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Denigrating loan deals is such a futile activity. Loan deals are no better or worse that permanent signings, they're only more or less appropriate in any and every given recruitment project, which depends on a unique and complex mix of the needs of the individual player, the selling club, the acquiring club and whatever competition there is for the player's signature. If you're going to offer advice to Rangers it should simply be to recruit the best possible players on the best possible terms and in the best possible interests of the club. Whether that's on a loan deal or permanent contract should be utterly irrelevant.

Failed loans are also an argument for using loans. Imagine if we didn't loan Ojo, Ejaria or Coulibaly. We might have signed them anyway but we would be stuck with them.

The reason we never got Souttar in January is because hertz were wanting clauses added in such as a cut of any future transfer fee we got for him. we didn’t want that. Rightly so in my opinion so we let him run do his contract

Likewise @CammyFI have a couple of seats and on Saturdays in particular I may have a spare one as the kids are both working, so if you give me a shout in plenty of time then I can see if it's available. Happy to have you or your son along rather than the wife, who seems to be a bad luck charm! The offer is also open to other Gersnetters

I really think it's time to leave the January transfer window in the past and focus on the future.

I am sympathetic to @the gunslinger's general point that we shouldn't be building teams with loans. He just takes it too far by saying all loans are trash. Sometimes they're needed; sometimes they're useful.

There is absolutely no way you can say "Barisic" wouldnt have been on the park. Where do you even get that from ? Prior to the game at Celtic Park he had played in the previous 4 league games - so not sure how you can squeeze in that he wouldnt have been playing. Absolutely zero guarantee that Souttar would have come in and Bassey would have been moved to LB. This is exactly what I talk about when I say benefit of hindsight. "Oh look, Borna had a nightmare - if we'd had Souttar then Souttar would have played, Bassey would have went LB and Barisic out". If Souttar DID sign he almost certainly wouldn't have started that game for a number of reasons including he would have literally only signed days before - no chance GvB is taking a chance in those circumstances. Another reason being he picked up an injury against Motherwell just before the window closed. Diallo was poor, no denying it. But there is absolutely NO WAY I can agree with you that he was more culpable than Tav, Barisic, McGregor and the midfield 3. Our issues against Celtic weren't up front - we we dismal defensively with a midfield 3 who didnt know what they were doing. Our loanees didnt cost us the league. Look far closer to home in Allan McGregor (Ross County and Celtic at Ibrox) and the two very weak goals we lost at home to Motherwell when cruising.

Wasn't Defoe a loan? Ianis Hagi was a loan. Ryan Kent was a loan.

Serious questions; 1. Do you see Lowry every day in training? How much have you actually seen off Lowry, outwith his games in the 1st team? 2. Would you concede the SG / GVB and their staff (or the RYD staff) know more about Lowry's attributes and what's best for his developments than any of us on a fans forum?

worth that easily.

Some are bound to be surplus to requirement but since many players are loaned out as part of a deliberate player development and trading strategy, it's very unlikely that all loan players can be defined in this way.

BBC Scotland's treatment of the young Scots lad is not surprising. I do not believe Michael Stewart was working for PQ on the night of the game? Certainly, I did not see or hear him. Maybe Michael was working for BT Sport or perhaps BBC Five Live? Anyways, as posted on the day of the game, Michael posted on his Twitter feed a link to the Frankfurt Chairman and his take on supporters. He was particularly impressed because said Chair regularly spoke out against unsavoury elements within the club's support. Michael thought others could take a leaf out of the Frankfurt Chair's book. His Twitter post contained a photo of a concrete underpass with Frankfurt Ultras prominently displayed. Of course, violence in Seville was confined to those balaclava wearing unsavoury Ultras attacking Rangers supporters in a bar. Just like with his hard to read context reference apology to Rangers, Rangers supporters and, Jim Traynor; Michael decided once again to bury the unfortunate recommendation amid another dozen inane Tweets. A Twitter feed akin to a clanging bell and tumbleweed is suddenly most busy, Michael seized the narrative post match telling of a financial disaster awaiting Rangers. The result was, "MASSIVE" in capital letters, we would have to sell a number of our better players. Post final, Michael was in a happy state of mind. Since, Michael has ignored his Twitter feed. A Hearts supporter, a member of the Hearts Foundation and, the Scottish Cup final has NOT happened. No comment?

Outstanding generosity 👏

There's little point speculating on the future when we can't even agree in retrospect on what we've actually seen with our own eyes. Transfer window topics should and must be banned until everyone agrees with me. 😉

Thanks mate - appreciated

Except they arent., not always. How many times has it cost us a boatload to get rid of permanent players that havent worked out ?

Welcome to the north-east, Rousseau. Should have deployed a question mark, though.

Fit.

Club loyalty aside, I think of the "top" clubs in England, Chelsea are alone in playing their football in a pig pen. The decision to do so has protected their finances compared with the other London clubs but they can't go on ignoring their stadium requirements forever ... or the cost that'll be involved. It's a dilemma for the new owner.

Met a young lad in Seville who had travelled with backpack from Lanzarote... his pal was one of the Beeb producers. Said producer told the young lad he could bunk in with them as the kid had no digs, not a problem. So the young kid then heads off to the villa that the Beeb had rented for the week.... only to be rejected because, and I quote "Michael Stewart is staying here with his entourage now and there's no way they would let you stay". The young lad was almost forced into having to sleep on a park bench, but luckily found someone else to assist. Apparently they (the Beeb) were looking for me to interview me (the lad had told them I had travelled to Seville from Bermuda and I guess they liked the whole long distance fan thing) - thankfully, prior to them showing up, we had departed the Starbucks in which we met the young lad. Genuinely nice kid who we met the following day at the fanzone.

"The Suvul Sooks"? "The Suvul Sooks" is the name given by RAB Cosgrove to those employed by PQ that traveled to Seville to provide coverage to Rangers supporting BBC Licensing Fee payers. Although, given RAB's behaviour at the weekend, it could apply to Rangers supporters lapping water from Seville toilet bowls in favour of drinking Holy Water? It has taken over a week to compile a comprehensive list of al those attending on a Presentation basis. We know RAB and Tam Cowan did not trap because they were not asked to do so and, didn't they complain about it? RAB has a keen sense of entitlement in this regard, it is a Quango state of mind. Serving on the RST Board for over five years saw a number of matters of interest come across one's desk. Launched in 2003, one of the burning questions at the time, was just how many Hamilton Drive employees attended Seville'03 on the Beeb dime? It took months but, we received an official answer from the then BBC Scotland Controller, Ken MacQuarrie. We remember the double decker bus driven to Spain, we remember Jackie Bird presenting the News that week from the bus and, how that bus parked in front of the stadium with entertainment going, attracted hordes of ra green'n'grey hooped horrors. Ken told us eighty-eight(88) attended, no break down of designations. Nineteen years on and a move across the river saw no double decker bus, no Jackie Bird and, no(well at least one or two) hooped horrors. The definitive list is : Laura Miller, Al Lamont, Amy Irons, Steven Godden and, Chris McLaughlin.These five were in situ' for at least three days. The footballing side were flown in and out within a 24 hour time frame and included : Liam McLeod, Richard Gordon, Tom English, Mark Hateley and, Richard Foster. I believe these days you can multiply those ten by two point five to include Producers, Directors, ...... Technicians. There you go, 88 became 25 maybe?

... and obviously, Mr. Sands is also on loan.

It's also the case that different types of loans are needed at different times. Ojo and Ejaria were needed at that stage in the journey, when we couldn't quite go out and sign players to win championships; we needed a step in between. Of course, they were not title-winning players, but they played a lot of games and moved us forward. You can argue that they were successful. We don't need those types of loans any more. We're at the stage where we need to build title-winning teams, capable of competing in Europe. Another type would be when we need to plug a gap in the squad, like with Diallo. We were short out wide, but we're not able to get someone in permanently, so you plug the gap with a loan. And then you have the try-before-you-buy types, like Sands; a loan with an option to buy. As @ranger_syntax said above, it is a successful loan even if you realise they are not good enough, like Coulibaly.

If we want to see the side improve, Wright isn't the answer. Squad player.

Steve Davis was originally a loan.

Apparent consequence of our coefficient is that we will be in pot one if we drop down to the Europa league.

I wouldn't have played Diallo again after his showing at the paedodome, he's looked more committed recently but still not justified being here.

Bongani Zungu disagrees.

Exactly this. We think that a young lad can be just thrown in amongst the hammer throwers of the SPFL. We give little credit to people like Gerrard or GvB who have played at the very top level to nurture them as they need to be nurtured.

'Too many in our support love the benefit of hindsight, something the management team don't have.' Too true. Its only a few months ago there was a Ross Wilson appreciation thread, now some who agreed then have their knickers in a twist. Incredible how fickle we are.

Too many in our support love the benefit of hindsight, something the management team don't have. Lowry is a great prospect and if he thought he had been "rotting" then he wouldnt have signed his extension. Simple as that really.

The Rangers management team have a tough time with youth prospects. Play them and things don't go well...P45. Don't play them and fans mump about it. It's a huge gamble playing youngsters for Rangers because we have to win every match (which is where I think a bigger league would help).

That's very decent of you, craig (not the first time you've offered to help out fellow Bears either). 👍

Congratulations to Tam Cowan on Achieving 'Useful Idiot' Status. UEFA apologised to both Rangers and Rangers supporters on Friday last. Actions not unfamiliar to BBC Scotland. On a day in Seville where the mercury reached 35 degrees Celsius and evening humidity touching 90 degrees, the Guardia Civil turned off the tap water inside the stadium and UEFA agreed with Guardia Civil recommendations to close most of the stadium's refreshment kiosks. The Rangers Doctor dealt with four separate incidents of supporter dehydration inside the ground. The Andalusian para-medics were constantly involved in administering saline solution. Several hundred Rangers supporters experienced uncomfortable to most upsetting issues spanning a six hour period. As expected, BBC Scotland found mass H-u-n discomfort as subject matter to be cruelly exploited by preferred prejudice. Photographs of Bears at watering holes, songs eulogising cool, cool water and, multiple quotes from the Ancient Mariner were in full flow. Viewing the distress of your fellow Scots brought joy and it was not the fault of UEFA or the Guardia Civil; no, dehydration in every case was the responsibility of bevvied Bears. Former PQ employee, Catriona Shearer appeared on Saturday's Off the Ball to articulate her distressing experience at the final. Sixteen years as a colleague meant nothing, she is a H-u-n thus Cosgrove ignored her experience whereas Tam Cowan taunted with playing Marty Robbins Cool Water. RAB Cosgrove made a quip about drinking holy water, Cowan was concentrating on received correspondence, a pregnant silence ensued broken by RAB saying, "we must discuss Rangers supporters singing anti-catholic songs". Catriona Shearer stated, "I am here to discuss the failings of the authorities at the game, I condemn any such singing" and, the Producer moved them all along. The next day, Sunday's Off the Ball had Susie McCabe as a guest. Like RAB, she has a history of liberal usage of the 'H' term. Along with RAB she is there to judge the guilty parties, Tam and the H-u-ns. There is a 15 minute discussion on the day before's broadcast. RAB flashes the show's credentials on anti-catholic chanting and ant-Irish racism. Susie wants everyone to move forward without the old baggage and, Tam joins Graham Spiers in the useful idiot corner. He offers to Chair a two hour discussion on sectarianism next weekend when laying his life bare, "married to a catholic why would I indulge"? Tam should have extended the accuracy before blurring the objectivity. Tam told of Chairing the Reamonn Gormley Diner on an annual basis, "a lad murdered because of the football shirt he wore"? Let us look at that statement. Reamonn Gormley was brutally murdered eleven years ago in Blantyre. Along with a mate, David McFall; both watched the Aberdeen-Celtic match live at the Parkville Bar. The pub was owned by former Celtic player, Harry Hood. Both those charged and convicted of Reamonn's murder, Barry Smith and Daryn Maxwell were also in the bar watching the game. As Raemonn left the premises, he turned off the main drag into a tree lined lane where the armed Maxwell and Smith waited. It was a mugging, they demanded money and the lad's mobile? He refused and was stabbed three times and bled out. All four mentioned attended the same school, St John Ogilvie High School and Smith joined a dating agency on release from jail with the username, 'HappyHooper' - a homage to his favourite player, Gary Hooper. An attempted robbery gone tragically wrong. There were those at the time who attempted to portray the murder as sectarian, it was not. Similar to the Francis Haggerty murder of a dozen years before; the Daily Record's Anna Smith continually told us, "the Police refuse to rule out a sectarian motive for the murder". Francis was the victim of a Paedophile ring. If Tam had utilised the murder of Mark Scott in 1995 at Bridgeton Cross, then he would have been correct, it was undeniably sectarian. We can see an issue about the distress of dehydration among the Rangers support has had the narrative seized and suddenly it is all about sectarian murder. If you are accurate you will be objective has NOT been applied and RAB is NOT going to intervene. RAB is bleating on other means about David Graham's role at Rangers and, his Loyalist political links, all because his partner in Rangers hate, Michael Stewart was forced to apologise publicly to Rangers, Rangers supporters and, Jim Traynor. RAB talks about Rangers needing, "to participate in the removal of doubt" ie remove David Graham. Let's reverse this, RAB bellows about, "Handsome H-u-ns", introduces a guest Janitor from Largs on his show for five years as, "the H-u-n with a Heart" and, pens articles for St Johnstone fanzines referring to Rangers supporters as, "H-u-ns and typical orange bastards". When does PQ participate in the removal of doubt? You will never quench the thirst of the PQ Gang Hut for another Useful Idiot?