Rangers FC - A House of Cards?

[Frankie 8,145]

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/311110867?-11344

 

After another 2 points dropped at Fir Park last night, our team’s dreadful inconsistency has to be examined. Why do we struggle to go on any kind of winning run? Why does our form spike then drop like a Blackpool roller-coaster? Who is and isn’t taking responsibility for our patchy form? Right away, we see the same questions being asked again and again of our club. Let’s try and look at why another title challenge seems to be fading before our eyes.

 

First of all, I’d like to raise the issue of leadership. From the very top of the club right down to the dressing room, there seems to be a complete absence of people capable of standing tall, and leading our club to the SPL title. We have an owner desperate to sell the club as soon as he can while apparently preferring to slag off his own fans instead of looking in the mirror and asking how his contribution is affecting the status quo.

 

Next Sunday will see Sir David Murray’s twentieth anniversary at the club. Twenty years since he bought Rangers FC and started the Murray era. Are we any further forward since then? Should he be judged on his first ten years in charge where he oversaw an ambitious (and largely successful) attempt at dominating Scottish football, or should we concentrate on the second ten years where that dominance and ambition has largely disappeared? No matter our opinion of Murray’s tenure, the fact is we now lack a leader at the top and that immediately affects the whole club’s outlook.

 

Of course the chairman will point to the funds he allocated to the manager during the summer and that brings us neatly to our next problem. Quite simply, as it stands, that money appears to have been gambled on players that have so far had little effect on being able to increase our quality and achieve winning consistency. Madjid Bougherra, Pedro Mendes and Steven Davis have all done reasonably well so far but the latter two especially don’t appear to be the type of player who can lead from the front when the going gets tough. The rest of the money was then spent on Kyle Lafferty and Maurice Edu – two young players with little experience of top quality football and the pressures therein.

 

As such, the manager doesn’t appear to trust them to justify their fee by playing them ahead of injured or off-form players. Indeed, if we look at Smith’s other signings – Lee McCulloch and Kenny Miller to name but two, there has been a lot of money spent on players that one doubts can really change our fortunes. When the going gets tough we simply don’t appear the have the inspiration to change games effectively. That goes for the manager and his selections as well as the players who shirk responsibility when it’s most required.

 

Nonetheless, our form hasn’t been that bad. I’d contend the football is better than it was last year and that we’ve deserved to win most games out with the dreadful losses to Kaunas and St Mirren. A combination of bad luck, good goalkeeping, defensive errors and awful officiating means we shouldn’t be too downbeat about the season so far. Surely the slightly better football will soon be accompanied by more goals, stronger defending and linesmen doing their job?

 

Unfortunately, I don’t think it is as simple as that – and that’s where the article title applies. Too often over the last couple of years there have been false dawns. Several excellent wins – home and away – versus Celtic and passionate defensive displays to deliver a UEFA Cup final contest would have most people thinking our players would be oozing confidence and brushing their SPL opponents aside. But no, as soon as we get a good result, the merest hint of things going against us has shoulders stooping and heads dropping before more points are lost. We also seem to lack motivation at times and the urgency and pride to win games is often missing until it’s too late. Or even worse, it doesn’t appear at all.

 

Who’s to blame for that and who can change it? Well, we all can of course. The fans – as usual – will be unmatched as they follow follow their team all over the country. It’s time the players, manager and chairman acknowledged and matched that commitment in the way they approach their contribution.

 

Let’s make it very clear. Second best is not good enough. Not against Lithuanian teams. Not against provincial Scottish teams. Not against Celtic. And definitely not losing the SPL title four times in a row.

 

I shouldn’t need to quote Bill Struth but it is time a few people at the club were reminded of his words and asked themselves if they are really welcoming the chase or are they hiding from it.

Edited November 13, 2008 by Frankie

[DJBlue72 0]

Some Great points made Frankie , we seem to get money and spend it on players with possible potential rather than a proven/Finished article player that could be bought for the same or slightly more money.

 

I also am happy with the peformances but its points that count we need all players firing in with goals this season not just Kris Boyd.

 

I genuinely believe we have a stronger squad than last season but i dont think Smith knows his best 11 and everyones best position yet and we are in to November and its costing us points.

 

We are slowly handing Celtic another Tiltle if we keep this up.

 

Come on Rangers get it sorted.

[gisabeer 409]

Smith has made a monumental blunder forking out 4 million on kyle lafferty. This guy is an absolute dud. I havent seen anything in this guys game to suggest hes worth 40,000 never mind 4 mill. Please dont tell me to give the guy time, with his price tag he should be romping the SPL, but he isnt. Sebo was a better prospect than this guy.

 

Edu at 2.75 million, villichka at a mill. all a waste of money.then theres walters decision making too. leaving it to the death to make a substitution to turn the game. lafferty should have been hooked at half time but was allowed to run around like a headless chicken for most of the second half too.

 

I seriously doubt we will win the league given what ive seen so far.

[carldvelle 0]

Thank you Frankie;

 

What was David Murrays vision for Rangers when he got a bargain buy.European elite was the future ,has that materialised ,No.Will it materialise?,not in my view,so that means despite the glories it is ultimate failure.

 

I am fed up hearing how David Murray has ploughed millions of his own money(and some of mine) into Rangers and we should recognise that. I dont, has he suffered financial hardship through ploughing millions of his money into Rangers.I doubt it.

 

just my opinion

 

carldvelle

[rbr 1,247]

Walter smith is Murray's last throw of the dice and I totally agree with Frankie that we are no further ahead than when Murray took over 20 years ago , I really believe that we are just stumbling from one disaster to another , no leadership , no vision , a support so apathetic that it is unbelievable , and a team that continually is set out with players in positions that are so obviously alien and uncomfortable to them , duncan ferguson at left wing , big basil at right back , hmmmm who was the tactical genius behind those decisions !!!!!!!!!!!