Rangers ask Neil Alexander to take 50% wage cut as he's offered new 1 year deal

[jack1690 793]

No idea why this has been singled out. This is fairly common practice in modern football.

Is it? Where have I been? I singled it out cos no-one in their right mind would terminate a legitimate contract that still had time on it, to one that halved their wages and start immediately.

I'll run my comments past you from now on to proof read them incase I single something out you dont like.

[jack1690 793]

It's not a case of just get rid mate. He has been a good servant but he has been rewarded for that over the past 5 years on a very good contract. No club in their right mind would pay a fee for Alexander as a 35/36 year old if we offered him a longer deal, and certainly not on the terms he is on with us.

He is a victim of circumstance to a degree but we can't sustain the money he is on at the moment and as we progress improvements will be made in certain areas...we have a potentially top class keeper coming through our youths and I would say bell is a better all round keeper for the immediate future. I would offer him a years contract on the same as black, sheils etc. if he is not happy with that fair enough and if he can get a better deal elsewhere then good luck to him. Look at even the EPL clubs...even top players in their mid 30's aren't getting offered deals because their on to much money for the return you will get...Christ lampard who is still quality isn't getting offered terms by Chelsea. Just the way football has to work.

Not arguing, just giving my opinion.

Seems im in the minority, but I come from a time when loyalty was binding. If thats a bad thing nowadays then we're poorer for it.

[jdonald755 118]

Who else would pay Alexander 10k a week ? Let's get real. Has Alexander been THAT loyal or did he stay with us because he wouldn't get those wages elsewhere ?

[docspiderman 1,308]

I ish people would realise that him staying was two fold: he knew he would not get a fraction of what he gets paid anywhere else as his choice of another club is very restricted and he had the guarantee of regular first team games.I would have thought he would jump at a 2 year deal at half his present wages if that would be offered.

[BigM23 4]

IF we are after Bell its a simple choice. Do we want a 34 year old on 10k a week who will probably retire by the time we get back to the SPL or do we want a younger,imo better keeper who could be with us for years and is on cheaper wages and no transfer fee? Sorry no sentiment in football. It would be crazy to keep Alexander if we can get Bell.

[timetofightback 0]

I think 5K is more than enough for Alexander he has made a very good living off us if he has been on circa 20K for sitting on the bench most of the time when Shagger was here.

His performances of late also dont merit anything above that level as i think a keeper on 10-20K should be saving at least the first Dundee Utd goal, not to mention the couple he has thrown in the net recently agianst div 3 teams.

As for loyalty, if he is truly loyal he will accept the club most run a tighter budget than before.

Afterall its not like he will be in the poor house on 5K a week that amounts to about a quarter milllion quid a year! Not bad for playing football at 34.

[Chef 436]

We can't go.on at the club with Neil's wages as thr would have been other things at play like legalities of current contracts when we went tits up

[the brown brogue 1,961]

I think we should all know by now not to believe much of what is printed in the papers.

However, Alexander has been well rewarded for his time here and certainly seemed to be happy enough picking up a good wage for very little game time (80 games in 5 years?), so if he feels he can find another club at this stage who will match his demands then good luck to him.

[Alnic3856 358]

All this talk of Loyalty etc, Neil Alexander was quite happy to sit on his arse as reserve goalkeeper for YEARS picking up a very hansome wage, this wasn't through commitment dont be naiive it was because he knew he had a good thing going and prob wouldnt get as high a salary elsewhere, don't be so fucking delusional, and he stayed after admin for the same reasons, Alexander has made a very very healthy living off Rangers and he has been asked to take a cut to assist the clubs future cos we need to bring another younger keeper, and has went in the cream puff, which in my opinion shows his true colours I am glad the club are not being held to ransom, 10k a week was a good offer for a 35 year old, he refused it so the club have gone ok then dickhead we ofer you half of that and try and sign someone else.

He shat in his own nest here.

[Jimbo. 952]

Call me crazy, but I don't fucking want a 34-year old keeper, who has already shown signs of his ability falling away, on a two year deal as a high earner..

[Jimbo. 952]

Alexander has been a loyal servant, but we have also been incredibly loyal to him by paying him a fortune to sit on a bench for 90% of the season for the past four years.

He doesn't owe us anything and we don't owe him any thing either. If they can't agree a new deal then it's good luck Neil and thanks for your service because that's just the way football goes sometimes.

[bluenosebrad 452]

As much as I think he has stood by us in our time of need, he has to work for his cash now. He was second keeper for x amount of years and picked up his wage at the end of the week really doing nothing and playing so few games. This season he has played in all games and earned his cash at the end of the week, but is he really worth 20k a week in 3/2 divisions are there not just as good keepers out there that would jump at the chance of playing for rangers at half the cost and would neil get this kind of cash at another club? I say get a younger keeper in now and build for the future Neil is not the future he is a short stop, as in 3 years he will be 37 or 38 years of age we will be looking for another keeper.

[cushynumber 25,178]

CG has made the cost base at the club his number 1 priority so its no surprise re the cut. Alexander has been loyal and stayed but if the rumours of £20K a week are true he wasn't exactly staying for nothing. Even 20K a week is way to much for a keeper given our level at the moment.

Alexander can move in if he wishes with our support and wellwishes and with a lot of money in his back pocket for his loyalty. He is welcome back any time and will be remebered well - which is more than can be said for a number of former players and I dont think you can put a price on that..

[loyalfollower 1,543]

Disappointed that RFC would deal with our number one in such an off handed manner.

Maybe we can't afford 10,000 a week but a take it or leave it ultimatum is very harsh taking his loyalty to the club.

it is harsh, but rangers looked after so many players over the years only to be shat on. If you look at it from the business side of things then a 34 year old on 5 k per week in Scotland's 3rd tier makes zero financial sense. If they feel they can get a younger player on less wages but with a sell on value, then that's what will happen.

Id like Alexander to stay but if he goes then thanks for getting us the UEFA cup final and for stepping in in 09 to guarantee us champions

[j1mgg 3,766]

How much of that is true as well, look at the shite and stories the papers print nowadays.

[BLUEDIGNITY 34,087]

. . and then lately he's being showing traits of that other Italian goalkeeper, Buffoon !

[scottyc06 6,927]

I'm guessing all those saying there is no place for sentiment/loyalty in football believe the same of the players who left? There decision was purely good business for the individual, does that make it right? No. Get round the table and give him the 2 years at a reduced rate!

Also, seen as there is no loyalty in football, if something doesn't get sorted Neil can go in the summer leaving us with no experienced keeper for 6 months!

[Smile 26,624]

Tough times now Alexander will struggle to get the money he wants elsewhere and at this level we do not need a keeper on 10 grand a week.

[AGM_72 4,066]

Neil has been a great servant for us but the reality is football doesn't have room for sentiment and if we are going to continue moving forward we will need to make some tough and at times unpopular decisions.

You say football doesn't have room for sentiment but I think that's pretty unfair considering what transpired in the summer. Some players stayed and some left. If there was no room for sentiment in football then nobody would have stayed and we as fans wouldn't have given a fuck how they left, as it is that's not the case in most peoples opinions.

I think considering how Alexander conducted himself in the summer; this is a bit out of order.

[Marco Negri's Beard 1,423]

The rags had Canmy Bell signed to a pre-contract deal days ago. Some people never learn. Lets see what the club says before taking offence eh?

[jimmy millar 107]

Remember Malmo and Maribor,teams that put us out of Europe.Their wage bill was a fraction of the team we fielded.Gone are the days of stupid money and CG has already made that crystal.33% of turnover on wages,end of.The bigger the turnover,the better the wages.Lower league football does not justify 2 year contracts at 10k pa.Sorry Neil,you`ve been a decent keeper and you`ve been very well rewarded,if you can get a better deal,good luck.CG is one tough character."you don`t want this deal?OK it`s off the table" I think he did the same with the boy who used to play for them, Craig something,who was stalling at the beginning of the season."You want time to think about it? How about the rest of your career.Offer withdrawn.You don`t seem to get a second chance with Charlie boy!

[scarkev 3,540]

You say football doesn't have room for sentiment but I think that's pretty unfair considering what transpired in the summer. Some players stayed and some left. If there was no room for sentiment in football then nobody would have stayed and we as fans wouldn't have given a fuck how they left, as it is that's not the case in most peoples opinions.

I think considering how Alexander conducted himself in the summer; this is a bit out of order.

You are nieve to believe that mate...yes the players who stayed (especially Wallace) could have left but the hard truth is none of them other than Wallace could have got a deal close to what they were on with us.

Don't get me wrong I still appreciate it but football for better or worse is a business now and things must keep moving forward. The players that left deprived our club of money....no one is angry because they didn't want to play in the sfl3 but because they made things harder for the club by their actions. Loyalty gets banded about in all this but had a championship club offered Alexander the same or more than he was on with us would he still have stayed??

If like me, you want to see us back where we should be then the club has to be run far better than it was before...investing in youth is the way forward and paying the kind of money quoted to a 34 year old goalkeeper with no sell on value or realistic scope for improvement at this stage is not good business sense.

[Uncle Fester 186]

Disappointed that RFC would deal with our number one in such an off handed manner.

Maybe we can't afford 10,000 a week but a take it or leave it ultimatum is very harsh taking his loyalty to the club.

How can you say that without all the facts! Perhaps he is asking too much in which case he has to go and try to get it elsewhere. I don't care who they are I want to see Rangers showing fiscal responsibility.

[roboscot 1,204]

Thanks for everything, Neil, but time to fill the jersey with a younger player with his prime years ahead of him.

[AGM_72 4,066]

You are nieve to believe that mate...yes the players who stayed (especially Wallace) could have left but the hard truth is none of them other than Wallace could have got a deal close to what they were on with us.

I'm not so sure, almost any club down south in the championship upwards could match or better what we offer, but that's hypothetical. I'd rather take these guys at their word for staying on and helping fight for the cause.

Don't get me wrong I still appreciate it but football for better or worse is a business now and things must keep moving forward. The players that left deprived our club of money....no one is angry because they didn't want to play in the sfl3 but because they made things harder for the club by their actions. Loyalty gets banded about in all this but had a championship club offered Alexander the same or more than he was on with us would he still have stayed??

Well, this is where we'll probably have to agree to disagree. As much as it's a business, I still would like to think some players have loyalty and sentiment in their lockers, somewhere. Everyone is angry because of the way they left, conning the club out of money and earning themselves more in the process; something I'd say is lacking in sentiment, the very reason we are all angry like you said. So I don't think we can really pick and choose when to attribute emotion to situations.

If like me, you want to see us back where we should be then the club has to be run far better than it was before...investing in youth is the way forward and paying the kind of money quoted to a 34 year old goalkeeper with no sell on value or realistic scope for improvement at this stage is not good business sense.

Absolutely right. I just think, assuming this story is true, that we could have perhaps handled it a little better.