Rangers’ crisis club reputation hampers bids to sign players

[TMB 14,167]

Rangers’ crisis club reputation hampers bids to sign players

Mark Warburton says young players have been put off coming to Rangers because of the club's 'crisis' reputation. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

 

 

Mark Warburton believes his efforts to sign players from England have been hampered by an ongoing perception of Rangers as a club in crisis in the aftermath of their financial collapse in 2012.

But the Rangers manager is confident this season’s success in winning promotion to the Premiership and the Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Celtic can finally shed them of that image and persuade higher quality players to sign on at Ibrox this summer.

 

The on-field progress achieved by Warburton in his first season in charge has come in tandem with a more stable environment off the pitch which he hopes will make them more attractive to potential transfer targets.

“There are a generation of younger players who have grown up thinking of Rangers being in financial trouble and administration,” said Warburton.

“The hardest job we have got is getting them even to come to Glasgow to speak to us, as bizarre as that might sound, because they have got this impression of the club in their minds.

“Once we can get them to the training ground and show them Ibrox, then it’s done. But this season, because we were in the Championship, some of them just didn’t want to play here.

“They question whether the league here is good enough. If they have got English Championship clubs after them, offering more money, then we have got a hard sell. But once we get them here, we can absolutely sell Rangers to them.

“It will be better now that we are going back into the Premiership. It is better after the Old Firm game. The beauty of that massive TV audience was that it gave Rangers a fantastic stage to show what we are about – the fans and the whole atmosphere.

“I think it did a world of good for Scottish football but it also helped us in terms of recruitment. We can say ‘this is what we are about, we want more of this and there will be a minimum of four of these Old Firm games next season’. Hopefully that really helps with recruitment.”

Warburton, however, recognises that the size of Rangers and their support will not be enough to convince some players to choose them ahead of relatively smaller English clubs with greater financial muscle.

“They are working men, don’t forget,” added Warburton. “I laugh when supporters talk about so and so being greedy. He is a working man. If he has got a wife and two kids and is offered ‘X’ in Scotland and three times that down south, what is he going to do?

“It is not greed, it is just looking after your family. We have to recognise that. If we lose a player because he is being paid three or four times the money, that is it. We can’t compete with that. They have got access to TV money that Scottish clubs, at the moment, haven’t got access to. So it is a recognition of that fact and move on. We are going to lose targets simply because of the fact that club X comes in and pays them three times what we can afford to pay.”

The former Brentford manager also accepts that he and his more successful players could attract interest from some of those bigger-spending English clubs if Rangers continue to progress.

“It happens to everyone,” he said. “I’m not disputing that fact. But any manager will only get touted for jobs if his players do well.

“So you’ve almost got a vicious circle. The players do well, they get linked to other clubs. Then the manager gets told he’s going somewhere. I was told five guys had me going to one club last week. It was news to me. But that’s just how the game works.

“Everyone involved is a working man. If one of our players with two young kids is offered that kind of money, it’s hard for them to say no.

“What we have to do, from Rangers’ perspective, if we lose one of our players is to make sure we lose them on our terms, in terms of the transfer fee. And if we lose out on a signing target, then make sure you have other options.”

Regardless of the market in which Rangers can afford to trade as they look to strengthen their squad for their return to top flight action, Warburton insists he will not compromise on the type of player he signs or the style of football he has adopted at the club.

“Someone on radio the other day said they wanted a 6ft 4in centre half who could head it and kick it and a 6ft 5ins centre forward who could head it in the goal,” he said.

“That’s not us and will never be us. As long as we are here, we will never play that way. We will keep playing our way and do what we have to do. We have to keep fine tuning it, find solutions and find better players. We will continue to improve our training, because we will find tough defences in the future. But I think we can go into next season full of confidence in our style of play. Our philosophy won’t change. We just have to be brighter with it and better at it.”

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/rangers-crisis-club-reputation-hampers-bids-to-sign-players-1-4114092#ixzz47AgZDVpJ
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[CoopsLaud 4,184]

Man always talks sense.

[K.A.I 36,183]

If that's what he's saying then who are we to disagree as he's the one that will be dealing with trying to sign players first hand.

I don't think we are the complete sell just yet - which obviously makes this summers recruitment more difficult but I've no doubts that being back in the top flight next year and Europe (we should beat Hibs all things equal) will see our reputation repaired further and a more attractive proposition.

This is also partly why I don't think the 5 million figure quoted (rumoured?) might not be enough either. I think the special types of player we need to win the title and get into the Champions League will take that extra bit of cash in terms of transfer fees and wages to entice them here because of all of this - which is why the likes of King has to do his bit and come good too. For all they have done fantastic this year - we are building on the signings of guys like Halliday, Wilson and Holt who have exceled this season but are not the types of player that we have trouble attracting. That's not a thinly veiled dig at Dave King or the players - it's just the way I see it.

[bluenose48 951]

Mark Warburton again tells it how it is.

We as a club cannot compete, with even the top English championship clubs, in the financial stakes. Let alone the EPL clubs. But he has shown in his first season with us that he can find young players in England, that can and have been competitive in Scotland. Waghorn, Forrester, Kiernan and Tavernier to name four. So I have no doubt that he will bring in players that will do the same even in the SPFL and Europe. They may not be big names yet, but by the time he has finished with them, they will be.

[TMB 14,167]

I don't think the players coming in will be household names but I do expect Warburton to go out and get quality.  A budget increase of £5m on top of the wages saved by getting rid of Templeton, Law, Shiels, and Clark, is a considerable amount.  It's well over £120k/week and we can strengthen greatly with that. 

[K.A.I 36,183]

2 minutes ago, THE_MIGHTY_BEARS said:

I don't think the players coming in will be household names but I do expect Warburton to go out and get quality.  A budget increase of £5m on top of the wages saved by getting rid of Templeton, Law, Shiels, and Clark, is a considerable amount.  It's well over £120k/week and we can strengthen greatly with that. 

120k per week is only about 6 million a year mate - but I do agree it's about quality. I just don't want us underestimating what's needed. I seem to have this argument with people on here every week.

[TMB 14,167]

32 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

120k per week is only about 6 million a year mate

That's money that will be used to strengthen the squad.  We already have a solid foundation (see image attached) on which to build. 

We'll also have Bell, Halliday, MOH, Jordan Thomson, etc.  I think we're in a good position.

(EDIT: I put McKay through the middle by accident but you get the point)

[K.A.I 36,183]

2 minutes ago, THE_MIGHTY_BEARS said:

That's money that will be used to strengthen the squad.  We already have a solid foundation (see image attached) on which to build. 

We'll also have Bell, Halliday, MOH, Jordan Thomson, etc.  I think we're in a good position.

Looking at that I honestly don't agree mate. But we will see. I love being proved wrong (when it's Rangers doing better than I thought)

[The Ibrox Derry 8,890]

I have been saying for 15 years that the lower English leagues is where we should be targeting for recruitment. Iam just delighted that now its coming to pass. There is real quality down there, including The Conference, I used to love watching the football league show on a Saturday night after MotD.

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

2 hours ago, THE_MIGHTY_BEARS said:

That's money that will be used to strengthen the squad.  We already have a solid foundation (see image attached) on which to build. 

We'll also have Bell, Halliday, MOH, Jordan Thomson, etc.  I think we're in a good position.

(EDIT: I put McKay through the middle by accident but you get the point)

Is forrester still injured?  Two new guys straight into the team yet I doubt you've seen them play.

[pcbear 10,913]

29 minutes ago, The Ibrox Derry said:

I have been saying for 15 years that the lower English leagues is where we should be targeting for recruitment. Iam just delighted that now its coming to pass. There is real quality down there, including The Conference, I used to love watching the football league show on a Saturday night after MotD.

English football has the pick of the stall pretty much in world football because of the wages they pay, because of the huge amount of foreigners playing first team football the home grown players who if there was no influx of footballing imports would be playing, they are good enough but you can only play 11 players so they go down a division or two.

I bet MW/DW/FP  are right on the case here and rightly so, I had to google most of our signings and targets recently but the ones that have arrived aint too shabby, its a good place to shop for quality without spending silly money.

[Bad Robot 21,141]

Maintaining a crises reputation is also what these bloggers/haters/jhournos  want. This ongoing  tapping away at our brand will continue aslong as the club look the other way.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

The sad thing is now we are back at the top the SPFL could get better ( not great) TVs cash but we have a shity deal that runs another good few years! 

[B1872 20,654]

The smear campaign against our club has been going on for as long as I can remember. Only difference now is with social media the world is a smaller place and the obsessed seem to be spreading their pish far and wide. Every newspaper article, every Tweet about us, every Facebook post about us is attacked by the paedophile worshippers en masse. 

[plumbGER 24,518]

9 minutes ago, Bluepeter9 said:

The sad thing is now we are back at the top the SPFL could get better ( not great) TVs cash but we have a shity deal that runs another good few years! 

Better get the pitchforks out then eh?

[Blueshoff 11,750]

8 minutes ago, Bluepeter9 said:

The sad thing is now we are back at the top the SPFL could get better ( not great) TVs cash but we have a shity deal that runs another good few years! 

Very true.  But the deal is part of the legacy of the frenzied attack on the club 4 years ago.  The SPFL is reaping what it sowed and we are suffering again as a result. 

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

13 minutes ago, plumbGER said:

Better get the pitchforks out then eh?

Ducking stool seems more appropriate in this instance! 

[plumbGER 24,518]

7 minutes ago, Bluepeter9 said:

Ducking stool seems more appropriate in this instance! 

Not quite sure we are at that stage yet.....not unless you want to go in it?

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

Just now, plumbGER said:

Not quite sure we are at that stage yet.....not unless you want to go in it?

I'm not sure there is one big enough ( wide enough) but o do know there would've a few who would men the other end! ( although I think they want to burn me at the stake as a heritic!  ) 

[RFC Eagle 4,888]

31 minutes ago, Bluepeter9 said:

I'm not sure there is one big enough ( wide enough) but o do know there would've a few who would men the other end! ( although I think they want to burn me at the stake as a heritic!  ) 

You're bound to float so ducking stool then burnt at the stake. Theres a few would see that as a win/win. 

[Ben10 2,264]

Unusually, that left somewhat of a sour taste

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

37 minutes ago, RFC Eagle said:

You're bound to float so ducking stool then burnt at the stake. Theres a few would see that as a win/win. 

@govanblue could sell tickets. Might attract some of the more reluctant fund contributors! 

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

Welcome to the vicious shithole that is Scottish football Mr Warburton. 

Spend our money in the lower leagues of English football, more than enough talent for us and we starve the bastards up here. 

[blueretro 704]

Reading between the lines it looks like we may already have had some enquiries about some of our players. 

 

[Sam English Loyal 945]

I agree with everything MW has said. Except where he talks about players not being greedy. 

If I was earning £250 a week here in NI and someone offered me £750 to work in England, yes I would jump at the chance. However, if I was earning £9,000 a week then surely that is more than enough to provide for myself and my family, even if I'm only going to be earning that wage for a few years. Who really needs £20 or £25k a week? Getting that sort of money borders on the obscene and those who are taking that kind of wages are greedy. No other word for it.