Hyndman will be gone. Wes is not a safe custodian. None of our so called defenders can defend, with the possible exception of Hodson if he got a run at his own position. I don't think we have any fit midfielders who can play (Hyndman aside) and we've no forwards worth a candle (Miller now being too old.) I see it as a total rebuild - literally a whole new team. Since we were illegally and unfairly cast into the bottom league we have wasted chance after chance, year after year to actually use the time to build something. It's terrifying, tbh. And folk on here are talking about Europe! We are shit in Scotland far less further afield.

The ticking is so quiet that one could be forgiven for calling it silent.

Today has been an unmitigated disaster re 2nd place. The fixed fixture list and the timz if not going for unbeaten will finish us off - that is if we even try for it.

Goaaaaaaaaaaaal! Garner. All on his own. No idea what they were doing but we are back in. Completely undeservedly. not even sure what we've been doing - no passing game, one long ball from Wes earlier. Suddenly though, its back on

RTV showing a McLeish game at HT. Coincidence or hint?

God almighty, it's hard work. A miserable day from waking up to the post re the Sun to this.

Fair enough, I was thinking back to he-whom-I -shall-not-name that you seemed a tad obsessed about Willing to accept I've judged you as incorrectly as our defence do every opposing attack...........

Doesn't mean he "hasn't kicked a ball". I remember some good ones, including goal assists and teaming up with Hyndman. Obviously he wasn't match fit when introduced, and I'm not saying that he's been great but I don't think it is true to say that "he hasn't kicked a ball for us". Normally I concentrate on the game but debating this is certainly less stressful than watching the match..............

I got an error message last time we were on here, in German of course. I'm yet again ruing the payment to RTV...............

I don't think that's true. I do think that your proclaimed dislike of loanees means that you have difficult in judging them objectively. No disrespect intended, it'd just be natural from what you've written for this to be the case and it certainly seemed to be in the past. As for today - I had to go out for a couple of minutes and I see that the score has changed :-(

Nice of them to play our song

Not sure why you are replying to my post with this. I don't get the connection, I was replying to the "independence" remark. Also see my post #6