ascender

For some reason, I don't envisage any rash decisions by the board, so assume a 6 months minimum.

I used to be in that camp, but given how things have gone so far and with the start we have, I have a sneaking suspicion the Board might be left with no choice if we're struggling after the first three matches to be honest.

Signing Walker and Naismith (while accepting he's not the player he was when he was here before) would make me a lot more optimistic about our chances this season.

In a way it's pretty simple - it was an avoidance scheme which has been closed down and the players are liable for the bill. As someone who has been self employed for nearly 20 years, you read about these schemes all the time and I remember when EBTs were being discussed as an option. At the time, a quick google made it clear that it wasn't worth the risk - it fell under the umbrella of "too good to be true" and my accountant agreed. So it was always high risk and I'm kind of surprised someone like Murray went along with it.

I also don't get the argument that we couldn't have afforded the players without using this scheme. Murray would have found a way - possibly another tax avoidance loophole - but that's another very flimsy argument to try and stir emotions and a sense of injustice.

It is nice to see that we're being blamed again for the downfall of Scottish football due to everyone trying to spend lots to keep up with us. Again, it's all about Rangers and nobody taking responsibility for their own actions.

Is it not the former players who used this system that should be worried?, can they be chased for the tax due?

Yes, that's as I understood it all along - as much as the sensationalist headlines focused on the club, ultimately the players were liable for the tax due.

Is it not the former players who used this system that should be worried?, can they be chased for the tax due?

Yes, that's as I understood it all along - as much as the sensationalist headlines focused on the club, ultimately the players were liable for the tax due.

OK, i'll bite

Sack him today and bring McInnes in. With the players we have, and assuming Dorrans and maybe Walker signs, I bet he'd comfortably get second place in the league for us and give Celtic a proper challenge.

Our priority should be to establish ourselves as title challengers again and back to being the best team in Scotland. Any progress in Europe is a bonus for the next few years.

The Limmassol game was the banana skin.

 

Last night should never have been on the cards whatsoever. There is just no excuse for it.

Were you confident though Frankie? After that first leg, I really thought the writing was on the wall for us and genuinely wasn't that surprised with how things went...

This was always going to be a potential "banana skin" for us, even moreso when you see how we finished the season and all the new players coming in - plus the fact we started the first leg with a few players who I don't think will be here much longer.

The optimist in me hopes its nothing more than that and the players just need some more time, plus adding a couple more quality players will make a difference.

The realist/pessimist in me wonders if Pedro will be here in a few months time.

Well fvck me that was grim viewing.

Genuinely don't know what else to say.

Aye, let's hope there is a good sell on clause!

Fingers crossed! We might be able to buy some new goal nets with it when he ends up at Aberdeen in a couple of years time.

Are Forest still interested in Tav as well?

In one of the above comments it's quoted that Celtic are rumored to be getting 10 million for a player Celtic fans didn't particularly like a year ago in the last year of his contract. Is he 8-10 times the player of McKay? I'd rather we run down his contract for that money and lost him for nothing than sell him for 750K

A player is only worth what someone is willing to pay for him and in McKay's case there's not exactly a queue of clubs beating down our door with offers. If someone doesn't want to be here then I'd get rid of them, get some cash back and move on. Especially as he's in the last year of his contract - even if we played him there's no guarantee he'd lift his game to attract more offers and what happens if he does then signs a pre-contract in January? His form could dip and we end up with another (possibly disruptive) passenger.

I'm not sure how Pedro's reign will go, but I do like how he's going about his business - he seems to know his mind and is being very decisive.

The green boots thing is funny as to just how much coverage it is being given by everybody outside of Ibrox. IMO its just a wee part of the overall spirit of togetherness (not even siege mentality) that the manager is bringing in. Why would a player wear the colour of boots of their fiercest rivals?

I hope that's true as I think he could be the most important signing we make.

I feel sorry for Halliday. He lost form last season but he was hardly the only one, I do wonder how he'd perform with better defence behind him and a better attack in front of him. I still think he's a better player than he gets credit for. Hey ho.

I think there's a few players who fall in to that category to be honest. I'd say the lack of confidence displayed within the team as a whole also didn't help.

Of course, the flip side is that some of these players also made quite a lot of unforced errors and very reckless challenges/decisions through the course of the season so its a difficult one to judge.

Should be a great atmosphere for all concerned, especially the new signings. Hopefully we see a great performance which lays down a marker for the season ahead.

My feeling is that off the pitch we are clearly making great progress in what was always going to be a medium-term project. There's been some big wins in the last couple of weeks and its clear that DK does have a plan.

Although I do wish he'd keep quiet about Celtic and just concentrate on us - his recent comments in particular seem misjudged at best.

On the pitch its great to see the manager getting backed and being able to do his business early, bringing in the players he clearly wanted. You can't really ask for more than that can you? Its just a matter of whether or not it all comes together now on the pitch for him although the fact he signed Alves early-on is great as its been obvious for years our central defence has sucked at defending and needed an experienced CB to lead the line.

I'd really like to see Dorrans sign - I think he could be a key player for us and is a definite improvement on anyone else we have at the moment.

Brilliant news.

I didn't quite grasp how pathetic the position was.

You've jinxed us now! Never say stuff like that when it comes to European football!

Excuse my ignorance but who is this?

Glad its not just me! Lost count of how many pics get posted these days and I'm....

The Garner exit has been rumoured for some time so I guess comes as no surprise. I always thought he was a strange player to sign given how Warburton liked to play.

The biggest trick will be getting all these new players to gel into a team and new way of playing quickly

At least we seem to be doing our business early this year which will help with this and presumably means the manager has a plan and identified who will feature in it quick smart.

He obviously did enough to earn himself the Captain's armband....and lead the team to win promotion from the Championship.

Hearts fans I know didn't rate him at all during that period and I didn't see enough of him to make a judgement to be honest.

Was about to ask what the latest was, so thanks for that der Berliner.

Danny Wilson is still only 25. I thought he might have improved alongside Hill (who did take a while to settle) a la how he did when playing with Weir, but that didn't really happen. He hardly set the world alight at Hearts either, after failing to do anything at Liverpool.

Playing Devil's advocate though, our defence has been pretty dire for a couple of seasons and has lacked any protection from midfield, so is it too early to write him off entirely? I think its been tough to judge some players over the last while simply because as a team we've lacked cohesion, confidence, spirit or fight.

The comment about bringing investment was interesting because I can't remember him ever being mentioned in that regard before? Although I seem to remember there were a few rumours he was interested in taking over at one point - was his name mentioned in connection with the US guy who was reportedly interested? Or have I made that up...

If we're close to being back on an more firm financial footing then its maybe not too far fetched to suggest he might be able to find some people willing to invest something.

why would any player who has proved himself in the English Championship come to the spfl ?

The chance of European football; trophies; playing in front of 40-50,000 fans every second week; Scotland; decent money etc.

I still think we do ourselves a disservice when it comes to what positives there are in coming up here to join our club.

I thought AJ was one of those who spoke a lot of common sense and seemed to the best wishes of the club at heart, not to say being someone who spoke with passion and also seemed to "get" the connection we all have to Rangers. I'd be delighted to see him involved in some way.