buster.

Maybe we are shipping in more deadwood, on a slow boat from China. Steel / Concrete / Deadwood...* * Delete if ITK

What time is the plane (full of our deadwood) due to leave Glasgow, destination Riyadh? Or are they using a magic carpet?

The Saudi transfer window has opened today, so I'm sure a private jet full of cash is, as I type, speeding it's way to Glasgow. Whether it gets here before the slow boat from China (steel), I don't know.

Well deserved @der Berliner you were the most consistent throughout. Thanks Rousseau!!

Spain 1 England 2

Aye, but we never f**king learn. We speak about how things are going to change etc. but it never actually happens.

In the main, we've been badly run for decades. We have fairly consistently spent more than we bring in. Always trying to make up financial shortfalls. It comes from the need of the instant fix with no strategy behind it. Demanding success doesn't usually work. You need intelligence, a strategy, finance and a degree of patience.

That doesn't surprise me.

Aye, we have all known that for a long time. It was what Clement said about when he was informed that is new.

Yes, I would imagine the stadium issues will have an impact. However Clement appears to lay our a rough timeline that begins with his arrival and expectations. Then some time after, but months ago, he is told the stark reality. A few weeks ago the stadium delays come to light. You are obviously free to opine differently.

Excerpt from article in The Daily Record: Philippe Clement admits he’ll have to offload some of his first-team stars before he can press ahead with his Rangers rebuild, writes Andy Newport in Venlo. The Belgian boss has so far brought in five new faces this summer. But he knows a lot more are needed if his side are to mount a credible title bid and fulfil their Champions League ambitions. Further additions, however, are dependent on the club raising funds through sales. “That’s the reality,” he confessed. “That’s the reality that the board told me a few months ago. I know this, the recruitment team knows this also. This is the reality of the club. I had other expectations when I came in in October, I have to say. But I know the reality now. I am very motivated to build the club and help in that.” ---------------- That sounds ominous to me. He is more or less calling the board out for misleading him. Omnishambles + Ominous = ??

Last summer, I went on and on and on about "outside bets" and how filling a squad full of them, many injury prone wouldn't work..... Well, it didn't. This year, I concentrate on reasonable expectations and patience. We'd like a ready made squad of quality first team players. It isn't happening. There isn't the budget, simples. To even compete, we are going to have to get the transfer window, close to spot-on. Bear in mind that Celtic had an awful summer transfer window in 2023. Clement is a good manager and is trying to do the best he can. He is telling us to be patient, it is the only way this can work. We can do that or we can throw the baby out with the bath water and fall further behind. If Walter Smith was here he would be fully behind what the manager is saying. He knows that he wouldn't have been able to do what he did without reasonable to good financial support. If Guardiola had managed at Espanyol, 1860 Munich and Blackpool, he would have won nowt. What we can reasonably expect is to see a team taking shape and improving window on window. It might even be entertaining. Just now, anything else is a bonus.

Aye, we are getting 7M for Goldson apparently. 😂or😭 I can't see us getting him off the wage bill without a payoff.

Clement yesterday "I knew Robby McCrorie was desperate to go in January. I stopped him in January. We helped him to act fast in this window because it’s important with European games to come he trains with his new team at Kilmarnock. We have some players who have come in who are longer term, like Nsiala. He has a lot of talent but he needs the experience and he needs to learn a lot of things. “I don’t expect him to be a starting player. The same with Igamane. He will not be ready to start. He’s never trained or played physically at this level. “He comes out of a holiday too so we need to build him up. We have other players like Barron and Jefte who can get there faster. It is not easy to replace five players and Robby also without money coming into the club" - A lot left to do - Not much money to do it with, unless we can offload - Wants new first team players in to train in advance of European qualifiers

I think it is a game that is very difficult to call. Won't be visiting the bookies. Here is hoping the Spanish win 🤞🏽🇪🇦

Don't panic !!! The Saudi transfer window is going to open soon and they'll be preparing the bank transfer of over 20M, for Goldson, Cantwell, Lawrence and Wright.

No, it is not time to change the rules to suit your situation 😂 There are bookies for your first scorers and a whole load more. #sporting_integrity

Spain 1 - 0 France Netherlands 1 - 2 England JOKER

The one thing I see as a major positive is that we have a decent manager. I have repeatedly said that we need to be realistic and give him time. If that is a transitional season without any tangible success, so be it. As long as you see younger players bedding in and improving. Many say it isn't realistic to expect such patience.

Remember the summer (Wednes)days of going to the newsagent at Haymarket station and buying a Rangers News. Then looking at the pictures of Jardine, McLean, Johnstone and MacDonald running in pre-season. An article about how Davie Cooper had played tennis throughout the summer and was ready to hit the ground running.

"...a lot..." One would have been a start. I could get on the happy clappers bus who believe that clubs are queuing up to bid 7M for Goldson. That we are in a position to demand top dollar for our players. Players with lucrative contracts who will happily run out the door for less. Clement has repeatedly made the point of how important the pre season is wrt to players fitness and resistance to picking up injuries. It would have been good to have most of the players in prior to the pre season, especially the more experienced (more mileage in the legs). That is real. You not liking it is your opinion but doesn't add anything.

You are free to counterbalance it with positive vibes instead of a pointless interjection. Where is current reality for our club on the positive/negative scale ?

Question for @Rousseau Can you change the prediction of the second semi-final after the first one has been played ? Thanks

I don't know where it came from. The article is defending the current board as much and probably more than it reasonably should. In so doing, it is reasonable to speculate that the source is directly or indirectly coming from Ibrox. Jackson wouldn't go into bat for the current Rangers board, by making stuff up.