buster.

6 hours ago, ranger_syntax said:

His goals in Europe have been great.

 

It's a shame that he didn't pick a better time to move on.

One of few post WWII players to score more than 115 goals for the club yet it could have been so much better.

The club reportedly turned down bids. At the AGM, Ross Wilson said there had only been 1 bid for him. Can't blame him for that.

About time, a very occasionally excellent player who doesn't give one iota of respect to the club and it's support.

Better off gone. 

Getting a lesser player who actually gives a fcuk and commitment will be an improvement.

Rangers 3 Raith 0

Colak

Hibs 1 Rangers 2

Colak

21 hours ago, Bluedell said:

I'd be more impressed with the article if it was written before the cup final. It's easy to have a go when the club is down and some fans are having a hysterical reaction.

Some have been saying the same thing for a while.

An objective analysis in the cold light of day (before or after) doesn't look good.

13 hours ago, compo said:

It’s all about money or in our case lack of it if our coffers were full and bulging Beale would never have got near the job until the financial bind is addressed then we had better prepare ourselves for the long haul .

Mon the gers.  

Generally, expectation levels are way beyond the finances.

The club, the manager, the support can pretend they aren't but what happens is a continual series of harsh reminders that create situations like post League Cup Final and managers defending themselves by telling it how it is.

Do we accept how it is (and look to improve) or live in a pretend world ?

On 04/03/2023 at 23:05, ranger_syntax said:

You say 'way behind' but how far behind are we really?

 

Can you post the numbers that you are referring to?

Go have a look at the accounts since the start of this century.

They are well run.

We have made strides but still can't get anywhere close. Just as you think we are close, another issue crops up and we fall down a snake (and ladders).

Over the last few decades, we are a club that has developed the bad habit of not being able to operate within our own means. They have.

That is the base of the problem.

Our day to day management (to placate the support) isn't coherent, it is all over the place.

Our finances are improving but as always, it comes down to the comparison with Celtic, rather than looking at the numbers by themselves.

They had a dominant figure in charge for most of this century (Lawwell), he imposed his will (often to the dislike of their support) but he relentlessly pushed a culture that prioritised the bottom line and they put in place a steady and sound business model that works and is way ahead of where we are.

Stick your head in the sand by all means but that is where Scottish football currently is.

Rangers 2 Kilmarnock 0

Colak

The doubling down culture on pish, wind and lies is well and truly established throughout society.

5 hours ago, Bill said:

 

I have been going on about poor squad management for about a year (since we knew Souttar was coming on a Bosman).

The underlying elephant in the room is Financial.

Thing is, we haven't done too badly. The tendency is numbers that are improving but what it always comes down to is the comparison with accross the city......and we are way behind.

I look at Aberdeen and a support that seems to expect the latest new manager to deliver trophies and attractive football (not happenibng anytime soon). If we think we are about to get back on top of Scottish football then it is a similar relative level of delusion. Reality in the forseeable is something akin to the early to mid 1980's.

1 hour ago, Rousseau said:

It didn't take long for the praise for MB's 'refreshingly honest' pressed conferences to flip to 'he has to be more guarded', 'he's too needy', 'wants to be liked', etc.

 

It only took one defeat. 

Said the same ages ago.

Fine when you are winning but......

Engaging with Chris Sutton was another mistake.

Someone needs to give him some communications advice. Beale has a difficult enough job and shouldn't be making it more complicated.

Can't say I am chomping at the bit to watch this game. I think some of the players feel the same way about playing in it.

6 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

He needs to be a bit more guarded, in my opinion.  

Nothing new but when you get beat is the time when it all gets picked apart.

A Beale presser takes more than double the time Gerrard would do.

No holding court, say the necessary and go.

30 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

I think covid and the subsequent financial losses due to it led to this. Gerrards talk at the time was that of someone who expected financial backing.

I am reluctant to criticize the board for this but hindsight suggests that another financial push at that stage may have been the right thing to do. I get the fact there are many good counter arguments and we converse in hindsight.

Too much money wasted is also a big factor.

The club had worked so hard to get in front again and we gave it up too easily.

7 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Can’t help feeling however we’ve been handicapped by bad transfer windows in 2022. And that wasn’t just the fault of the then manager (GvB)

We got to the place we wanted to reach (55) and didn't build on it.

The apparent reason being that we didn't have sufficient money to give Gerrard what he was looking for prior to the CL qualifiers. We have went far too many transfer windows without them making a positive difference and far too many signings that have been outside bets (injury history, other problem, etc) that we have had little return from.

Was the board acting responsibly, not to throw more money at Gerrard that the club didn't have ? ....yes

In hindsight was it the right decision ? ....and would it have actually been the relatively cheaper option compared to the current situation that confronts us ? 

The board have the right strategy but in the context of trying to keep up with the neighbours (which is what it comes down to) we make too many bad decisions in that rush. Mostly at a football level, many down to limited finance. If squad management is poor, you are going nowhere.

7 hours ago, Bill said:

Yup, we remain in their shadow and the evidence shows we're effectively as far behind them as we were when Gerrard arrived. Albeit our perilous financial history cannot be corrected overnight, when so little progress is achieved over what's now a 5 year period, I'm afraid it suggests a leadership deficit at the highest level within the club. 

 

Everyone realises the risks involved but it's hard to see things improving significantly without a change of ownership bringing major new investment and a whole different level of ambition.

We are a club that is wired to only function when running at a consistently significant loss and have been for decades.

Post 2015, there was an understandable strategy of structured and funded losses but for various reasons (and there seems to bes always something that comes up) we still can't quite get to the place we need to be. 

We approach another significant squad overhaul with relatively little in the way of money to spend and few players that can realise significant incoming fees. More loans/losses ?

The silver bullet of the player trading model giving constant returns is still a way off, despite a healthy return during 2022.

You contrast this with the other side of the city (night and day difference) and that is why any new manager coming in with all the hope and anticipation around it will be getting a knife to take to a gun fight.

Short to medium term, there is little porospect of significant change IMO.

On 25/02/2023 at 23:42, forlanssister said:

Jesus wept.

 

This shambles is beyond parody now, there's more life in Monty Python's Norwegian Blue.

19 hours ago, Bill said:

The shitshow is turning into a comedy routine.

 

A comedy that doesn't even get a laugh. It is sad and pathetic but still a large shareholder in the club.

They have a nerve to complain of the board on behalf of their members when DK has been pulling their strings.

16 minutes ago, CammyF said:

And the last line, eg Finances dictate the quality of players, squad management and recruitment

 

#espanyolification

4 hours ago, Bill said:

That's been a trademark of GvB and Gerrard before him. 

Players

Squad Mgmt 

Recruitment

FINANCES, FINANCES, FINANCES 

In the above, we are currently trailing well behind our immediate competitors and any manager is going to struggle.

We could do with them fcuking up their next managerial appointment.

Rangers 2 Celtic 2

Tav

7 hours ago, Bill said:

I suppose it all depends on where we want the bar to be set. How special do we want a HoF to be?

 

I've no idea how they actually decide who's in the HoF. Is it reserved only for the best of the best or is it something awarded to everyone who made a decent contribution. Personally I'd prefer the former but since some are already there who wouldn't meet my criteria, the game's already a bogey as far as I'm concerned. 

That is pretty much it,....the bumping of gums ain't changing it now.

10 hours ago, Bill said:

That makes good sense to me although I could be persuaded to make it ten per decade

Ten (a decade) was the number that I first thought of but I think one every season to be too much and would dilute the quality.

I don't know if they still hold to it but Blackpool have/had a limit of 5 players per decade.

I know because my uncle managed to get in as one of the five beside Mathews and Mortensen in the 50's. Pardon the excuse to shout about my uncle.

Five a decade gives it real value. All it is now is an excuse for more events, ker-ching.

Livingston 1-2 Rangers

Morelos

20 hours ago, ian1964 said:

 

Basic mistake.

Should have ignored him.

However, if the manager can keep winning games of football this month, who cares