Rangers confirm Kevin Thelwell as new Sporting Director

[buster. 5,606]

29 minutes ago, Bluedell said:

A lot of it is behind the scenes and unseen by the support, so I'm not convinced it's driven by them. My (uninformed) view is that it's the board that hasn't had the conviction to follow through on it, perhaps by employing the wrong people, and perhaps they have a lack of patience with their "toy".

It is almost certainly a mix of factors.

 

 

 

[CammyF 9,347]

39 minutes ago, buster. said:

I'd say we have few options given circumstances and there not being many who want the gig. 

 

The status quo was always going to change somewhat given major shareholders were looking to sell or have essentially been forced out (health/ pressure).

 

However what was previously stated is that some of the current shareholders wanted to keep the club out of the hands of one 'outside' controlling interest. The reason being is that it could lead to an existential threat.

 

Now it seems as though the prevailing will is to relinquish what was a controlling emotional stake. 

 

In the end, I don't think there was a choice as such. 

 

 

 

In essence, we are gambling once again. Fans are happy because it is back to frenzied speculation and hope. It is understandable after a lot of relative misery.

 

To be clear. I am not saying that the new controlling interest is spiv like. 

 

However they come to make money from a business that has for about 3 decades lost money, year after year. A business that comes with very particular pressure in a very particular league.

 

 

Let's wait and see what they have to say when the deal is done. 

 

 

 

 

No, we were / are left in such a state that the only option we have is someone buying us out. There have been previous tentative approaches that the board have not entertained so they haven't gotten far.

 

The current board has crippled us financially. We can generate £95M but still require soft loans to see us complete season after season. 

 

The reason for this is NOT fan impatience, but continued bad business decisions.

 

Without this, or another takeover, we'd continue to cost cut, make more bad decisions and drift aimlessly into obscurity. 

 

Now, I have never said that this takeover will cure all our ills, it may see is drift aimlessly into obscurity, only time will tell.

 

However, even given the fact that the new owners will be looking for return on investment (that shouldn't come as a surprise to any fan), they look far more capable of returning us to the club we should be.

 

Being simplistic again, all they have to do is look across the city at Celtic who have money in the bank and are hugely successful domestically.

 

All we have too be is be better (in all aspects) than them. That takes the correct structure, ability to run a football (sporting) club, a winning team / mentality.

 

Let's be honest, Celtic whilst dominating domestically aren't exactly a European Super Power. We're not attempting to better Real Madrid, Barcelona or Liverpool here. 

 

We've allowed them unchallenged access to CL money and they have a trading model that works. 

 

Being better than them isn't insurmountable, it's achievable if we make the right appointments and have the correct / structured backing.

 

That won't come from the current board, so has to come from new owners / investors. 

Edited yesterday at 12:14 by CammyF

[buster. 5,606]

4 minutes ago, CammyF said:

No, we were / are left in such a state that the only option we have is someone buying us out. There have been previous tentative approaches that the board have not entertained so they haven't gotten far.

 

The current board has crippled us financially. We can generate £95M but still require soft loans to see us complete season after season. 

 

The reason for this is NOT fan impatience, but continued bad business decisions.

 

Without this, or another takeover, we'd continue to cost cut, make more bad decisions and drift aimlessly into obscurity. 

 

Now, I have never said that this takeover will cure all our ills, it may see is drift aimlessly into obscurity, only time will tell.

 

However, even given the fact that the new owners will be looking for return on investment (that shouldn't come as a surprise to any fan), they look far more capable of returning us to the club we should be.

 

Being simplistic again, all they have to do is look across the city at Celtic who have money in the bank and are hugely successful domestically.

 

All we have too be is be better (in all aspects) than them. That takes the correct structure, ability to run a football (sporting) club, a winning team / mentality.

 

Let's be honest, Celtic whilst dominating domestically aren't exactly a European Super Power. We're not attempting to better Real Madrid, Barcelona or Liverpool here. 

 

They've allowed in unchallenged access to CL money without and having a trading model that works. 

 

Being better than them isn't insurmountable, it's achievable if we make the right appointments and have the correct / structured backing.

 

That won't come from the current board, so has to come from new owners / investors. 

For all their mistakes, the current board have kept the lights on. 

 

Fair enough to criticise what they got wrong but your tiresome tirades against them are just a demonstration of an ungrateful and entitled predisposition.

 

 

 

Your simplistic vision for success is laughable and comes from Burnistoun.

 

Just dae it better than they dae

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CammyF 9,347]

17 minutes ago, buster. said:

For all their mistakes, the current board have kept the lights on. 

 

Fair enough to criticise what they got wrong but your tiresome tirades against them are just a demonstration of an ungrateful and entitled predisposition.

 

 

 

Your simplistic vision for success is laughable and comes from Burnistoun.

 

Just dae it better than they dae

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's as laughable and tiresome as your defence of the indefensible.

 

They keep the lights on - but why? Not my impatience or "entitlement ", but their continued bad decisions. If they ran the club correctly and got the big decisions correct, they wouldn't have to "keep the lights on". They've crippled us. 

 

Tirades? Pointing out they have no clue on how to run a football club isn't a tirade, it's factual; look at our accounts, look at our footballing appointments and look at our lack of (domestic) success. 

 

It is as simple as just do it better than them. How else are we going to catch up with and overtake them?

 

Edited yesterday at 12:45 by CammyF

[JohnMc 3,193]

2 hours ago, buster. said:

This potentially raises an important question. The reason that the various projects/models have been tossed in the bin is because they weren't working and as I think you allude to, a lack of patience. This in large part, driven by the support.

 

What happens if after 12 / 24 months of 51% new ownership, it isn't working (ie. still second)?

 

 

_____________-------------_____________

 

How do 'modern methods' blend with the pressure and demands at a club like Rangers in Scottish fitbaw ? 

 

Only time will tell. 

If nothing else, it should be interesting. 

 

 

We know what's going to happen. If the team is competing for the league, winning games we're expected to win and giving Celtic a challenge then the majority of fans will be happy. If we're 10 points behind them by November, our new players haven't bedded in and we've just dropped points at home to Falkirk then the pitch forks will be out. It'll be the manager who gets it first, but eventually Thelwell will come under fire and finally the board if nothing changes. Sacking a manager every autumn keeps the fans from outright revolt. 

A decent percentage of fans couldn't care less who owns the club and who runs the club, if we're winning the league. Look at the SDM years if you think I'm exaggerating. If we're finishing the league as Champions then our new owners could strip the oak panelling from the Main Stand and sell it for fire wood and many in our support would turn up and help them shift it. 

We're being sold to total strangers, people with no connection or affection for our club, people who's motives we can only guess at, and I'd say the majority of our support are welcoming them with open arms and a decent number are actively cheerleading them. There's little sense of nervousness, no worry or concern from an awful lot of people. Those who do have concerns are told they're happy settling for second and have no ambition. Like most of us I saw our club teeter on the very edge of oblivion not that long ago. It amazes me how many of our support are happy to gamble it all again. 

 

It was interesting learning about Athletic Bilbao again recently. A club with an identity, with a purpose, who know exactly who they are. 

[CammyF 9,347]

6 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

We know what's going to happen. If the team is competing for the league, winning games we're expected to win and giving Celtic a challenge then the majority of fans will be happy. If we're 10 points behind them by November, our new players haven't bedded in and we've just dropped points at home to Falkirk then the pitch forks will be out. It'll be the manager who gets it first, but eventually Thelwell will come under fire and finally the board if nothing changes. Sacking a manager every autumn keeps the fans from outright revolt. 

A decent percentage of fans couldn't care less who owns the club and who runs the club, if we're winning the league. Look at the SDM years if you think I'm exaggerating. If we're finishing the league as Champions then our new owners could strip the oak panelling from the Main Stand and sell it for fire wood and many in our support would turn up and help them shift it. 

We're being sold to total strangers, people with no connection or affection for our club, people who's motives we can only guess at, and I'd say the majority of our support are welcoming them with open arms and a decent number are actively cheerleading them. There's little sense of nervousness, no worry or concern from an awful lot of people. Those who do have concerns are told they're happy settling for second and have no ambition. Like most of us I saw our club teeter on the very edge of oblivion not that long ago. It amazes me how many of our support are happy to gamble it all again. 

 

It was interesting learning about Athletic Bilbao again recently. A club with an identity, with a purpose, who know exactly who they are. 

Do you mean on here or in general? I've not witnessed much "cheerleading" if I'm being honest.

 

I'll use my RSC as an example where most still support the current board and are sceptical of the takeover. 

 

I understand and agree with you regarding SDM, as I was in the tiny minority who saw what was unfolding and was vocal against him. 

 

I would say I see similar with the current board and have been openly critical of them, again, as a "minority".

 

I've said numerous times, DK, Park et al were 100% the correct people to release us from the Spivs, but 100% not the people to take us forward medium to long-term.

 

Serious question, did you believe they were when they took over and do you still believe they are?

 

And if not the 49ers then who? 

[Sutton_blows_goats 6,138]

47 minutes ago, CammyF said:

They keep the lights on - but why? Not my impatience or "entitlement ", but their continued bad decisions. If they ran the club correctly and got the big decisions correct, they wouldn't have to "keep the lights on". They've crippled us. 

[Yorkie Bear 756]

3 hours ago, JohnMc said:

If we're finishing the league as Champions then our new owners could strip the oak panelling from the Main Stand and sell it for fire wood and many in our support would turn up and help them shift it. 

We're being sold to total strangers, people with no connection or affection for our club, people who's motives we can only guess at, and I'd say the majority of our support are welcoming them with open arms and a decent number are actively cheerleading them. There's little sense of nervousness, no worry or concern from an awful lot of people. Those who do have concerns are told they're happy settling for second and have no ambition. Like most of us I saw our club teeter on the very edge of oblivion not that long ago. It amazes me how many of our support are happy to gamble it all again. 

 

It was interesting learning about Athletic Bilbao again recently. A club with an identity, with a purpose, who know exactly who they are. 

Stripping the oak panelling and selling it for firewood is, I believe, Plan C, after Champions League riches do not materialise and the player training model does not work out.

[compo 7,905]

Trophies won is always a sign of success so when I read that the pigeon chested boy at Celtic is going to pick up his 25th winners medal next week that's probably more trophies than we've won in the past 25 years we need to win the league 

[Fa1833 364]

6 hours ago, JohnMc said:

We know what's going to happen. If the team is competing for the league, winning games we're expected to win and giving Celtic a challenge then the majority of fans will be happy. If we're 10 points behind them by November, our new players haven't bedded in and we've just dropped points at home to Falkirk then the pitch forks will be out. It'll be the manager who gets it first, but eventually Thelwell will come under fire and finally the board if nothing changes. Sacking a manager every autumn keeps the fans from outright revolt. 

A decent percentage of fans couldn't care less who owns the club and who runs the club, if we're winning the league. Look at the SDM years if you think I'm exaggerating. If we're finishing the league as Champions then our new owners could strip the oak panelling from the Main Stand and sell it for fire wood and many in our support would turn up and help them shift it. 

We're being sold to total strangers, people with no connection or affection for our club, people who's motives we can only guess at, and I'd say the majority of our support are welcoming them with open arms and a decent number are actively cheerleading them. There's little sense of nervousness, no worry or concern from an awful lot of people. Those who do have concerns are told they're happy settling for second and have no ambition. Like most of us I saw our club teeter on the very edge of oblivion not that long ago. It amazes me how many of our support are happy to gamble it all again. 

 

It was interesting learning about Athletic Bilbao again recently. A club with an identity, with a purpose, who know exactly who they are. 

I love everything that Athletic do as a club by only having players from that region and it’s like a family run unit everyone knows the identity of the club and it’s one common goal,

 

Sure we can’t do that from the get go but we can at least cut costs on spending  x y z on has beens and focus on our future stars  like young  Rice & Curtis in which I hope Barry plays them in his remaining games to give them a chance to show case their talents. 

 

 

It actually saddened me when I found out that Billie Gilmore hadn’t actually played a game for Rangers first team yet was snatched by Chelsea yet had been at the club through our youth setup. 
 

All we have to do is look at this as a prime example of what we didn’t do to acknowledge the talent he was as it’s clearly shown with his performances of late with Napoli. 

 I have a small glimmer of hope the  DNA of our club will be revived due to what is happening with Leeds , I genuinely hope and have some optimism the new investors are aware of what the club means to us fans and the DNA of our club is restored  as a club is nothing without its fans and as of late we have been left in the darkness. 

 

Yes time will tell and hopefully in due course there opening statement will highlight  the intentions they want to achieve.