The harsh realities of another year in the Championship

25


“I’m beginning to think another year in the
Championship isn’t such a bad idea. Gives us a chance to clear out the dead
wood, and start again with youth, giving us ample to time to build a decent
team ready for 2016 and promotion.”
The above has become an increasingly-common
diatribe by Rangers fans in the past three or four months, when it has become
glaringly apparent Rangers will struggle to get promoted at all.
5 points from the last 15 tells
its own story of how absolute awful Rangers have become, giving credence to the
possibility of ripping it up and starting again. Fans point to the Hearts
model, validly, of how a rookie boss gave youth and a select number of new
signings licence to just play, and how it has paid dividends with them 20
points clear of nearest rivals Hibs, and a quite astounding 26 points ahead of
Rangers.

So, is starting again this summer
and resigning ourselves now to another year in the second-top tier of Scottish
football a good idea?
Well, there are two sides to this
coin – football, and financial.
On a football basis it is hard to
argue with the basis for such a strategy. Shear off the dead wood, do not renew
the out-of-contract duds and emphasis the younger players. The likes of Andy
Murdoch and especially Tom Walsh have carried themselves with some distinction
recently. And players out on loan such as McKay and Gasparotto would be
valuable assets to recall, with those younger players such as Crawford and
Gallagher already at Ibrox and ready and waiting.
In that context, it is not a bad
idea. Bring in one or two half decent signings, guys of the quality of Scott
Allan (do not get me started on him) et al who can enhance the team, in
conjunction with those aforementioned youth. AKA “The Hearts model”.
Unfortunately the other side of
the coin is the critical problem; financial. It is all very well romantically
desiring to stay in the Championship to give management a chance to rebuild the
team around youth and freeing the rubbish, but the longer Rangers stay out of
the SPL, the harder the coffers get hit.
Take a look at this entry. In a
nutshell that is the level of income Rangers are down per year. From around
£50M to £10M. Remove all the politics, remove all the power struggles of the
past, and remove any ‘siphoning’ allegations; the above figures are damning,
and they are the result of not being the SPL:
No prize money in the millions
for winning or being second in Scotland’s top flight, a gigantic loss of season
ticket cash (previously it was due to the price being cut, now it is due to a
lack of renewals), the ongoing loss of TV revenue cash which was sold (via
blackmail by the SFA/SPFL) to the authorities, the absolutely gigantic chasm
left from no European football (CL losses are well over £10M while Europa
League losses are roughly £2M), and of course the downscale of merchandising
over the past three years, coupled on top of the fact Mike Ashley owns it.
The longer Rangers stay out of
the SPL, the longer these financial restrictions cripple us. But the horrible
catch 22 is we require money to get back into the SPL – our income has to match
our size to at least break even, and it is not even remotely doing that.
Hearts’ strength is their
financial requirements are absolutely dwarfed by Rangers’, and they are able
happily to run within their means (at a much smaller loss) in the Championship.
But for Rangers that is not an
option.
And it is why remaining in the
Championship is far from the ideal solution.

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25 COMMENTS

  1. We had our chance to go with youth but a certain Mr McCoist was shi##ing himself to do it and Mr McCall will probably do the same …Doesnt matter if we get promotion with this team we'll be fighting relegation next season

    • Spot on, youth 3 years ago was the answer, missed it by a McCoist (mile), mind you, I thought King was our next saviour?

  2. I for one would much rather we went up and I think that most Rangers fans are trying to cover the fact that they are scared of missing out on promotion.we could still get there and unfilled otherwise I will be looking to go up and rebuild in the summer with all the dross out the door.Get a good pre-season and take the top league by storm.Let's aim BIG .we have had enough disappointment.

    • Hey Bobbo my long suffering fellow bear, put a wee hold on your asparagus matey. I swear on my mother's grave that what follows is not made up. Ashley in return for lending a paltry loan amount is forcing Squint into a new deal whereby Mike will effectively own Rangers Retail Limited in its entirety. As well as that there will be new conditions binding the registered trademarks of the Ibrox club to the Sports Direct Empire for a considerable period of time. The advertising deal that currently benefits Big Mike’s companies would also be altered and extended. Moreover do not be surprised that, if this deal goes through, that a new Sports Direct kit deal is also part of the loan agreement. Get your priorities right muggins. You're looking the wrong way – as you have been for nearly four years.

  3. A certain mr mccoist may have inadvertedly killed our club. I hope the truth comes out at what the hell they have been doing at Murray park for 3 years as it certainly ain't training. Never seen such a shower of unfit players strolling around. Don't also know how the wages are going to get paid as it seems the new "board" don't have a pot to piss in. They were pinning their hopes on full houses now but who would pay to watch that shower? Thanks ally. Disgusted in you, and your signings

  4. Can the spl survive another year without a sponsor or the tv money that rangers would bring
    even with the dross we are watching right now.
    Watch the moves for a sixteen league by the end of the season.

  5. We can greet about it and spout shite about another year in the Championship. That's futile. Fellow Bears wouldn't be saying that if we were winning it.

    Gers need to be up, simple as. If not then we man up, take it on the chin and stride forwards. Nowt else for it I'm affraid.

    We will be up sooner rather than later and WILL return to the top in this country, No question. It may take time but heyho. If that's what it takes to get our house of cards in order then so be it.

    We've come through our darkest days but there is light in the tunnel. How we got there isn't important right now… That's for others to investigate. Whats in the past is…in the past. Nae point greetin or kidding on standing still is the way forward. Total pish….Gers need up, anything else will be another blow on the chin.

    Still standing mind….and ay' up for a fight.

    • Hey Kinky my long suffering fellow bear, put a wee hold on your asparagus matey. I swear on my mother's grave that what follows is not made up. Ashley in return for lending a paltry loan amount is forcing Squint into a new deal whereby Mike will effectively own Rangers Retail Limited in its entirety. As well as that there will be new conditions binding the registered trademarks of the Ibrox club to the Sports Direct Empire for a considerable period of time. The advertising deal that currently benefits Big Mike’s companies would also be altered and extended. Moreover do not be surprised that, if this deal goes through, that a new Sports Direct kit deal is also part of the loan agreement. Get your priorities right muggins. You're looking the wrong way – as you have been for nearly four years.

    • Dearest slinkypuss, We greet about another five years in the Championship and rightly so, but that's the best us can do. We have to man up, and take it on the chin nowt else for it I'm affraid. We will be chuckin up and It may take time but heyho. If that's what it takes to stop our house of cards collapsing but let's face it we're irretrievably stuffo. Our darkest days are going to last a nuclear winter and the only possible light in the tunnel is a dirty bomb laid by SDFM (is that Murray or Murphy)? How he got us there isn't important right now… That's for others to investigate. Whats in the past is…in the past. Nae point greetin or kidding on standing still is the way forward. Our enemies at the piggery say total pish and I for one represenr that sentiment.Still standing mind….and ay' up for a fight – Manchester come again!!!

  6. Looks like your theory about Lee is correct. I'll go one further and suggest a non-appearance fit fee could be higher than an appearance fee. As for that whale, remember 10 months ago it was getting bigger. Kenny Miller had quit the Vancouver Whitecaps and was going home to play for Rangers..A year ago Miller was scoring goals in the MLS. Last night he could not make the Rangers XI against a bunch of part timers.

  7. It could have been all so different 3 years agoIf David Murray or a Dave King had done a share issue that was avail to small investors through interest free credit as to stop block voting, never listened to pipe dreams but built a sound financial footing first then focused on the team, fought for the interest of the club's with the authorities, new what he wanted and kept going till he got it (and was upfront about it)hired a coach rather than manager, built a successful youth policy that he trusted, planned a legacy rather than quick fix- just wish Fergus was a Bluenose

  8. Quiz: which Rangers Director can claim vicarious credit for "Make my Day"? No disclosure until someone says "Begging to know Miss whippie"

  9. FFS…. Stop greetin man. Stop trying to re-write history. Stop waffling on about shares, corporate governance and all that shite.

    It's fuckin fitba. 11 players as a team trying to out score 11 opposition.

    Fit-fuckin-baw.

    Aw that other aff field shite is tedious man. Away go join a tin pot acountant course and geez aw peace.

    • Slinky that's the attitude that got your club in this mess in the first place. Tin pot accountants an all!

    • Nah. Mismanagement got us there. That's no reason why fans should be waffling on about corporate governance, leave that to the suits as they say.

      Fitba for me. We're a football club and in the business of winning games…..or not now as the case may be. With the right guys behind the scenes its aw about what's happening on the pitch. Win games, the fans will come back and the rest will sort itself out.

  10. Mike Ashley is the only reason this team exists and that will be the case for the foreseeable future

  11. I'm a wolves fan and you have the same problem we had when we went piss arsing down the leagues. A load of players that can't be bothered because they think they are to good to be playing in the lower leagues. In our case Rodger Johnson, Jamie O'Hara and others. You know your bell ends better than me, but until your rid of them you are going to struggle.

  12. If rangers get up they will be embarrased in the premier. Let McCall do a Hibs or Hearts n lets not get deluded. Get rid of Mcculloch, the sulky Boyd, and the misfiring Miller.

  13. If I was in charge, the first thing I'd do is stop the players talking to the media. They are infuriating and
    Defiant soundbites don't wash when you are this poor.
    Promotion will not happen this season. If you think it will then you're kidding yourself. I sincerely hope that news of a youth scouting network is announced within the next month. This must be a priority, not to mention an overhaul of youth coaching staff etc.

    No corners should be cut when it comes to recruiting staff on the football side. I believe King should look no further than Southampton for inspiration when it comes to youth development.

    These would be my priorities.

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