Next Season

[Sutton_blows_goats 4,170]

8 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

I also think there's a plan, the club know certain players are out of contract in the summer, this isn't a surprise, likewise others are entering their final year. Discussions around this will have taken place, the club must know who is open to renewing and who isn't, they'll know who they'd like to sign as replacements as well.

I agree there. Lets hope they can pull it off.

[craig 5,195]

18 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

Half the celtc team is utterly shite. like if they were at Dundee Utd no one would notice them shite. 

 

But they are well coached and successful. 

Which is why things aren't as dire as people think.  They are not a good team.  Look at their team throughout.  Hart is a bombscare at times, Taylor at LB isn't very good, CCV is on loan, Starfelt is mediocre and Juranovic looked great in February but lacked discipline on Sunday.  Hatate was DONE after 50 minutes on Sunday, McGregor actually impressed me, Maeda is a headless chicken who offers virtually zero quality, Rogic played well but part of that was because we didnt know how to play against him and Giomakis was pish.

 

Maybe I am seeing them through blue tinted specs but I don't see a team that is any better than average there.

 

Yes, they are coached well but they also have had an unbelievable amount of luck and refereeing decisions go their way this season, thanks in part to them calling refs out at their AGM.  Just on Sunday alone we should have had two penalties (they MIGHT have had a shout for one too) but they also should have seen AT LEAST 2 red cards.

 

I am not blaming refs for our demise this season but we have had a ridiculous number of decisions go against us that have been the difference between dropping points or not.  Sunday being one, should have been at least a draw, Dundee Utd another when we drew and never got a stonewall penalty for handball..... Celtic never got a penalty against them at home to Livvy for blatant handball and how many offside goals have they had that have stood ?

 

They are much closer, yes but they were miles away last season.  Are they a better team than us ?  Nobody is going to convince me of that, despite the last two results against them 

[craig 5,195]

4 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Nothing wrong with Bosmans & loans if you know what you’re doing 

In fairness (not aimed at you) I think it is churlish to be blaming Wilson for "Bosmans and loans" when we have, on Bosmans, secured Mcgregor, Davis (yes, they played their part previously, can't look at just this season), Aribo, Bassey, Jack (admittedly pre-Wilson), Lundstrum

 

We have actually done remarkably well in the Bosman market

[craig 5,195]

4 hours ago, JohnMc said:

I get there's always a knee-jerk reaction after a disappointing defeat like Sunday's, but the level of pessimism surprises me. Had Morelos been fit I don't think we'd have lost on Sunday, his ability to hold up the ball, occupy centre-backs and operate as fulcrum for the team can't be underestimated. If we had an alternative to him, someone who could also play with their back to goal, bring midfielders in and win free kicks in their half it's a different match. So we're one player away from matching them. Plus Celtic have 3 important players in the their squad who are on loan, Jota, Carter-Vickers and Meada, there's no guarantee that at least 2 of them will still be their next season. 

 

We don't require wholesale changes, we do need strengthened and I expect we'll lose at least a couple of key players in the summer. We should be able to sign a centre-half who is as good as Goldson surely. I don't know if Soutar is that player, but presumably our scouts and manager do. In Robbie Fraser we already have a deputy left back, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't step up from the B team in summer, he's had a great season for the Bs. I expect Leon King and Lowry will also become first team squad members next season, of the crop currently out on loan I expect Katic and maybe Ben Williamson will join them in the squad, I can't see any of the others making it at Rangers though.  

Celtic will have access to Champion's League money, a huge bonus for them, but there's no guarantees they'll spend it wisely, they haven't in the past. Plus their squad will lose players in the summer or else they'll have to spend big simply to keep it as it is. They've spent millions to get a wee bit in front of us, let's see what the next few months bring. Financially we're in a slightly better place than we were last season with the Paterson money and the Europa run. 

 

Plus, I've not given up on this season yet, there's still football to be played. 

Not Weston ?  Alegria ? McCann ?

[craig 5,195]

3 hours ago, CammyF said:

They may be keeping the lights on but my description of them remains valid. 

 

They are not/who we need to take us to the next level. 

Who do we need then ?

[craig 5,195]

3 hours ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

That's fine if its accompanied with some transparency and expectation setting. Ross Wilsons comments at the AGM about us not having to sell players as we are comfortable financially is not quite how it played out in January.

How did it not play out that way in January ?  It absolutely DID play out that way in January.  The only player we sold was Patterson - that wasnt because we HAD to, it was because 16 million was far too big a fee to turn down for a kid that has great potential but who was also a back up to the club captain.

[Sutton_blows_goats 4,170]

Just now, craig said:

How did it not play out that way in January ?  It absolutely DID play out that way in January.  The only player we sold was Patterson - that wasnt because we HAD to, it was because 16 million was far too big a fee to turn down for a kid that has great potential but who was also a back up to the club captain.

We didn't re-invest because the money is going to cover the losses. If we end up spending the Patterson cash in the summer I'll hold my hand up.

[CammyF 6,776]

13 minutes ago, craig said:

Who do we need then ?

A board with a vision, ambitions  and the financial ability to take is to the next level. 

 

Otherwise we have to settle for 2nd best in Scotland and the Europa League.

 

Personally I want to be top team in Scotland over a 10 year period and be in the CL group stages every year. 

 

Ambitious? Yes. Achievable? Yes, with the correct management. 

[craig 5,195]

1 minute ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

We didn't re-invest because the money is going to cover the losses. If we end up spending the Patterson cash in the summer I'll hold my hand up.

Re-read what you have said there and compare it to your original post and what Wilson said.  He said we didnt need to sell players because we were OK financially.  You are now not arguing about the selling of players, you are arguing about the re-investment of those monies.  January is a terrible window for recruitment because, for the most part, it is teams in desperate need of replacements as they fight to stave off relegation or to get back in a title chase.

 

In January we were 6 points clear and our main rivals were running scared.  So why did we need to re-invest those monies in January when we were sitting atop the pile and looking comfortable ?

[Sutton_blows_goats 4,170]

2 minutes ago, craig said:

Re-read what you have said there and compare it to your original post and what Wilson said.  He said we didnt need to sell players because we were OK financially.  You are now not arguing about the selling of players, you are arguing about the re-investment of those monies.  January is a terrible window for recruitment because, for the most part, it is teams in desperate need of replacements as they fight to stave off relegation or to get back in a title chase.

 

In January we were 6 points clear and our main rivals were running scared.  So why did we need to re-invest those monies in January when we were sitting atop the pile and looking comfortable ?

One of two things is true.

 

1) we need any player sales cash to cover our losses

2) we dont

 

 

What does the evidence point at