UCF2008

If that's the point then why not record a Q&A session with the supporters groups? Even if Traynor wanted to plant a couple of employees to make sure his questions were asked, it would still likely make for a more relaxed interview, get more coherent responses from the interviewee and all round be a better watch.

I don't think sticking the Rangers manager in a dark room to be grilled by a shit stirring hack who then bills it as a no-holds barred interview is a good idea. I find it worrying that this is the sort of in-house media content Traynor sees as the way forward for Rangers. I think Ally was understandably unsettled by this setting and line of questioning. Let's face it. If they'd tried the same thing with Walter back in the day Traynor would have been seeking medical attention before he got half way through that interview. Maybe it's just me, but when you've got a manager who's approachable and enjoys a chat, why would you think this is the way to get answers to these types of questions? Then again subtlety's never been one of Traynor's strong points.

I don't see how we got that figure of £1m a month in the first place. Whyte took over a company which was going between posting a modest profit / loss year on year except fo the odd year where SDM went mad on transer budget. This was despite paying ridiculous sums in interest and repayments on our debt. Whyte (EDIT: Ticketus) then took away that burden and didn't pay a penny in tax. Yet D&P expected us to believe our club was running at that loss? Where was the money going? Then we've got Green who's take on it will no doubt be 'When I took over we were losing £1m a moth and we could have made job cuts but we didn't because Ally wanted Lionel Messi.' It's all just BS as far as I'm concerned. They've been ripping us of this whole time.

I don't understand how anyone can be expected to believe that we've been losing £1m a month the whole time for the past 2 years. Through all the financial upheaval with Whyte, administration costs and legal fees, then for the past year significant restructuring, a massively reduced wagebill and turnover - how is it possible for the loss to have remained at a nice even £1m?. Even if the monthly loss is now suddenly down to £400k (supposedly thanks to getting Alexander, Boca & Goian of the wage bill?) I don't see how our turnover has been reduced to around £13m

If reports are to be believed about the payoffs for Goian and Boca then the only way we should be moving any players on is if an offer comes in.

Foster Cole Argyriou Peralta Mitchell Faure Hegarty Little McAusland

I think the lad's obviously got ability. If he could stay fit then he'd be a definite candidate for 1st choice RB. It's probably why we've only given him a year. If he wasn't homegrown then, like Hemmings, he maybe wouldn't have been offered an extension.

Players already who've already left the club: Alexander Kyle Sandaza Hemmings If Boca and Goian join them that will be six players with three of them amongst our highest earners. Sandaza wouldn't have been too cheap either iirc. There could also be more outgoings for all we know. If it balances out come the transfer window end that we've added four or five players to the size of squad we started with last season without drastically increasing the wage bill then I don't see too much of a problem with that.

They're both about 50 years old and it's 15 - 20 years since they stopped playing. Some people enjoy keeping fit. To others it's hard work. It's not as if it's unusual sports pros to let themselves go after retiring. If anything one look at Kenny McDowall is all the motivation our players need to keep themselves in shape.

I agree and while I have been and remain skeptical of a fan ownership model I do think that having a supporters representative on the board could be a step towards achieving a more cohesive response. We need a conduit through which our opinions can be gathered, balanced and expressed on our behalf both to the club and the media. How we would go about acheiving this aim is, I would guess more difficult from our end than it would be for the club. Nonetheless, if we can successully nominate and elect such a spokesperson then I think at this point in time the club would be open to it. Absolutely. We should always be on our toes and ready to fend off their attacks. They'e relentless. I'll give them that. Funnily enough though I think it's their collective mindset which is their undoing when it comes to deploying many of their underhand tactics. You can see them coming a mile off mainly because they're all singing from the same hymn sheet.

I agree with a lot of what the OP mentions and it is a well written article. However, I do take issue with a couple of points. For one I don't personally believe the support is more fractured than usual. We all have our own points of view and internet forums provide a platform to voice them and debate issues. Internet forums aren't however a reliable guage of the opinion of the broader spectrum of the Rangers support nor do they provide a clear picture of the unity or lack thereof within our fanbase. Inter-forum political clashes and petty squabbling are rife, but this isn't anything new. It's been this way for years. Even before we had anything to really piss us off and be at one anothers throats over like we have in the past year we were still managing to do so just fine. Sustained high attendances at Ibrox and wherever our team has played over the past year tells me all I need to know about the state of our support. I'd say it's in pretty good health. We don't all agree on everything, but why should we? We should be proud of our individuality and diversity. We are the people. We're not sheep. We're not automatons. We don't bow down to anyone. We're not like them and the last thing I'd want for us is to start playing them at their own game. They are where they are at the top of the SPL not because they outplayed or outsmarted us but because they conspired and cheated and eventually it paid off for them. We're on our way back though and that alone leaves a sour taste in their mouths as they toast their hollow victory. Leave them to it. They'll get their comeuppance.

I feel sorry for the lad. He had all the right attributes to be a success, but was really unlucky with injuries. Hopefully he can still go on to make a good career for himself.

20 of which have come through the youth setup. So there's at least something to be positive about

Don't know if it means anything but todays training pics show Smith wearing the number 3 jersey. Others spotted: Bell - 1 Argyriou - 2 Cribari - 4 Wallace - 5 Little - 7 Black - 8 Macleod - 10

The collar on the Italy shirt is a lot better than the v-neck with striped crew neck undershirt mess of all the other examples shown here. Change the red and green on the sleeves to blue or white and stick our badge on that shirt. Sorted.

The fact that Gary Locke even considered asking Rangers for help shows the complete lack of remorse and understanding of what the SPL clubs and their supporters did to Rangers last Summer that we've come to expect from all those involved in the top flight. I don't personally want to hold a grudge but I can certainly understand why a large number of fellow bears do. Sheer stupidity from Locke to have asked us nevermind tell the press about it. They should think about organizing a legends game at Tynecastle. Unlike us they might not attract an AC Milan select, but given the sympathy being shown to them I don't think they'd have too much of a problem attracting an all-star select of some sort for opposition.

In an alternate reality where the fans can govern the wage structure of the club I'd vote for giving the manager the same basic salary as the CEO with the capacity to almost double it based on performance. Ally's NOT here for the money. People should be mindful of the fact that he took a huge wage cut to return here.

Named and shamed as he should be. Tw@t. Well done DT. We had our share of former players doing what they could in our time of need, but actions always speak louder than words.

I'm sure they would. I don't think we would be struggling to arrange a friendly with a household name if that's what we wanted. Obviously it would be more attractive to the fans and probably the players as well. My point is that I think it's a wiser move to play against smaller/part-time opposition in pre-season if that's the task you're faced with in the season ahead ...both from a tactical & motivational perspective.

When you consider the standard of the opposition we'll be facing next season where in a best case scenario we'll have a handful of cup games against SPL sides, I think it's a sensible approach to be avoiding glamour friendlies in pre-season. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if we bring an EPL side up to Ibrox at the end of July.

I think the IPO went better than expected. Why any hard nosed corporate investors/fund managers would think Rangers was a sound investment at that valuation and under that stewardship is beyond my comprehension of the stock market.

The salaries possibly were ludicrous but were still in line with our closest rivals. Our wage bill was actually a good bit lower at the time CW took over and with the exception of Boca & Goian all significant contracts sanctioned by him weren't TUPE'd. When we were forced to start from Div3 Green & co had a decision to make. They could have made wholesale redundancies and been honest with everyone about where we stood, or they could do what they chose to do and pretend everything was fine at least for long enough for a successful flotation. They made the decision and to blame their poor business model on previous regimes is a joke.

It's been brought about by a complete lack of transparency from the current regime. I agree we shouldn't be using any significant amount of the IPO money to cover operating costs. We were supposed to have money in the bank and be working within our means pre IPO according to several public boasts by Green. So why then did it appear when Green and Stockbridge were pressed on the issue towards the end of the season that more than half of the IPO money was missing? Where did it go? Are we back to the losing £1m a month sham? because even that doesn't begin to cover it. You said before that you think Ally has a 'brass neck and a cheek' to be taking that wage from the club right now. My point is that he's only doing his job. It's not his job to figure out or to question whether the club can afford the amount he's paid personally or player budget he's given. Just like we blamed SDM instead of DA or WS for overspending the same should apply here.

Someone should remind him they're liquidating RFC 2012 plc

And yet here we are with that man gone and our extremely well paid finance director Mr Stockbridge and new CEO still haven't tightened the purse strings it would seem as we've added another 6 players, 3 of which came from SPL clubs and like those who did likewise last season were probably given a reasonable salary bump in the process. Not to mention signing fees which again would no doubt be excessive.