keith jackson on King and Rangers

[Smile 26,622]

Keith Jackson questions the whereabouts of a man who remains cloaked in mystery and secrecy after two years at the helm at Ibrox.

There was a flurry of activity in the arrivals hall at Glasgow Airport yesterday when Emerson Hyndman touched down on a flight from Southampton and blanked a posse of waiting press men.

The scenes are likely to be repeated at some point today if as expected Jon Toral catches the next available Ryanair from Malaga.

It remains to be seen what impact if any they will make over this short time – or if Toral in particular might be tempted to hang around for the longer term – but the very fact that their arrivals created such a stir is an indication of changed days at Ibrox.

If recruiting a couple of short-term loanees is as good as this transfer window is to get for Rangers manager Mark Warburton then the Englishman may soon begin to wonder if there’s much point in continuing this attempt to push water up hills in a pointless pursuit of Celtic.

Listen, Toral and Hyndman may well prove to be top-class additions to his squad and there is plenty of reason to believe they will improve his midfield, even if one of them couldn’t get a game at Granada while the other can’t break into Bournemouth’s first XI.

One quick glance at the background and football schooling of both of these players is enough to suggest that they can add to the talent and quality at Warburton’s disposal.

Given that Toral was seen by many at Arsenal as a much more gifted teenager than his best mate and Gunners star Hector Bellerin when the pair were pinched from Barcelona’s academy, Warburton may end up winning a watch with this 21-year-old Spaniard.

Elsewhere on these pages today, former Celt Peter Grant – who worked with Hyndman at Fulham – talks in fairly gushing terms about the American’s credentials while backing him to cut it in the Scottish top flight.

On the face of it, these are a couple of highly imaginative captures and evidence that Warburton's contact list down south remains one of Rangers’ biggest assets. That he can wheel and deal at that level – and secure the personal endorsement of Arsene Wenger – is a feather in his cap, magical qualities not withstanding.

But no matter how either of these players should fare between now and May, the fundamental problems facing Warburton’s Rangers rebuild look set to deepen.

And while the manager will be delighted to see them at the club’s training complex this morning, a part of him might have preferred it if it was chairman Dave King who was hauling his luggage off that carousel yesterday afternoon.

Come to think of it, here’s a question for the man in charge of Rangers’ affairs. Where is Dave?

The stay-away chairman was last spotted in November when he stood up before shareholders at the AGM, said nothing of much note and then ducked out of answering questions from reporters as he disappeared again back into the vacuum which has engulfed his time in charge.

This is the same man who campaigned for office on a ticket of openness and transparency but who, after almost two years at the helm, remains cloaked in mystery and secrecy, bunkered in behind the walls of his mansion in South Africa.

King’s decision not to attend Ibrox on Hogmanay for the first visit of Celtic in four years was another head-scratching contradiction.

Here is a man so committed to his football club that he is prepared to pump millions of pounds into saving it and yet, having appointed himself as chairman, shows no interest in watching the side play games or carrying out important, leadership duties.

He promised accountability. He has delivered invisibility. The word from within Ibrox is that not even Warburton could get him on the end of a phone if his transfer window depended upon it and that’s hardly ideal given that the manager has such an enormous task ahead of him.

Yes, he has been clever in securing temporary deals for Toral and Hyndman but, while he was making these calls, across the city Brendan Rodgers was scooping another £2.8million out of Celtic’s boardroom safe and helping himself to Kouassi Eboue on a far more permanent basis.

At the same time, Rodgers was glaring over the desk at Peter Lawwell and double daring the chief executive to do so much as think about inviting offers for Moussa Dembele.

But as the multi-million pound suitors line up to tempt Dembele back south, Rodgers won’t be losing any sleep over the potential windfall.

Make no mistake, he is ruling the roost at Parkhead and for as long as he is armed to the teeth with such vast riches, Warburton’s hopes of eating into the gap which separates the pair seems remote at best. If anything, a week or so into this latest transfer window, the gap has widened still further even despite the best laid plans of the Rangers boss.

King’s supporters argue there is no need for Warburton to spend similar amounts given that the title is already way beyond Rangers’ reach.
Rodgers, meanwhile, is already recruiting for next season and beyond.

Which is why there is an onus on King to re-emerge from the shadows and to re-engage with his club’s supporters most of whom still trust his judgement but some of whom will lose patience the further they see Celtic rocket off into the distance towards the thermo nuclear target of 10-in-a-row.

After almost two years in charge, King should at least be able to outline a sound, long-term financial strategy by now because, to date, Rangers have been run on hand outs from himself and others.

This surely cannot continue indefinitely so how does King plan to facilitate this transition?Of course, there are matters which, for very good reasons, he cannot discuss openly, most notably his festering feud with Mike Ashley and Sport Direct – an ongoing brawl which will be spilling back into the courts early this year.

King simply cannot offer up chapter and verse about this merchandising war – and given Ashley’s attempts to have him banged up for saying too much already – nor could he be reasonably expected to.

But it’s estimated that this stand-off is costing Rangers somewhere in the region of £4m and £6m per annum and it will continue to do so, very possibly for some years to come.

If King’s plan is to continue to limp along, using gate receipts to fund the second biggest budget in the country, while stumping up loans to offset their running costs and losses, then Rangers can also forget about accessing Champions League revenue any time soon.

Instead, they will have to make do with the consolatory crumbs available from Europa League qualification and all the while that financial chasm will continue to grow.
That’s the reality staring down at Warburton this winter. And no amount of Jon Torals or Emerson Hyndmans can change it.

[gogzy 31,195]

Jackson is a twat.

[Smile 26,622]

3 minutes ago, gogzy said:

Jackson is a twat.

yes, but it's all stuff we read in here in various posts he probably has an account. there is good bits and bad bits,idont think it's particularly dishonest or atagonistic.

Something for everyone really.

[The Godfather 72,854]

Jacksons a cunt.

Kings a liar.

Meh

[bluepeter 5,627]

Jackson may well be a twat, but I can't find anything in there that you could argue strongly against. A lot (all?) of it is said on here on a regular basis.

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

One lying prick talking about another lying prick. 

Wish Jackson would retire to his bunker and not come out again. 

That said we all know the situation we are in and it doesn't seem to be getting better any time soon. 

[Smile 26,622]

6 minutes ago, bluepeter said:

Jackson may well be a twat, but I can't find anything in there that you could argue strongly against. A lot (all?) of it is said on here on a regular basis.

This is it has most of the stuff we read on here almost daily, even decent stuff on the new players by Peter Grant.

Some didn't take time to read it given the speed of their replies.

[Jimfanciesthedude 25,042]

5 minutes ago, bluepeter said:

Jackson may well be a twat, but I can't find anything in there that you could argue strongly against. A lot (all?) of it is said on here on a regular basis.

Except that the ashley dispute is costing us anywhere between 4 and 6 million a year, thats just unsubstantiated bullshit to try and get the same fans as before continually using his article as evidence of Ashley shafting us

[gogzy 31,195]

10 minutes ago, bluepeter said:

Jackson may well be a twat, but I can't find anything in there that you could argue strongly against. A lot (all?) of it is said on here on a regular basis.

I made no comment on the article.  I haven't read it yet.  I just wanted to point out that Jackson was a twat.

[Bears r us 31,000]

While being a prick he obviously reads RM on a daily basis that is a direct lift from many posts on here. 

[Gaffer 86]

Jackson is a twat, but you can't fault any of it.  

[KingKirk 25,853]

said it a few months ago maybe its time Warburton risked his job and started questioning these guys in the boardroom. About investment future planning etc I'd love to know what's really going on back there

[Boaby Bear 411]

Another attack at Rangers by a taig loving reprobate who is so hungry for attention he will print any old shite to sell his shitty paper and keep himself in a wank job. 

 

[bluepeter 5,627]

15 minutes ago, Jimbeamjunior said:

Except that the ashley dispute is costing us anywhere between 4 and 6 million a year, thats just unsubstantiated bullshit to try and get the same fans as before continually using his article as evidence of Ashley shafting us

Yeah, I did notice that made up figure but forgot by the time I got to the end. 

11 minutes ago, gogzy said:

I made no comment on the article.  I haven't read it yet.  I just wanted to point out that Jackson was a twat.

He certainly is.

[sassaaaa 11,406]

Another 20 page plus of publicity for the Daily Catholic courtesy of RM.

[Young Bob 1,360]

Is this another example of courageous journalism,I wonder?

 

[KingKirk 25,853]

2 minutes ago, Boaby Bear said:

Another attack at Rangers by a taig loving reprobate who is so hungry for attention he will print any old shite to sell his shitty paper and keep himself in a wank job. 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Boaby Bear said:

Another attack at Rangers by a taig loving reprobate who is so hungry for attention he will print any old shite to sell his shitty paper and keep himself in a wank job. 

 

your right mate KJ is certainly the issue here! Get a grip ffs

[ritchieshearercaldow 22,261]

Jackson is only regurgitating what a fair few are saying on here, it's not news.

[eskbankloyal 19,446]

It's personal between Jackson & King which should be noted with anything he writes.

Whilst I don't have an issue with the points raised you have to wonder why no journo ever goes looking to speak to/do interviews with Stewart Robertson, who actually runs the club day to day. King is a non-exec ultimately. Journos looking for information about the filth go to Lawwell - they don't go to Ian Bankier, who is King's equivalent. In fact, there are probably plenty journos who wouldn't recognise him if he walked past them in the street.

I get as well that King is obviously a major shareholder - however somebody like George Taylor, who own nearly 10% of the club, is never contacted for an interview.....

[Bruno's Manbun 2,631]

Jackson is a twat yes, but can anyone argue with anything in that article? I don't think so, or very little at least. Okay his bias shines through in parts but nothing new there. He might actually be doing us a favour, bringing to the mainstream what we've been saying on here for a long time, and what Club1872 refuse to draw attention to?

[Young Bob 1,360]

2 minutes ago, eskbankloyal said:

It's personal between Jackson & King which should be noted with anything he writes.

Whilst I don't have an issue with the points raised you have to wonder why no journo ever goes looking to speak to/do interviews with Stewart Robertson, who actually runs the club day to day. King is a non-exec ultimately. Journos looking for information about the filth go to Lawwell - they don't go to Ian Bankier, who is King's equivalent. In fact, there are probably plenty journos who wouldn't recognise him if he walked past them in the street.

I get as well that King is obviously a major shareholder - however somebody like George Taylor, who own nearly 10% of the club, is never contacted for an interview.....

Whats the issue with King and Jackson ? 

[Howsitgoing 4,281]

https://www.rt.com/usa/372955-pennsylvania-university-child-abuse/

The financial aspect could soon revert the "pushing water up a hill" scenario that this twat writes about to the scum team guilty of protecting more than one paedophile pushing the said water.

Some day some news reporter will have to write an article showing the parity that is celtic and penn state.

[eskbankloyal 19,446]

3 minutes ago, Young Bob said:

Whats the issue with King and Jackson ? 

Jackson is peeved because King wont talk to him.

[ritchieshearercaldow 22,261]

4 minutes ago, eskbankloyal said:

It's personal between Jackson & King which should be noted with anything he writes.

Whilst I don't have an issue with the points raised you have to wonder why no journo ever goes looking to speak to/do interviews with Stewart Robertson, who actually runs the club day to day. King is a non-exec ultimately. Journos looking for information about the filth go to Lawwell - they don't go to Ian Bankier, who is King's equivalent. In fact, there are probably plenty journos who wouldn't recognise him if he walked past them in the street.

I get as well that King is obviously a major shareholder - however somebody like George Taylor, who own nearly 10% of the club, is never contacted for an interview.....

Fair point about Robertson, however King is our Chairman, for him not to have attended the Hogmanay game is disgraceful.

[ritchieshearercaldow 22,261]

3 minutes ago, eskbankloyal said:

Jackson is peeved because King wont talk to him.

CH would.