buster.

Century up 🙂

The goals have dried up

We were scoring 2 or more most games

Last three 0,0,1

13 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

I did change it back and forth after the teams came out.

 

It should be 2-1, though. 

Doing the right thing..... well done 👍🏼

3 hours ago, Rousseau said:

FGS Sakala

I saw Rangers 2-1 Aberdeen in your edit but now it has mysteriouslu changed back to 1-0. 

Rangers 1 Aberdeen 0

Tav

8 hours ago, Bill said:

The more I reflect on this season, the less importance I attach to specific players or managers and the more apparent it seems that we simply still have a way to travel on our journey back to recovery.

 

The current playing squad is really just another iteration of the progression of players engaged by the club since the darkest days of 2012. It's still basically the squad that Gerrard assembled - some of the names have changed of course but not the calibre of player and many of them are played out, at the end of their shelf life and hence the wall we've hit in terms of progress.

 

The question for me is whether or not the club now has the means to move up another level, whether in terms of transfer resources or squad management and coaching, or both of course - and how big a step up we can realistically expect. I see no possibility of a better future without at least changing a great many players, at least some of which need to be at a whole new level of ability. It seems unlikely we can we do everything in one summer.

 

The team management has been a very rocky ride these last 12 years. Almost without exception we've mirrored the playing staff by engaging managers with little of no experience and been quick to release them as we moved up the recovery ladder - and that's still where we find ourselves today. Is Beale a genuine step up from Gerrard and GvB? How far can he take us?

 

The greatest surprises have been winning 55 and Seville. I still don't really understand how we did that but in any case, as we've seen only too clearly, they were only aberrations on an otherwise more gradual upslope of recovering football and financial performances.

 

I think what I take from this season is that we are still a distance (a few seasons?) away from where we would like to be - winning trophies with regularity and dominating OF results. With so many players out of contract, we have a real opportunity to take another step this summer but I wouldn't go expecting to move from here to the promised land in one leap.

The root problem is financial and the contrast with our only rival.

From there we attempt to squeeze value out of transfer/wage spend on outside bets. We have become like a mug punter who keeps on repeating the same mistake.

Managers come and go, taking on what are unreasonable expectations within the imposed time constraints. We want instant success, fine but to expect it, is for the deluded. We don't need a manager who talks the talk....we need to start being realistic and giving a manager some breathing space to build properly.

I can't see us improving hugely in the short term. We don't have the finances to bring in real quality that possess a body capable of playing more than 3 games in succession.

If we continue in the same vein, it'll be Groundhog Day again and again.

44 minutes ago, Uilleam said:

The coaches have to take some large degree of responsibiltiy for our lads' attitudes on the field: they are supposed to get guys 'up' for it. 

 

As for the fhilth, well, if the fat okker departs, I feel that they might struggle to find someone to slot in seamlessly, and continue the style of play, that style for which the players have been selected. 

A change of manager for them offers more potential for an upturn in fortune for us (domestic trophies), than if we keep changing our manager, IMO.

9 hours ago, Uilleam said:

They are faster physically, faster mentally, stronger mentally, display better support play, are better organised, generally make better decisions, can make and take chances, and no-one seems to be in the huff, or dodging the column. All of which means that they are more effective as a team, and that, I would submit, indicates that they are better coached. 

 

They are far from unbeatable, I hasten to add. 

 

They also have a better squad with players who wanted it more yesterday.

Our best chance of overhauling them in the coming years is that they appoint Neil Lennon as manager again.

Rangers 1 Celtic 2

Tav

Aberdeen 2 Rangers 3

Morlelos

European Final, CL group stage and difficult to repeat numbers for outgoing transfers (eg. Bassey, Patterson & Aribo) and we still need cash injections !!

(Desperately) looking to maximize match day revenue.

We don't generate enough money to live at the level we are or more accurately,were accustomed to.

One day we might consider looking at the harsh face of reality.

Rangers 3 St.Mirren 0

Morelos

32 minutes ago, Uilleam said:

I am not fully enamoured of Colak. He is a player who 'gets on the end of things' - as long as these things are provided.

He is, to cut to the chase, a goal-hanger. 

 

Morelos offers more.  

 

I await a cascade of criticism. 

Morelos offers more when he is in condition and can be bothered.

Time to forget about him. Although if he is good enough to be bothered, yes, currently he should be in front of Colak come team selection.

2-2

Tillman

1 hour ago, Bluedell said:

The dream was to be owned by Rangers fans who only wanted what's best for the club and who were willing to stick millions in. We've got that and many are still not happy. 

 

If there were other bears willing to invest, do people not think they'd have come forward during the last 15 years? 

 

Park has been referred to as a clown and a tyrant 🤦‍♂️

 

I despair. If many fans carry on as they are they will get the chance that they're calling for and they won't like it!

1 hour ago, Gonzo79 said:

The way some folk are carrying on, what rich Rangers man would want to get involved.

 

Running the club will have its benefits but must also be a constant source of frustration - a 'no win' situation in a lot of ways.  

There is little that is attractive or enticing for an intelligent and rational person in being at the sharp end in either the club's boardroom or for that matter, in large fans representative groups.

The level of pressure comes from what have become almost impossible remits. 

Rangers men have come forward with loads of their cash but they might as well be throwing it into a fire. Eventually, they move on and there isn't a long queue to follow.

Investors have come and gone with their financial hopes/visions and/or wishes for fame and the only ones to make money that I can remember were the crooked bastards who were around between 2011 and 2015, hollowing us out.

Generally, we don't employ our brains (some plainly haven't got one) around these issues.

The way we are going, there will be more crooked bastards paying attention to events at Ibrox and be in no doubt, that the bulk of our support would fall hook, line and sinker for it AGAIN.

Even some Rangers men in Polis Alba managed to completely fcuk up investigations and send the spivs another even larger payday.

The current board are more or less as good as it gets for Rangers playing in Scottish football. 

Scottish football is going to get less and less relevant. 

The only thing that I can see changing the general direction is a favourable restructuring of Domestic/European football. 

9 hours ago, CammyF said:

Found this from an interview John Bennet gave FourFourTwo magazine in 2021 - it appears he is just a football fan looking to invest and chose us. 

 

“John Halstead is based in the USA and is a very interested follower of European football. Frankly, he had his choice of which club he could invest in. He chose Rangers for a reason – he sees the heritage, the history and also sees the future.

The only reason I can think of is that he thinks that there is a reasonable to good chance of us growing on the back of major restructuring regards European football. On the current trajectory, we aren't going to offer a return.

I take it that the numbers in the OP are pounds sterling. 

If so, a heavy cash requirement given the upturn in financial results.

Makes you wonder where we would be if we hadn't signed Bassey and reached a European final.

More pertinent, is where we will be if we have a couple of poor years.

Rangers 3 Dundee Utd. 0

Colak

On 24/03/2023 at 11:56, Bluedell said:

Bain was never a CEO under Murray. He was acting purely as an MD, acting under Murray's instructions.

 

However, near the end when Murray had been neutered and Bain was running things along with the likes of Alastair Johnston, he did OK and the financial situation was being brought under control and the net debt had reduced to £27m.

For that reason, I called it a combination.

Walter Smith and Donald Muir had a fair bit to do with the relative upturn in numbers towards the end of Sir Duped's time. For very different reasons.

19 hours ago, Bill said:

Alas you're right, a fully empowered CEO is more likely to emerge when you have a board dominated by one powerful shareholder. I think what we might have is a board where no one has secure control and everyone feels they need to keep a hand on the reins.  I always thought Lawwell was Desmond's chosen surrogate rather that a normal board appointee, which is OK as long as he's competent but a disaster if he's not. I thought it was revealing that Lawwell's replacement didn't last 5 minutes.

Aye, the Sir Duped / Martin Bain combination turned out disasterous.

Towards the end, Lawwell entered into the disaster zone with the Hampden Showers appointment of The ticking time bomb, Lennon. By that time, he was past his sell by date.

On 21/03/2023 at 08:38, gaspard said:

To accurately appraise Wilsons performance I think we would need to be fully aware of his operational parameters, budget and crucially, how much weight, others, including managers and directors have within his remit.

More complex and nuanced than just one man buying and selling players.

 

One good window,  couple of wins against SEFC and Wilson would be a genius, tis ever so.

 

In regards to Robertson, I'd assume he's a first rate administrator and office manager. 

Too many supporters think he is a CEO though, a blue Peter Liewell and judge him thus. His "Walter the softy" persona, unfortunately, only exacerbates the frustration associated with this misconception. 

 

The real issue for me regarding the MD is not the man but the role. Sack Robertson? Then what? Appoint another administrator who may or may not be better the incumbent?  Pretty much futile and damaging IMO.

I have always said we need a strong CEO, to lighten the burden on our directors who all have other businesses very demanding of their time and resources. 

The right man would be costly, he would need to be strong, ruthless and tactically astute. A strong character who our enemies fear.

 

Not ten a penny granted, but they do exist. 

 

 

 

I think you are spot-on regards structure/ CEO.

It looks like a board who don't want to relinquish or delegate much power (they have money invested and perhaps want to keep a close eye on things). You add the role of PR spokesman that seems to be currently lacking or in the past have seen repeated failures.

It could be a board who don't want to spend the necessary money because there isn't much of it around.

Or likely, a combination.

Lawwell basically took over the day to day of Celtic (one man, Dermott Desmond giving go ahead).

Their board taking their lead from DD. 

I have previously talked about the lack of a strong, competent CEO and consistent, strong communications.

Another reason why they are way in front of us at most levels.

Motherwell 1 Rangers 3

Colak

8 hours ago, Rousseau said:

Wilson needs to be more ruthless in moving players on for decent money, even if some fans are up in arms. 

Players that have performed at a very high level for us seldom manage to maintain it for very long.  

That is when there will be interest and decent money on offer, eg. Bassey. 

Thinking that the player will maintain the high performance levels is optimistic and not the way a successful player trading model will work.