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All he had to do was to get past Malmö. Advantage Rangers in the second leg of the tie but his team threw it away. If they hadn’t, money would have become available. The Board had to make a decision. They made the right one.

All the best to James Sands. He may not have won a contract, but he gave us 100% effort.

"Balance"? "Balance" is the new buzz word at PQ. RAB Cosgrove was taunting listeners with it, "Bobby Bluebell of the Bluebells is in the studio today, since this is the BBC and we must have balance we have two members of the band, Tide Lines who support Rangers". Bobby aka Robert Hodgens is the tall, long haired speccy frontman from the 80s/90s beat combo, the Bluebells. Robert laments their choice of name, "the grief we've had over the years". Bobby is just another long term Sellik supporting mate of RAB's. He told us during lockdown, "ah miss my regular coffees with Bobby Bluebell". RAB had Rangers supporting mates too; three of them but after 2012 they accepted Rangers are not the same club and gave up their season tickets. Balance allows for fantasy on a number of levels. Bobby, like so many other long term green'n'grey hooped horrors, is in with the PQ bricks. Regularly, Bobby is credited with providing ambient tones on documentaries, nature shows and, dramas. The creation of BBC Scotland's second channel has been very good financial news for RAB's fellow travellers. Thus, Bobby leaving one PQ studio to sit beside RAB in another with two other guys off the street is presented as, "Balance". Why doesn't RAB do the full Rangers Tax Case Blog nostalgia and get on Bobby's former bandmate, Lawrence Donegan? Of course, RAB has pleaded live on air for Rangers supporters to forget all about the Rangers Tax Case Blog on several occasions; however, at the weekend, he continues to bang on about succulent lamb and Jim Traynor. There's RAB's idea of balance. The Producers are always in on the jokes, they do not call in pretending to be Hearts supporters from Newton Mearns anymore to lambast Rangers; no that type of balance is now a no-no at Auntie Beeb. Prompting Tam the Token to read out an e-mail from Dave Ross hail hailing from the Admiral Bar in Bothwell Street is another type of balance. Dave Ross is one of a triumvirate owning the Admiral Bar, the other two names retreat into the shadows. The pub is closing because the building containing the Howf is being redeveloped. All RAB's long term BIG Sellik supporting mates have taken to their newspaper and fanzine(the National) columns to lament the bar's passing. Downstairs at the Admiral quickly became thePQ in-crowd Gang Hut. Phil McFournames held monthly briefings to packed breathless audiences. Kevin McKenna's column for the Herald and National was meeting in the pub with Gerry Braiden and Monsignor Tom Connolly(Scottish RC Press Officer) where he described the impending closure, "as akin to the death in the family". "Balance" echoed into Sunday, BIG Dick hosted the Final coverage where he introduced Pat Bonner then, "we require balance and Neil McCann is here too". Throw in Wullie Miller and Liam McLeod, you have the usual AberTic production. I was listening as the TIFO displays were revealed, Big Dick described the Rangers supporters offering as a crest and a capped supporter. He proclaimed he had no idea reference the Green Brigade's contribution? It was a depictation of a white phoenix arising from the flames ie, "out of the ashes arose the Provisionals". In a week where the IRA attempted to murder a serving Police Officer during a football coaching session, BIG Dick pleads ignorance and Pat cannot inform him and, all those Producers who stood downstairs in the Admiral cannot help him either? This must be the New Balance? If it fits, wear it with pride. PQ continually praise the actions of the Green Brigade, only last week RAB was in throes of excitement over their Douglas Ross banner. "Balance" must involve Chris McLaughlin, he reported on the nine O'Clock Sunday morning clashed between the Green Brigade and the Union Bears. Chris brought more new balance to the story in that he omitted Police Scotland had allocated Saturday to the GB to lay out their latest homage to the Provos and, the UB were given Sunday morning. Why the GB were marching down past the Rangers end at such a Sunday morning hour was not explained. I agree with the rest of Chris McLaughlin's sentiment in that Police Scotland will seek evidence to arrest all involved. Of course, the Balance comes at the Procreator Fiscal's office; remember, they have loads of previous for losing evidence against the Green Brigade? PQ Balance - it makes you feel quite dizzy.

All of this talk about an insurmountable gulf between us and them is a load of rubbish. They are better just now and there has been no debate for a little bit over a year. But we lost a cup match by a single goal at the weekend. In addition to that there are a couple of blatant errors from the management that may not happen in future. Mistakes in team selection are really easy to correct in future. Especially when you compare them to the problems that we have in terms of personnel. I mean you can't teach a fellow like Morelos to be the type of player that we need. He just doesn't get it and all we can do is wait for him to move on. I would bet against restoring Kamara. He appears to have lost interest altogether and we need to find a buyer as soon as possible.

Seems sensible, doesn't really fit in here as a defender or a midfielder. I'm sure will be a good player elsewhere. https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/james-sands-departs-rangers/1PmGXCNTEfFWr0AgnDyAmf RANGERS Football Club can today confirm James Sands has returned to parent club New York City FC. The United States international joined Rangers on-loan in January 2022 and went on to make 41 appearances for the club in both domestic and European competition. Sands featured for the Light Blues in the 2021/22 Europa League final and played his part in last season’s Scottish Cup run, as Rangers lifted the trophy for the first time in 13 years. He has also made a contribution to this year’s run in the Scottish Cup, with the winning goal against Partick Thistle in the last round of the competition. Rangers Manager, Michael Beale, commented: “I would like to thank James for his time at Rangers. He was a well-liked player in our squad and I enjoyed working with him on a daily basis. I believe he will go on to have an excellent career. “The opportunity to return to NYCFC for the start of the MLS season, where he will be a key player in their squad, was something that we felt was correct for all parties. Everyone at Rangers wishes him well moving forwards.”

I think too many of us overlook the role the DoF has ( or hasn’t played) lately. was this role not created to stop some of the things we’re now seeing mostly in squad recruitment & retention ?

Signings are always a bit of a gamble, especially when you're shopping in the bargain basement. I wasn't sure about GvB or Beale and (EL run excepted), neither of them proved me wrong. But there's still time for Beale. As for the squad, I think most of us agree a clear out is required. Kent, Morelos, Kamara and several others have got to go.

I am reluctant to criticize the board for this but hindsight suggests that another financial push at that stage may have been the right thing to do. I get the fact there are many good counter arguments and we converse in hindsight. Too much money wasted is also a big factor. The club had worked so hard to get in front again and we gave it up too easily.

Can’t help feeling however we’ve been handicapped by bad transfer windows in 2022. And that wasn’t just the fault of the then manager (GvB)

Agree....if half the players that were fielded on Sunday showed the same effort that James put in every time he pulled on RFC shirt we would have won the first trophy of the season. Best of luck James back at NYCFC.

As did Wilson who said any money raised would go straight into the squad. We also had Robertson champion the need for CL money, then play it down when asked why it wasn't being used to strengthen the squad. Too many "mixed" messages then complete radio silence from the board.

The exact same approach that the board takes every year. Why do some find this difficult to understand?

We got to the place we wanted to reach (55) and didn't build on it. The apparent reason being that we didn't have sufficient money to give Gerrard what he was looking for prior to the CL qualifiers. We have went far too many transfer windows without them making a positive difference and far too many signings that have been outside bets (injury history, other problem, etc) that we have had little return from. Was the board acting responsibly, not to throw more money at Gerrard that the club didn't have ? ....yes In hindsight was it the right decision ? ....and would it have actually been the relatively cheaper option compared to the current situation that confronts us ? The board have the right strategy but in the context of trying to keep up with the neighbours (which is what it comes down to) we make too many bad decisions in that rush. Mostly at a football level, many down to limited finance. If squad management is poor, you are going nowhere.

Bloody Arsenal

Not irrelevant - I want Rangers to be CL regulars, playing and competing with the best teams in Europe. I've wanted that since I started following Rangers in 1983 and I still want that now. This board are only responsible for us since 2015 and whilst I admit they have credit in the bank, over that time frame they have been more failure than success. Given they are the current custodians it's their duty to make us the best version we can be. In my opinion they are way off getting us there.

Good appointment, hopefully he continues where he left off at Aberdeen, and cements Dundee Utd's league position.

Agree, Wilson specifically had never been brought to task over those comments. It grated me particularly after the Jan we sold Patterson and got money for Gerrard and co and then 3 loans were brought in.

It's not rubbish - we are 9 points adrift in the league, they have beaten us in a cup final and you wouldn't bet on us winning the Scottish Cup (unless someone else knocks them out). They have better players than we do, the have a system they know and trust (and domestically it works, nobody can lay a glove on them), they have a board who continually back the manager.. Most importantly they control the media and the "narrative". I would like nothing more than knowing / believing that we are close to them, but everything points to that not being the case. I hope your assessment of the situation is correct and mines is wrong, but I wouldn't gamble much money on that being the case.

There was a comment from Beale towards the end of the transfer window that made me think this was going to happen, was surprised it didn't when Raskin came in... Correct decision all the same I think, squad is too big as it is and everybody needs game time to prove whether they can be part of the team going forward

What are your thoughts, folks?

I think covid and the subsequent financial losses due to it led to this. Gerrards talk at the time was that of someone who expected financial backing.

What the heck’s going on at Chelsea spent plenty but cat buy a win under the previous owner Potter would be long gone plus the Liverpool board must be looking at replacements for Klopp who seems to have lost the plot.

In terms of funding the board has outlined how it intends to generate revenue. Among other things it includes European football and player trading. Last time I checked Rangers had comparable revenue to Celtic. I expect our revenue to be lower but not so much that we can't compete with them on the pitch. In terms of managing without investment I think I've already said that it's a case of getting more out of existing resources. Given that there are no shortage of mistakes that we can point to it shouldn't be difficult to imagine how that would happen.

That domestically, apart from winning 55, its been an absolute disaster and failure after failure. Even during 55 title season, we had an open goal to win a treble but were knocked out of the cups by St Mirren and St Johnstone. If we are only concentrating on the league, we have a tenancy (or is it a trend) to implode after the winter break. Last season, even playing terrible we had a lead in the league that should have seen us crowned Champions, we throw it away (again). During that league campaign, Gio played Alfie until he broke down. He must have been only person who didn't see Alfies injury coming. Cost us the EL IMO.

We don't need investment. We need to make better use of existing resources. You talk about investment as if it does not come with a cost.

Is it not better to assume they keep making good decisions and plan accordingly, rather than just hoping for the best?

That's because we have 280 players worth 500 grand in our squad.

A mischief of yahoos.