Ally's signing strategy

[SteveC 150]

The things I felt badly lacking last season were (1) an offensive midfield with creativity, (2) a strong, mobile and pacey defence. No (1) may see an improvement, but (2) has very worryingly for me not been addressed at all (unless Daly is in defence, which would only cover the 'strength' element).

 

Is it just me, but in those Willie Vass training pictures I thought Ally looked more ready for the grubber than the fresh smell of battle fever? He looks like he's been on a bender for quite a while.

 

To be fair, pal, from what I have heard of those NARSA events it probably takes months to recover!

[Waltersgotstyle 297]

PS Which players in Scotland do people actually have in mind? It's hardly glaringly obvious to me and to be fair we've brought in four or five promising ones in the last year - Bell, Templeton, Faure and Clark for a start.

 

My thoughts exactly - some people just like to moan.

[ian1964 10,475]

@RFC_Official: McCoist "I would imagine there would be activity between now & the start of the season in terms of players departing" http://t.co/L3S4giU2QW

[amms 0]

The only people who should be ashamed are the likes of you who puts anyone above the club legend or not, Ally is a crap manager what part of that do you fail to grasp.

You'll be sure to show me where I've put Ally 'above the club' won't you?

 

I took issue with your claim that Ally has damaged the club, he hasn't, he's done the exact opposite. It's a ridiculous thing for a Rangers supporter to say.

 

To describe him as a 'crap manager' is unfair, there is no evidence to back that up at all. He's not a great manager either, he might become one in time, he might not, none of us can say for sure. That you can't divine what his signing strategy is isn't McCoist's fault, but it's fairly clear to anyone who bothers to look at it. I've no problem with criticism of McCoist, there are quite a few areas to do that. But to say he's damaging the club is hyperbolic bollocks.

[calscot 0]

The fact is that Ally has brought a lot of stability and protection to our club off the field in the past two years that most other managers couldn't - outsiders may even have given away our trophies without a fight.

 

In return he has NOT failed us on the football pitch. It may not have been spectacular but no other manager in the world would have finished better than second in the first season and better than first in the second. In the leagues he has a 100% record of achievement.

 

We have lost NOTHING except perhaps the performances in the cups - which are always a lottery and incredibly difficult for us under the circumstances.

 

On the whole the guy has been positive for the club and while he may not go on to be an utter legend of a manager, even if he turns out to be a very mediocre manager, he has still done a passable job so far.

 

The last thing our club needs now is high risk experimentation with whichever alternative mediocre manager that we could attract, and have the possibility of having a disaster season where we are not promoted.

 

With Ally we virtually KNOW we will be promoted - and with something to spare, with the only really danger being a smattering of disappointing results and a lack of champagne football.

 

That's a cheap price that I for one am willing to pay for him keeping our ship from the rocks and the sharks.

[calscot 0]

@RFC_Official: McCoist "I would imagine there would be activity between now & the start of the season in terms of players departing" http://t.co/L3S4giU2QW

 

Alexander, Boca and Goian WILL leave. The only ominous problem with the latter two will likely be how much of their wages we pay for them if they go on loan.

[reaper 0]

You'll be sure to show me where I've put Ally 'above the club' won't you?

 

I took issue with your claim that Ally has damaged the club, he hasn't, he's done the exact opposite. It's a ridiculous thing for a Rangers supporter to say.

 

To describe him as a 'crap manager' is unfair, there is no evidence to back that up at all. He's not a great manager either, he might become one in time, he might not, none of us can say for sure. That you can't divine what his signing strategy is isn't McCoist's fault, but it's fairly clear to anyone who bothers to look at it. I've no problem with criticism of McCoist, there are quite a few areas to do that. But to say he's damaging the club is hyperbolic bollocks.

 

Any manager that has been pumped out of every cup competition or euro competition with the riches of the Ibrox set-up even before the shit hit is due being classed as a crap manager, still with your head stuck up your arse you won't have noticed any of that.

[amms 0]

Any manager that has been pumped out of every cup competition or euro competition with the riches of the Ibrox set-up even before the shit hit is due being classed as a crap manager, still with your head stuck up your arse you won't have noticed any of that.

 

Mmm, I didn't think you'd be able to show me where I'd put Ally above the club.

 

"The riches of the Ibrox set-up" is an interesting turn of phrase to use, not very possessive, don't you mean 'us'?

 

Anyway, no, it doesn't mean he's a crap manager. Did you know that Alex Ferguson's Manchester Utd were pumped out of every cup they entered in his first two seasons in charge, another crap manager no doubt. It's surprising what you can see even when your head is up your own arse.

[54andcounting 0]

It isn't just his poor cup record...the football on show last season was abysmal, I don't think anyone with hand on heart would say they've seen such dross from a Rangers side in their life.

I want to see us destroy the mediocrity of 2nd division teams this season, anything less won't be acceptable. Good luck Ally.

[stewarty 1,879]

Firstly, I'd agree that to be labelling McCoist as a dud is premature. Time will tell, as others have said but in his first season in charge, albeit mostly with the same team as the previous year, he was romping the league until late autumn. By then, the toll of the Whyte regime was showing on everyone at the club, and not least the manager who was thwarted with his attempts to strengthen the squad with numerous laughable bids for players. From then on its clear to me that the wheels were coming off within the squad - Jelavic had downed tools, Whyte had reneged on paying the players the previously agreed bonus for winning the league, and no doubt a number of other factors were in play which we don't have any substantive knowledge of.

 

Fast forward to last year's pre-season which started with just 6 players and a bunch of kids, the SFA registration fiasco and the 24 hours notice to play against Brechin in the Ramsdens, our inability to register players or play any pre-season games, the fact that we won the league by so many points in itself was an achievement. That said, McCoist can probably be given merely pass marks for last season given that we were lacklustre for long spells.

 

This coming season should reveal a lot though, as many of the reasons for our poor performances last season will not be present. Which brings me back to the OP, and his question about the signing strategy....

 

IT seems to me that the club has a split strategy. On the one hand, we need to win SPFL2 to guarantee promotion with the minimum of fuss. To do that we need players that are easily better than any available to our competitors, as to sign proven performers in SPFL1 or SPFL2 would lower the margin in terms of quality, and therefore make it harder to guarantee we will win the league. The other side of our strategy is to build a squad capable of competing for the top league's title when we return. With all the reconstruction debates that have been raging, the perilous state of many club's finances and the unknown conditions of TV deals, we cannot afford to wait until we are confirmed back in the top league to build the squad up to a level that can hopefully compete. If we did wait, there would be too much of a gap to bridge, and it would take a lot longer before we can compete for the title than most fans would be happy with.

 

We are limited further by the quality of player willing to join us. Some will be happy to come as they can see the long term future of them being a settled player when we do return to top flight football, but others will consider they can make more money elsewhere, or wont be prepared to drop down the divisions.

 

Stick all of this into the mix and you have a delicate balance of competing priorities and limited options. There is no other manager in football currently having to deal with such circumstances. We should not be sentimental about Ally, but its wrong to suggest he's a poor or incapable manager given the circumstances as there is plenty of evidence to argue against this.