buster.

Approximately a month away from the League Cup Final, we could do with a convincing performance to go along with the inevitable win.

13 hours ago, buster. said:

Raising funds to front load investment for freshening up squad for a new manager over this and summer window ??

 

#GiveHimaChance

 

 

Equally, it could simply be to cover the customary cash flow issues that arise at this stage of a season and are exacerbated by having no post Xmas European football.

The thread has touched on financial challenges. Elsewhere, some have mentioned that the league is already gone.

Whilst in an ideal world, we just pay the extra money and get the players in now (along with salaries) so the manager can settle them into team/squad asp.... surely given the  world is far from ideal, the option of a Bosman, leaving more money to play with during the summer should be seriously considered.

Raising funds to front load investment for freshening up squad for a new manager over this and summer window ??

#GiveHimaChance

6 hours ago, Bill said:

Personally, given that choice, I agree with you. However it comes with a price ... that we may well remain an Espanyol of Glasgow.

What that would do is make it much easier for the next billionaire from Motherwell to win over most of the support with empty promises.

As you aluded to, we are lucky to have the likes of Park and Bennet and we should remember what we were saying about priorities a few years ago. It is a difficult place / situation for the board to be in and the efforts to grow the business and revenue are as comprehensive as they have ever been. That comes with or produces a feeling that a support is being squeezed until the pips shoot out, but that is where things are. Looking ahead, I don't see that as sustainable as the general economic situation shrinks. That said, it will be a problem for all teams.  

It is all a bit of a squeeze. Our squad mgmt. is very much that, trying to squeeze value out of quality players who we can recruit because they are damaged in some way. 

I said it in the summer.

Honesty and Communication are required.

9 minutes ago, Bill said:

I doubt these shareholders will take us to the promised land of domestic dominance and financial security but they probably will keep our head above water. 

 

The major investment required to go beyond survival will mean new shareholders and all the risk that comes with them. I imagine the current owners are busy trying to find our saviours and their exit route. Whatever happens I think the current board have done a very good and desperately needed job, albeit with some frustration for an impatient support.

I doubt new generous shareholders with very deep pockets exist, where the risks do not outweigh any short term headlines or promises.

They have had many opportunities in the past decade to come forth.

3 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

That’s always going to be the case for us in this backwater of a league.

Our finances have been improving but the real issue is that we are way behind the other side of the city.

In a 2 horse race, that is a difficult hurdle to get over year on year.

We will depend on excellent recruitment, excellent academy progression, ongoing functiong player trading model and excellent managerial appointments.

Or hope they re-appoint Lennon

3 hours ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

Yes due to board support during covid. This has passed and we should be fine moving forward.

Especially as we have sold 45 millions worth of players and managers since then.

 

Happy to be corrected if that’s wrong.

Moving forward, we had better find some players to flog for decent money or we will continue to record losses.

7 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

we had 2 choices once he was staying. Extend his contract and pay a million to Brighton. Let it expire and re sign him. 

 

we did that and he got a pay rise and we were no worse off. 

 

 

Thanks GS

So a clause of the original contract had an add-on that if extended had us due Brighton 1M pounds and effectively, by letting contract run down, we paid the money to the player instead of his former club.

Where did info come from?

17 hours ago, craig said:

Yeah, I thought that might be what you were getting at mate.  That being the case it is actually really sensible (IMO) to do it this way - the players can, in essence, get an extra 10k per week if they let their contract run out, save the club 2 mill in sell on fees, and sign a 4 yr deal.

 

Makes sense to me.  The obvious issue is that there are no guarantees they will sign on

21 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

It's what we did with Goldson. 

 

we had to pay a million quid if we extended his contract. Essentially we split it with him and retained the player. 

Am I understanding the above properly ?

We paid CG a large sum of money that comes from splitting monies that don't currently exist and it is questionable if they ever will.

Hopefully you can correct me.

As a kid, every Wednesday, I would nip down to Haymarket station to buy the Rangers News. Only place in Edinburgh that I knew that sold it at the time (perhaps Waverly as well). Anyway, a lot was made of dress standards (still is / RTV / recent Dubai Suits) and the lack of facial hair on players.

I lapped it up and joined in, marching South to join the Marines.

In retrospect, those standards would have been better employed in other areas of professionalism within the playing staff. Our European record is where it really tended to show up. We had ability but too often it was the stronger, bigger and faster line that would come to mind over another Autumnal elimination.

Perhaps if Ferguson had taken over from Jock Wallace, it may have been different......majorly off topic now !

It is what is in Todd's heid that is important, not what is on top of it.

45 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

Hibs have agreed, or are seriously considering, a £2.3m bid from Millwall for Kevin Nisbet. 

 

I feel like that bid from us wouldn't get accepted.  

It is quite normal that a team would prefer to sell to another team outwith the league in which they operate themselves.

Put the violin away.

1 hour ago, JohnMc said:

Morelos to Inter isn't as ridiculous as it first sounds. Italian club football isn't at the standard it once was, you could argue it's only the fifth strongest league in Europe now. Plus in recent years Scottish players have done relatively well in Serie A. Aaron Hickey and Liam Henderson both settled quickly and did well there, now Josh Doig and Lewis Ferguson have continued that trend. A fit, focussed Morelos would do well in that league and for a relatively small outlay he must be on a few Italian sides radar. 

Agreed, 

Fit and Focused....... what percentage of the time have we we had Morelos fit and focused or can actually be bothered ? He has shown over a long period of time to be a poor and selfish professional with positive bursts.

An Italian side, maybe but not at the level of Inter Milan unless they have major financial issues and are  majorly downsizing. More likely a Verona or Bologna, who seem to have been watching the SPFL.

11 minutes ago, lenny3k said:

Rumours on Twitter today we are potentially trying to punt Morelos to Inter Milan

Might be true, up until Inter receive the communication and fall about laughing.

Maybe it was Inter Bratislava

35 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

I am saying if we let their contract expire then resign them there is no sell on fee. If we extend current contract then it remains. 

 

gives you the scope perhaps to give them a better deal. 

 

 

What makes you think Morelos is worth a new deal ?

How many times does he need to show what he is for it to register that we would be better rid of him ?

We need players we can depend on

5 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

He suits his hair.  More to the point, speaks well.  

Being straightforward and honest helps in a dressing room.

The better you are at football helps a lot more though.

12 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

Not buying Tillman isn't on the agenda for me.  

You can only do so much with your budget.

Tillman has shown up well but lets see if he can improve on it in the next few months. We could do with seeing him making the difference in an Old Firm match.

According to the manager, he sees the the players he is bringing in as first team starters.

He also says he wants two players challenging for every jersey.

We will soon see how Tillman and Cantwell fit in.

If Lowry gets more opportunities and does stuff to merit more.

A little later, how Hagi fits in. 

Only time will tell (unless minds are already made up)

13 hours ago, Scott7 said:

Aye. Don’t confuse might with fame. Rangers are still famous but their might is considerably reduced. Can’t compete with Southampton in money terms. Southampton! Good God. I expect @compo is thinking of a time when the Arsenal at their mightiest could just about compete with Rangers.

Football and neo-liberal economics

The balance between Business and Sport

The balance between the Haves and Have Nots

- Changes in distribution of wealth (and therefore power)

- Money flows more easily upwards to the top

- Everything becomes about growing and squeezing more money out of X

In Scotland, Aberdeen and Dundee Utd won the title in the 80's (Hearts were very close) and reached European finals before or at the time of the change that saw home teams keep gate money (League games), rather than share it. Now much more of the cake goes to the big two teams and the rest haven't a chance.

Beyond Scotland, the boot tends to be on the other foot. 

European competition and how they organise the financial distribution, continually tweaking it, mostly to keep the big clubs getting more money. For example, the use of a 10 year co-efficient to make sure the big clubs hoover up most of the revenue, before a ball is kicked.

England has seen a hugely successful product (EPL) very well marketed and it generates amounts of money that mean any decent player that we come accross and may help us become more competitive, will be gone before you can say Willie MacKay.

Mighty within Scotland, although if we don't get our act together, we are going to get cut off in a no mans land where there is one dominant team, another (us) who can occasionally get in their way and the rest. To be fair to Hearts, they are showing signs that they could become a clear third force, at least for a while.

Famous globally, for now.

Perhaps not so much in a couple of generations time, unless we can somehow move upwards from the Scottish League.

Talks quite well and more importantly, comes accross as straightforward and honest.

Tin hat on.....Kenny Dalglish

22 hours ago, Scott7 said:

Lamps out.

 

Who’ll light up the darkness at Goodison?  Bielsa? Gerrard?

Nathen Patterson will soon have a 5th different manager that has spanned his 15 senior league starts at Rangers and Everton.

Gerrard

Gio

Benitez

Lampard

?

26 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

you could sell him the next day for 10. 

 

if we don't buy him we are off our heads. 

Have Bayern got first refusal at a set price ?

I think there are several known unknowns regarding that contract.

3 minutes ago, Bill said:

Is anything real anymore?

There is more truth and accuracy in the Gersnet transfer window thread than in the New World of Fact-Checkers who arrived around 37 years behind schedule.

2 minutes ago, Bill said:

I agree. Spending £5m on Tillman would be a poor move. It's not that he isn't aa good player, just that there's so much else we need to spend that money on. A new keeper for example.

We are agreeing on so much these days that I've had to pinch myself to make sure this world is real.