Rousseau

Depends what the add-ons are. If the total package is likely to exceed £20m, then I'd take it.

It seems to be about movement. A wee taster:

Really? You expect the head coach to draw up the countless plans of ball deliveries and player movements? Tottenham have just appointed a set-piece coach, Gianni Vio, one of the best, who supposedly has 4,830 variations in his set-pieces. I've mentioned Huddersfield this season, who have a superb set-piece coach, because they've scored 20 goals (or something like that) from corners. I think it's unreasonable to have that level of professionalism left to the head coach. Not only does it take him away from his primary duties, but I'm not sure he can ever have the level of specialisation required at the top-end of game.

I don't see any future for Simpson; he's not good enough. While I'm not a fan, I feel like Katic could play a part?

What about a set-piece coach?

Rousseau's Law: any time 'Hipster' is uttered, the thread is over?

It certainly helps, but not very, I would argue. These models help to negate the need for huge financial backing. While PSG can spend £200m on Neymar, Leipzig’s record signing (Naby Keita) cost £25m, with no other signings costing more than £20m. Even that is relatively recent. They've never been big spenders. It's always intelligent signings, based on age and potential. Obviously now, because they are a top-3 side in the Bundesliga, they can out-spend a lot of clubs. The model is still the same, though. RB are a big company but they can't compete with Bayern Munich and Dortmund, never mind the PSGs, Man Citys and the Spannish clubs! We're not trying to run an array of clubs, like RB and City Group. We're just trying to take some of the successful aspects of their models, and implement it in one club.

You're not suggesting a GK coach is some new, hipster nonsense, are you? There should not be a manager role now, in my opinion. It should be a Head Coach. He'll be in charge of all the first-team coaches, playing strategy, tactics, match plans, etc. Anything directly first-team related. You wouldn't expect GvB to have to coach all the Goalkeepers, B-team, and the U-18s, U-14s... etc.? Bowley's role is just to manage our array of coaches, to make sure they're all on the same page. All the while, I would hope, passing on the ideas and principles that have made City Group such a force in world football. That's not unreasonable.

I just thought of Leipzig as an example. They have changed their tactical approach. To get into the Bundesliga, and during their first few seasons, they were all abut counter-pressing, under Rangnick and Hasenhuttl. Then they bring in Nagelsmann, who brings in a more possession-based approach, which pushes them on. When he leaves they go to Jesse Marsch, who is more of a counter-pressing coach. It doesn't work. They then went to Tedesco, who is more of the possession-based coach. They have sufficient scope and ability to adapt their approaches, but the model, the framework doesn't change. The playing DNA doesn't change. The player recruitment style doesn't change. A multi-faceted, systems approach has more chance of success than putting all your Emu eggs in one fat basket.

The 'system' is more big picture. There will always be sufficient differences in managers to adapt and change.

'Similar' is easy enough, I think; it doesn't (shouldn't?) have to be a carbon copy. It's the 'ifs' and buts' that this model is aiming to reduce.

I've argued for that in that past. Klopp added such a coach.

That's the thing, though. We don't want that. That's giving the manager more and more duties and roles, which get ripped up when he leaves, causing chaos. The aim is to have a model that is sustainable. For example, when GvB leaves, we have a functioning model, but also know exactly the type of replacement that can come in to replace GvB.

This Watford guy sounds like he's got his head up his own arse... To be fair I don't know much. I just know I like the way he has them playing. If he's using passes on their own to suggest they should be winning, that's silly. If it's passes that lead to a much higher xG than the opponent, then that's fine. We know more than most, as Rangers fans, that we can dominate every aspect of a game for 89 minutes, only to lose to an opponent's single chance. Stats will suggest we should have won the game. This is true.

Excellent example. They moved away from it, with Guidolin and Bob Bradley etc., but have moved back with Graham Potter, Steve Cooper and... Russel Martin!? (Perhaps too early to say with Martin, but by all accounts, he seems to be doing well. I certainly enjoy the way he's got them playing.)

Yes, it's not a panacea; hence why not everyone has adopted it. I'm in favour of it. I think there's a niche that we can tap into. I think there can be a happy medium, whereby all our youth teams are taught to play in a certain style of play, that benefits them individually and the team, but without getting caught out by being too dependent on one specific tactic - if you know what I mean? Not sure I've worded that properly. Principles rather than specifics. The problem for Leeds is they don't have a DoF, so any manager coming in can rip up the system. This is not good. I agree there are differences with SG and GvB, but I feel there are enough similarities for it to work. In this day and age, I think it's ridiculous that a manager can come in and rip up a club's philosophy.

That's the point. A club of our financial circumstances needs to do things differently. The reason Brentford are where they are is not because they happen to have a good manager and good players; they've developed it, despite having the lowest budget, not only in the PL but also low for Championship standard (I believe?). They developed their B-team, developed the moneyball approach to player trading, developed their playing philosophy, for their first-team and youth teams; they've got an army of coaches and analysts to facilitate that. If we can apply some of those principles, we'll do well.

I think it's an important role. We're trying to develop the B-team model, which requires all our youth teams playing the same way, so it assists in player development straight through into the first-team. To have a coach that can facilitate that is good news. Of course, Bowley's scope with us is considerably smaller - City Group have a number of clubs to manage in that regard. It gives us a level of future planning too: any new coach that comes in will have a playing philosophy with which to work with and implement, and a man to manage that transition. To have a coach that can pass on City Group's playing philosophy (think Man City) to our teams is exciting.

Is it weird that I'm more excited about this appointment than I am about the Tom Lawrence signing?

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is understood to be adding another first-team coach to his Rangers staff this summer with City Football Group’s Ceri Bowley set to join in the coming weeks. Bowley has held his role as head of coaching support since 2019 and worked closely with Van Bronckhorst during the Dutchman’s six months at CFG. They have maintained a close relationship since and he has been recruited to join Dave Vos, Roy Makaay and Arno Phillips as his trusted assistants. His role at CFG covers coach recruitment, coach development and the overall football methodology employed by the network of clubs. Van Bronckhorst went to learn from their style of play after taking a sabbatical from management following his four seasons in charge of Feyenoord. Bowley was his main contact and it is understood his role will be a wide-ranging one at Ibrox once he arrives. Some outgoing members of staff at CFG are being made to work their notice in full so an exact timeline for his appointment is not yet known. He is expected to join in the new few weeks though as Van Bronckhorst looks to implement the building blocks for the season ahead. Bowley has an academic background having gained a PhD in sports psychology and coaching science from Cardiff Metropolitan University, before working as a researcher and a lecturer in sports science. Bowley was the central figure for coaches at City to liaise with, having spent time at the FA in a coach education capacity. The success of the CFG structure can be seen in the number of trophies and promotions won in recent years. Manchester City have won three of the last four Premier League, New York City FC won their first MLS Cup in 2021, Melbourne City FC won consecutive Premierhsip titles, Troyes won promotion to Ligue 1 in 2021, Yokohama F. Marinos won the Japanese title in 2019 and Mumbai City became the first Indian side to win a league and cup double. Meanwhile Uruguayan side Montevideo City Torque and Spanish club Girona have also won promotions, with the latter going up last year. https://theathletic.com/news/ceri-bowley-rangers-city-group-first-team-coach/Nh1rG1KY6JMO/

I think this is a little silly. If Ross Wilson is happy with the overall package, then I'm happy. The fact is, Aribo was in the last year of his contract; he can sign a pre-contract in January, and leave for nothing. He's a good player, but he's not vital to the way we play. Moreover, we have to sell players if we're going to get this selling model going. I would argue Aribo has worked perfectly in this regard.

Man Utd pumping Liverpool 3-0 after 30 minutes. It's a strong Utd side against a weak Liverpool side, though. I say strong; it's the same sh*te that failed last season: Martial Sancho - Fernandes - Rashford McFred Shaw - Lindeloff - Varane - Dalot De Gea

I'll just start the thread for the new season.