buster.

Re, building footballing operation structure: That would be the remit of a DoF, eg. scouting infrastructure is being put in place. Over the decades, I've heard of grand plans for X and Y that nearly never come to anything because the short-term ends up demanding more attention (and finance)....but we now reach a juncture (extent of gulf between us and them) that I've never known. There isn't the finance to hope to leap over the chasm, so surely we need to think of longterm plans, get the right people to implement them and move forward, allbeit more slowly than we would like. As far as the manager is concerned, I guess it shouldn't be that long now and we'll just have to wait and see who it is.

Östersunds didn't expect much and he delivered. Different kettle of fish when expectations are clearly beyond the relative tools he has to work with.

Back in April, it was the Record that led the campaign of sorts to secure Miller a contract extension. Despite him getting one, I got the feeling that Pedro wasn't too keen. The Record aren't consistently 'friendly' to individuals who offer them nothing in return. --------------- Reading between the lines, Miller (directly or indirectly / possibly not the only one) was telling Jackson at the end of last season about a split between quite a few players and Pedro Caixinha. I know that Jackson was openly talking about 'the split' at that time, but didn't go to print with it, or at least not in as many words. Instead it was about applying pressure when opportunity arose. For me, you have a manager who was out of his depth/comfort zone and it's for the best that he is gone....but we have a player, Miller....who we'd be better rid of as well, both for football and other reasons. Thankfully his contract is up soon.

The remit of the DoF goes way beyond input into a managerial selection process, of which he has doubtless been involved in. Helping to put together a list of names that will have included McInnes,....might lead to an open-ended decision that probably won't be exclusively his to make. It could go for McInnes, having considered all those proposed and the criteria set. It might go elsewhere.

Is that from his buddies at the Daily Record ?

If you look back at his first spell as caretaker and how he used subs, it almost shows a reluctance to change from whatever his original plan was. Groundhog day First 2-1 defeat against Dundee saw a forced first half change, Wilson for Hill (injury)... We were 2-0 down after 41 minutes, O'Hara with the first. We pulled a goal back in 67 mins... .. then 2 subs on 78 mins Forrester for McKay and Holt for Halliday. (IIRC in that quarter of an hour, Forrester reminded me of Pena against Hamilton, ie. looked like he was on a mission to get a red card). The week after in the ICT defeat, he only used 2 subs in the 80 and the 92nd minutes. http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2017/02/24/scotland/premier-league/inverness-caledonian-thistle-fc/rangers-fc/2242570/ Then it was St.Johnstone (better placed team than Dundee or ICT) in a midweek game at Ibrox to try and avoid 3 defeats IAR...and we won with an injury time winner. http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2017/03/01/scotland/premier-league/rangers-fc/saint-johnstone-fc/2242580/ ------------ Contrast to Pedro's first game in charge......3 HT subs http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2017/04/01/scotland/premier-league/rangers-fc/motherwell-fc/2242598/

If a club has a clear strategy, is well run and well organised, it is much more likely they'll get more out of the loan system. Warburton, who was organised and effective when he arrived at Ibrox, seemed to have a clearer idea of what he wanted out of the loan system and got a reasonable return. Caixinha, who had a great deal on his plate at the time of squad reorganisation didn't do so well in this market and Mark Allen, who arrived in mid June seemed to help bring in Nemane and John. TBF, it'll be much more difficult for any player to come in and do a job under current circumstances......although if they have something about them, it shouldn't be......... But if they have something about them, maybe they wouldn't be getting loaned out.

It's not very often that players on loan make a big impression and they often seem to be cheap options to pad out a squad. If Eck could get Iniesta and Messi on loan (as he previously went for) then maybe he is the man

To go from not trusting Pena as a sub against Dundee to starting him against Aberdeen shows a level of desperation that is unlikely to work. Then you have Kranjcar who obviously needs more than 5 matches to get him back to anywhere near the level he is capable of but in those 5 matches+, you are going to lack half a man in midfield. To play the better teams with this weakness is asking for trouble. I'd prefer something like the Windass/Atakayi curveball you mention.....at least it would be 'mobile desperation' and giving a youngster a chance.

Two of the main and more expensive players brought in to help link middle to front are representative of two summer transfer windows that have been awful and bad respectively. Kranjcar : Came on against Hamilton, looked like a ex-player in a testomonial game and then wasn't even on the bench at Dundee. Pena : Got a spot on the bench against Dundee but when his advertised 'skillset' was pretty much what we seemed to need, he wasn't even used and we finished having only used 2 subs. If the past is anything to go by, playing a less than match-fit Pena in the midfield is giving the sheep a much easier job of winning the midfield battle. The other thing about Pena, he's a distinct red-card risk. On the positive side, he might get on the end of a move and score a goal. Options are very limited and if Morelos is out then Miller might play up front (if Murty changes his view on Pena and decides to give the Mexican a start). Otherwise, it'd probably be Herrera for Morelos with Miller, presumably asked to play closer to Herrera. Each from

That actually passed through my head at the weekend It wasn't really serious but I'm sure he was well into football at one stage. Is fast becoming one of rugby's best young coaches.

I had a look at the bench for the game up at Dens Park last Friday and what was apparent was the dearth of any reliable outfield quality to call upon. Alnwick Hodson Bates Barjonas Pena Herrera Hardie Murty was forced into the first substitution, bringing on Herrera when Moreleos was injured. The Mexican got the whole second half and did very little. No further change was made until the 84th minute, in reaction to Dundee scoring their second goal. Hardie, coming on for Candeias. Not surprisingly, he did nothing. This while Dundee did have some quality to bring on and it won them the game. ------------------------- The week before against Hamilton, Nemane and Kranjcar were on the bench. Despite our inability to create much in the second half, Kranjcar didn't get on (and didn't make the bench against Dundee). Hamilton scored in the 66th minute and 81 mins. Hardie came on for Morelos (72 mins) Herrera for Miller (73 mins) Nemane for Windass (88 mins) As it stands (with current injury list) If the starting XI don't do a job, Murty is very limited as to positive personnel changes he can make. ----------------------- Despite our budget being notably larger than Aberdeen, they will have a much stronger bench than we do tonight and that is mainly down to two poor summer tansfer windows trying to take short-cuts to where we want to go.

Unless the financial circumstances are very different to what I can see (not to mention the board getting their act together) then 2nd place is as good as it will get for at least 2/3 years.........I don't think you should make an appointment looking further than 2/3 years down the track. It's not only the ability of a manager that's the issue, it's the money to support him and then you have a celtic who are currently flush and could simply up go out and bring in more quality, if needed. There needs to be a recognition that it'll take time to get back on track and getting to a level where we can overhaul celtic. IMO if we continually look to take short-cuts, looking to win the title 'now' then we'll take longer to win it than if we build towrads it. ------------ All that said, who is your choice ?

The linesman remind of when I played school football !!

I'd settle for actually winning it in 2020/21.

The expectation levels of many seem to be on a very different level to the harsh reality of our squad, financial situation and other issues. Ambition / Hope is fine but to expect water to turn into wine, is something else.

We aren't winning the league this or next season. Could McInnes win the league further down the road ?......We don't know Could he do a job now, rebuilding the squad and becoming a more consistent team?.....Yes In coming, would it be a big blow to main competitors for 2nd place?.....Yes

I don't think a viable 'silver bullet' exists, it'll be re-building and stages. For me, McInnes ticks more boxes than any other viable candidate I've heard mentioned.

McInnes would make so much sense at this particular juncture.

Regardless of who it is, we have to show some realism as to expectation levels or it'll be a continual change or two every year.

The statement seemed to indicate the club had taken the decision that until after the WC qualifiers were over and other potential candidates may emerge,...the process wrt 'applications deadline' would remain open. ie a short-list wouldn't be completed until then and it would be likely that (further) interviews would be required after that. But back when that statement was issued I did think it would be done and dusted prior to the AGM Personally, I would have preferred if we had gone straight for McInnes and managed to get it over the line asap but there was always going to be a process involving the DoF, given how the Pedro appt. went and what AJ said about it. Regardless, it'll all come down to the final judgement call and how it works out.

The vacum is ripe for what amounts to pish and wind, whether it be commercial (media) or essentially attention seeking. Estimate The statement of November 10th seemed to point towards applications being open until end of the weekof WC qualifiers (Nov 17/18) Probable completion of short list by Nov 20/21st. Interviews from approx. Nov 21st until around Nov 25-28th. Thereafter: Final decision and any subsequent negotiation. Once this selection process was embarked upon the board are right to see it through until it's conclusion. To have binned it half way through because of a couple of results would have been inexcusable.

Ongoing pre/match press conference Rangers Football Club‏Verified account @RangersFC 4m4 minutes ago GM: I have discussed with Mark Allen and Stewart Robertson that the process is ongoing. There has been movement but we are not quite there yet. https://twitter.com/RangersFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gersnetonline.co.uk%2Fvb%2Fforum.php

Unpleasent though it is, you only have to look at Celtic to see that an effective, hard-nosed CEO who undoubtedly has been given a powerful remit can work, but if you look at their model you also see that to become really successful,...you need to get it right at the various levels. An effective and powerful CEO implementing a joined-up longterm strategy with a relatively poor first team manager doesn't cut it...but if you appoint a good one (ie. Rodgers) then it comes together or at least it does within a local enviroment. ------------- The fact Celtic are so lauded after repeatedly getting tanked in Europe only illustrates the 'business orientation' of what used to be a sport, ie. CL money. -------------- Whilst on the other side of the city, it's relevant to this thread to point at how they manage the media.

Over the decades football has increasingly become more business orientated with the sport itself relegated to becoming 'a vehicle'. Some of Sir Duped's decisions from back in the day have led the club down a route where survival became an issue and we haven't yet fully recovered. Today the expectation levels and subsequent 'gambles' to quickly bridge large gaps mean that focus will remain off, as well as on-field for the forseeable.