Rhys McCabe might have left Rangers, but they have not left him

[Bluedell 5,408]

I can accept that he was unclear as to the situation and did not want to make an instant decision, but surely he could have delayed the decision and then turned round to the club and said that he wanted to rejoin. Would the club have refused to take him at that point? I very much doubt it.

 

Any or all of the players could have rejoined on the understanding that the club would then sell them and the fact that they did not is purely down to finance. How much people blame them is then up to the individual but I very much doubt the club would have stood in anyone's way and therefore I refuse to accept that finance was not the overriding factor in all cases if players did not return.

[amms 0]

There is a longer post to be written on the culture of football and players in particular. Undoubtedly money is a huge factor in this, indeed it is for most of us when choosing our employers, if we are lucky enough to have a choice.

 

But to state the players could have rejoined on the understanding they could have been sold shortly after massively over simplifies a complicated situation.

[Super_Ally 0]

I didn't read much of the stuff about finances etc. It got depressing, hard to keep up and my work has me working long days so if it wasn't a quick job to find out the "truth" then I didn't have time to read 50 different opinions on what was going on and then guess at the closest truth.

 

That said, if your company is going bust and you dont know whats happening and Everton for example are offering you £20 grand a week you would be stupid not to go. If they hung around at Rangers there's no guarantee they'd up with another club (certainly not as good an offer anyway) and are potentially damaging their future career and international prospects. Easy to say hang around when your own ability means you'd be lucky to get a game for the Nags head XI in your local Sunday league. Fair different when you're an International class footballer.

 

But maybe I missed something?

[ascender 352]

He's 19 though, I don't see what he had to lose by accepting those terms and seeing how those next few weeks panned out. Apart from anything else, the situation we find ourselves in could prove to be the making of some young players like him. Look at how Little is flourishing for example.

 

It's really hard for me to read things like this article and think he's gone for any reason other than the money to be honest. Which is understandable, so of course I won't wish them any ill will, but I'm sick of reading comments from players who chose to walk but say Rangers will always hold a special place in my heart, or I had no choice etc.

[Bluedell 5,408]

That said, if your company is going bust and you dont know whats happening and Everton for example are offering you £20 grand a week you would be stupid not to go.

 

I think that you are missing something.

 

If you're referring to Naismith, then he could have transferred across and then gone to Everton which would have been straightforward due to the minimum release clause in his renegotiated contract. However that would have resulted in more money for the club and less for him so he didn't do it.

 

It's not the fact that he's gone to Everton but the way that he did it that has annoyed a lot of people.

 

I can't say hand on heart that I wouldn't have done the same, but it doesn't mean that I'm not left feeling uncomfortable by the actions of many of the players.

[amms 0]

He's 19 though, I don't see what he had to lose by accepting those terms and seeing how those next few weeks panned out. Apart from anything else, the situation we find ourselves in could prove to be the making of some young players like him. Look at how Little is flourishing for example.

 

It's really hard for me to read things like this article and think he's gone for any reason other than the money to be honest. Which is understandable, so of course I won't wish them any ill will, but I'm sick of reading comments from players who chose to walk but say Rangers will always hold a special place in my heart, or I had no choice etc.

 

You're viewing the situation with the benefit of hindsight though, at the time things were far less clear. Potentially he had an awful lot to lose back then, we still hadn't been accepted to play football at all. As for the making of him so far Little has proved he's a better striker than SFL 3 level, well we knew that already, he should manage to keep his international place because of the poverty of options NI currently have, beyond that I'm not sure 3 seasons in the lower levels of Scotland will be the making of Little.

 

To be clear, I don't applaud what the players who left did and I wish they'd stayed. However, I don't hate them for it, I can understand why they did it and I don't think it negates the good things they did do for us both on the pitch and off it when they were here. I've not read any player say they had no choice, only a few explain why they made the choice they did.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

I'm not at all sure all the players are earning more now than before.

[amms 0]

I think that you are missing something.

 

If you're referring to Naismith, then he could have transferred across and then gone to Everton which would have been straightforward due to the minimum release clause in his renegotiated contract. However that would have resulted in more money for the club and less for him so he didn't do it.

 

It's not the fact that he's gone to Everton but the way that he did it that has annoyed a lot of people.

 

I can't say hand on heart that I wouldn't have done the same, but it doesn't mean that I'm not left feeling uncomfortable by the actions of many of the players.

 

There is a difference between being disappointed in the manner and motivation of his departure and never wanting him to 'darken our door' again. I was devastated when Brian Laudrup left and the manner of his leaving, I'd have taken him back in a heartbeat though, probably even now.

[Bluedell 5,408]

There is a difference between being disappointed in the manner and motivation of his departure and never wanting him to 'darken our door' again.

 

Agreed and I have not been an advocate of the latter view.

[simplythebest 0]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was it not some time after these players refused to TUPE that Ally McCoist refused to vouch for the new owners and recommend that fans buy season tickets? The reason I ask is that if the players consulted with Ally what do you think he would have told them at the time?

 

You say they would have been paid their full salary anyway. Did we have enough funds available to cover those wages? I'd assume your none the wiser than me on that one. We both know they weren't paid their full salary by the previous owner. What reason did they have to trust that the new owner was any different all things considered? Blind faith?

 

Like I said before, I agree that Green & co had a lot of other things to contend with in those initial days of the takeover. That doesn't change the fact that they failed to properly secure their investment though.

This would be the same Ally McCoist who still TUPE'd himself? And i'm sure he said at the time that the players should not insult the fans by pretending how upset they were to be leaving.

 

What you speculate is that exact point i'm making, with TUPE you NEED to be paid your full salary, if you aren't paid your full salary i'm certain sure you can walk away anyway. It is not some sort of prison mechanism, it has to be done correctly on both sides. Like I said, i'm not at all convinced that footballers suddenly started caring about the identity of ownership, so long as they're getting paid correctly I cannot see it mattering.