Gaffer

I agree that the expectations of the support need to be managed carefully, but in terms of the manager I don't think that's the issue. I think it's fair to characterise two camps (if not more) in the forum. The first sees McInnes as the safe pair of hands over the next 3 years, and someone who can get us competing consistently again. The other camp wants a more exciting prospect. PC and MW were such prospects because they brought something new to the club. I personally wish we had stuck with PC for longer because I really felt we were a couple of transfer windows away from having something special. When PC left, I hoped the club would continue with this type of experiment. For me (and I appreciate this is not so for many others), I'd rather take the risk of failure rather than the almost certainty of mediocrity. As I said McInnes to me seems like a solid manager, but not one whose football I enjoy watching. Despite PC's and MW's results, I really enjoyed watching the different styles of football we played under them. As for the honeymoon period you refer to, I think many people proved with PC that we can be patient and give a manager time. For some however, it appears the Rangers manager doesn't get the support if he has a few defeats. With regards to those people, I agree with you, there is a lack of appreciation as to where we are right now.

My favourite was the 1992 strip (which was similar) and I have very fond memories of the nights against Leeds United.

Putting your dislike for PC aside, is that what you really thought? I realise the results were not what we hoped, but I didn't think there was any doubt that he stamped his style all over the team. We were direct, and quickly transitioned from defence to attack. We switched the ball quickly from one side to the other and played a high pressure game without the ball. It's the sort of football I like and reminded me of Dortmund when they were flying high a few years ago. I just wish he had managed to get more grit and determination (and perhaps quality) into the team too, because in my opinion that was his downfall. They just didn't show it often enough. That was what I saw, but I think we all know how differently we can all see a player and a game.

I've got little doubt that Wright would move to Aberdeen if McInnes comes to us. TW is a really good manager and there wouldn't be much of a change required for him or the team. I'm still struggling to come to terms with DM as our manager though. Hopefully I'll be able to change this feeling, but it's just causing me to lack enthusiasm. I've still not recovered from PC being sacked. I'm not sure what's got to happen to reignite the enthusiasm, but I'm hoping whatever it is, it happens soon.

I think he will come in and make us hard to beat. I even think he will get us three wins in a row. However, what I find uninspiring is that we won't have our own style, and this is something I'm desperate for us to develop. He is a safe pair of hands, and perhaps I (and many others on here) just have to accept that we need stability for a while, at the expense of hope. PC and MW created hope and I liked that. They came with a chance of building something unique and special. I was excited by MW and PC, and there's no doubt that they brought an identifiable style of play with them. Some of the football we played (notwithstanding the poor results) is some of the best I've seen in years. If only the players had the determination, character, and aggression to go with it, things would be vey different now. However, DM has shown at previous clubs that he can get results at the expense of anything particularly inspiring. If he is appointed, I'll have to adapt to taking enjoyment from results rather than style. That's not something I'm going to find easy. I've really been hoping that MW left his magic hat behind so Mark Allen could pull someone exciting from it.

I can't think of many, if any. I wish I could because I'd like to hope we were bringing in someone more exciting. However, I'm now resigned to the fact that it will be DM. I can't build any enthusiasm for this appointment, but I will support him as I would any Rangers manager. I'm now just hoping he can prove himself worthy of this post. However, until he's appointed I hope he loses every game in the meantime. For the avoidance of doubt, I don't dislike DM as a person and he seems to get his teams winning (except against us). I just can't stomach the thought of that style of football.

I just burst out laughing when I saw that post Rousseau

I'm not trying to be funny, but I really don't know what you mean. The only player I know who spends the majority of the match inside the box is the goalkeeper. Is your point that you don't like Pena? I can understand that if that's the case. He splits opinion, and a couple of people in my family find him a strange one too. As Gonzo said earlier, one minute he looks amazing and then at other times he's a passenger. The manager's job is to find out how to get the best from him. I think that when he plays that number 10 role with a striker who gives him space, and a midfield which quickly plays the ball to him to run at defenders, he's got to be one of the best I've seen at doing that. If our system can use a player like that, we MUST play him because he's the most effective player we have at the club. If the new manager opts for a different system, he doesn't seem to me to be an adaptable sort of player, and I'm judging him having watched him play for a few years. I hope he does fit into the new manager's way of playing, because he can be such an exciting player to watch. He, Candeias, Jack, Alves and Morelos (and now Young Ross) have to be in the team every week. And our system has to get the best out of our best players.

Just like Foderingham did some good stuff in goals, but anywhere else looks poor?!? There are some times we rely completely on opinion and other times we can base our statements on facts. The facts show that (despite what anyone thinks of him), Pena can score and create goals.

You have a short memory. These are the people who saved our club! I agree that there is some modern thinking required but I'd hope we can get a balance of new non execs coming in to help adddress that. As for what 'we' want. Some of your statements don't apply to all fans, and certainly not me.

I enjoyed that read, and I agree with some of your points. However, you direct most of your criticism towards the Rangers board, but shouldn't it be aimed more at Club 1872? Power isn't something you're given, it's something you take. If the Rangers board is not showing the level of respect to the supporters' shareholding, why not exert the power we think we have? I'm assuming that's what you're calling for. I'm a Club member and will continue to give the directors time to find themselves and grow into the roles. There are a couple of areas I don't understand. If the Club directors do get a seat on the board, what can we reasonably expect them to tell the members about the items discussed? I'm expecting to hear very little, acknowledging that we appoint directors that have the right motives, skills and experience to do what they can to hold the board to account. I must admit that I've had little interest in finding out how the Club's management team goes about its responsibilities, but I assumed they were doing what any minority shareholder does. And for me, what they can do is very little. Am I missing something? And since they (we) can't 'take' that position on the board, doesn't that just show that we don't yet have any power at all? Having said all that, if we did have a seat on the board, it would be one of the most difficult positions to hold. The other directors on the Rangers board can have their need for confidentiality respected, however can that be the same with our appointed non-exec? How much pressure would there be for him/her to leak information? I think that's the part I understand the least about how it's supposed to work. I just wondered if anyone knew how this operates at other clubs and if it operates well.

That was what happened with PC too and you're right, it was counter productive. Our primary role as supporters is to support the team. The manager of Rangers should always receive the support from the fans when he's appointed, regardless of what we thought beforehand. I'm against Smith, McLeish or McInnes being our manager, but I'll support them if appointed, albeit with lowered expectations.

It's funny how two people can watch the same games and see something completely different. Miller tries hard and can't ever be criticised for effort, however his touch is very poor by any standard, never mind an international footballer. Pen in the other hand is a real creator, and I was impressed with him. Where Pena excels is when he is collecting the ball while running at the defence. Where he is less effective is when he receives it with his back to goal. I just can't see much (if anything) that puts Miller ahead of Pena. As I said though, it's amazing how polar opposite our opinions are after watching the same games.

That's disappointing on two counts. Firstly, I don't rate him, and secondly I think it's terrible if a director is leaking things to you. Surely this is what causes us problems. It needs to stop!

I think that's a fair assessment. I can't think of one either. Perhaps what has changed now is the need for a board to be more visible. When the team is playing well and winning, it's all about on the field. However, we have so much going on off the field that we need those leaders to step forward and sort it out. I just don't get any sense of comfort at the moment. If I felt we had that person in place, I'd be happy to let them get on with it. As I said before, I think DK has the skills and the right motives, but he clearly doesn't have the time nor inclination to take a more executive role. That's a pity.

I really enjoyed reading this article. There's much of it I agree with, but I don't agree this is the perfect storm. In fact, I don't think it's a storm at all. It's raining and there's some headwind, but that's it. What's causing the suffering is our mismanagement of the conditions. Firstly, the managerial situation is something that has been handled poorly. MW was appointed to get us out of the championship, which he did. We then appoint PC to advance the club and give us an identity. The way in which the board/CEO has managed this is amateurish, and these so-called businessmen should be ashamed. Why sack him when they did? I appreciate many fans didn't want him in the first place, but he was put in place and the board had committed to giving him sufficient time to make progress. To be perceived as backing a player (Miller) ahead of the manager is utterly bizarre and destructive. Any leader should know that, even those in small businesses such as our football club. Even if they decided PC had to go, they should have managed the perception better. To then hand the reigns over to Murty and to allow him to bring Miller back in immediately was always going to be a disaster. It was only a matter of how long it would take. So much for the Ibrox discipline that's been at the core of our success. I was disgusted and embarrassed by this, and I hope the board is too. The second element of this so-called storm is the 'management' of the media. We know the environment we operate in, and yet we don't seem to do much about it. The club has to create an operating rhythm for the 21st century. That means it needs to continue to feed the fans with as much information as it can, even if it means repeating statements to confirm that nothing has changed. Instead, we leave ourselves open to the rumour mill and scaremongerers, who quite frankly have a field day with us. Do we have a media strategy? Again, I appreciate football clubs aren't big businesses, but the media (especially social media) is such an important aspect of the environment that I'd expect we'd spend a proportionate amount of time on this. Who is taking the lead on this? I don't see anyone. When I hear DK speak to the media, I take comfort from him being a fan who just wants the best for his club. I get no comfort from anyone else, somwhere are the executive members of the board? Why are they silent? Why are the not standing up to the critics? I don't expect them to criticise others, or to ban them, but I do expect someone to take responsibility for holding them to account for their false claims and made up stories. What our club lacks is a leader. If DK was on the executive team, he has the attributes to take that role. He has however made it clear that he's not interested in moving back and that's understandable. But in his absence, we need someone but I can't see who that might be. Our history is filled with leaders on and off the pitch. One of the reasons I liked PC was that he had strong leadership characteristics. He had many flaws too, but for a while we had someone who was strong, committed and disciplined. Strong teams (not just in football) have strong leaders. Our boardroom team does not appear to have any leaders (other than DK who can't commit the time to it), and our on the field team lacks those qualities too. So, to manage this bit of bad weather, all we need is at least one strong leader. The success will then follow follow.

There's no chance he'll be the manager. Absolutely none. If I'm wrong, you can feel free to say "told you so". Having said that, if I'm wrong and he is our next manager, I won't be on here or anywhere else to do with rangers for a while anyway.

1-0. Pena to score first goal

At what stage do we stop blaming managers and just realise the team is not good enough? There's so much more pressure involved in being a rangers player, and too few of the current team can live with that level of expectation. Lesser players are outperforming us because they don't have nearly the same level of pressure on them. I have no doubt our current crop are more technically talented than most, but I do seriously doubt that they have the required mental attributes.

I think Brendan Rogers had a few too many drinks last night eh!?!

Done. Any chance of reading it when it's done? I think we'd all be interested in your findings and conclusions. Good luck!

What terribly sad news. It's a reminder that behind the posts and opinions, we all have lives with many ups and downs. For some people like Colin, those challenges in life are so difficult and yet you'd never know what he was dealing with when he came on here. Rest in peace my friend.

You said that PC should go because he couldn't get the best out of Alves and Cardoso. Apologies if I misunderstood you.

Of course I know that, but what happens when we have our next bad results against Celtic or European minnows? Those same fans that appoint the board then demand that they resign. Don't you think that would happen? Honestly now ....

Really? That isn't obvious to you? I'll assume you're serious and respond. We have fans who react to each and every bad result and immediately want change. There appears to be little or no appreciation for the situation we are in at the moment, or that teams take time to build, even with unlimited funds available. I'm just looking for a sensible person to run our club with a bit of understanding in these matters. I don't see that coming from our fans. The hysteria is more likely to kill us off than save us. Is that any clearer for you?