ascender

Its ironic that Eck is signing him as I thought he was another one of the managers who just didn't rate him according to many?

If Ferguson was to go, our squad balance is all over the place, that's the real problem. Mendes and Davis in the middle would do for me, but then who do you play on the right and left sides?

I thought a fully fit Webster could be the cornerstone of our rebuilt team for the next 5 years+ as I've always been very impressed when I've seen him play. Shame how its turned out.

If the major issue is the wage bill, why isn't the man responsible for contracts, wages, fees etc in the spotlight? Wonder what percentage of pay increase / bonus he'll get this year once he's sold all our players?

 

Cammy F - Murray & Bain GTF Loyal RSC

What I want to know is how the wage bill got out of control again? One of Bain's first tasks was to sort it out which he did when Eck was here, ahead of the timescale that SDM gave him. But quietly over the last couple of years it seems to have crept up again.

As for Bain, I think he has had some unfair stick during his time here, particularly as he's only following SDM's policies, but during his tenure, we've consistently been having to pay players to leave the club early, paid over the odds for players coming in, let players leave for much reduced fees or for free, paid ridiculously high bonuses to players and as JCD has proved, paid over the odds in wages.

Its a mess from the top down.

But here is the rub..... what can they do ? Not renew season tickets ? Another nail in the coffin.

 

SDM wants to go and no-one wants to buy.

 

We really ARE in the shit.

First step would be to protest if it comes to it. Because the last time there was a protest, it was only a minority despite the dire straits we were in and the usual nonsense was trotted out that "its not the Rangers way" and how SDM shouldn't be criticised.

Given the size of the club & its support, I find it hard to believe there's no-one out there who could run this club better than Murray. There must be a happy medium between financial ruin and running the club on a shoestring, whilst still competing for the SPL and getting in to Europe each season. I've not got the skill or experience to dissect the figures, but it was clear even to me that there's gross mis-management in the running of this club.

The problem is, how long would the fans give any new owner to turn things around? Stripping out the dead wood on and off the pitch (including the jobs for the boys brigade) could take ages to get right.

Its a fucking disgrace and I really hope its the thing which will finally show many supporters exactly what SDM is doing to our club and they wise up.

Murray would leave tomorrow if he had the option to, but there's nobody out there to take the club on.

Is that because of his unrealistic asking price/valuation?

According to Keith Jackson, Boyd & Ferguson can go if the money is right.

I always just assumed we'd end up with Boyd and someone else up front, someone who can complement his natural goal-scoring instincts.

Or...... why not sell Boyd AND Naismith and have a starting front 2 of Kenny Miller and Lee McCulloch.......

 

We have mentioned Lafferty (who doesnt excite me at all) and Naismith coming back (who I prefer on the left side) but I think that we will see more of Velicka, who seems to be in the Boyd mould.

 

For me the current situation is a product of the complete mis-management of funds by WS with the signings he made in August.

Ah, but Lafferty is one for the "future" according to Walter. Or is that not true anymore I wonder?

Is this really all about cash flow? If it was about the wage budget then getting rid of McCulloch, Dailly & JCD would surely make more of a saving than just Boyd. So it does make you wonder if we're really in the shit financially?

Walter has blatantly wasted money since returning on the wrong players. But why has SDM given him more money to spend if we didn't have it? Even after we went out of Europe he continued to throw good money after bad on players who should have been signed before the Kaunas fiasco.

Naismith is on his way back form injury so everything's fine. Here's an idea. Why don't we not sell Boyd and play him and Naismith? Two young Scottish players who have played well together at a previous club and who linked well when playing together for us.

Apparently Rangers have informed clubs that ALL players are available.

 

Naismith is another option to Lafferty.

I've been seeing those rumours all week, just wasn't sure if they were true or not. If they are, then that's a very bad sign for the health of our club.

I reckon 3.5M or 4M tops. I'm guessing with the way things work in football, Birmingham wouldn't have made a bid if they didn't think Boyd was available.

Unbelievable.

The asset stripping is now surely entering its final stages. Well done SDM.

You have to ask, how have we ended up here again? Has SDM not learned anything from his mistakes of the past?

All conspiracy theories aside, its another strange situation at best. This is a player that our coaching staff would have been well aware of before signing him given his time in the SPL. I thought he looked quite promising in pre-season, but then sunk without really being given a chance.

Taking all the above in to consideration, you then have to look at his fee which might not be a lot historically speaking, but in our current situation, it is a significant sum to be prepared to write off.

Balls. Totally missed this post!

Why would anyone want him back after he left us to go elsewhere for more money despite constantly proclaiming his love for the club and fans. He had his chance, so why would we bail him out now? Besides, by the look of things we couldn't afford his wages anyway.

Fergie may not be on top form, but he is a class above anything else in a Scotland shirt and Traynor can get fucked!!!

So if he's a class above all these other players, why isn't he showing it on a regular basis for us in particular? I can count on one hand the number of excellent performances I can remember from him for us over the last couple of years and I can't remember the last time he played a few very good games in a row, let alone really influenced matches.

I think he's been living on his past reputation with us for some time now and each year we've been getting excuses as to why he's not been playing well, but he's never regained the form he showed before he left to go to Blackburn.

I know we had much higher quality players around him back then, but if he is as talented as we keep being told, why isn't he showing us? At least in the SPL?

Jim Traynor (I know, I know.....) hit the nail on the head today for me with his piece.

NEWCASTLE want Barry Ferguson.

Christmas has come late to Ibrox.

 

Word that the Premiership side are interested in buying Ferguson has to be the best piece of news Rangers have heard since Paul Le Guen told them the blood and snotters of the Scottish game wasn't for him.

 

Old Joe Kinnear has been telling everyone he wants to sign the Rangers captain and although the Ibrox hierarchy haven't been contacted yet, surely they must be rubbing their hands in anticipation.

 

If they're smart they'll get on the blower to Newcastle right away and secure a nice, fat cheque in return for Ferguson, a player whose popularity continues to outstrip his ability. If Ferguson does indeed have magical powers then he uses them only to dupe the masses into believing he is a player of extraordinary ability when, in fact, he's too often little better than mediocre.

 

But a myth has been allowed to grow around this player and anyone who chooses to stand apart and look at his contributions with a critical eye is immediately branded an idiot who has no knowledge or appreciation of the game's intricacies.

"You're talking through your a***, mate. Barry Ferguson, Baz, Bazza, Fergie? Great player. One of the best ever. Rangers would be nothing without him and the same goes for Scotland."

 

Actually, it is legitimate to ask if the opposite might be true for that club and our national team but somehow Ferguson has been moved in to a position where he cannot lose.

He has become great and almost heroic without ever having to prove any of it is true.

When Rangers struggle to win it is never his fault and yet he is meant to have skills beyond the ordinary.And he is the captain.

 

Also,when Scotland fail it is never his fault.

 

And yes,he is the national team captain,too. It's a surprise the law hasn't been changed to make it an offence to criticise Ferguson because he has so many fawning followers out there, especially in the papers. Even former footballers, who really ought to know better, talk him up.

The same thing happened with Paul McStay. He was another player who had greatness bestowed upon him without the need to earn it.

 

So now we are all supposed to accept Ferguson is a wondrous talent even though he wouldn't make it into a Rangers' best 11. And he certainly wouldn't be up there as one of the club's greatest skippers.

 

Ferguson has no idea how to lead a team.

 

He's too busy concentrating on himself and on how he is performing to help those around him.

All those who think he is a star need to ask themselves how often their hero stepped forward to show the way when Rangers were under pressure. Rarely is the answer and he hardly ever intimidates opposing midfield players.

 

The truth could be that he isn't brave enough and for evidence just think back to the last Old Firm match squeezed in between Christmas and the New Year.

 

Celtic's Scott Brown, Paul Hartley and Barry Robson did exactly what Ferguson fails to do.

Through their own energy, desire and courage they dragged their team-mates to victory but it is blindingly obvious Ferguson doesn't possess the skills or the mentality to be a genuine great of the game. Frankly it's hysterical that so many fans are in awe of him.

No doubt they'll be calling on Rangers to reject any offers but that would be extreme folly. If Kinnear is daft enough to want Ferguson then Rangers should do business as quickly as possible and get rid of him.

 

He wouldn't be such a big miss and other players such as Pedro Mendes and Steve Davis might even flourish because Ferguson's presence in a team seems to have the effect of subduing those around him. It's as though even they are in awe and feel they should operate in his shadow.

The same thing happens when he plays for Scotland and although it could be argued the likes of Mendes, Davis, Brown and Darren Fletcher should be confident and good enough to get on with business no matter who is in their teams, it might be time to see Ferguson for what he really is.

He can be exceptional but is just as frequently average and a sense of reality needs to be applied when talking about Ferguson, who might even have come to believe he is more important than anyone else at Ibrox.

 

The stand-off with Le Guen,who was never fooled by Ferguson and stripped him of the captaincy,added to the myth because the player survived while the manager had to leave but the Frenchman got it right.

 

He believed Ferguson's influence might not be in the club's best interests and it would be surprising if others at Ibrox have not yet come to believe the same thing.

Ferguson is not one of those players who can't be sold off. He isn't a Paul Scholes or a Steven Gerrard. Right now he isn't even a Scott Brown. Kinnear and Newcastle could be about to do Rangers a massive favour and if an offer is made David Murray should take it. Hard as it might be for many of their fans to accept, the club wouldn't fall apart without this one ordinary individual.

Rangers boss Walter Smith says no clubs have been in contact regarding the availability of skipper Barry Ferguson.

Balls.

I knew it was too good to be true.

Tims 2 v Utd 2

 

hats a few dropped points..now tomorrow can we do it?

Hell yeah!

But what happens if we manage the unthinkable and win the SPL this season? SDM is vindicated and Smith will be lauded as a saviour for bringing the title back home by the majority of the support. Strange as this may sound, I find that a bit worrying as that title win could let SDM & WS continue to hide the fact that not everything is all right and we're actually in the shit, both on and off the park. Its similar to the time when Eck's European run was hiding the fact that the club was in a right state, but those results in Europe were effectively keeping him in the job.

I still think he'd have ended up here instead of Weir if WS had been appointed sooner.

The Ferguson thing will never happen as he's "Mr Rangers". I still think it would be the best for all involved, including him, if he left though.