ascender

But then we're back to the old question of "what can we as fans actually do about it?".

Not very much by the look of things.

So could we afford to turn down this sort of money for one of our players who we have brought through and developed? Every player has his price and surely that's even more true given our financial position?

I think we do need a creative midfielder badly. Assuming Smith and Webster are available soon, then I think we're doing OK in terms of squad size. But given the lack of chances WS has given to some players, maybe we do need to sign others?

Wow, I go in to the office for the first time in ages so don't get to check out the web. I make it home to this?!

So many thoughts and questions.

- Hutton didn't appear to want to go. But as he kept a dignified silence (whether he wanted to or not) we don't really know what he's been thinking.

- Did we needto sell?

- If so, is that simply to balance the books, or to fund more players?

- I think McCoist came out and said he wanted Hutton to stay but that he didn't know what the manager's opinion was. That's a bit strange and worrying.

- Are we now a selling club or was the offer too good to turn down as "every player has his price".

- Once again we're lacking leadership from above. Just what exactly are SDMs plans for our club for the next while?

Good luck to Hutton. Its obviously a great move financially for him and will do his profile even more good. I rate Ramos, so I don't think its as backwards a move as some think, but I'd liked to have seen him win the league here first.

Once again this does sum up the main problem we have which is that we don't play in the EPL.

I'm starting to wonder if we're going to sign anyone.

He's been awful at City but when they signed him he was attracting interest from Arsenal after his displays for Heerenveen. So if we do go for him then I guess we're hoping he can re-discover his early form. I guess given his age its a fairly low risk signing in today's market?

What's the reality of the situation? The interim financial results are due out soon, but until then we don't really know how bad/good things are. We also don't know what SDM's long term plans are, so that doesn't help in terms of what sort of club we are and where his ambition levels are at either.

This deal is now officially boring as f*ck. Either he's wanting to/willing to go or not.

I can't see Spurs wanting to wait, with the money on offer in the Premiership depending on final placings its just not worth it. Besides, anything could happen to Hutton during that time.

Just saw this on SSN. Can't say I'm that surprised.

Whittaker has always looked surprisingly skillful with the ball at his feet, but he just looked like he needed a wee break or maybe time to settle. Hopefully this is the start of a long run in the first team for him.

Someone on FF posted at the start of this week that he had it on good authority we'd be signing the guy. Of course, it could just be that the media are getting their rumours from forums. It wouldn't be the first time....

So did Gow have a good game or not?

 

If he seemed like a deer caught in the headlights playing against East Stirling then what will he look like playing against SPL clubs?

Our best player I thought and someone lacking in confidence or overawed wouldn't have attempted some of the flicks and touches he was trying.

I must have been watching a different game!

Bear in mind I only saw the highlights last night, but from that, Gow was the player who stood out, head and shoulders above the rest and much moreso than Buffel.

Its a bit difficult to judge properly given the standard of the opposition, but Gow looked the part tonight. Some lovely touches and link-up play suggests he deserves a chance in the first team. At the very least we should maybe be putting him out on loan so that he's playing regularly.

The Hutton story just won't go away.

If he's sacked his agent, then who's feeding press the rumours now?

Its still a 4-5-1, but having Burke and Naismith filling two of the wide berths has definitely changed the attacking shape IMO.

But we are playing a different system now, so surely we could put anyone in to Cousin's role and they could finish chances? Playing with Burke and Naismith in wide attaching roles seems to be making more chances for our front man, so I'd have though JCD, Novo or Boyd could just step in and do the job now for us. The thing about Cousin was that his attributes were giving us much more than the others would have in the European games where our one up front was a proper lone striker role. I don't think its the same as that any more, so I'd like to see one of the other guys given a chance in the existing formation.

But on the other hand, he was our top scorer this season.

And on the other, mysterious third hand, he didn't want to be here.

Do we need another CB though? He'll never get a game as WS won't drop Weir, so what's the point of wasting money on one?

Besides, Webster and Smith are both due to play again in the reserves, so hopefully they're finally going to be available to us.

I still think its a great myth Gribz that Sebo didn't get a chance here. If you look at the stats that's just not the case.

If we don't buy a replacement for Cousin then maybe we should take him back to add to our options?

Surely then Mike your issue / problems should be with whoever signed Cousin then? As you said, he never hid his desire to play in the EPL. In SDM's world, this has been a fantastic signing for Rangers. We paid under a million for him, paid his wages for ~6 months and have sold him for over �£3M. He also scored some important goals for us.

 

In the short term, its hard to argue that this has been a wonderful deal for Rangers. However, like everything SDM touches, lets look at the longer term. Will WS get the �£3M to sign a replacement? Will WS's squad be better after the window closes than it was when it opened? Will WS be allowed to buy a much needed left back, keeper and striker?

 

I think we all know the answers to the above - it'll be no to all of the above. The names getting banded about to replace Cousin appear to be 'step downs' rather than equal or better standards of players.

 

Cammy F

Well its another case of short-termism, isn't it? At least for once we had the common sense to put a release clause in the contract which got us a decent amount for him. So was it all just a bit of business to get Cousin his move and in return we'd get our pockets lined? The rumours certainly started pretty quickly that he was unhappy and wanted a move.

I guess we'll soon see on Sky if we saw the best of Cousin or not.

The problem with replacing him was that we got him on the cheap considering how he'd thrown a strop and there was no way back at his last club. So replacing him, especially in the January window is going to be tricky to say the least.

We've already been prepared for the fact we're not going to sign anyone, so who knows what will happen.

And a bargain at 3.something million as valued by Mad Vlad.

I don't have a problem with young players coming here and admitting that one day, they'd like to try a different league, whether that's the EPL or La Liga or whatever. I think that shows a healthy ambition and hunger to further their career. Someone like Gio for example.

My problem with Cousin is that we've been used purely to put him in the shop window when things went sour at his last club. Like I posted a while back, his time here has been such a cliche of a grumpy/unhappy foreign player its been ridiculous really. The main thing is we've made a very nice profit on his fee and aren't going to be keeping a player who didn't want to be here.

Most annoying manager in a long time, but unfortunately with Premiership prices you can't really argue with the valuation.

A lot of talk / rumour of Barry Ferguson signing for the toon ?

Not much on that rumour, I've only heard it once. Since Keegan's been up here the last while, he's been linked with Fergie, Scott Brown9 and even Barry Robson! All nonsense I'm guessing.