nvager 498 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Mike Aitken: Rangers supporters need to realise club can't be immune to economic crisis « Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryPublished Date: 15 January 2009 IT would be remiss to argue Rangers have taken no false steps, either on or off the field, in the aftermath of a lucrative season which swept them to the final of the Uefa Cup, but only a deluded minority of supporters could point the finger of blame during a recession at Sir David Murray and his beleaguered board of directors for failing to make the club immune to the slings and arrows of an economic downturn. Those unhappy rebels who urged their chairman to vanish by displaying a banner in Perth on Tuesday evening which read 'David Murray Must Go' as well as the more eloquent dissidents who launched a campaign yesterday claiming they "deserve better" seemADVERTISEMENT to be living in a different world from the rest of us. Although the country is submerged by debt, hundreds of thousands of workers face losing their jobs and a different retailer on the high street shuts down every week, some football supporters seem incapable of understanding their club does business in the same world as Woolworths and Zavvi. Ever since it emerged earlier this month that Rangers were willing to sell Kris Boyd, their leading goalscorer, as well as a raft of under-utilised squad players during the January transfer window, Murray has come under attack for daring to act prudently. Rangers' supporters like to think of their club as buyers rather than sellers – a situation which was probably last true when Tore Andre Flo was recruited from Chelsea for £12 million in 2000 – but the harsh reality in 2009 is all football clubs sell at the right price. Even AC Milan blinked this week when Manchester City mentioned £100 million for Kaka. Boyd divides opinion in Scottish football. He scores plenty of goals against moderate opponents but is less effective against top-class sides. After making himself unavailable for the national team when Scotland manager George Burley preferred not to pick him, Boyd knuckled down at club level and performed well enough to attract a reported £3.75 million bid from Birmingham. To sell or not to sell? Under different economic circumstances, Rangers might have rebuffed Alex McLeish's offer. After all, the Ibrox club are involved in a challenge for all the domestic honours and still have a realistic opportunity to win the SPL title in 2009 and the £10 million bonus guaranteed by qualification for the Champions League. On the other hand, these are tumultuous times. A realist would make Celtic favourites to clinch another Scottish championship and that won't change whether Boyd stays or goes. Either way, Rangers will need to redraw their squad in the summer. Just as happened a year ago, when Alan Hutton was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £9 million, a mid-season injection of funds is required to help Rangers avoid a damaging leap in borrowings. Murray has been well aware for some time that Rangers would benefit from the attention of a new owner with new ideas and deep pockets. He's enough of a pragmatist to understand football club owners, like their managers, have a shelf life. So far the right offer has yet to emerge. More than 20 years after buying the club, Murray will not let it fall into unsuitable hands, no matter the flak which comes his way. Anyone looking for an explanation of why the Rangers' chairman took the unusual step of attending an away match in the Homecoming Scottish Cup and sat in the stand at McDiarmid Park must have forgotten the Rangers chairman is invisible when the prizes are handed out but high profile under pressure. Because he's been such a successful businessman in his own right, Murray never sought to bask in reflected glory when Rangers dominated the Scottish scene. He didn't think it was his place to share the applause when trophies rained down on Ibrox. Now, in more troublesome times on and off the pitch, he won't hesitate to put his head above the parapet. It's the opposite approach to the one taken by Vladimir Romanov at Hearts, who milked the applause during a season of promise but has rarely been seen at Tynecastle in the lean years which followed. Rather than venting their spleen at Murray, the Ibrox club's supporters should be glad to have such an unflinching leader in charge of Rangers during an economic crisis. A section of the Rangers support may feel they deserve better – to be fair, their manifesto makes a number of salient points, albeit without so much as a nod to economic reality – but they could also fare much, much worse. Like all who dabble in flights of fancy, these fantasists should be careful about what they wish for. One day, it might just come true. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimenez 1 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 It never ceases to amaze me the lengths Sir Flim Flam will go to defend himself when you consider his complete and utter capitulation when we are attacked. The man is a busted flush. Insulting out intelligence regarding the global financial meltdown. That can not and in no way does cover up for the severe mismanagement that is happening within Ibrox accross the board. Murray - We deserve better. Take it on board, be honest with us or future campaigns wont be so diplomatic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvager 498 Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 All the questions go unanswered. Just takes a swipe at the supporters yet again. Get real we are told. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperonthewing 0 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 All the questions go unanswered. Just takes a swipe at the supporters yet again. Get real we are told. Not one of the 17 points raised has anything to do with the credit crunch or economic downturn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvager 498 Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 All the questions go unanswered. Just takes a swipe at the supporters yet again. Get real we are told. Not one of the 17 points raised has anything to do with the credit crunch or economic downturn. Funny - you noticed that too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingKai 439 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 All the questions go unanswered. Just takes a swipe at the supporters yet again. Get real we are told. Not one of the 17 points raised has anything to do with the credit crunch or economic downturn. Spot on. Obviously this idiot hasnt even read the points of contention. What EXACTLY has the economic downturn had to do with Wattie playing everyone out of position? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae 15,287 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Well exactly how many in a row is wee gordon going to be allowed to win in your brave new world Mr Murray? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw69uk 123 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 All the questions go unanswered. Just takes a swipe at the supporters yet again. Get real we are told. Not one of the 17 points raised has anything to do with the credit crunch or economic downturn. Could be argued that everything related to football these days is money related, therefore, everything is effected by the economic climate, and it has a snowball effect to where we are now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluepeter9 5,167 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 All the questions go unanswered. Just takes a swipe at the supporters yet again. Get real we are told. Not one of the 17 points raised has anything to do with the credit crunch or economic downturn. No one of the 17 points is constructive, nor shows a way forward or even hints at how to address the issues raised. It should be renamed the 17 point moan from the RST - at least that would give it a truthful ring. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZimmyGer 1 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 All the questions go unanswered. Just takes a swipe at the supporters yet again. Get real we are told. Not one of the 17 points raised has anything to do with the credit crunch or economic downturn. No one of the 17 points is constructive, nor shows a way forward or even hints at how to address the issues raised. It should be renamed the 17 point moan from the RST - at least that would give it a truthful ring. There have been plenty of of solutions, advice etc. offered over the years and last night Davie Edgar asked for further engagement to make the club better. From sticking up for the support on various items such as Lennon, The Famine Song, the Hokey Cokey nonsense, to Gersave and countless other drives that continue to go the club. The support have played a big part and will continue to do so. To say it is a moan does not give a truthful context of what the support have done to help and will continue to strive to help. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 The way minty unleashes his lapdogs in the press when he feels attacked makes me wonder at how different things might be if he took the same attitude to the fans' reputation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRedThreat 0 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 With the current staff (playing and non-playing) on the books, I would be reluctant to throw my hard earned cash into the club unless I was sure that I going to get some sort of reward from it. SDM has seen countless thousands flushed in this season and last, so if we are all hoping that he'll just go ahead and tip in another 40 million, we are sadly deluded. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest therabbitt Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 The way minty unleashes his lapdogs in the press when he feels attacked makes me wonder at how different things might be if he took the same attitude to the fans' reputation. Couldn't agree more. The way in which Murray comes out slugging when it is his own reputation on the line yet allows us to get punched from pillar to post as a group of fans only serves to illuminate the fact that he is not a true Rangers man at heart. Or that he just simply doesn't care about us - or the club. His own reputation over and above that of the club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper1989 0 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 So.. if we had a Chairman -- who in these troubled times -- would have simply sold off the GERS at the 1st opportuniuty.. would that make all of you happier? SDM is here until he finds a suitable buyer. He's been the Chairman for +20 years and as he says.. a change is good. And will be good. But he needs to find the right buyer. Nothing wrong with the article imho. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCLoyal9 53 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 In today's Evening Times , Murray has been defended by none other than Peter Martin nee McGuire. We are seeing plenty of people coming out against the WDB campaign , and not all of them have the same motives. If I was a Tim in these current times , would I be rooting for SDM? You bet I would , as continued mismanagement of RFC will inevitably equate to further success for Celtc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts