What needs to change at the club going forward to achieve consistent success? If anything.

[SIRBLUE]

The entire way we get a team on the park must change.
Youth system, recruitment, trading are utterly useless.

No more "squad player" as a euphemism for not being good enough but he'll have to do if someone gets injured. Players must be good enough or at least have potential to be good enough to challenge for a starting place every game. The people in charge of our recruitment of late have been truly awful.

No more James Sands or Keiran Dowells.

Players must be sold while they retain value even if that's unpopular. The difficulty, of course is in ensuring that a suitable replacement is waiting to step in, but if you get the first bit right it finances the other.

At a higher level Brighton sold 2 players for fortunes but remain a top half PL team.

No more Alfredos or Ryan Kents going for nothing.

The quality of footballers we have recruited in recent years has financially hamstrung us. It will hinder us for years to come

No more Jose Cifuentes or Cyriel Dessers'.

To get to that position will take years but it must start now.

 

[GovanFrontLoyal]

We go through this utter shite every season.

Successful Rangers teams / boards are built on:

1- board / chairman not being terrified of our amateur hour league and governing body.
2- a manager with the same lack of fear / thought over the same.
3- a captain that deserves to be captain, that drags the team over the line and puts himself on the line time and again.

 

[Joe 90]

Recruitment

We need to stop sticking our noses in the air about signing some Scottish players and build a solid spine throughout our team
We are to soft and get out worked and out run by teams

 

[HillsBill]

I think the heading sums it up well - to be successful you need to be consistent on and off the park. So small is the SPL if you drop points against lower teams you face a lot of pressure. We need a consistent style of play so we can sign players, and managers if necessary, who can fit that style. Then we don’t need to clear out so many players each season. We need to have cover for every position so if first choice isn’t available then second choice drops on and does the job. We must have used well over 50 players in the last few seasons. And look where that got us!

And it helps develop a proper player trading model where you know in advance the players you can sell and their replacements.

 

[scottishpoet]

I think its better recruitment rather than major investment

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

I cannot comprehend why are you bringing the filth into this debate?

I did, that's why I replied to your reply.

I seriously couldn't give a tu'ppeny f--k about them doing better in Europe. That's the last thing I would want. And I cannot get my head round any Rangers fan wanting them to do so?

I don't want just the comb. I want the hairbrush, hairdryer and hair straghteners too.

Mind you, they'd be wasted on me.

 

[daven37]

The entire way we get a team on the park must change.
Youth system, recruitment, trading are utterly useless.

No more "squad player" as a euphemism for not being good enough but he'll have to do if someone gets injured. Players must be good enough or at least have potential to be good enough to challenge for a starting place every game. The people in charge of our recruitment of late have been truly awful.

No more James Sands or Keiran Dowells.

Players must be sold while they retain value even if that's unpopular. The difficulty, of course is in ensuring that a suitable replacement is waiting to step in, but if you get the first bit right it finances the other.

At a higher level Brighton sold 2 players for fortunes but remain a top half PL team.

No more Alfredos or Ryan Kents going for nothing.

The quality of footballers we have recruited in recent years has financially hamstrung us. It will hinder us for years to come

No more Jose Cifuentes or Cyriel Dessers'.

To get to that position will take years but it must start now.

Thinking along the same lines as above.

The youth system is something that continually baffles me as we have next to nothing coming through. Gems like a Ferguson, Hutton, Patterson or a one off like Danny Wilson are too few and far between. Are we simply not giving young players a chance? I look at how Charlie Adam and Chris Burke in the past and I feel we as fans were too quick to write them off.

McCausland was playing regularly and playing well but seems to have been bombed out to the bench.

The point about Morelos and Kent is also a good one - we can't allow that situation to happen again. We have lost out on up to £20m which is not a unrealistic number for these two at their peak. We could also have made more money on Kamara if sold at the right time and even the same with Borna.

That said, there is a balance that is needed when letting top players go and that is where a good manager with good scouts come in.

The recruitment last summer was the worst I can ever remember in over 40 years supporting Rangers. Many saw it immediately in pre season, took others a bit longer.

I feel we need a bit of Scottishness on the pitch - someone who knows what it is all about and someone who will tell others to get their fingers out.

I am also questioning the talk of "calm heads" on the pitch. I think we are way too calm a lot of the time - the intensity needs to increase and that can come by getting the players wound up.

There is an argument to say we need to pay up for 10 first team starters in the summer with Sterling being the exception. Assuming Butland may be sold to raise some funds.

I don't think we can say with certainty which players will still be around next season with all the loans and expiring contracts and players Clement will simply want to replace.

There is also a question of maximising what the club can get from supporters.

 

[fyo-von-bluenose]

Explain how quickly our fortunes have changed up here since coming back in 2016?

Because I don't see any change.

If you want to talk about 55 and Seville, fill your boots. Two separate oasis, in a desert of ongoing mediocrity.

We need wholesale changes. A new defence with people who can actually defend. A midfield with pace, drive, craft and guile and can add in with goals.

Strikers who can put the ball in the pokey more often than not.

However, you don't get Champagne on a beer budget.

The desert of ongoing mediocrity is because the club is poorly run and our recruitment is awful. And even then, we went from the shitshow that was the end of the 19-20 season to 55. The scum went from looking like a joke to winning the next year because they got the right manager and the right players in. And going back further than 2016, I can think of numerous times - 1998, 2004/5, 2007/8, where we became successful again quickly - because fortunes can change quickly in football when you do things right. That was my point.

I agree we need wholesale changes. I want most of that team gone or we'll continue to win very little.

 

[Marstonbear]

Work harder at everything we do.

From the academy, player recruitment, fitness, mentality, basic skills and set pieces.

All are and have been for years woeful

 

[sh3lldon]

why even put D on, even the thought the fans are the problem is laughable

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

The desert of ongoing mediocrity is because the club is poorly run and our recruitment is awful. And even then, we went from the shitshow that was the end of the 19-20 season to 55. The scum went from looking like a joke to winning the next year because they got the right manager and the right players in. And going back further than 2016, I can think of numerous times - 1998, 2004/5, 2007/8 where we became successful again quickly - because fortunes can change quickly in football. That was my point.

I agree we need wholesale changes.

Going by posts/threads on here from last Sunday, I reckon there's been a sea change in attitudes. Those who were on the fence and sill wanting to believe in Tav, Goldson etc, in defence have mostly changed their thinking. Most but not all.

Where I would disagree with you with the three season you highlighted is the way we have since then been hampered financially between being hurled down the leagues and the work of the spivs and that has damaged us beyond belief.

Secondly the cash from automatic entry into the CL group stages, means we have a financial mountain to climb to keep up. Not a Munro but an Everest. That's why pissing away any advantage we had this season is galling

Of course it can change over the next five games but I just don't see it.

I certainly won't be in a forgiving mood if we lose this title.

 

[ronadamus_prime]

Honestly, this will sting to hear/read but we need players whose ambitions far exceed what Ibrox can offer them longer term.

We've got too many guys playing for us, where playing for Rangers, is both the height of their ambition and the limit of their capability. You're always going to need a core of players who are like that, but we've got too many of them at present. Means we've got guys happy to ride the bench rather than play, because they're still picking up a hefty wage at a big club, for good money.

We need to start signing younger players with ambitions beyond us. It's what our rivals do. All of their better players, all fancy their chances elsewhere and will eventually move to better leagues. That's not exclusively that mob either, that is also teams in Europe that we regularly face. The big teams in Holland and Portugal are light years ahead in that regard, they accept that they'll likely get 2, maybe 3 years maximum out of a younger player before they move them on for a decent profit. In the last few years we've become beholden to the idea of selling players for big bucks to the PL and it's held us back.

 

[The Sasa Shuffle]

Recruitment is the most obvious reason out of many. Risky signings need to be low fee and low wage, not high fee and wage like Roofe, Helander, Davies and Dessers. These guys were doubly risky as at their ages they were never going to be sold at a profit.

We also need to get better at offloading duds/crocks. Celtic don’t let players have 2 seasons to look like they might be useful, they sell guys after a mediocre season while they still hold value. We need to be that ruthless.

We also need to get better at selling players at peak value (whatever that may be) rather than holding on until their value and usefulness whittle away to nothing. In hindsight the summer of 2021 should have seen us sell at least a couple of Morelos, Kent, Barisic, Kamara or Goldson. With the exception of the money Leeds payed us for Kamara (can’t believe we got decent money for him) we’ve had almost zero from them in terms of fees or usefulness since.

 

[1BrianLaudrup]

Recruitment is the most obvious reason out of many. Risky signings need to be low fee and low wage, not high fee and wage like Roofe, Helander, Davies and Dessers. These guys were doubly risky as at their ages they were never going to be sold at a profit.

We also need to get better at offloading duds/crocks. Celtic don’t let players have 2 seasons to look like they might be useful, they sell guys after a mediocre season while they still hold value. We need to be that ruthless.

We also need to get better at selling players at peak value (whatever that may be) rather than holding on until their value and usefulness whittle away to nothing. In hindsight the summer of 2021 should have seen us sell at least a couple of Morelos, Kent, Barisic, Kamara or Goldson. With the exception of the money Leeds payed us for Kamara (can’t believe we got decent money for him) we’ve had almost zero from them in terms of fees or usefulness since.

I agree with all three points, but I think the first two are especially important to understand. You can make signings that don't work, everyone does, but as you say, we've engaged in a strategy of making risky bets (your first point) and then not had a strategy for what we do when things go wrong (your second). Those aren't mistakes, they're habits that have compounding effects. I think these are contributing factors that add up to a lack of ruthlessness, lack of edge when it comes to mindset, and ultimately a tolerance of finishing second.

 

[Laudrup11Cooper]

Voted E. Investment is the crux of the solution, but remember: even if we had a blank cheque, we couldn’t spend it. FFP hinders us from simply spending untold sums to overhaul the squad. Our negative retained earnings over the last 5 years are killing our ability to grow. Because of this, supporter expectations do need to adapt. Not change - we must always retain our winning mentality, but we do need to get real with the fact that we are still a long way off where we once were. I believe the board are aware of both these facets, time will tell if Bisgrove and Bennet are the men to lead us back to the top.

I totally agree with a lot of what you state, but in the meantime, as we come to the end of a very up and down season, and capitulating once again, from a position of power, what happens going forward?
As I believe the fans patience with this 'strategy', "planning", whatever, is beginning to snap!

 

[Bluenose1979]

Recruitment.

The squad needs remodelled. We need to remove the legacy old-guard players who have simply never reached the true levels of winning consistency needed, yet have formed the foundations and backbone of the team for years now.

It's a big challenge, and most probably not achievable in the space of a summer, but we need to clear out as much as we possibly can, free up the finances and then have a far, far smarter approach to who we bring in and what we're paying for.

Continually cycling through managers and not addressing the ongoing existing common denominators on the pitch is just becoming negligent - and to be fair to the board, we've spent money to try and bolster it - just very, very poorly.

 

[Laudrup11Cooper]

You make a good point re mindset but Lewis Ferguson has absolutely blossomed in Italy.

Big clubs in Scotland tend not to do that with home grown players. He would not be at the level he is now if he has signed for Rangers or Celtic.

What about mind set as supporters?
There are many that would never agree to have Ferguson, Hickey (probably because he came up from Celtic youth?) and Shankland kick a ball for us!
Yet all continue to flourish in their own environments.

 

[Glass Onion]

Voted B. Feel like the board have done okay in terms of shelling out for players to the best of what they've been able to afford. But then made the mistake of letting Michael Beale use those funds. Not getting Shankland in January was a big mistake. The club overall is still on an upward trajectory though, even if the team isn't. Supporter expectations are totally fine too. The very least to be expected is to win the league and cups consistently or at least every other year as both sides of the OF strengthen. I've not come across any fan who truly believes Europe is anything other than a money-bonus.

 

[Bluethruandthru]

It's C for me.

I don't doubt for one moment there still exists severe financial constraints holding this club back.

There has to be real ambition though to attract major investment into Rangers in order to fully recover the club.

Despite the lack of big funding and the meagre trophy return, the directors who've overseen the most turbulent time in Rangers history have done a fine job under the circumstances, and as such any criticism has to be measured.

That said, we cannot continue as we are indefinitely. There must be solid plans put in place to secure the level of investment required, whilst also ensuring the risk does not mirror that of the previous regime. That responsibility lies with the board at Ibrox.

I think the realists among us already accept that's no easy task but it's one the board must strive to get right none the less.

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

Voted B. Feel like the board have done okay in terms of shelling out for players to the best of what they've been able to afford. But then made the mistake of letting Michael Beale use those funds. Not getting Shankland in January was a big mistake. The club overall is still on an upward trajectory though, even if the team isn't. Supporter expectations are totally fine too. The very least to be expected is to win the league and cups consistently or at least every other year as both sides of the OF strengthen. I've not come across any fan who truly believes Europe is anything other than a money-bonus.

How can both of us both be strengthening when one club is getting an automatic 30 mill before a ball is kicked and could be 40 mill for next season?

You ain't looking through a glass onion, you are looking through blackened, tinted and smashed glass.

 

[KGR98]

The board havnt just spent player budget cheaply. The budget available was spent by the managers who were here. The board havnt withheld money or stolen it. We spend what we bring in all season to actually run the club.

It's still the board who decided to give cart blanche to a rookie manager to spend big without a recruitment team behind him questioning his decisions

 

[Luca Stroppi]

I opted for F, but it’s probably the combo of B C & D a club our size and especially being in the situation we are in could really do with significant investment, where we can get it from is anyone’s guess? That’s for this board to deal with. I suppose in terms of lowering expectations, sadly depending on what the mob across the city do will either make our life more difficult or make toppling them more achievable if they make a mess of things but if we’re being honest about it they generally spend their money better than we do. Overall they are better than us at identifying players who more often than not work out fine for them and can be sold on for a profit. We’ve wasted millions on diddies in the dugout and on the pitch, guys with dodgy injury records and a few other guys who can’t handle the pressure of the SPL and cup business in the final weeks of a season.

So with all that said…yes please oh please someone somewhere come to our rescue with major investment.

Would it be too much to ask for Rangers to get a strong Scottish core of good young talent back in our first team and with some bears in the mix, all the better? There’s very good talent out there but we‘ve got to up our game and make sure WE get them!

As above, we simply have to recruit to a far higher standard than we have been doing..ability wise to get the success we all crave and to get better value for our money and make a profit on them when they move on.

 

[Cooper 11]

My two bobs worth. I really think we as a fanbase, especially on here, overthink Scottish football. It's not the EPL with Pep, Klopp and the rest of them. It's our play each other 4 times a season, on not very good pitches, where 10 teams games against you are a cup final and you effectively need to be better than one main rival.

I listened to Boyd at half time saying Rangers need to be braver as there is a league title on the line. Boyd played in Rangers teams that won leagues so knows what it's all about. He's also a Rangers man himself, something severely lacking in our current squad.

Walter's teams always had a sprinkling of Rangers men or at least Scottish guys brought up playing Scottish football. That was offset by a few gems that could turn a game for you.

The foundations were always the same. A solid defence in front of a good keeper. Two midfield battlers with a playmaker. Good wide men and forwards that could stick the ball in the net.

Even in his second spell he stuck to the same set up. Remember when he returned he signed Weir and Ehiogu, shored up the defence. He won leagues with players like McCulloch and Broadfoot. Not world beaters by a long shot but they knew how to battle it out and win against the rest of the league. He brought back Miller who scored for fun.

I'll no doubt be accused of living in the past but honestly, has Scottish football changed a lot in 20 years, I really don't think it has. Guys like John Brown would run through a brick wall for Rangers but crucially they could handle the pressure of playing for Rangers. We don't have enough players of that ilk in the squad IMHO.

Thank you. You put it more eloquently than I ever could. It’s not rocket science. The last week, I’ve just been sat wondering “what would Walter do”. People may accuse me of living in the past, but I think it’s a fine mantra for all things concerning Rangers.

 

[Kinghornloyal]

It's still the board who decided to give cart blanche to a rookie manager to spend big without a recruitment team behind him questioning his decisions

I agree but the board will again give the money to Clement and Koppen. Who knows if the new signings will work. Board can't be accused of not spending what we can.

 

[Luca Stroppi]

We need to clear out the core group of rotten serial losers and those just here to plod along. If the board or management team give Lundstrum a new contract then it just shows how out of touch they are, and they should move on with them.

I always purchase my season ticket but depending on what that squad looks like come the start of the next campaign I have decided I will not be going to the games if those players and we all know which ones are still at the club. I stated yesterday on here it would be painful and we’ll have to suck it up again for however long it takes to build a team of winners but build it we must and that means totally ripping it up, start again and do the f@cking thing properly this time. We’ve f@cked it up too many times and there’s no more IFS BUTS OR MAYBES. Do what’s required, virtually a complete rebuild starting ASAP or roll up the white flag…enough is enough!

 

[jft1840]

What about mind set as supporters?
There are many that would never agree to have Ferguson, Hickey (probably because he came up from Celtic youth?) and Shankland kick a ball for us!
Yet all continue to flourish in their own environments.

I’m not sure how the mindset of supports helps players develop.

I may have misunderstood your point so happy to reconsider if that’s the case.

Shankland a total upgrade on what we have but doesn’t mean much given the quality we have.

Sometimes a player and a club are the right match. Not sure Shankland is the right fit for us. He is for Hearts.

 

[HandsomeHead]

The idea that our players shit the bed at the first stirrings of pressure is a convenient excuse, IMO.

I do think it plays a part, but as I’ve been trying to point out, when people say ‘it’s what this team does’, it’s really only Tav, Goldson and to a lesser extent Lundstram that that can be aimed at (Barisic, Roofe, Jack, etc don’t feature enough now for the accusations to have any real merit for them).

So two or three players, the senior pros, the so-called onfield leaders, are chucking it anytime they’re faced with real pressure and this is infecting the rest of the squad which the manager appears oblivious about?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Tav or Goldson have the degree of character to provide the type of leadership we want and need, but we have turned over more or less an entire squad since lifting 55 and I don’t see any natural leaders or winners among them. This is also a big part of the issue, IMO.

So recruitment would appear to be absolutely key, but not just to sign players with the correct degree of ability or potential sell-on value, but also the character and mindset we need to infuse the team with more natural leaders.

 

[Laudrup11Cooper]

I’m not sure how the mindset of supports helps players develop.

I may have misunderstood your point so happy to reconsider if that’s the case.

Shankland a total upgrade on what we have but doesn’t mean much given the quality we have.

Sometimes a player and a club are the right match. Not sure Shankland is the right fit for us. He is for Hearts.

Fair point.
So going by what you said in your last line that "Shankland is for Hearts"
If Danillo wasn't tagged as a 6 million player, ( but he is) and Dessers.As that's our two main strikers when fit.
Who in this league, out of those two and Shankland... is going to score the most goals?

 

[Midfield General]

We are on the verge, as many have already said, of letting our bitterest rivals walk away with yet another title.
Despite being only a few weeks ago, in a very strong position.

So.Genuine question, which please let's try and keep it civil, and calm, as it could prove an interesting debate.

Q/ What needs to change at the club to stop this from happening season after season?

Or maybe as some others have suggested, nothing needs to change, and we are where we are, because of the UEFA restraints, and our financial restraints.So we are where we should be?

With the Champions League money for automatic qualification about to end for all Scottish teams, how do we bankroll going forward, to even wrestle back the title?

The answer today could be totally different if the players can shake off the current mallaise and we end up with a treble unlikely as that may seem at the moment.

 

[Laudrup11Cooper]

True.Season is not over, and as we all know football can suddenly change very quickly.
But I was asking as thing stand right now, and looking forward.
More, looking forward.
But fair point.

 

[Glass Onion]

How can both of us both be strengthening when one club is getting an automatic 30 mill before a ball is kicked and could be 40 mill for next season?

You ain't looking through a glass onion, you are looking through blackened, tinted and smashed glass.

What good’s all their money really? £30m sounds great but how have they used that in the past? Even with all that dosh it’s incredibly hard to spend it on genuine quality that would want to play in Scotland. So really both sides aren’t as far removed from each other as many would think. Really has to come down to better scouting, more sensible transfers and hoping that Clement has a better eye than Beale.

 

[High Society]

Investment, better recruitment and player trading model.

A few more Scottish players who can compete physically in the SPFl would help

 

[SimonLeBon]

Money trumps all. We won nine in a row because we could outspend them.

And likewise they won their 2nd 9 in a row because they have more money than us, the way things look it will take substantial investment to get anywhere near them, I think this season was to close for comfort for them and Brenda will blow us out the water by strengthening their squad massively over this coming close season.

 

[JAC_1966]

We have to stop sacking managers every year or as soon as it looks like we won’t win the league.big Phil will not have the squad he envisages in his first summer transfer window.its very rare any manager does.if he gets the time we’re looking at two or three transfer windows.

We might aswell give him his full contract, sacking managers hasnt worked. Gerrard needed time. It's just a shame he left when we were back on top

 

[SDF]

A few more Scottish players who can compete physically in the SPFl would help

The nationality isn't important. But your wider point is spot on. It's not about throwing your weight around or kicking folk but we do lack an athleticism and physicality throughout the team. Only Sterling has both in abundance. We're sorely lacking in that department.

Guys like Maeda come from the other side of the world are finding the physicality of the SPFL just fine. We had a kid from Leicester reserves sign and inside 12 months he was easily the best athletic specimen in the league.

 

[GeeSpot]

This it total nonsense.

Yet 58% of the vote is for improvement of infrastructure and extra investment which is also what I was saying.

I read your explanation of your "F" vote and I don't disagree with what you are saying at all. But there is a difference between a short period of winning trophies again and building dominance and consistent success.

I am talking about a much longer timeframe than next few seasons. I am talking about how the absolute basis of what we need for consistent success being a guaranteed financial advantage over Celtic and narrowing the gap to European competitors who have more revenue from TV, etc.

As I said we cannot be fully reliant on market value of players which is proving to be very risky and seems as though it set to fail as soon as there is a spell we aren't winning trophies. A successful player trading model is also much easier with consistent success so there's a bit of a chicken/egg scenario there. How do you get to success consistently if you keep selling your best players?

That's why I think in the longer term we need massive investment and infrastructure improvements to bring that revenue we need to have the top players and coaches to dominate domestically and compete at advanced stages in Europe year on year.

 

[Flying Fullback]

Main incomes for us & them are match tickets(they have a bigger stadium) & European money (which is massively influenced by 10 year coefficient & which tournament you are in)

Financially we are miles behind, which is reflected on park. Our wage bill is bigger, but only because we've been signing free contracts.
One bit of good news is we've just overtaken them in 10 year ranking. Stadium improvements & NEH will help a bit too, but we've still got some catching up to do.

My concern is constantly changing manager & rebuilding is just putting us in a worse spot on & off the pitch.

 

[wullies bunion]

The Board is there to look at the big picture and find the money to make the company successful. They should concentrate on that and leave football matters to the football experts. That is after all why a Manager and Director of football are hired and as the main activity of a football club is football and the more successful the football team is , the more money it generates which means that even more money is available to support the outlays. The Board can then declare a Dividend which cheers up their Investors and their lenders which in turn will generate even more money.
quite simple really when you boil it down.

 

[Gateside11]

I voted F
Instead of signing unknown players from foreign leagues, there's players that play or have played in the SPL that could improve our team and win us the league again.
Better signing players that know what the leagues like physically than foreigners that go into hiding and can't face a battle..

 

[Gateside11]

Main incomes for us & them are match tickets(they have a bigger stadium) & European money (which is massively influenced by 10 year coefficient & which tournament you are in)

Financially we are miles behind, which is reflected on park. Our wage bill is bigger, but only because we've been signing free contracts.
One bit of good news is we've just overtaken them in 10 year ranking. Stadium improvements & NEH will help a bit too, but we've still got some catching up to do.

My concern is constantly changing manager & rebuilding is just putting us in a worse spot on & off the pitch.

Your last sentence is spot on. We're the Man Utd of Scotland.
Both were biggest clubs couple of decades ago and struggling to get back to where they/we belong..

 

[tottie beck]

An on field leader who is a proven winner and will drive his teammates to perform at their very best

 

[HeartlandsBear]

Better recruitment for me. There has been decent money spent on forming the squad however wasted on poor quality players. Need to stick with a manager for a decent period and let better recruitment kick in. Difficult backdrop of our finances and losing £40 million by potentially not winning the league is worrying.

 

[Georanger33]

Better utilisation of transfer budgets rather than having a bigger one to spend.

Too much money has been wasted on rubbish and that includes contracts.

That needs to start with better analysis of people who will fit in including talent and equally mentality to win and be resilient. Will that person adapt to the league here is a big question.

There also needs to be more emphasis on youth academy product. If players aren't good enough then why invest so much in the academy? Youth needs to be integrated a lot more in the team if the feeling is they could be good enough. They need to take those calculated risks of bringing them into games and by that I mean cup games and maybe some league games as required.

Totally agree with this and the fact that we’ve been playing without a prolific number 9 for god knows how long. Heartbreaking that we could have signed Shankland a few seasons ago for peanuts.

 

[Georanger33]

I think its better recruitment rather than major investment

Agree it’s about better use and management of the resources we have. The country is in the state it’s in for the same reason. Should be doing so much better with what we have at our disposal.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Walter showed us in his second spell that you don’t need loads of money, but a simple core of players who knew what the club was about, who knew what Rangers required to win things, who loved the club and wanted success. He didn’t spend huge, but what he did spend he did wisely.

We need players who have Rangers at their heart, and that’s a very simple thing to say but it’s what we need. I’m not saying 11 men who are staunch as %^*& and sing the sash before they go to bed, I’m talking men who will run through brick walls for the jersey because that’s their dream.

If clement wants to have any sort of success at this club, he will need to model himself on that, and he will need to identify players who will do as we asks and who will also provide a base for others who come in that don’t know what Rangers are all about.

Walter brought in Davie Weir, Stevie Davis, Broadfoot, McCulloch and he had a captain who bled blue. The simple base for everything that came with that spell. 3 titles when we shouldn’t have been anywhere near it. A European final. Cup wins. The lot.

All based on one thing, having players there who knew what was required.

I’m not sure there is anyone at the club who recognises that, Alex Rae aside but having only him isn’t enough.

 

[Big Negri]

Said this months ago and got shot down ,until the club rids it's self of Bisgrove and employees experience and winners then nothing will change .

This is the answer, we have under qualified people in top jobs throughout the club.

 

[HandsomeHead]

Walter showed us in his second spell that you don’t need loads of money, but a simple core of players who knew what the club was about, who knew what Rangers required to win things, who loved the club and wanted success. He didn’t spend huge, but what he did spend he did wisely.

We need players who have Rangers at their heart, and that’s a very simple thing to say but it’s what we need. I’m not saying 11 men who are staunch as %^*& and sing the sash before they go to bed, I’m talking men who will run through brick walls for the jersey because that’s their dream.

If clement wants to have any sort of success at this club, he will need to model himself on that, and he will need to identify players who will do as we asks and who will also provide a base for others who come in that don’t know what Rangers are all about.

Walter brought in Davie Weir, Stevie Davis, Broadfoot, McCulloch and he had a captain who bled blue. The simple base for everything that came with that spell. 3 titles when we shouldn’t have been anywhere near it. A European final. Cup wins. The lot.

All based on one thing, having players there who knew what was required.

I’m not sure there is anyone at the club who recognises that, Alex Rae aside but having only him isn’t enough.

The days of Walter type managers have gone.

Clement is another modern centric coach with no ties to the club who will have his vision on how he wants the game to be played and will probably live or die by it. If it doesn’t work, he gets his big payoff and moves on to his next gig. That’s the harsh reality of where we are.

It can work though. He doesn’t need to sign John Browns, Ian Fergusons or Richard Goughs - just players that can compete physically and mentally to build a team with greater ability and fortitude than we have at present.

He’s been at pains since walking in the door to say that he is obsessive about winning, so I’d expect to see that reflected in his teams.

 

[Big Negri]

We're spending about as much as Celtic on wages, badly, and we've had terrible recruitment for a few years. This summer a lot of extra money should be freed up by players leaving, which we can reinvest in a more positive fashion. We've addressed that with a new Director of Football and should at least hope that he has a window or two to demonstrate if he can get things right. We've won one out of three trophies still available to us, we're in contention for the other two despite a dramatic drop in form. The only reason we're in contention for the league is Celtic went through a similar dramatic drop in form. In short we're doing about as expected but the last decade has completely ruined some of you who see catastrophe at every turn. A bit like Celtic fans after the 90s.

We don’t have a new Director of Football. We’ve split the job in two. The roles are filled by Creag Robertson as Director of Football Operations. Last year Creag was the Academy Business/Education guy. The second role is Nils Koppen Director of Recruitment. Nils last job was as a Scouting Coordinator for PSV. As you can see neither have any previous experience of their current roles. But if you add their two salaries up it will probably be 50% of what we would pay a decent Director of Football.

 

[MuddyWaters]

Our player recruitment is shocking, that mob for the the past decade are miles ahead of us in this dept, ok they have signed some duds too, but overall their signing are far better than ours from VVD to CCV in the CH positions to Jota and Kyogo recently
I've lost count on the duds we have signed in the last decade, it simply needs to change, also our style of play would get football stopped, oh for the days of Advocaat's style of football, I looked forward to watching his team play every week.
But like most people on here I will be excited tomorrow morning waiting for ko, but I'm not confident in this bunch of players. Yeah we can STILL win the treble, but I doubt it, hope I'm wrong

 

[JMCK]

We need to clear out the core group of rotten serial losers and those just here to plod along. If the board or management team give Lundstrum a new contract then it just shows how out of touch they are, and they should move on with them.

It's not Lundstram though, there are far worse players than him here; the same goes for Tavernier and Goldson, these players are not the problem either. We could have a core of Tavernier, Goldson, Lundstram, Cantwell, Diomande, Sima and compliment them with better players around them and we would see a very different Rangers. The players attracting the most criticism are strangely enough just about keeping us hanging in there, but this squad lacks real depth of quality outwith those players; drop Lundstram, Tavernier and Lundstram for the rest of the run in, and see how we get on. This squad needs additions that compliment others, in terms of quality, and if we don't get those then this manager won't be here long, and this time next year we will be having this thread all over again.