Where is the club heading?

SHAWLANDS LOYAL

SHAWLANDS LOYAL

Well-Known Member
Off the field, Dave King and the three bears have done some tremendous work and we are in a far better position that I thought we would be in a short space of time. On the field however, whatever way you want to look at it, we haven’t progressed anywhere near as much as I’d hoped. Where do we go? This summer it looks as though there’s another rebuild needing done instead of just suplimenting what’s already there. The scum have pissed the league without trying and if they strengthen in the summer then that could again see them pull further out of sight.
 
without a serious injection of capital our progress will be limited.
football wise we are looking at another major re build next season and hoping our management team and recruiters have learned!

Trying to build on the cheap with loan signings and a rookie manager is somewhat....'ambitious'!
 
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We simply need to stick with Gerrard that’s for sure. Of course he’s made errors but that’s what you will get with a rookie manager. He’s showed enough so far that makes me believe he’ll bring trophies to the club.

I’d prefer if we target 3-4 key players in the summer and target quality over quantity. I think a few really good quality signings will bring on the rest of the squad.

We may need external investment to get these players though..
 
The summer recruitment is going to be massive but it's yet to be seen if we have the money to match our ambition. We can't seriously challenge the tims with a few loans
 
DC Anchor said:
without a serious injection of capital our progress will be limited.
football wise we are looking at another major re build next season and hoping our management team and recruiters have learned!

Trying to build on the cheap with loan signings and a rookie mamnager is somewhat....'ambitious!
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Jesus christ no we're not. For the first time we have a decent core we can look to strengthen even more in the summer. Tearing the walls down and trying to build again will never get you anywhere if you cant handle not having a team that was mostly put together in the summer and it's not winning the league by a mile in the first season.
 
Hopefully not into panic mode. We have the basis of a good team which need some positions upgraded then I think we will be in a good place.
 
Cardendenger said:
The summer recruitment is going to be massive but it's yet to be seen if we have the money to match our ambition. We can't seriously challenge the tims with a few loans
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Goldson, Barisic, Katic, Arfield, McGregor, were all players signed this summer that weren't loans and either are big squad players or likely will be in the future (Katic). That's ignoring already important players like Tavernier, Morelos and Jack who were here before the summer. The squad has holes which can be exposed big time like yesterday and can really hurt not having them but we're not going to have to build a whole new team again next year so the money can be put more towards 2-3 key players
 
We laughed at the scums janurary window and yet they’ve got a load of first team players out injured and have managed to widen the gap from us
 
PortoyMortoy said:
Jesus christ no we're not. For the first time we have a decent core we can look to strengthen even more in the summer. Tearing the walls down and trying to build again will never get you anywhere if you cant handle not having a team that was mostly put together in the summer and it's not winning the league by a mile in the first season.
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I suggest we need 4-5 quality signings, costing around 20 mil'
I consider that to be a major rebuild

I never expected to win the league this year, nor last year nor unless we get much better players in will I expect to win next season
 
We’re heading in the right direction.

Committed people running the club off the park. When they need to invest, they dig deep. No debt as the loans will convert to equity.

A potentially excellent young manager (and coaching team) improving us on the park and helping to raise our profile even further. Don’t take isolated disappointments such as yesterday’s performance divert us from the bigger picture. We are clear in 2nd place - that’s positive progress. As a support we have had far more belief this season - that’s positive progress. We had a fantastic run in Europe - again, positive progress. And our youth team are winning international tournaments. Positive progress.

We don’t need to buy success to knock C**** off their perch. Nor should we, it’s not sustainable, if we’ve learned anything over the last few years it has to be that we need a sustainable financial model as well as sustainable player development. So in my view we need some patience and to stick to the current plan. Gerrard was a risky appointment but he’s made of the right stuff and will be successful.
 
Since we came up we haven't put a run of wins together and put in a serious challenge. I would say this group of players are better individually than Pedros & Warburtons squads but...

All 3 groups of players are the same disappointing, spineless, & massive let downs. We aren't much further forward on the park and yet again another fight with Aberdeen for second and a summer of getting pish players off the wage bill. The most depressing about it is that Celtic are worse this year than they have been in the previous 2 and yet again we fail.
 
Not sure where we are going but without serious cash never mind 10 start thinking 15 or more. We wouldn’t have won a game in the way they did because we don’t have the quality the attitude the spirit. We have a losers mentality it’s blindingly obvious. It’s also soul destroyingly sad.
 
At half time the young players paraded a trophy. We have very good prospects; Kelly and Dallas look to have very real potential. Until we have arguably the best squad in the division there will be a hurdle to climb such as we are seeing just now. We need to appreciate the impact of where the club has been over the past six years; that's not easy on weekends like this one, but objectively there are positive signs. It's frustrating, but there are good people at Rangers trying to make this club a success again. In time we'll be winning things again; I've no doubts about that.
 
Keep faith with the manager,the dhims have probably paid twice what we have paid for their loan signing,,, they have money, refs and the sfa on their sides
 
DC Anchor said:
I suggest we need 4-5 quality signings, costing around 20 mil'
I consider that to be a major rebuild

I never expected to win the league this year, nor last year nor unless we get much better players in will I expect to win next season
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20 million is not realistic nor is it really what we would have to spend. We bought our best defender in the most expensive market in the world for 3 million so we clearly dont need 20 million to find quality. Also don't agree at all that we need 4-5 key players. We need 2-3 imo we have a good core we just need a couple of pieces that can truly push us over the edge
 
We have improved but we need to improve more , that can only happen with time , can’t stand listening to people questioning if the manager should be here or not.

He needs two seasons at least then see where we are. It’s hard watching them win it but you can’t abandon all the work put in and start again every year that doesn’t work
 
Football wise we must give Gerrard 3 transfer windows. If no further forward by next winter break, he goes.
 
3/4 quality signings is all we need. A creative Midfielder who can score goals and open up tightly packed defences. 1/2 Wingers and another striker.
 
We do not need a major overhaul. We will buy/ get two strikers if Morelos moves on a center back and perhaps yet another midfielder, hopefully a more creative one and that will be it.
 
The leagues gone this year, we need to be running through brick walls to win the Scottish Cup.

Next year worries me... every chance we go into next season without Morelos, Kent & possibly Tav.

We'll get between £15/20m for both Alfie & Tav (if he's goes) but I struggle to see how we replace them.

I hate to say it but our best bet of reversing their dominance is for Rodgers to leave and them to hire some diddy.
 
We are not far off challenging for the title, we just need to bring in quality in the midfield who is not only creative, but goal scorers. As soon as Rangers find that and another goal scorer, we'll be in a strong position to challenge. I can see 5 or 6 being brought in during the summer that may bolster that, we'll see.
 
Gene_Okerlund said:
3/4 quality signings is all we need. A creative Midfielder who can score goals and open up tightly packed defences. 1/2 Wingers and another striker.
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This exact phrase has been used on this board since warburton, we’re always only 3/4 quality players away from winning the league apparently. At some point we might have to accept that a team who outspends is by roughly 4x might never be caught
 
We're probably where we should be in all honesty. There won't be a major rebuild in the summer, we've got the makings of a good squad which will need additions in some areas (a creative midfielder) upgrades in others (wings) and a replacement for Morelos.

We then hope Gerrard and the players learn from the mistakes of this season and hit the ground running next term. That's about it really.
 
Steven Gerrard will deliver us 55. I've no doubt about this. Its not going to be this season but I belive he is the man for the job. Its been a shit weekend and there is a real chance we can get knocked out the cup on Wednesday to top it off. For me at least this was always a free hit for the gaffer. Better times are ahead bears, WATP
 
There is no question that Gerrard will continue to improve the quality of this squad, just look at his demands regardless of what folk say to write him off. Players that underperform won't be here, with the high standards will come gems, it's just taking time.

We may finish this league season within 5 points of Celtic, that's not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, a disappointment, yes, could have done better? Yes, but with that quality brought in we could turn things around.
 
SHAWLANDS LOYAL said:
This exact phrase has been used on this board since warburton, we’re always only 3/4 quality players away from winning the league apparently. At some point we might have to accept that a team who outspends is by roughly 4x might never be caught
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Under Warburton etc our squad was pure dug meat. We have genuine quality in our squad present day.

Just because seperate entity FC spend more than us doesn't guarantee success. It's all about our recruitment from now on.
 
Jimmy the Gent said:
I agree, the managers inexperience is the reason we are trailing.
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inexperience and ability? the jury is still out on SG, he has been asked to do mission impossible with limited resources.
He is up against a Celtic team with an experienced manager, better squad and much more money.
The lack of quality players, and inexperienced manger and a lack of serious funding, it does not take a genius to understand how this ends!
 
We will have a rebuild on our hands..
Kent Coulibaly Defoe Davis Worral that's 5 on loan.
If morelos goes and or Tav

then out on loan Rossiter Dodoo herrera Alnwick Docherty hodson holt and hardie plus Dorrans I think is done.
I have probably missed a few
So we will have another big rebuild not just 3 or 4
Then Gerrard might want rid of some first team Players
Big rebuild for me possible 16 players could leave
 
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When the mentally challengeds are bringing on Oliver Burke and Timo Weah And although they might not be the greatest players they seem to be far greater than the likes of Glenn Middleton.

We’re behind them in quality in a few positions. But that shouldn’t effect the games in which we’ve dropped points, the likes of St Johnstone, Dundee etc.
 
Jimmy the Gent said:
Do we really need much better players to beat Dundee, Livingston, Motherwell and St Johnstone?
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You could pick multiple results from various title winning seasons for us in isolation and say ''how did we not beat them when our wage bill compared to them is X v Y''. Talk of a radical overhaul of the playing squad is nonsense. We have 2/3 of a good team there, the team have lifted themselves for a lot of really strong one off performances this season. Our problem has been consistency and unlocking stubborn defences. We need to find some players to add that additional quality and winning mentality but they don't normally come cheap.

We simply can't afford to rip up the playing squad and start again.

Players that are out of contract will leave and some of the loans. They'll be replaced by quality (hopefully).

There's 14m of Euro Revenue and potentially a big fee to come in for Morelos as well. There simply has to be a big budget there for the manager in the summer to go and get the players we need.
 
Uncle Albert said:
We need attacking midfielders that can unlock stubborn defences at home.

There is no need for a radical overhaul, none whatsoever.
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Yep. We’ve been saying that for 2 years now though, and instead we just bring in the same type of midfielder over again.
 
Last season we got knocked out the Europa league 1st round qualify by Progres

This season we got to the GROUP STAGES and very nearly qualified. We were unbeaten in both games v Villarreal and beat Rapid Vienna

We have actually beat celtic as opposed to getting humped by them every game.

Id say thats a bit of progress
 
PortoyMortoy said:
Jesus christ no we're not. For the first time we have a decent core we can look to strengthen even more in the summer. Tearing the walls down and trying to build again will never get you anywhere if you cant handle not having a team that was mostly put together in the summer and it's not winning the league by a mile in the first season.
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Do people still not get that you can’t just rip up a squad every summer.
 
RFC#1Scotty said:
There is no question that Gerrard will continue to improve the quality of this squad, just look at his demands regardless of what folk say to write him off. Players that underperform won't be here, with the high standards will come gems, it's just taking time.

We may finish this league season within 5 points of Celtic, that's not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, a disappointment, yes, could have done better? Yes, but with that quality brought in we could turn things around.
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Or we could finish 12 points behind? It's too early to say.

Gerrard had to start managing games from the sidelines better, good managers can turn games in their teams favour. He has to learn soon.

The Scottish Cup must be the focus now, these players need a taste of winning.
 
Gene_Okerlund said:
Under Warburton etc our squad was pure dug meat. We have genuine quality in our squad present day.

Just because seperate entity FC spend more than us doesn't guarantee success. It's all about our recruitment from now on.
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I agreed wholeheartedly that we have a better collection of players but I’m now starting to doubt we’re a better TEAM. Id rather we had a team of winners who could grind out ugly results on a consistent basis. I believe in time Gerrard will bring these players closer but right now we’re not pulling together as a unit
 
SHAWLANDS LOYAL said:
Off the field, Dave King and the three bears have done some tremendous work and we are in a far better position that I thought we would be in a short space of time. On the field however, whatever way you want to look at it, we haven’t progressed anywhere near as much as I’d hoped. Where do we go? This summer it looks as though there’s another rebuild needing done instead of just suplimenting what’s already there. The scum have pissed the league without trying and if they strengthen in the summer then that could again see them pull further out of sight.
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We are in a significantly better position than last year, we are clear in second, we have a manger in place who is learning as he goes, we made the group stages of Europe and banked cash from that that will be used to strengthen. Yes we won’t win the league but did anybody honestly think we were winning this year I’d rather have this season than lasts disaster under Pedro and Murty
 
We are seeing happen what was always likely to happen. We are better this season than last and we have a manager that we are united behind. There is no doubt in my mind that the quality in the squad is much better than last year. I happened to watch back recently a game at Pittodrie from last season and it is chalk and cheese the difference between our squad then and our squad now. But getting better and getting closer to Celtic is the bit that is relatively easy. The really difficult bit was always going to be to make up that last 10% or so difference and get ahead of them. As a minimum I think that is going to take real quality improvements in at least a couple of positions (and we will need to adequately replace Morelos in the event that he leaves at the end of the season). That isn’t going to be cheap if we are doing that by way of permanent signings. And if we end up doing it by loans then that probably requires us to strike very lucky. And even if we do make a couple of quality signings there is still no guarantee that we get it right. It is a long way from impossible that we are having this same debate in 2 or 3 seasons’ time, incredibly painful though that would be.

The other possibility in all of this (and I think this is the long term goal) is that for the first time in decades we actually start producing young players who are good enough to play for Rangers and have a burning desire to do so. It sounds as though our youth set up might now be about as good now as it has ever been. Suppose we get a couple of players per season coming through for the next 5 years (some of whom get sold on). That is potentially a bit of a game changer too.

I suspect the board’s strategy encompasses elements of both: a bit of spend now but without being too reckless; but with a desire over the medium term to fundamentally change the business model so that we draw heavily on youth development.
 
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