McCoist defends transfer policy.

[bawsburst 1,381]

Rangers manager Ally McCoist defends summer signing policy despite chairman's claims it was 'unsustainable'

• Mar 28, 2014 12:51
  

GERS chairman David Somers made the claim yesterday as the club's interim results were released showing a £3.7m loss for seven months to December - but McCoist insists he slashed last season's wage bill.

Rangers manager Ally McCoist

ALLY McCoist has defended himself against chairman David Somers' claims that the decision to sign nine new players last summer was unsustainable - insisting he revamped his squad while slashing the wage bill.

Rangers' interim results were released on Thursday and showed a £3.7million loss for the seven months up to December.

At the start of that period, McCoist was allowed to agree deals for goalkeepers Cammy Bell and Steve Simonsen as well as defenders Bilel Mohsni, Stevie Smith and Richard Foster.

Midfield duo Nicky Law and Arnold Peralta were also signed on free transfers, as were frontmen Nicky Clark and Jon Daly.

But in his statement in the interim report, Somers suggested the club could not afford that kind of influx .

PA Rangers Chairman David Somers

He said: "Operating costs had been running at a rate that could not be sustained by the revenue being generated by the Club.

"For example, in the period under review, nine players were signed at a time when the Club already had the second highest wage bill in Scottish football whilst playing in the third tier."

Furious Rangers fans accuse Graham Wallace of trying to cover up true state of club's financial problems

But McCoist insisted his squad required fresh blood if it was to compete against sides in League One and the three domestic cup contests open to them.

Rangers won the third tier with nine games to spare and could yet land a treble if they beat Raith Rovers in next week's Ramsdens Cup final before edging past Dundee United in the last four of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

When asked if he agreed with Somers' assessment of the summer recruits, the manager said: "I don't know, I don't do the accounts, I don't do the finances.

"We felt we needed to bring a lot of players in to win the league, to get to the final of the Ramsdens, to get to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. And we did that.

"I'm led to believe the wages came down from the previous year. So (whether it was sustainable) is something you would have to ask other people. I don't do the finances."

McCoist - whose side take on Arbroath on Saturday - was also quizzed on his plans for next season.

Chief executive Graham Wallace is 100 days into his review of the club's business which is expected to finish in the middle of next month but the boss is still unclear if he will be allowed to sanction another glut of new arrivals.

"I'm not sure," said the former Scotland striker. "We brought players in last year and that is evident.

"We have won the league, we're in the final of the Ramsdens Cup and semis of the Scottish. I don't think we would have achieved that if we had not brought them in.

"In an ideal world we have got to keep moving forward, progressing, and we are certainly looking to make changes to the squad if we can.

"Will we sign another nine? No.

"But Graham and I are in regular contact to discuss the obvious need for scouting and development, player recruitment, sport analysis, sports science. We are in constant dialogue to move the football department forward.

"I don't have a date for when we will be able to make final plans. As soon as I get told I will tell you guys and we will move on."

The losses reported for the second half of last year were 50 per down on the same period 12 months earlier but McCoist insisted he was not panicking about the fallen Glasgow giants' continued money worries.

He said: "Until Graham tells me they are going to affect my plans for next season, there is no use me worrying about them."

Somers also claimed that supporter plans to withhold season-ticket cash until the board issued a number of assurances about the club's future meant there was "material uncertainty" over Rangers' ability to continue as a going concern.

The Union of Fans - the coalition body representing the main supporter group - hit back, saying they would be "foolhardy" to trust the unpopular ruling regime.

McCoist, though, backed the Light Blues faithful to make the right choices, saying: "The supporters have done the right thing and supported the club for well over 140 years and that won't change."

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

My issue with it is that McCoist sat and told us on more than one occassion that he's justifying the excessive wagebill because the Rangers fans deserve to see good football and that winning isn't enough, the fans need entertained.

His comments last week before Brechin about people talking absolute nonsense who say our style of football isn't the best sums this whole sorry state up and proves how delluded he is. In my opinion of course.

[trublusince1982 768]

40000 fans don't go to watch accounts. They go to see their money perform on a football park.

[Jack The Flipper 5,936]

Can't fault anything McCoist says there personally.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

Can't fault anything McCoist says there personally.

Not even we wouldn't have won the league this year or got to the Ramsdens final without these 9 players he signed? could also say there's every chance we would have got to the Scottish Cup semi final too - teams like Dunfermline, Albion Rovers and Airdrie aren't top opposition ....

[stuvah 146]

Mccoist was told by green, stockbridge or whoever was in charge of the money that he could sign those players, it is not a managers job to worry about finances that is what you pay accountants, finance directors for and if they told ally this is your budget to spend and he spent it then how can you possibly blame him.

as far as he was concerned the money was there to be spent and we could afford to spend it.

[elephants stoned 2,994]

I read Sommers comments more as a dig at Mather the nice guy out of his depth rather than McCoist. Ally will defend his position as he's entitled to but we did not need all these players to get where we are now in league and cups. What have Smith, Peralta, Simonsen contributed to our cup runs? And we could have won this league with last seasons team minus the Sandazas and Kyles no bother. I expect Ally to defend his position but that does not mean i have to agree with it.

[thebluedoo 2,652]

He is spot on about needing these players IMHO if you were sitting in that stadium last winter, freezing yer baws off, while watching this quickly assembled squad of youths, misfits and players trying to acclimatise their selves to that level of fitbaw while scrapping for draws with those teams, then he is 100 percent correct

You can complain about some of the fitbaw this year but it is night and day from what I recall of last years

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

Mccoist was told by green, stockbridge or whoever was in charge of the money that he could sign those players, it is not a managers job to worry about finances that is what you pay accountants, finance directors for and if they told ally this is your budget to spend and he spent it then how can you possibly blame him.

as far as he was concerned the money was there to be spent and we could afford to spend it.

Green was critical of spending levels, it was Mather than let him loose - just to be clear.

I don't blame him for signing whatever he can (although maybe he should have stopped and thought about it just incase) my issue with him is about his poor judgement and his inability to get these players playing anything that resembles decent football.

[simplythebest 11,453]

Foster, Smith, Peralta and Simonsen certainly weren't needed to be where we are now

[simplythebest 11,453]

40000 fans don't go to watch accounts. They go to see their money perform on a football park.

If we don't consider the accounts there's a chance there won't be a football team on the park, we've learned that lesson more than anyone.

[cushynumber 25,178]

40000 fans don't go to watch accounts. They go to see their money perform on a football park.

of course - but if we dont get the accounts right, there wont be a football team worth talking about. If we do get the sums correct then the manager will have money to spend and maybe we will have something worth watching.

[Johnny Hubbard 280]

Ally's job is to get as much money as possible to put the best team on the park. Apparently our wage bill is way below Uefa guidlines regarding turnover, so the cost of the playing staff is right.

That's not to say we don't deserve better football !

let's resist blaming Ally because those running the club have allowed the money to run out

[stuvah 146]

Green was critical of spending levels, it was Mather than let him loose - just to be clear.

I don't blame him for signing whatever he can (although maybe he should have stopped and thought about it just incase) my issue with him is about his poor judgement and his inability to get these players playing anything that resembles decent football.

your right it was mather I wasn't 100% sure about that lol

don't get me wrong bud I am not for one second saying that I agree with mccoists signing's or the football we have been playing under him, I am just saying the fact that he was given a budget by people above him doesn't mean he is to blame for our current financial predicament, something the media needs to remember.

[scarkev 3,540]

My issue with it is that McCoist sat and told us on more than one occassion that he's justifying the excessive wagebill because the Rangers fans deserve to see good football and that winning isn't enough, the fans need entertained.

His comments last week before Brechin about people talking absolute nonsense who say our style of football isn't the best sums this whole sorry state up and proves how delluded he is. In my opinion of course.

That is just another in the long line of comments ally has made that makes me think he has little or no respect for us as fans. As you say he made a big deal about how we were going to be playing a high intensity, entertaining brand of football hence the need for the signings.

[Getstiffed 8,863]

Its not about the money being spent, its about supporters looking at certain signings and then reading or hearing Ally say "I needed them".

For lower league football......really?

There are four or five players in the first division alone that would have done the same job as the likes of Black and Shiels, couldn't be worse and certainly wouldn't have put a dent in our budget; which could have been saved for when we really needed it this summer or the next.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

That is just another in the long line of comments ally has made that makes me think he has little or no respect for us as fans. As you say he made a big deal about how we were going to be playing a high intensity, entertaining brand of football hence the need for the signings.

[Guardian 4,281]

Mccoist was told by green, stockbridge or whoever was in charge of the money that he could sign those players, it is not a managers job to worry about finances that is what you pay accountants, finance directors for and if they told ally this is your budget to spend and he spent it then how can you possibly blame him.

as far as he was concerned the money was there to be spent and we could afford to spend it.

But if he was going to spend it on tits and fannies he should have gone to a nudie bar.

Much cheaper.

Oh and making cuts in a squad that size doesn't mean all is well.

We've got more dead wood than a dutch elm forest and need to ship it out.

The thought of Ally spending any more fills me with dread.

[cushynumber 25,178]

Green was critical of spending levels, it was Mather than let him loose - just to be clear.

I don't blame him for signing whatever he can (although maybe he should have stopped and thought about it just in case) my issue with him is about his poor judgement and his inability to get these players playing anything that resembles decent football.

mmmm... the "I didn't know", "I dont do finance" deflection of any responsibility whatsoever stuff is beginning to grate because I dont believe that a manager at our club would not have some indication as to the financial situation or have some inclination that maybe - just maybe - it might be an idea to try and reign it in a little.

For me he put the blinkers on and has simply said "nobody told me not too".

Its quite obvious Ally recently has taken some advice re his stance with regards to the finances of the club and has decided the "I am innocent of this man's blood; you will see" line fits the bill.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

mmmm... the "I didn't know", "I dont do finance" deflection of any responsibility whatsoever stuff is beginning to grate because I dont believe that a manager at our club would not have some indication as to the financial situation or have some inclination that maybe - just maybe - it might be an idea to try and reign it in a little.

For me he put the blinkers on and has simply said "nobody told me not too".

Its quite obvious Ally recently has taken some advice re his stance with regards to the finances of the club and has decided the "I am innocent of this man's blood; you will see" line fits the bill.

McCoist does have a bit of a point saying he doesn't control the finances but I said in my first post mate that surely he should have maybe still considered it at the same time. He's responsible for all the dead wood we are left with and us having to pay off players he's either signed or gave contracts too. He's far from innocent.

[cushynumber 25,178]

McCoist does have a bit of a point saying he doesn't control the finances but I said in my first post mate that surely he should have maybe still considered it at the same time. He's responsible for all the dead wood we are left with and us having to pay off players he's either signed or gave contracts too. He's far from innocent.

[bawsburst 1,381]

McCoist does have a bit of a point saying he doesn't control the finances but I said in my first post mate that surely he should have maybe still considered it at the same time. He's responsible for all the dead wood we are left with and us having to pay off players he's either signed or gave contracts too. He's far from innocent.

So McCoist has no input whither a player's agents demands are accepted ? , not in the real world where managers are given a budget.

[Creampuff 22,628]

It's not McCoist's job to balance the books. He's absolutely correct to spend every penny the board gives him.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

It's not McCoist's job to balance the books. He's absolutely correct to spend every penny the board gives him.

Sorry but that's bollocks especially as he's meant to be a Rangers fan. Paul Le Guen didn't spend all of his budget from Murray. Murray admitted there was 2-4 million left in the pot untouched because he felt he didn't need it.

I know what you will say next "maybe he should have spent it" but that's not the point.

Why spend more than you have to? if you sign shite and your signings end up costing us money we don't have then you've got to accept responsibility.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

So McCoist has no input whither a player's agents demands are accepted ? , not in the real world where managers are given a budget.

Absolutely no idea. I'd think not, unless it was someone he REALLY wanted and made a special plea to his bosses.