Bill

Gerrard is nothing more than a hopeful gamble but there again any appointment we can afford would be. Personally, I'll judge Gerrard two years from now.

Jak Alnwick ..... and that's it, the rest were like deer in the crosshairs. Never thought I'd be relieved only to lose 5-0 to Celtic. This group of players are finished and it will take at least another two seasons to create anything worthwhile.

That's the big question for me ... why are other teams able to compete when we can't? We're terrified of them and none more so than our "captain".

Same players (virtually), same formation - anyone expecting a different result? Me neither.

Thanks Dad.

Are you disputing the accuracy of my point? Or just being Mr Pious for the day?

What do you mean "maybe"? Unless things have changed dramatically over the years since I last visited that slophouse, it has always been a much-loved watering hole for the dark side.

What would worry me even more is the inept decision making of directors who would do such a thing without specific shareholder agreement and the irresponsibility of shareholders who would allow it to happen without their consent.

What's the definition of madness again?

Excellent news. Edit: ... assuming his costs are reasonable

I thought that, while the club could blow all of the cash on fish suppers today, they could only book the income in each financial year in question.

Bartley, I like the sound of that.

Any time I've flown in the US they always sell more tickets than there are seats. Seriously, I'd like to see an option to buy a 1-year, 2-year or 5-year season ticket, with significant price benefits for longer terms of course and payments made up front.

There's much in the point you make but you also need to take into account the historical context. Just as fans are leery of our directors after years of inept boardroom antics and false prophets, so the same fans are equally wary of supporter groups after just as many years of squabbling and petty politicking. We've had so many acronyms speaking for support over the years that most of us are dizzy with it. The onus is on the current board to regain the trust of the fans and the same goes for Club1872. Calling fans "pathetic" for harbouring understandable doubts is largely unfair and in any case is the opposite of what's required to remove that doubt. What hinders Club1872 (IMHO) is a distinct lack of clarity over its objectives. There may be an inner circle who have clarity (there usually is) but I'd suggest it's probably a pretty small circle. You say it should only ever have been a vehicle for share purchases, which only confirms a degree of confusion and disagreement about its current mission. However, even if you got your way, you still cannot buy shares with a view to gaining board representation without first having a clear idea how that representation would function and what its objectives would be, especially when you're funding the exercise with other people's money.

I'd say it was more of a probability than a possibility. I question long ago the wisdom of a strategy that couldn't be funded to a conclusion. The shareholding board members are never going to relinquish any control to a supporters group and I fear a seat on the board is a pipe dream. I only throw this out for debate but, rather than see the value of it's current investment go down the toilet, either at this share issue or the next, perhaps Club1872 would be better liquidising all or part of its shareholding and using the funds to pursue more appropriate and realistic agendas.

I suspect like many others, I'm torn between hope and fear. Hope that an end might be in sight to the torture of the last six years or so. Fear that this is simply another false dawn. I'd like to get excited about the prospect of Steven Gerrard but the twin facts that success is only ever judged in retrospect and every appointment carries risk suggest a more cautious view of things is prudent.

It's a no-brainer really, perhaps more than one vehicle, but it needs to be matched with a vast improvement in facilities and support once disabled fans arrive at the stadium.

That's my fear and it's why I won't take it seriously until and unless it's a done deal.

So far only 20% are “excited” about Gerrard as manager. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

I think that's what worries me. There's no evidence whatsoever that he "commands" respect. He receives respect for what he's done as a player but I seriously doubt he has the personality to command anything, let alone Rangers. I hope I'm wrong.

You mean you can't wait to get to the Jo Wenglos phase? All the better to reach for the Tony Mowbray skies?

Having gone through our Macari and Brady phases, Steven Gerrard would move us forward to our John Barnes period. As a club we seem to have learning difficulties.

In the final analysis the success or failure of a manager/coach comes down to three principal factors - experience, intellect and personality. Gerrard clearly has huge experience of the game at all levels and has worked under some top managers. Whether he has the intellect or the personality is beyond my ability to see and very little will be gained from listening to the usual sycophantic media circus. Perhaps someone close to Gerrard might have some insight. Perhaps Dave King might just get lucky.

There’s no way McGregor will be anything other than an improvement on Foderingham, who has still done well at Rangers.

It would be surprising if someone got to 2/1 on without some fire beneath the smoke.