Is a crucial Rangers staple under serious threat?
Up till a few weeks ago, it all looked almost impossibly rosy. Windass had just won the Player of the Month for the first time in the SPL for a Rangers player since 2011, he, Jamie Murphy and Sean Goss were up for Rangers’ own award, and the only loss in the calendar year had been to Hibs.
Fast forward to now. Things have gone badly wrong. Two poor losses followed by a bad draw have completely changed the picture – and heaped pressure on Graeme Murty.
The climate and mood have altered. Fans have realised Murty isn’t the man to take the club forward, and a further loss of points on Saturday to Dundee would push this reign to breaking point.
Which all, on footballing levels, makes things bad enough, but of course off the pitch we have the yearly saunter into town from Dave King to promote ST sales to look forward to, and it would have to be said, fans will not swallow his garbage like they have the past two years.
King’s remit was always to come in, say something outrageously positive to play to Rangers fans’ galleries, hyping up something whatever it was, and indirectly encourage ST sales.
It worked last year big time – 44,000 were sold which is among the highest ever, but the real question is how successful it will be this time.
Rangers supporters are not gullible. They bought into King and his rhetoric in hope, but with a complete lack of delivery plus the six-year long manager farce, the man and indeed the board have outlived the goodwill.
Anti-SPL pro-Rangers piffle won’t work this time, because fans have needed to see tangible results on the pitch, and while a fair chunk was spent last summer, King promised a hell of a lot more.
And didn’t deliver. The board keeps Rangers afloat with soft loans, as well as indirectly through King’s own company, and of course we have his legally-forced takeover offer to contend with as well.
All of which is murky and adds up to utter uncertainty. Promises after promises simply haven’t borne fruit and Rangers are in serious danger of a fourth placed finish this season. There is even an insane chance of fifth if Killie keep winning.
Which means season ticket renewals are in danger.
Rangers fans are a loyal lot, but we’re not stupid. Few fans are going to happily chuck circa £550 at the club in the hope of improvement – fans need evidence there will be, that their club has a real plan. And there’s a real lack of that now.
Because King with his outrageous annual press diarrhoea designed to excite and intrigue us fans just won’t work this time.