A Sad State Of Affairs
I'm normally quite positive when I write my articles, so I apologise for this rant in advance.
I write this after a dismal showing in the Champions League qualifier against FC Copenhagen. This game is proof, if ever it were needed that things in the Rangers garden are anything but rosey these days, and it's the same throughout football. The Copenhagen result was a sickener, and we SHOULD have won the game with ease. We didn't, and now we're stuck in a situation where we have to go to Denmark and score. We're capable of doing that, but we're also very capable of conceding goals, and we literally CANNOT afford to that.
The financial situation at Ibrox has been well documented in the past year, and we always knew it was going to be tight. I don't think some of realised just how tight it was going to be. The fact is we were relying on the sale of Arteta (one of our best players) to fund summer transfers, and when that didn't happen we found ourselves right up the proverbial creek. So much so that we couldn't even afford a FREE transfer (Thome/May!). As a result, McLeish has been left with a very thin squad, and no money to bring anyone in, which is why Champions League qualification is so vital.
If we do not beat FC Copenhagen and get to the group stages, then we can expect to see Rangers' captain, Barry Ferguson sold. Blackburn have made a bid of £8m and have been told "Make it £10m and he's your's". This comes from a reliable source (an ex Rangers player VERY close to Ferguson) who says that Ferguson is raging that the club are considering selling him. So much so that he was going to refuse to play against Copenhagen, and who could blame him. Neil McCann was very much in the same boat, and I'm informed that he knew NOTHING about his move to Southampton until the deal was done and dusted. After only having bought a new house in Port Glasgow, he was apparently "beeling" that he was being sold, and behind his back as well. This is what we have to put up with now. ANY offer within reason will be considered and most probably accepted. It makes you wonder who was really behind Mikel Arteta's proposed move to Athletico Madrid. I don't believe it was the young Spaniard.
It's true what they say though: Money talks. No matter who has an offer in for them, if it's reasonable they'll consider it. Football decisions are the last thing on Rangers' mind right now, and it's a sad state of affairs. But who do we blame? McLeish? Bain? McLelland? Well I know who I hold responsible, and along with Advocaat they've ruined our club. Take a stance Mr Murray, and exit stage left.
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