Time is an enemy for Rangers

[ian1964 10,547]

The roars of the championship celebration may still echo in the ears of Walter Smith and his team, but the Rangers manager knows that something substantial has to be put into action at the club. And that must happen now, if not sooner.

 

Smith is aware the planning for next season must start immediately. The football world continues to spin, but Rangers remain directionless. In the global world of football plc, if a side is not going forward, then it is going backwards. Standing still is not an option.

 

The Rangers manager has serious concerns in the short-term. This morning, in a normal world without a �£30m-plus debt, he would be sipping an Anadin-laced refreshment while planning to secure the future of players whose contracts are running down and assessing the possibilities of signing recruits.

 

Instead, Smith has to stare at indecision. He craves movement. ââ?¬Å?For us, the financial situation is well-documented. If anybody wants to look at the business columns, youââ?¬â?¢ll see exactly what it is,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?But we have to handle the problems that weââ?¬â?¢re left with because of that situation. We can only handle that for so long. I would feel, right at the present moment, that the ââ?¬Ë?so longââ?¬â?¢ period is up. Unless something happens, then you canââ?¬â?¢t keep asking this same group to come back and play week-in, week-out.ââ?¬Â

 

Smith then mounted an appeal for clarity and a speedy resolution to the present situation where a clear budget has not been drawn up for the manager. ââ?¬Å?If itââ?¬â?¢s going to be the bankââ?¬â?¢s plan, if itââ?¬â?¢s going to be a new owner, if there is something else that comes along ââ?¬â?? a supportersââ?¬â?¢ buy-out or whatever ââ?¬â?? we donââ?¬â?¢t need it in a monthââ?¬â?¢s time,ââ?¬Â he said, stressing the immediacy of the crisis confronting him.

 

ââ?¬Å?I can only have an opinion on how long it can be allowed to drift. And Iââ?¬â?¢m saying to you that, if something doesnââ?¬â?¢t happen shortly to let us know exactly where everybody stands at the club, then weââ?¬â?¢ve got a major problem.ââ?¬Â

 

That problem may be exacerbated by the departure of the manager. ââ?¬Å?That leaves me with a decision. Iââ?¬â?¢ll need to say them: ââ?¬Ë?If nothing is going to change in the short-term, what is happening?ââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Â

 

He was acerbic, too, about Rangersââ?¬â?¢ almost certain qualification for the group stages of the Champions League. If Bayern Munich knock out Olympique Lyonnais tonight in the semi-final of the competition, then the Ibrox side can start counting Ã?£10m of income. Smith said of the bankers: ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢m the manager. I can only point it out from the playing side of things. From the other side of things, theyââ?¬â?¢re elated arenââ?¬â?¢t they? Because thatââ?¬â?¢s them, theyââ?¬â?¢ve got an opportunity of the Champions League money again, theyââ?¬â?¢re rubbing their hands.ââ?¬Â

 

Indeed, he had an unusual take on where Rangers could be if successive championships had not been won. ââ?¬Å?The club would maybe have been sold. There you are,ââ?¬Â he said. ââ?¬Å?Why? Because theyââ?¬â?¢re sitting back looking at two lots of Champions League money, arenââ?¬â?¢t they? Thatââ?¬â?¢s Ã?£24m, dead easy from their point of view. We have been disadvantaging anybody buying the club by winning. Thatââ?¬â?¢s what weââ?¬â?¢re doing.ââ?¬Â

 

His contact with the people making the financial decisions is minimal. ââ?¬Å?You keep asking me the questions and I donââ?¬â?¢t know anything about it. They just tell me what they want to tell me, which is very little,ââ?¬Â he said.

 

The impact on the playing side of the club, though, is substantial. ââ?¬Å?There has to be a situation, for the sake of the football side ââ?¬â?? never me or my position ââ?¬â?? that clarifies exactly where the club is going. If we donââ?¬â?¢t get that, then the club will suffer. Never mind me, never mind anybody else, the club will suffer,ââ?¬Â he said.

 

What chance would there be of a third successive title? ââ?¬Å?I said quite clearly that the team will suffer,ââ?¬Â said Smith briskly.

 

And the Champions League? ââ?¬Å?The thing about the Champions League is, if we donââ?¬â?¢t strengthen and donââ?¬â?¢t get any extra players in, weââ?¬â?¢re basically going in for the money. Thatââ?¬â?¢s how it is. Weââ?¬â?¢re not going to win it anyway. It would be a folly to consider that.

 

ââ?¬Å?But the year that we had the big European games, challenged for the championship, won a couple of cups and got to the final of the UEFA Cup, we had 26 players on the staff. Weââ?¬â?¢re now down to roughly 16, taking away the younger ones. Iââ?¬â?¢m talking about boys with reasonable experience. Weââ?¬â?¢re down to 16, six of whom are out of contract. You start to see the problems that can occur.ââ?¬Â

 

The only way out of that situation is for a budget to be drawn up now so Smith can make his dispositions. However, that is contingent on stability at the club. There are already growing whispers that Rangers could be the subject of a sustained, serious bidding process this week, possibly after their Champions League fate is ascertained.

 

Smith would then almost certainly remain with the club with the proviso that his coaching staff remained untouched and his budget for players was realistic.

 

But he is tiring of the situation. He said: ââ?¬Å?It was 18 months ago now that everybody was put up for sale. And for six months before that, we had the situation boiling away in the background. So weââ?¬â?¢ve had to deal with it for a couple of years now. But weââ?¬â?¢ve had a really good group of players, thatââ?¬â?¢s the one thing. They are great lads, terrific boys to work with.ââ?¬Â

 

He said ââ?¬Å?the brightness and edgeââ?¬Â had been rubbed off the players by the rigours of the season. ââ?¬Å?I donââ?¬â?¢t think people appreciate just how much it takes out of a player in an Old Firm team, to go and win every week,ââ?¬Â he said.

 

The campaign has taken its toll on Smith, too. It is not just time that is running out but his patience, too. He is standing on the front line with no sign of reinforcements and with at least two leading players ââ?¬â?? in Kris Boyd and Madjid Bougherra ââ?¬â?? likely to leave the ranks.

 

The joy and justifiable satisfaction accrued by consecutive title victories will endure for some time. It has to be bolstered by substantial team-building.

 

Rangers badly need a battle plan. The club is still fighting for its future.

 

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/walter-smith-warns-that-planning-for-next-season-must-be-taken-immediately-at-rangers-1.1023298

[wabashcannonball 0]

Ooor Wattie changes his mind more times than DJ and DK, a couple of weeks ago according to "oor wattie" all was blown out of proportion, previous to the bank directing traffic.

[rbr 1,247]

I dont think it could have been spelt out any more starkly , the people who continually say to us on here and on other forums , " it's ok we're trading and meeting our obligations to the bank what's the problem 2 well the squad size is ridiculous and will only get worse , things need to happen now .

[rbr 1,247]

Ooor Wattie changes his mind more times than DJ and DK, a couple of weeks ago according to "oor wattie" all was blown out of proportion, previous to the bank directing traffic.

 

Do you not think he was trying to take some of the pressure of a team trying to win a league , I dont know what your take on winning the league is as you never post when there is good news , you only ever pop up when the negative stuff is around and usually to back the status quo ..

 

Do you really believe a squad of the size of ours is acceptable to a club of our standing.

[Frankie 8,210]

Hopefully we'll know more after the Bayern game tonight and the MIH results later in the week...

 

[Bluedell 5,382]

We have a squad of 20 if you include Wilson and Fleck, which is arguably OK given the current financial position that the club is in.

 

As was discuissed earlier this month, I don't see any reason why Walter should not have already been given a provisional figure based on CL qualification, and why plans can't start being put in place, with the proviso that we can pull back if there are any hiccups (such as Lyon not getting knocked out).

 

We should have an idea what players that are out of contract are staying and which are going, and should plan accordingly.

 

We obviously don't know how much how much will be realised through transfers in the summer, but they may have an idea and again can plan accordingly subject to deals actually going through.

 

If Walter IS sitting in the dark without a clue as to what is going on then that suggests:

 

a) poor management by those running the club

 

b) the business plan in place does not fully cover next season

 

c) or both.

[Frankie 8,210]

I'd be astonished if the club didn't have a variety of strategies in place to deal with the three different outcomes I posted earlier in the month. As such, I think Smith's comments are simply to maintain focus on the bank so they don't attempt to absorb all monies from the CL and/or any transfer income.

[calscot 0]

One thing has to be said about any potential buyer - they have already shown little reason to have confidence in them.

 

They have already demonstrated a lack of motivation, direction, leadership, commitment, timing, concern over the welfare of the club and dare a say a lack of competence in moving things forward.

 

The deal should have been done by now.

 

It doesn't bode well for any of them.

[Frankie 8,210]

I don't blame a buyer for waiting to see if we are to participate in the CL group stage.

 

�£10-15million will have a huge affect on their intentions/ability.

[calscot 0]

I take it then, the deal will go through as soon as Lyon are knocked out?

 

Does it really affect the buyer? If we don't qualify the price goes down, if we do it goes up, in the end the amount of money put in is probably the same.

 

You could always thrash out a deal which changes depending on the two scenarios. A buy-out of a club shouldn't be at the whim of short term football results.

 

Anyway, at the moment there seems to be nothing on the table.