Poverty Stricken... Or Living with our means?

[Waltersgotstyle 307]

So yet again I wander in to my local newsagent only to find Rangers financial affairs plastered across the back pages which incidentally is a stark contrast to stories currently being published about our rivals. Seems to me that if you are to believe the papers we are in no better position than we were in this time last year.

 

Walter has made it clear Rangers can no longer afford to try and compete with the big boys in the transfer market. Gone are the days of the blue chip signings instead we must accept our best chance of success is to ensure our youngsters are making the grade for the future years. This is where my anguish ends and my optimism takes over. Rangers over the past couple of years have been lucky to have had the good fortune of Champions League income where our rivals have not. Now don't get me wrong our debt level is still considerably higher than other SPL clubs, however the income taken through our European exploits has improved the situation beyond what we could ever comprehend. This brings me to my analysis of affairs over the road.

 

Our rivals are currently being linked with some relatively big signings, now I don't by any means mean these are "WOW" signings but in Scottish league terms they seem to be financially above what we as a club are willing to spend. It seems to me our rivals are in a similar position to what we were in after the Le Guen era... Walter came in and spent a good bit of money albeit a large chunk coming from the sale of certain players i.e. Hutton, Cuellar, but in the end Rangers outgoings were far greater than their incomings as we desperately tried to stamp our dominance once again on Scottish Football. This looks to be the direction in which our rivals are heading as their incomings are not exactly great with European income looking unlikely for another year. They invested last year and they seem to be willing to back their latest goblin to the hilt.

 

I understand many Rangers fan are dismayed at the current lack of activity on the transfer front but I must reiterate that Celtic are speculating in hope of accumulating... if we keep our ship tight over the next few years and manage to ensure that they do not gain access to the honey pot that is the Champions League we will not be the ones in precarious financial situation but instead it will be those in the green and grey who are offloading their players in a manner which no one will see coming.

 

So I say let them spend heavily as I don't see the current managerial staff as being capable of out witting the old fox just yet, don't panic as if we were to believe the papers we would be playing the youth team this year and continue supporting the team this year as it could well be a turning of the tide where our rivals realise that spending big with no guarantee of European football is just not feasible in today's climate.

 

NO SURRENDER.

[Frankie 8,665]

An excellent appraisal of the situation.

 

There is no doubt Celtic, IF they make the expensive signings they've been linked to, will embark on the same high risk strategy we've experienced over the last number of years.

 

It's up to us to ensure they're not successful while also learning from the mistakes their board made by not strengthening to maintain their success.

[Gribz 919]

Welcome to the forums! Nice post.

 

You dont have a Dad called Calscot by any chance to you?

[Zappa 0]

At the end of last summer I sat down and worked out what our outgoing and incoming player transfers worked out at financially since Walter Smith's return. I was surprised to learn that contrary to general opinion that he'd spent a fortune, on paper it was actually only in the range of �£6m to �£7m over a 2 and a half year period (or 6 transfer windows). That's not the picture many would like to paint though with people on forums going on about Smith having spent vast sums of money and being partially to blame for our current financial problems. I'm not saying there hasn't been a bit of over-spending here and there, but when you see it broken down to an average of just over a million per transfer window in a 6 window period, it doesn't look like overspending at all other than the fact that we weren't the current SPL Champions when the spending took place.

[metlika 0]

At the end of last summer I sat down and worked out what our outgoing and incoming player transfers worked out at financially since Walter Smith's return. I was surprised to learn that contrary to general opinion that he'd spent a fortune, on paper it was actually only in the range of �£6m to �£7m over a 2 and a half year period (or 6 transfer windows). That's not the picture many would like to paint though with people on forums going on about Smith having spent vast sums of money and being partially to blame for our current financial problems. I'm not saying there hasn't been a bit of over-spending here and there, but when you see it broken down to an average of just over a million per transfer window in a 6 window period, it doesn't look like overspending at all other than the fact that we weren't the current SPL Champions when the spending took place.

 

The previous debt was there before Walters spending. You have to take into account wages and signing on fees as they might have been above what we were taking in.

 

However the opening post is very well put, I would like to add its probably best to keep targets to ourselves because them without their scouting network will probably try and steal players.

[Waltersgotstyle 307]

An excellent appraisal of the situation.

 

There is no doubt Celtic, IF they make the expensive signings they've been linked to, will embark on the same high risk strategy we've experienced over the last number of years.

 

It's up to us to ensure they're not successful while also learning from the mistakes their board made by not strengthening to maintain their success.

Thanks Frankie I also have to say I enjoyed your opinion on the current situation. I really hope we can get through this summer in the manner in which we have came through the last couple. Obviously we would like to strengthen however I really think keeping the squad together is top priority.

[Guest Flying Hippo]

I would rather sell Bougherra and sign 2 or 3 players with the money than keep the current squad completely together

 

Right now we need 2 attacking midfielders more than we need Bougherra imo

[metlika 0]

I would rather sell Bougherra and sign 2 or 3 players with the money than keep the current squad completely together

 

Right now we need 2 attacking midfielders more than we need Bougherra imo

 

Attacking midfielders? Wingers would be my choice.

[Guest Flying Hippo]

Attacking midfielders? Wingers would be my choice.

 

That's what i pretty much meant, though i'd rather someone who was, if you'll forgive the Football Manager speak, an AMRLC (i.e. can play both wings and centrally) rather than somehow who's simply an AML or an AMR. We've seen with Beasley how someone with no strings to his bow other than being able to hug the touchline isn't ideal for us

[calscot 0]

Welcome to the forums! Nice post.

 

You dont have a Dad called Calscot by any chance to you?

 

Ha ha - he does sound a bit like me...