We’re seeing sudden media claims, including from Barry Ferguson, that Rangers’ board now backs Giovanni van Bronckhorst, citing the injuries as a huge factor in the club’s current plight.
The source of these media claims? The Daily Record. All other media reports claiming the board have supported the manager all stem from one report in the Daily Record making the original assertions, without any sourcing or backup behind the story.
What do we make of this?
Well, the reality is the Evening Times and Rangers Review (both the same owners) are the new unofficial mouthpiece of the board and club, and even their report on the same topic could only say ‘club insiders claim’ rather than ‘our sources tell us’.
That means the DR’s original report is conjecture at best, flimsy at worst, and downright false at the lowest ebb. And yet all media are making the same claim, effectively quoting the DR which has frankly absolutely no clout with Rangers and is the least credible media source when it comes to our club.
Now, we have on Ibrox Noise ourselves given Gio a lot of headway given the fact the injuries are a plague this season, easily the worst blight any club is suffering in world football at present. As we reported earlier, outfield we have just 14 guaranteed available senior players, before we dip into the Academy for emergency reserves, and this is quite tragic for a club of Rangers’ magnitude.
But this headway is just common sense – GVB’s hands are certainly tied by the appalling lack of available personnel, and breaking it as an exclusive story as a reason the board backs him seems a little thin.
But, the sentiment we do agree with, that the injuries are a massive mitigating factor in how our season is going.
That said, most fans want the board gone as much as they do Giovanni himself, such is the ignominy over Rangers’ custodians and how they are running the club, so it’s not just about them backing him, but the fans backing them.
And they mostly don’t.
So these reports? Taking them with a huge pinch of salt, frankly.