The fans have not been treated with any honesty over a lengthy period but recent sales of Hutton and Cuellar only serve to highlight that the finances are in a poor state and that those in charge of the club put cash before success which can't be viewed as a good thing for a club like Rangers where we play in a league where only one of two sides are going to win the title 99% of the time. I wonder what Murray can do this time to keep the wolves from the door so to speak? The fans don't trust him enough to invest serious amounts in the club. There doesn't seem to be a buyer on the horizon so what is he going to do?
Putting aside the financial strife for a second, I just wonder who will go in the January window. Gow, Boyd, Hemdani, Ferguson, Boogie, Mendes, McGregor, Novo - the list touted goes on and on and I wonder what the state of the playing staff will be when the window shuts at the start of February. Will we bring in anyone?
Some of the players we've been linked with make me want to throw myself off a cliff. Wilkie, Cowie, Berra, Nielsen, Lee Miller, Wallace, Healy, Tonel, Driver and some others too. One or two of these may do a job but some of them would make Mr Struth turn in his grave. When will be able to compete for the title with a settled side without looking to punt our better players out the door, especially half way through a season? What position does this leave our manager in too? Surely his job is an almost impossible one under these circumstances and do you think he'll be looking to tell his mate David where to go, I doubt it as he's been a loyal subject so far and seems to share Murray's ideals on many things including the internet these days but time will tell.
With our finances obviously that bad, I just can't help question the wisdom and timing of our summer spending spree but before that I'll again question the sale of Hutton mid way through a season. He could have helped us to the title and thus ensure a minimum £10m in CL cash and then could have been sold in the summer but no, we gamble, lose the title then worse was to follow.
An even bigger and more outrageous gamble occurred when Murray and Smith seemed to think our squad who had lost Davis back to Fulham and Ferguson to injury could scrape past inferior opponents in the CL qualifiers playing guys like Dailly and Adam in midfield. We got papped out and lost out on European income - a disaster both financially and in football terms. Then we do what only Rangers would do, after we get humiliated we go and buy a midfield, who if were in place prior to the European debacle, would have paid for themselves as we'd have got in to the CL. Mendes and Davis are good players, of that there is no doubt but in our economic strife was the purchase of Edu wise? Was paying over £3m on Lafferty a good decision? What about Velicka? These guys cost good money but have rarely been seen. KL has been played now and again but generally out of position it would seem.
Our current regime seem intent in not giving youth a chance within the club, this on top of the fact that good players will be punted as soon as they are worth anything must surely have a negative impact on future youngsters joining the club. It will put some off no doubt.
While the financial turmoil and player rumour mill grinds on, the club and it's fans still find themselves under ridiculously unfair scrutiny from the press and certain figures involved in politics and religion and we're now meant to believe the hokey cokey has some sort of sinister meaning. This on top of many songs our support actually do sing being picked on whilst other clubs fans get away with the same old anthems of hate. The club do nothing about this which is infuriating.
I notice at the recent Old Firm game, two banners appeared within Ibrox, both very similar, one among Rangers fans, one among Celtic fans but only one was asked to be removed. Yes, you guessed it, the Rangers one was taken down in case it offended anyone. You couldn't make this stuff up. Thankfully, it would seem that NBM may be on their last legs, so one less detractor to worry about but there are many more waiting in the wings ready to put the boot in as they know the club will do nothing to counter the criticism.
It would also appear that our club are sending stewards to report Rangers fans and potentially get them arrested at away games which really takes the biscuit. Fair enough, weed out idiots but the stewards are over zealous and obviously working to the letter of the instructions they have received from within Rangers but wouldn't it be useful if the fans knew what they were being monitored for? This is another shameful episode in our not so glorious recent history. For every good thing that happens there are a few horror stories and these do not help the club one little bit.
Let's also take in to account PR, or lack of it, and ask what Media House are being paid to do and while we are at it the marketing or lack of it is also a complete joke for a club with our fan base and potential. Just look at the numbers who went to Manchester. That figure alone tells us there is a huge market for Rangers and related products but the club do not realise this. The fans have also been hit with shoddy replica tops for some time. The Diadora ones were shameful and although the Umbro ones are of a better standard, the generic design that sees Rangers tops look like Everton, England and others is no good for a club with a history like ours. We should have a unique top, like no others but the regime are trying to make us into just another club.
We have to ask where do we go from here? Some have been predicting this for a number of years. Many took notice but too many brushed it off and called people doom mongers and worse and could not see past Murray's spin and lies. Surely now everyone must realise that SDM is not the man to take us forward and hasn't been for some time and the only thing that could help ease our seriously worrying situation is regime change that sees someone worth a few bob and with Rangers best interests at heart take over and get Murray and his over paid side kick Bain out of the club for ever before the damage they have cause becomes terminal. Sounds serious, doesn't it? You bet it's serious and drastic change needs to happen now before there is nothing left of our once great club.
Any potential new owner would have to ensure the assets such as the car park, the Old Edmiston House, ticketing and catering rights etc were returned to the club so that Rangers FC could have several income streams and not just season / match tickets and one or two others but achieving this would no doubt be troublesome and Murray wouldn't want to part with any money maker without a fight.
If there is someone wishing to buy Rangers, please do so quickly and stop the haemorrhaging, stop the embarrassment and put the loyal fans out of their misery before it's too late.
Murray, Bain and your incompetent minions, I pray your days at Rangers are numbered - go now!
Paisley Prod