Stop The Bus! I Think Someone Left the Transfer Kitty in Malmo

[Zappa 0]

The title might lead you to thinking that you're about to read something satirical, but I can assure you that you aren't. With just over a week of the summer transfer window remaining, some Rangers fans are rightly beginning to wonder whether Ally McCoist still has the transfer kitty which our new owner Craig Whyte promised a few months ago.

 

It's actually been quite an interesting summer for us in the transfer market and not too many fans will be saying they're seriously underwhelmed by the business the club have done so far, but there's one thing that people are all too aware of and that's that the club haven't actually spent very much money.

 

Some people are saying that it's prudent in the current financial climate for the club to be thrifty and not to spend much money, especially if it's money that the club doesn't actually have or in other words, borrowed. Others though, are brushing off their calculators and adding up what the club has actually spent in comparison to what it's received or due to receive.

 

Without going into specific details and listing all of the transfer fees, it would appear that so far the club has only spent approximately �£1.5 million of the promised �£5 million transfer fund when you take the incoming money from the sales of Madjid Bougherra and Charlie Adam into account. Craig Whyte also said that more than �£5 million could be made available to the manager if necessary, but lets just concentrate on the basic five big ones.

 

So..... the big question is: Does Ally McCoist still have �£3.5 million to spend before the end of this transfer window? I'm not trying to give anyone a dose of the runs here. It's a serious question and one which I'm sure a lot of people are keen to hear an answer to. Over to you Mr. Whyte...

 

It was only a few weeks ago that we were in a situation where the club had a �£2 million accepted bid for Carlos Cuellar on the table and were also simultaneously bidding over �£5 million combined for David Goodwillie and Roland Juh�¡sz. That's over �£7 million that we were led to believe was being made available.

 

After our chaotic Champions League exit at the hands of Swedish club Malm�¶ FF, I'm sure nobody in their right mind thinks Ally McCoist might still have anywhere near �£7 million at his disposal, but where's the remaining �£3.5 million of the promised budget? Did someone leave it in Malmo?

[aweebluesoandso 290]

I don't think there is any cash in the kitty lying around zappa more like a few IOU's. But I believe we got our chain pulled on the Goodwillie deal by Thompson and Houston, the other supposed deals that went tits up was down to Whyte wanting value for his money. The days of the blank cheque at Rangers are well and truly over, but I'm sure Ally will call in one or two of Mr Whyte's iou's before the transfer window closes. Probably a striker as Ally has alluded too which would then take our spending to near the fabled �£5mil. In time i think this squad of players brought in and current players retained by Whyte and Ally will go down as a good piece of financial business when we win the league again this year. Something the hooped horrors have been trying to achieve but failing miserably for the last three seasons.

[Stefanovitch 0]

I guess you have the age old question. When we renewed the contracts of Davis, McGregor and Whittaker did this impact the promised �£5m bounty?

 

I'm growing a little concerned we don't appear to have another striker in mind having missed out on Goodwillie. Are we waiting on a last minute loan once the EPL decide on the 25 man squads? If it's not that then I don't understand the lack of movement.

[Darthter 542]

Surely, the important thing is not how much has been spent, but has the money been WELL spent???

 

Is it not better spending �£1.5m on 4 or 5 player, who all have something to offer the team, rather than �£1.5m on one player, who may turn out to be a dud!!!

 

I think the above will be answered as the season progresses. So far. the new signings look useful - Goian particular, and he wasn't a big money signing!!!

 

Judge the players on how they perform on the pitch, not the price tag round their neck!!!

 

As for the promised transfer money......Remember they have spend big renewing key contracts, while bringing in a number of players - when was the last time that happened??? I don't think CW is being tight-fisted with his cash, I think he is simply spending wisely.

[craig 5,195]

One other possibility, although remote, is that the cash IS there but McCoist is happy with what he has at his disposal now

[Danny 0]

After the Cuellar, Juhasz and Goodwillie bids, there has been a lack of similar amount bids for other players.

 

It is disappointing that Lee Wallace, decent though he has been, is our big money summer signing so far.

 

But then again, we appear to still be the best team in Scotland and that at least is something.

[djbroxybear 0]

Under the old regime for as bad as it was we did spend �£4m on Jelavic who is quality and proved that by helping us win the league. We have gone down the Celtic route quantity over quality brought in 7 players (inc loan) at a cost of about �£1.2m.

 

We need to add imo a quality left winger and striker to the squad Whyte has 8 days to deliver or questions will be asked. I would also like to point out we should be getting rid of the deadwood at ibrox getting them off the wage bill.

[calscot 0]

He never promised to spend �£5 in this window - the promise was per season. There is another transfer window in January to save some money for and that's when some of the more crucial signings are made - historically it has often been the ones that win us the league.

 

We've already signed quite a few players, it's impossible to tell how they will piece together as a team and come January we will be in a better position to know what kind of player we need to complete the jigsaw.

 

I would definitely prefer to save some money for January. However, with the "front loading" quote, it wouldn't be out of the question to spend more in this window, IF we can find the right player to spend it on and for the right price.

 

I don't know about anyone else, but I try to spend my own money wisely and always looking for VFM - however I'm very into quality and so don't buy cheap shit - but then I can't afford the top exotica either - a bit like Rangers. And like Rangers I try to stretch my money as much as I can.

 

I recently bought a new road bike, wanted a carbon frame but don't have loads of money. I found the last 2010 model Boardman Team Carbon in the country at Birmingham Halfords for 2/3 of the price with 100 quid worth of stuff thrown in. I then upgraded the wheels, tyres, cassette, seat and peddles by judiciously buying from the places with the best bang for buck on the internet. I spent �£1.5k on it which is way more than any of my mates would spend and I know a lot of people who think 300 quid is mega expensive for a bike - but it's still a bargain and not hugely expensive.

 

Then I joined a cycling club and found loads of people who had much more expensive bikes than mine - Cervelos, S-Works, Colgnagos, Bianchis and other exotica. However my bike is still pretty competitive and at 7.4 kilos with peddles, it's not significantly heavier, and I'm usually around the front of the group (despite badly breaking my leg a year ago, doing nothing for 7 months and only just getting into road cycling about four months ago).

 

So I can appreciate what Rangers are doing.

[craig 5,195]

Under the old regime for as bad as it was we did spend �£4m on Jelavic who is quality and proved that by helping us win the league. We have gone down the Celtic route quantity over quality brought in 7 players (inc loan) at a cost of about �£1.2m.

 

We need to add imo a quality left winger and striker to the squad Whyte has 8 days to deliver or questions will be asked. I would also like to point out we should be getting rid of the deadwood at ibrox getting them off the wage bill.

 

Sorry but simply cant agree with this. Not one single player we have purchased has had enough time to prove whether it is quantity over quality. A player's price tag does not always correlate with his quality.

 

Izaguirre cost them next to nothing, yet he still has a high quality level.

 

I actually think that we have brought in players in positions that were needed. Whereas I think Celtic had a much more "scatter-gun" approach to their signings. They signed a ton of strikers and couldnt fit them all in.

[Zappa 0]

When we renewed the contracts of Davis, McGregor and Whittaker did this impact the promised �£5m bounty?

 

Even if these improved contracts were being taken into account, the combined total of the wage increases is only likely to be around �£1m or so per year.