The Hearts model v the Rangers model

10


June 2014. The stark realisation
at Tynecastle that Hearts were relegated. Truth be told it had happened earlier
in that season when the Gorgie outfit were placed in administration and docked
points.
However, once Ann Budge’s Bidco
1874 consortium took the reins in May last year, Hearts had the chance to
essentially start again. However, unlike Rangers, whose rebuild job has been a
categorical disaster, Hearts went about theirs more clinically, with more
thought, more planning, and a far wiser use of resources.

Rangers, 2012 – Ally McCoist’s
failing regime – a regime which lest we forget began in July 2011 – McCoist had
more than a fair crack at the SPL – it was not till February the club was
placed in administration, but by then Ally had already become a complete
disaster at the helm. And there was the first mistake – instead of ‘moving
upstairs’ and remaining a figurehead of the Club while handing over the
managerial reins to fresh blood, McCoist stayed in the hotseat.
Now we look at Hearts. Ann Budge’s
consortium takes control and instead of leaving Gary Locke in charge,
immediately rips up the entire managerial book and starts again, removing Locke
and bringing in rookie Robbie Neilson instead. She looked at the cost and
decided a cheaper alternative was better, and someone who knew the club. It was
a tiny gamble, but one worth making.
Now to the Hearts players. 14 first-team
players were released, and 16 were brought in, while the average age was
brought massively down by having a glut of 20-23 year old players in the squad,
and not just in the squad, but the first team. Combined with the more senior
players like Buaben, Gomis and Sow, it truly was the ideal blend of youth and
experience, at a low budget.
Now the Rangers players. More or
less the entire first-team squad departed, leaving only Lee Wallace as the
single decent player left (McCulloch, Alexander, Little and Perry just do not
count), while then-CEO Charles Green and manager Ally McCoist threw all the
money they could in wages for the likes of Argyriou, Cribari, Sandaza, Kyle,
Templeton, and Black, while giving only rare chances to youth such as Barry
McKay, with only Macleod being played frequently.
This is the crudest summary of
why Hearts’ model was absolutely spot on, and Rangers’ was an utter disaster,
and why McCoist was talking out his backside saying youth could not win Division
3 or League 1. Odd then how Hearts’ young players managed to sail through the
infinitely harder Championship at the first time of asking at an embarrassing
canter.
Rangers tried to fix their
problems by throwing money at mercenaries while keeping the services of the
hopeless McCoist, while Hearts planned their route carefully, signing young
hungry players along with a few high-quality senior ones, getting in a
motivated rookie coach, and shipping out the dead wood.
And the opening match of this season proves who got the right solution.
Promotion or not, Rangers have a
second chance this summer to get it right.
Please, do not squander it.

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10 COMMENTS

  1. Great comments you are spot on with what you are saying, but I still believe that templeton could be a good squad player given the chance .

    • Your certainly a master of hind-sight and it changes every week . The Hearts model could just have easily have collapsed on its arse , just as Stewart McColl could be the best manager Gers could possibly get . He's already got the better of Hearts twice !!! Win or lose tomorrow , wee Stuart would take Rangers forwards and steady the ship , whether its the top league or the second tier . The wee man will ensure progress no matter what . If he'd been there at the start of the season instead of Ally , Gers would have romped the league . Give him the chance to bring in his own signings and lets see how he goes . The wee mans got the Jock Wallace attitude and will take no shit from anyone and will make sure Gers get back to where they belong . WATP

  2. Anne Bodge knows how to run a business just like Leanne D, Liewell, Inverness, Ross County and many others. But us? Limpin' wallies. And we're STILL NOT learning trhe lesson of cutting our cloth.

  3. I totally agree. Maybe not surprising since I am a died in he wool Jambo. Ann Budges decision to sack Locke and bring in Levien sent a chill down our backs but hey who can argue.
    It is extremely saddening to see the state Rangers are in and it is financially not beneficial to any team in Scottish Football including Celtic whose gates are dwindling.
    Rangers should have had enough in the youth system to come through the league, blooding the youngsters and building a team that when they reached the premier league they would have a team to challenge top spot.
    What club in would pay £800k a year for a fourth division manager.
    While I wish you luck today I think under McCall in the championship he could build a side that would be able to cup and be ready to challenge at the top and onto Europe. If promotion comes this year the pressure maybe to much to develop the youngsters.
    Your support for the team has ben admirable Good Luck.

  4. Yup but they never fell on their arse ……. they won the league easily .. regained a considerable amount of dignity … living wage, got rid of wonga as a matter of principle , which were paying good money don,t forget. no advert on strip as it was remembrance year …. etc.. etc… it,s not all about what goes on the pitch… meanwhile …. Super ally keeps taking money for nowt…. directors ripping off Rangers bank balance …. sad…. maybe a new direction under Mr King will reinvigorare Rangers but a wee bit humility is needed … I suggest actually calling yourselves the new Rangers officially and visibly starting again … build a team with great players and play an exciting style of football. Then other fans in Scotland might start respecting you ,you don,t care what they think but really you do . At the moment the majority of fans from other teams despise you, that's the hard truth …. it seems like Rangers still think they are something special and have the right to succeed …. just because your Rangers why ? … a wee bit humility after all the cheating that occurred over the last decade would do you no harm…

    • We are the same club always will be other fans hate us so what as the song says nobody likes us but we don't care.

    • Perhaps a glimpse of reality my friend. Hearts won the second tier of Scottish football.
      Give it a few years and reassess. Hard-working side and well organised with the bounce of a new coach. Suspect you will always be a team that wins a cup every 10 years though. Without wishing to appear 'something special' that is not a model we would wish to aspire to. Concentrate on the football and try to come to terms with the anguish.

    • Humility nope ,,, not one bit of that has been shown in the responses to my post … ,even now nobody likes us but we don,t care sums it up … sad…. and to win a trophy every few years through hardwork is nothing to be ashamed of and to mention that we only won the second tier how hypocritical , did you not have a big party at eyebrokes to celebrate winning the third and forth tier , blue tinted glasses methinks ! . Rangers won plenty trophys but at what cost .. you cheated you spent money you never had buying players you couldn,,t afford … why not accept that … we did the same but have moved on , hands up we screwed up following romanov hoping it would resolve itself but it led to disaster .what I,m saying is few Rangers fans accept that you did wrong until you do there is no way back … I hope Rangers do come back strong …. but fair and respectable !

    • Very sorry but I DO CARE that WE DON'T CARE that EVERYBODY HATES US. This mentality has already got us on a downward spiral ending with us just being an irrelevant curio in the eyes of everyone. I also think it will increase the chances of Scotland voting for independence because no one will listen to us. Why don't you wake up and smell the coffee. It's 2015 not 1915.

  5. Great post Anon at 09.38………..but then you mentioned 'cheating' and we realised your fix had kicked in!!

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