In recent months there have been an increasing number of posts on the FF message board which seem to embrace the downsizing of ambition mentality which is now prevalent within the club after the reckless pursuit of a dream which almost became a nightmare.
This new "reality" perspective, endorsed by a number of respected and articulate contributors, is happy to settle for third place in the Champions League group, would settle for a UEFA Cup run, and appears to believe that the culmination of our European dream, winning the trophy itself, is but a fanciful notion. This pessimism, fostered by the club and dressed up as realism, is effectively a constraint on ambition.
Whilst some of us wondered about the wisdom of David Murray`s lavishness in chasing European glory, the pendulum now seems to have swung back a little too far, and the compensatory UEFA Cup spot now seems to be the limit of our aspirations, and a number of those whose wisdom is beyond question amongst the Rangers support do not seem sufficiently perturbed that the height of our ambition has been stunted.
I have no wish to see Rangers return to careless ways and a debt that could cripple us, but equally, I cannot approve of Rangers setting a low level of expectation in which key figures at the club have a get-out clause when planned failure achieves its expected outcome.
It should be inconceivable that a club of Rangers stature should deliberately relegate itself to being a bit part player on the European stage, a battle-ground where our chairman once requested he be judged, but it is happening, and with the apparent blessing of some of us as Rangers fans, and all in the name of "being realistic".
This "downsizing of ambition" mentality at Rangers, and let there be no mistake, there IS a downsizing of ambition within Ibrox, not only tarnishes the dream of European glory at the highest level, it risks the elimination of it altogether, and that should not be tolerated by any of us.
Celtic showed the way in Europe in 1967 when the wisdom of the day viewed European glory for UK clubs as fantasist nonsense, and then again in 1993 when those whose eagerness to be "realistic" proclaimed that no Scottish club would ever again contest a European final. It is up to Rangers now to blaze a European trail rather than ring-fence our aspirations to a level of mediocrity which will ultimately see the club diminish in stature.
David Murray is a man who has achieved considerable success in his life and has probably achieved most of his ambitions. He chased the European dream before, but in a reckless fashion which proved to be unsustainable. I am asking that he commences the chase for the dream again, but this time with ingenuity, creative thinking, dedication, and a management team whose thoroughness and professionalism will set new standards in the game.
The club needs to be vibrant, proactive in every area where there is gain, and aggressive in pursuit of its desires, both on and off the field. Every avenue of talent should be explored, and this means more dialogue with the lifeblood of the club - the supporters. Those in senior positions at Rangers do not have a monopoly of wisdom, and fan input will inform the club when it is offside in its judgements, but also offer solutions and ideas, and assist in creative thinking. The Rangers Supporters Trust and its new Sharesave scheme, now close to launch, may raise several million pounds for the club in coming years.
This is just one example of how supporter input, genuine supporter input, can and will benefit the club.
The pursuit and delivery of glory at all levels should be a part of the job description of every Rangers manager or coach, and every chairman should be aware that even if there are cash limits to observe, there are no intellectual levels which are too high for the Rangers boardroom. Trundling along and steering well clear of the biggest stage of all is tantamount to negligence for those charged with running our club, and falling into line behind them is to endorse an approach which ought to be inexcusable.
We may not have money to burn any more, in truth we never did, but a club like ours needs its potential exploited and unleashed. If those in prominent positions at Ibrox are not up to the task, then they should move over and surrender the reins to those who will raise the club to a level where planning permission for permanent residence should be sought. This kind of realism is more palatable than the bitter taste left by the present downsizing mindset.
Number_Eight