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I actually think NEH is an example of the board spending wisely, tbh - outwith the issue @Bluedell has brought up, re selling assets. From what I've read, King's main goal would be to find new investment. That's not utilising what we've got more wisely, that's just bringing in more short-term money - which, I suspect, is largely self-serving.

And the circus begins. There's no doubt Rangers needs change at boardroom level along with a CEO capable of making decisions but I'm far from convinced King (or the likes of Alastair Johnston for that matter) are the answer. Current board need to appoint credible people. People like King, Bennett, the Park family and others all played key parts in rescuing the club 10 years ago but that doesn't mean they're the answer now. We're undergoing a rebuild on the park and the same needs to happen off it. Credible, independent recruitment a must.

Aye. It's a lot easier to implement a trading model when you bring in the thick end of £200m in TV money. It's a different beast altogether when you're trying to implement it at a club where qualification into the knockouts of the UEL is do or die for the budget. BUT, it is the right way to go about things. Invest in youth, develop them and sell them on. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we should have a monopoly on Scottish talent akin to Ajax in the Netherlands. It's not like Celtic are producing stars through their academy is it?

We'll need to agree to disagree. I think Bennett was on the right track. It seems to me that the board are now looking for outside talent - reading between the lines of King's comments. I could be wrong.

We'll need to agree to disagree on NEH. I go back to what I posted above: "I think it just requires us to utilise our capital better, rather than relying on more and more investment." We must become self-sustaining. We shouldn't be going cap in hand to the next Tom, Dick or Harry. I would vote for change, too. I don't think King is that change.

NEH will end up an empty shell like the old one did. £12M (at last count) that has no real function other than housing a shop and museum. It was a vanity project for the board that was over budget, underdelivered and overran - it sums up the current board. King said that the days of the board giving the club loans and investments are gone, the well is dry, there is no more money. So, then how do we finance a real football CEO? Or a new Director Of Academy? Or even a new Chairperson? How do we finance the scouting system and purchases of young, exciting talent that we can develop and sell? All takes finance and that finance has to come from somewhere. We have gone past stagnation and are spirling out of control (don't expect many others to see ot that way, but I do) and the current board are squarely to blame for this. They have shown they have no path out of it, so it's time for change or its time to accept that Rangers Football Club will become just another run of the mill Scottish Club. I'll vote for change.

I can't believe how easily we've fallen back into wanting this. It's completely unsustainable.

What we need is to become a viable business that doesn't spend around 10M more than it earns every year. What we as fans have to accept is that the transition will come with a degree of pain and show the patience necessary. What we need is vision, competence and cojones in those upstairs. What looks like happening is more of what has been going on for decades.

Quick update on some of the guys that have left. OUT - Kieran Wright (25) – on loan OUT - Robby McCrorie (26) - signed for Kilmarnock, already been dropped and lost his place in the team OUT - Sam Lammers (27) - sold to Twente plays most weeks and scored a couple of goals. OUT - Connor Goldson (31) - sold to Aris Limassol OUT - Todd Cantwell - sold to Blackburn Rovers → Contracts ending Summer 2024 Jon McLaughlin (36) - contract 6/2024 - signed backup at Swansea City Kemar Roofe (30) - ST - contract 6/2024 - still without a club Borna Barisic (31) - LB - contract 6/2024 - at Trabzonspor, plays rotated with their Turkish lad. Ryan Jack (32) – CM - contract 6/2024 - signed for a Turkish 2nd division outfit, on the bench at the weekend. John Lundstram (30) - CM - contract 6/2024 - signed for Trabzonspor. Played early on but dropped recently. 'Lundstram is a very heavy and cumbersome football player.' - technical director Senol Gunes Abdallah Sima (22) - RW/ST - contract till 2024 (season long loan) joined Breast, will play in the CL. Fabio Silva (21) - ST – loan to Las Palmas to play with Oli MCBurnie and Scott McKenna. Not played yet. Reason for the update - I think this illustrates how these guys we have lost wouldn't add any value (out with Sima) and we shouldn't be concerned with letting highly paid / low performing players go.

I voted Barron. Shout out though for Jefte. A 500k 20 year old Brazilian, been here 5 minutes who looks like he has been playing for us for years. How refreshing that a left back can play 3 games in a row and not get injured for 2 months.

That's why pulling the B Team out of the Lowland League was a mistake. I know we were unhappy that we couldn't get promoted into the league structure but at least the players were playing competitive games on a weekly basis. A properly run youth academy with the correct people in charge is absolutely imperative. Not doing so when we were put down the divisions was one of the biggest mistakes in our recent history.

Thanks Cammy seems a strange one. Whats the point in us having the smartcards

I suspect few would welcome the return of DK following the never ending SD court cases

There has been a lot of investment over the years of one sort or another. We have nearly always used most of it for short term temporary fixes. Not forgetting how the 2012 IPO money was used !! John Bennett was the first to actually put into practice some of what was really needed. Lets say it wasn't appreciated. However, he lacked the cojones, delayed communication to TELL the support what was going on and why. Not to mention being too late (Beale summer 23). The other side of the city got it right but their support didn't like the medicine either. But upstairs didn't care, they did what needed doing. That kind of leadership has been lacking at Ibrox for decades.

Sounds like you want us to play our way out of our problems. I would like to see that. If anybody thinks that's not possible then you have to wonder why they bother watching at all.

Oh, I've been to game or three in my time and once again you're comparing apples with peaches (as you know you are). Completely different from targeting a player whilst he's walking to his car after a game.

Which is why sorting out the B team and AD has to be a priority for the next CEO. Set out a plan and vision and see it through. Enough short termism, we've been treading water for too long.

Nothing to be read into that. You may well be right and Gillespie withdrew from the negotiations because lifelong Rangers fan though he is he doesn’t want to be associated with a binfire-bonfire-omnishambles presided over by a Board that can’t tie their own shoelaces none of which he would have known to start with or there may be some other reason, nothing to do with the club. I don’t know. Just a speculation.

A lot of Brightons recruitment and business strategy is/was propped up by heavy debt owed to Bloom. They owe him £100's of millions. We have that benign investment currently - what we don't have is a financial package offered to us in our domestic broadcast deal that would allow our board to bite the bullet and invest in capital projects to turbo charge the club. That's pretty much why Bordeaux went bust btw, France are struggling to put together a decent TV deal and potential buyers, like Liverpool, decided the risk wasn't worth it. Bloom is a gambler, he started out on slot machines believe it or not - he saw the premier league riches and decide to roll the dice with his money and it's paid off.

There would be no point. Any money spent on the smartcard system will be saved and used to cover the unpaid invoice for Todd Cantwell's leaving night.

Is that what you wanted King to do? Turn us into Brighton & Hove Albion B?

Or even put on workshops with the Princes Trust or other organisations that can help the youth - that kind of social impact would do a lot for the clubs image.

Aye, they should push for up and coming bands to play there rather than tribute acts. A legitimate music venue to build a name for itself rather than a glorified Working Mens Club.

Folks this is a side track from the topic but didn't want to start a new one just for this................. Does anyone know why the smartcards are not getting activated for the Europa league games? I understand why for Dundee but presumed the European and future league ones would be back to smartcard now that we are heading back to Ibrox?

Rangers were toxic after Whyte was got rid off. Few would have touched Rangers back then. Now is different but as I said they’re not going to just chuck in a few millions & let the incumbents get on with it. They want control first

I may be very wrong but I don't trust Mr King.

But that's not change either - King is the only one actively promoting change. He would come in for 2 years, recruit the required people to take club forward (I.e not him or the current board), get some much needed external investment then ride of into the sunset (no doubt with his shares sold). It did start with King but got a lot worse with the current incumbents who are taking us into some choppy waters with no real idea of how to get us out of them. How long have they had to appoint these people? Things must be worse than we think when the St Mirren vice chair (a life long bluenose) decides that St Mirren are a better career proposition than Rangers FC. This board have failed in everything they've done and yet we expect them to make the right decision now?

That's not a ringing endorsement. You just said they were cutting costs and now they're overspending? The overspending started with King. I just don't see King as a change. I think it's more of the same. I can only hope the board appoint an outside CEO and Chairman - something that King is against for some reason (quoted in The Herald).

Are there? They were hardly fighting each other to get control of the club when it was in the toilet the when we needed them to release the grip of the spivs. I don't think King would be hard to deal with if anyone was interested in buying his shares 🤔 It's a glorious thought and the ideal solution, that some mega-rich Rangers person will ride to our rescue but wouldn't bet on it.

The shop, museum and venue will provide a regular income stream - are those not real functions?).

Maybe - he has been on the bench for every game he hasn't played as far as I can tell.

If we play 3 we're in bother as soon as one of them [Balogun] gets injured, playing 3 limits our ability to press as well. For me it's Propper and Souttar, I think JS game will improve no end with having a good experienced guy alongside him every week.

I don't think anyone is advocating going back to this. However, to create a viable club, with the correct people in charge, with a working Youth Academy and player trading model, it requires investment.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/rUPsZgenqHJedvC6/ Very promising.

I have thought for a while that Clement's style of play requires mobile players. Until we get more of those types we'll continue to look a tad clunky. Bajrami didn't do much - only his first game, of course - but looks like a more mobile player, too.

You appear to get confused by the simplest of comments.

Just wait until you attend a match. You'll find the stands full of people launching verbal attacks on the players in what is their workplace.

Aye, like (some) fans and the club are shining lights at the moment. Bizarre take on current state of our club and the aresholes who think it's OK to verbally attack players when they are leaving what is their workplace. King is hardly the Knight on the white charger we require (long-term) but something needs to happen and needs to happen soon or we'll end up being another Aberdeen, Hearts or Hibs (and that won't be Tavs fault).

The Banter Years will give The Mousetrap a run for it's money for longevity at this rate.

Accrington Stanley, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers were the founding members of the Football League so you are right Everton/Villa is the only top flight fixture. Heavily concentrated in the north west and the midlands. No southern softies. I looked up the opening day matches. Villa drew 1-1 at Wolves. Everton best Accrington 2-1 at a place called Anfield.