SteveC

True though your comments are, this one was 'worldwide coverage' and not Scottish gutter press.

I was shocked to have to locate this thread on page 2, already. Anyway, here's Brian Glanville's view. Suffice to say he's "not a fan"... Curious coincidences. Hardly had Steven Gerrard been ecstatically if so controversially installed as the new manager of Rangers that it was reported that a well-known Liverpool criminal, who long ago had been asked by Gerrard’s father to protect him from a thug who was demanding money from him, was reported to have been killed. All those years ago when the protector was up in court and about to be sentenced, Gerrard’s father put in a word for him though in the event he need not have bothered as the man absconded, though he was later caught. Frankly, I can make scant sense of Gerrard’s new appointment, though it has unleashed euphoria among Rangers fans, who thronged to greet him when he arrived at Ibrox, promising to “topple Celtic”. This hot on the heels of Celtic’s five-nil annihilation of the current Rangers team. Gerrard, absurdly in my view, now must make the immense leap from coaching a Liverpool teenaged team to taking over at famous but struggling Rangers. I suppose I can understand why he had decided to do so whatever his manifest coaching inexperience, I can understand the excessive enthusiasm of the fans, but why the Rangers hierachy should think Gerrard, whatever his playing triumphs, should be ready to guide them to success makes not a grain of good sense. He does at least have the experienced Gary McAllister beside him, but the task he faces is immense. That some 7000 ecstatic fans should have greeted him with such applause was only the measure of their desperation. Shades of The Life of Brian. “When Rangers came it was a game changer,” says Gerrard who tells us that he turned down other offers. Perhaps the best thinking he could do would be to put his footballing boots on and become a player manager. Has Gerrards been presumptuous? I suppose it is easy to understand. In a well ordered world, Gerrard would eventually take over the top job at Liverpool, with years of managerial experience under his belt. In the interim, he might have briefly managed lesser clubs to acquire that managerial experience. Still, even if things go wrong at Ibrox, Gerrard has a four-year deal and would be amply compensated if he was obliged to leave. He says his parents brought him up to face a challenge. Well, poor old Don Quixote thought he was facing them too when he was only attacking windmills. Somehow I don’t think Celtic and their manager, let alone the team as a whole, will be trembling in their shoes. Read more at http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/brian-glanville-34-402103#K5TXugw1pyXe7i5k.99

Cheers for the latest one, folks, but how many times does Pete need to be told that the "manager" had no effing idea re the McCrorie in midfield substitution at half-time? It was claimed on the match thread the same as he claims here- then corrected - then he re-iterated it on that thread after the correction and here he is again at it. Cummings was ill and the "manager" didn't even know that Ross had ever been played in midfield and had to be talked into it. it was at least twice on the thread and explained immediately after the game by......Nicholl. How many times does he need telt? All that strong lager ye've been advertising flows in admin, methinks!

A piece from France re Vignal and Gerrard: http://sportwitness.co.uk/france-steven-gerrard-tipped-make-another-addition-rangers/

Docherty on Gerrard: http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11363244/gerrard-brings-buzz-to-rangers

It's amazing how often you hear that. The fact that it was the other way round is something that Souness never seems to get criticised for but he brought in the worst thing to happen to us in our history.

Some talk about Gerrard, here, starts at 43 minutes: https://audioboom.com/posts/6844718-the-soft-middle-and-the-flabby-bottom

Almost enough to run the club. We have a wage bill that needs to be paid, we have utility bills, non-playing staff wages, a stadium to run. We've been running at a loss for as long as any of us can remember. The money you mention isn't going to go on transfers. It'll go on keeping us afloat. On another point, people keep on going on about transfer fees but you have to factor in wages, too - it's not just the fee itself. We've a lot on our books already contracted throughout next season (and beyond).

It's the modern way, derB. Everything has to be reduced to personalities and binary choices. Cartoon style personalities at that. Most folk do not seem to have time to apprehend that both people and reality are not black and white/good or evil but a complex mixture. Instead, everything is reduced to image and diametrically opposed choice. Consequently, it has to be just King in people's eyes because more than one person is too much to think about. Actually, further than that, the contradictory impulses within that one person are too much to think about and so it isn't even King they are really referring to but just their two-dimensional view of him.

Post deleted on advice from Gonzo and previous experience....

This truly makes one despair. An article from March, that was immediately denied by Murray, is being reposted, I see.

Agreed - and yet they simply did not do so. Alas, some will still be here next season despite your perfectly sound reasoning.

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/rangers-reshuffle-resignations-women-directors-12472429

Yes, that's why I immediately responded. To be fair some of those denying it also tend to, too. how does it all stand with King's ongoing travails re offering to buy shares, though? Would that all not need to be sorted out first?

I logged in about ten minutes ago and read this and thought it was an announcement. Is it or is it just a guess or rumour? It reads like a statement of fact....

Every time King has spoken about the money for Gerrard he has talked about him and the board continuing to invest. FSG rumours may end up going the same way as the Far East rumours. I expect Monday is to deal with the rights issue and the ongoing Court problems and a final reminder to buy season tickets for the Stevie G express train. He may end by thanking the two who stepped down for their contributions and welcome a couple of mega-rich "investors" (donors would be a more accurate term, I'd have thought) but the growing expectation that he will, makes me worry that a lot of folk are going to end up massively disappointed if he doesn't. And it is probably more likely that there will be no such announcement at all.

The way they were playing in that first half, I don't think it would have mattered where they were on the pitch*. Perhaps due to illness in Cumming's case. Presumably that was his last time on the pitch for us unless he makes a speedy recovery (and is also selected ). * I seem to remember a peach of a cross along the deck from Morelos in the second half.

Well, he refuses the credit as it happened because Cummings took unwell and he had to be persuaded to put McCrorie on in midfield because he only knew of him as a defender.

Two at most, I suspect: McCrorie and, on that performance, Alnwick. However with a lot of our dressing room contracted to at least the end of next season, he may have to keep a lot of them

Bye bye to Ibrox from Bates.

FT 1-0. Suspect our only shot on target. Anyway, we win and we did hit the bar, too

Goooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaal, Bates! Straight to the physios who helped him back to celebrate. Lovely cross from Goss, and brave from Bates to score while being clogged. Fans have been desperate for a reason to sing all game and finally have it. It's gone from a morgue to absolutely bouncing.

Still, on the bright side, I'm piling through my work inbox.

Killie are utter dross, too, though Standard is appalling. It's perfectly conceivable to be "absolutely rancid" and still get 2nd spot. They are taking Boyd off. BTW - busy match thread, eh?

You'd think so.