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[Zappa 0]

Brave men make brave decisions, Whyte has a decision fast approaching, either he signs the players that McCoist wants or he doesn't, that will tell a thousand stories.

 

The problem is that Whyte won't know whether we're out of Europe or not until sometime between the 23rd and 25th of August. If we stay in the Champions League then he'll know on the 23rd or 24th, but if we drop into the Europa League play-off round the 2nd leg isn't until the 25th. The financial difference between having 6 European group stage games and not having them is absolutely massive.

 

Welcome to Gersnet btw!

[der Berliner 3,299]

Still can't believe that people think that CL footie is all that crucial. Obviously, we all want 12 to 16m in the bag. But this time around the club is not threatened with administration et al, even with that pending HMRC thing. For you can challenge it time and again and we may not see any implications for three to four years.

 

This time around there is no bank enforcing any sales. And as I said above, any sane chairman (business-man) and manager will not budget with a CL money pot in mind. Thus, we have to make sure to get a good SPL side in time for the challenges ahead, since the next title will give us a straight entry to the CL again.

 

That all said, we all want European football, me included. It will not make or break my belief in the players or the manager if we don't get it this time around for any extended period. European football has always been a bonus. Nothing more and nothing less.

Edited July 27, 2011 by der Berliner

[Danny 0]

Dunno. I have been around since 1983 as a Bear, even from the days behind the Berlin Wall. And never ever have I experienced a mass hysteria like what has transpired since last night, not least on FF. Simple and utter madness, two games into a season that started on July 23rd. The dignity that the club and its support carried as a standard have apparently long since gone. At least from the supporters' part. Maybe the disfunctional reality perception syndrome, oh so evident with the hooped horrors last season, was contagious after all ...

 

We didn't have the Internet in 1983

 

I imagine if our dark days that decade had been captured online, I daresay they'd have been pretty lemming like in their nature.

[Zappa 0]

Still can't believe that people think that CL footie is all that crucial. Obviously, we all want 12 to 16m in the bag. But this time around the club is not threatened with administration et al, even with that pending HMRC thing. For you can challenge it time and again and we may not see any implications for three to four years.

 

This time around there is no bank enforcing any sales. And as I said above, any sane chairman (business-man) and manager will not budget with a CL money pot in mind. Thus, we have to make sure to get a good SPL side in time for the challenges ahead, since the next title will give us a straight entry to the CL again.

 

That all said, we all want European football, me included. It will not make or break my belief in the players or the manager if we don't get it this time around for any extended period. European football has always been a bonus. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

Without the CL group stage money or a very good run in the Europa League, the club will probably make a loss for the season, so that's why European football is crucial to the club.

 

Btw, check my recent posts in the match previews thread mate.

[Danny 0]

Still can't believe that people think that CL footie is all that crucial. Obviously, we all want 12 to 16m in the bag. But this time around the club is not threatened with administration et al, even with that pending HMRC thing. For you can challenge it time and again and we may not see any implications for three to four years.

 

This time around there is no bank enforcing any sales. And as I said above, any sane chairman (business-man) and manager will not budget with a CL money pot in mind. Thus, we have to make sure to get a good SPL side in time for the challenges ahead, since the next title will give us a straight entry to the CL again.

 

That all said, we all want European football, me included. It will not make or break my belief in the players or the manager if we don't get it this time around for any extended period. European football has always been a bonus. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

It has 2 crucial contributions. It gives a great feelgood factor to everyone to have us up against Barcelona as well as St Mirren. The second is the money - it's bloody vital in this economic climate.

[ian1964 10,461]

Well I'm prepared to give the manager time.I don't believe anyone can be judged so early,especially his debut season as manger of the Rangers. I'm also quite shocked at the reaction from fans.Aye of course there may be some concerns regarding the first couple of games,I may add I have not seen any of the games so far so maybe I'm not entitled to say too much. But I believe the players are as much to blame,if not more so,then the manager. These players have won the title 3 years in a row,with Ally part of that team,so players performances can only be down to the players themselves.Obviously sharpness plays a big part in a players/teams performances. I can't remember many on here slaughtering the manager for his team selection for the Malmo game.

One thing I will agree on though is the team need to get their fingers out of their arses,and soon,but to attack the manager this early is incredible.

[johnnyk 158]

That's fair enough. Problem is none of us really want to be sitting here and saying 'yes, we've lost the league, we can now judge he was a failure'.

 

The (at times irrational) kneejerk reactions is because people see a regime that's had a poor start, and get concerned that it will lead to a loss of the league.

 

Some don't want to wait till we've lost before judging.

 

They'd rather prevent that from happening.

 

As for panicking, I'll be majorly concerned if we're not in the group stage, because that will cost us millions in revenue. But the way we've played so far this season, I can't see much evidence that we can make the group stage.

 

So what is the solution Danny? Not having a go just asking what can be done that Ally is not already doing? What can be done to prevent us losing?

 

It's very easy for us fans to have a go from outside, every player/manager is a risk and every player/manager won't be a success and we won't win the league every year.

 

I take it you're not going to reply to me then.......

[Danny 0]

I will, Patience lad

[ian1964 10,461]

I will, Patience lad

 

Ally is asking for the same thing:)

[der Berliner 3,299]

The point remains that Ally's in a pretty much no-win situation here, at least with some amongst the support. He's retained the old guard who essentially won him and Walter three titles on the trott. He's started to build a team with a few new faces with very little time to prepare them to the tasks at hand. He faced probably the best team outside the OF in Scotland and as you would expect on the first day, not everything clicked and we "only" got a 1-1 draw. Next stop a vital European game. Against folk who are well advanced in their season and know how to play football too. A bad error of judgement (Whittaker) hands the Swedes the initiative and we, still very much in pre-season form, suffer a loss. Cue the press and all run amok and proclaim it a "shock result" - in fair ignorance of the Swedes' performance. Cue the fans run riot and want Ally's head after two games. Utter and complete madness. Obviously well groomed by the media over the last couple of seasons. We're always a defeat or two away from extinction, you might think. The panic brigade's always on the edge, waiting for some blip here or there. It is a very sad state of affairs indeed.

 

As for Europe, the feel good factor is sure important. As is CL income. The current results should be fine, since we scooped 16m from last year's CL run alone, money that was not included in the latest results, since it only came in during the summer. Yet, we all know that we will come up against hard opposition in the CL and while we sure have the ability to beat some teams, there is every chance that some of them give us a right good beating. And I can envisage the bleeting that will descent on the boards and the press should all and the team suffer a bad loss to the likes of Chelsea, Lyon or Barca. We might as well win a game against those teams and the fans, in the state they are in now, want a repeat every time the Gers step onto the pitch. If they can't deliver that, the hawks will be back and the cries for Ally's head will return. You'd hope that those who utter these thoughts (mainly of FF, I have to say), are just a small minority with too much access to the net.

 

I watched in desperation how the objectivity and dignity amongst the supporters as waned over these last few years. There's just Rangers and nothing else. If they win, it is usually not good enough. If they lose, it is our fault and our fault alone - with nigh to no credit being given to the opposition or the circumstances surrounding the game - much like Tuesday. As if the rest is just blocked out. Very strange an attitude indeed. If you project such an attitude to Alloa or Queen of the South supporters, you really wonder how there are any of them still about ...