The Summer 2013 Transfers and Rumours Thread

[the gunslinger 3,366]

RANGERS chief executive Craig Mather believes Bilel Mohsni will sign up at Ibrox and there could be another new arrival by the weekend.

 

Mather spoke about eventually getting back to challenge Celtic, and where the Ibrox club stands with the SFA, before the 1-0 friendly win over FC Gutersloh last night.

 

And his words would have been reassuring for boss Ally McCoist.

 

Mather said: “It’s no secret Alistair quite likes the trialist (Mohsni) and the reports I’m getting back are positive.

 

“So if we can come to an agreement I think there can be a positive outcome.

 

“But there’s a bigger picture. We have to win the Second Division convincingly while playing good football.

 

“Some of the fans were critical of what we saw on the pitch last season and Alistair has never shied away from it.

 

“I’m happy to stand by the signings we’ve made. They’ll allow us to have a better start to the season.

 

“The biggest predicament with Mohsni isn’t the player. There has been a lot of speculation because he is a trialist.

 

“He’s here playing in games and in the public eye. But there are another couple of faces we’re looking at as well and that was one of the things Alistair and I were discussing on Tuesday night.

 

MOMENTUM

 

“There are two or three players we’re looking at and we are making sure we get the right man for the long-term.”

 

One of the players in the frame is former Dundee keeper Steve Simonsen, 34, and assistant boss Kenny McDowall confirmed the club’s interest last night when he said: “He’s in the mix.”

 

Mather knows the ultimate challenge is to rejoin the top flight and resume competitive hostilities with Celtic.

 

He said: “We have to win back-to-back promotions. Nothing else will satisfy me. We know players like Jon Daly and Nicky Law can play at a high level.

 

“We’re trying to create the momentum so that when we do get back to the top and are playing against Celtic regularly, we’re in a position to compete convincingly.

 

“In our opinion, we will be going into that derby thinking we can win.”

 

Mather has to balance the expectations of the fans against the club’s financial security – at a time when Celtic are cash rich.

 

He said: “We know damn well Rangers need to be competing in the Champions League. The only way you do that is with a certain quality of player.

 

“It’s another stepping stone that the SFA have cleared us of any links between Charles Green and Craig Whyte at the time when the club was purchased.

 

“I’ve been in open dialogue with the SFA and had a number of discussions with them about our vision.

 

“They’re satisfied with where we are and have drawn a line in the sand.

 

“There has been so much in the media but positivity is imperative now to help Rangers grow.”

 

McCoist wants Kenny Miller to be part of the growing process but Mather didn’t offer instant hope of the veteran striker returning for a third spell.

 

He said: “There’s a balance in the players we have signed. Daly is an older head while Nicky Clark is younger.

 

“But there’s a possibility some players could move on and that might influence our requirements.

 

PRODUCTIVE

 

“Something could happen regarding a new signing by Friday but agents do make things interesting.”

 

Mather assured the fans Rangers are living within their means and added: “We’ve done deals to bring in seven players but in comparison to last year’s wage bill, it’s less this season.”

 

Mather travelled to Germany this week with chairman Walter Smith and said: “On the flight over here, Walter and I spoke non-stop about ideas. We have the same vision and it was productive.”

 

Chairman Smith believes Mather can take Gers forward. He said: “Craig came in when Charles Green left and has had three months where he has been doing extremely well running the club more or less on his own.

 

“It’s essential the manager and chief executive have a good working relationship. And they seem to have that at present.

 

“They can get on with running the club and are the two most important people at Rangers.”

Reply With Quote

[DUDE 0]

Right so we have a 34 year old keeper who played U21 for England 13 years ago and left Dundee because he was asking for wages that where too high. They can't be serious about this.

[der Berliner 3,231]

Right so we have a 34 year old keeper who played U21 for England 13 years ago and left Dundee because he was asking for wages that where too high. They can't be serious about this.

 

What wages does SPL/SFL1-interchangers Dundee FC pay on average? 500 to 1.000 pounds a week? Just asking.

[Super Cooper 0]

What wages does SPL/SFL1-interchangers Dundee FC pay on average? 500 to 1.000 pounds a week? Just asking.

 

I doubt it is even that much tbh mate. Maybe 6/700 max in the SPL?

[craig 5,195]

Aird, McKay, Templeton ... are left wingers.

Mitchell is like Foster and Cole and Argyirou a right back

Shiels is an attacking (Central) midfielder, as is Crawford

Clark is a striker

 

Little is the only chap who, while loving to play as striker, as the quality to be and has long-played as a right winger / inside right.

 

As I said before, we have quite a few "utility" players for nigh any position, but bar Little, we have no real right winger. And as far as I am concerned, I had enough of utility people for the forseeable future ...

 

Templeton, McKay and Aird can play either side

Mitchell is a midfielder who has been asked to fill in at RB.

 

Funny how you suggest that Little is a right winger whilst the others arent - because Little is no more a right winger than McKay is.

[Tom Davison 0]

Templeton, McKay and Aird can play either side

Mitchell is a midfielder who has been asked to fill in at RB.

 

Funny how you suggest that Little is a right winger whilst the others arent - because Little is no more a right winger than McKay is.

To be fair to Der Berliner, Ally does create confusion with the way he lines up his teams. Too often last season, his players seemed pretty confused at times.

[Zappa 0]

To be fair to Der Berliner, Ally does create confusion with the way he lines up his teams. Too often last season, his players seemed pretty confused at times.

 

To be fair to Ally though... It often doesn't seem to take much to confuse a football player.

[Super Cooper 0]

Aird, McKay, Templeton ... are left wingers.

Mitchell is like Foster and Cole and Argyirou a right back

Shiels is an attacking (Central) midfielder, as is Crawford

Clark is a striker

 

Little is the only chap who, while loving to play as striker, as the quality to be and has long-played as a right winger / inside right.

 

As I said before, we have quite a few "utility" players for nigh any position, but bar Little, we have no real right winger. And as far as I am concerned, I had enough of utility people for the forseeable future ...

 

They are not left wingers, one is a winger and the other two are strikers come wingers. They are all right footed and can just as easily play on the right as the left.

 

Mitchell has been played several times at right midfield for us and is an out and out midfielder.

 

Shiels has also been played out wide for us and at times for Kilmarnock and is more than capable of playing on either flank for us.

 

Clark, again, is an attacking midfielder come striker. A right sided player who like Little could and will be played right midfield at times no problem.

 

Little, is a striker. His best position, his strongest position and the position where he brings most to the team. The lad himself will also tell you he is a striker.

Little is anything but a right midfielder or winger.

 

We have plenty options for right wing, plenty. 4 or 5 better options than Little in fact.

 

You better get used to utitlity players because Ally has filled our squad with them and that is the type of player he loves.

[Super Cooper 0]

Templeton, McKay and Aird can play either side

Mitchell is a midfielder who has been asked to fill in at RB.

 

Funny how you suggest that Little is a right winger whilst the others arent - because Little is no more a right winger than McKay is.

 

Well said Craig. You are spot on.

[der Berliner 3,231]

Templeton, McKay and Aird can play either side

Mitchell is a midfielder who has been asked to fill in at RB.

 

Funny how you suggest that Little is a right winger whilst the others arent - because Little is no more a right winger than McKay is.

 

Knew that this would come back at me, but a) McKay is a left-sided player/striker, while Little is a right-sided player/striker and more validly b) Little has primarily been used on the right side throughout his career at Rangers and can play there with some success. Good to note that Mitchell is actually a midfielder too ... still that would have us with just two people able to play there "naturally". There rest are, at best, stop-gap solutions.

 

Hutton injured ... after Perry. I for one was expecting both to be shifted either on loan or permanently this summer, even though Hutton seems to have made some good progress since his rather woeful displays last season.