Rangers FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2012/2013

Recent title wins, despite the tax case involving stuff that happened 2 decades ago ?
Don't think that will happen.

Marseille were stripped of their title because they also were involved in match-fixing.

Nah, was talking about their domestic title from 92/93.

Anyway:

DANIEL COUSIN has told Ally McCoist he'll score the goals to win Rangers the SPL.

The Gabon striker has held talks with the Ibrox boss over a shock return to the club. Striker Cousin, 35, is available on a free and insists he's NOT simply holding out for a big pay day.

His agent, Willie Mackay, is ready to broker a deal with Craig Whyte in the next 24 hours.

It's understood Cousin will jet into Scotland tomorrow morning for signing talks on a contract until the end of the season.

Last night Cousin told SunSport: "I'm excited about the possibility of returning to Rangers.

"It's a special club for me and I hope we can reach an agreement in the next few days.

"The moment my agent called me to say there was interest I told him I wanted to make it happen.

"I won the league there before and it would be a dream to do it again.

"I know things are difficult at the club right now.

"But I believe I could help Ally and the rest of the players retain the title.

"I have been playing well and feel in good shape. I scored goals in Scotland before and I can again.

"My goal against Celtic in my final game for Rangers is something I will always remember.

"I now want to continue from where I left off."

Cousin has been on Africa Cup of Nations duty with co-hosts Gabon, reaching the quarter-finals.

But he's now without a club after quitting FC Sapins in his homeland.

Qatar outfit Lekhwiya — who lured Madjid Bougherra from Gers last summer — have made him a big-money offer with clubs in Dubai also interested.

But Cousin insisted: "I could sign for other clubs for more money but that's not important to me at this stage of my career.

"I enjoyed my time in Scotland and it would be good for me to return.

"I played under a great manager in Walter Smith and it was a memorable experience.

"Now Ally is the coach and I'd love to play for him. When I was deciding whether or not to leave Rangers Ally told me I should stay.

"That shows he likes me as a player so hopefully I can help him out now."

Meanwhile, Namibian full-back Miguel Hamutenya will have to wait until next season for a move to Ibrox after red tape dashed his hopes of playing this campaign.

The 19-year-old, who impressed McCoist during a recent trial, hasn't received international clearance from the Namibian FA.

He has joined Maltese First Division side Luxol St Andrews on a short-term deal until May while that issue is resolved.

I believe many of them want it to happen, and I wouldn't expect anything less.

If it was the other way around I'm sure we'd hear our fans celebrating it too.

The problem is that they would have to change the rules in that case.

As of now I think a club going into administration carries an automatic penalty of a 10 point deduction, that's it.

Good article on Rangers fans here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jimspence/2012/02/rangers.html#more


How will Rangers fans respond to club's plight?


Jim Spence | 23:19 UK time, Monday, 6 February 2012
Will Rangers' exit from the Scottish Cup galvanise their supporters into any reaction, other than resignation and apathy?

Are the light blue legions capable of the same kind of action which supporters of other Scottish clubs organised, when they felt their own clubs were in serious danger?

A crowd of just 17,800 for the defeat at Ibrox from Dundee United is a worrying portent.

Sunday's Rangers-Dundee United Cup game was live on BBC TV, but the empty spaces around Ibrox did little to raise Rangers fans' spirits.

Many of us can recall a time, not too long ago, when such attendances were not uncommon at Ibrox.

Then the years of plenty arrived under Sir David Murray and Graeme Souness, and continued under Walter Smith.

Full houses and big spending were the order of the day, but Rangers now face a different financial reality.

The club's supporters must be contemplating a radically different future from their illustrious past.

With the club's future shrouded in uncertainty, do they have the spirit to organise themselves to try to effect change?

Celtic, Dundee United and Hibernian fans all rallied to their respective causes when they felt their clubs were in peril.

"Celts for Change" forced what they saw as a discredited board from power; ushering in the Fergus McCann era.

"Hands off Hibs" saved their club from the merger (or takeover and oblivion) proposed by the late Wallace Mercer and found their saviour in Sir Tom Farmer.

"United for Change" brought an end to the tired regime of Jim Mclean and allowed Eddie Thompson to take control at Tannadice.

Rangers fans, though, appear to be much less proactive than those three groups were.

With the Ibrox club facing perhaps the greatest crisis in their long history, there appears to be little serious organised campaigning to demand action.

A prominent Rangers fan once told me that the Ibrox supporters had "The Man in the Big Hoose" mentality.

He reckoned they doffed the cap too easily to those in power.

Was he right? Have Rangers fans, normally not short on voicing their opinions, been too subservient on the issues at Ibrox?

Neither Sir David Murray nor Craig Whyte, faced anything like the well organised and orchestrated campaigns, which the boards at Celtic Park and Tannadice had to contend with.

It may simply be that Rangers supporters have sufficient faith in those who have run and are currently running their club.

However, it seems strange to me that fans of the club from Govan, with all the associated memories of radical shipyard workers in that part of the city, should so meekly accept what the fates may be about to deal them.

Among a vast Ibrox support there surely exists the range of knowledge and skills to help shape the future direction of the club.

The big question for Rangers fans is whether they are prepared to do something about it.

KeithAFC wrote: »

I was watching some of the game last night and saw all celtics goals and I heard chanting from the celtic fans about the "huns going bust" and so on. No real problem with that. I do hope it is only banter and making fun of the situation because I can't imagine too many celtic fans really want that to happen?

I do want it to happen to be honest, its called justice, Rangers if found guily of cheating must be punished otherwise the whole league is a farce, If/when Celtic win the league this year and it transpired in the summer that the entire squad were on performance enhancing drugs do you think they should merley be fined and deducted 10 point next season, becasue to me financial doping is as serious.

I for one will fcukin piss myself laughing when Rangers go bust and make no aplogies for that, its called rivarly, and our time in the sun is about to begin

bobmalooka wrote: »

Its hard to see an appropriate punishment that allows Rangers to stay in the SPL if they lose the case and are liquidated.

Losing Rangers could be great news for the rest of the league. If Celtic can qualify for europe there should be enough interest in the SPL to keep the tv money coming in.

The rest of the league would push for an equal spread of tv income and would get it, hopefully this would energise clubs like Dundee Utd and Aberdeen who have the potential grow.

The Sky deal is based on there being 4 old firm games a season. They won't pay the same money for a league without it.

bobmalooka wrote: »

True but as long as it works out better for the rest of the league than what they get now they'll be in favour. Celtic will be the big losers in tv revenue.

Celtic should be happy too because it gives them a better chance at champions league qualification. This should be able to offset their tv revenue losses (has the potential to be a lot more valuable)

I'm not saying that this is better situation but it's definitely workable.

What would be a fair sanction for Rangers if worst comes to worst and they go bust?

Yeah but any SPL team is going to struggle to qualify for the Champions League at this rate lets be honest.

I have no idea honestly, I think the fact we'll be starting again is punishment enough, we won't be able to compete with Celtic so they'll win the league anyway and Sky will have their rivalry.

I can't see us getting off that easily mind you if it does go belly up.

TheBuilder wrote: »

Yeah but any SPL team is going to struggle to qualify for the Champions League at this rate lets be honest.

I have no idea honestly, I think the fact we'll be starting again is punishment enough, we won't be able to compete with Celtic so they'll win the league anyway and Sky will have their rivalry.

I can't see us getting off that easily mind you if it does go belly up.

Obviously talking bout CL is hugely premature but should Rangers go bust we need it.

I'ts debatable but I think Lenny has brought this squad on leaps and bounds and this squad is capable of CL qualification (as long as we dont get a really horrible draw)

I suspect Rangers will get off a lot lighter than any other spl team would in the same circumstances so ye mighn't have to worry too much

You'll just mess it up anyway

bobbysands81 wrote: »

No we won't. The money we get from TV in the SPL is less than 3% of our overall annual budget. For other teams in the league it would be well over 10%. We are actually the team LEAST dependant on SPL TV money.

Exactly so it could benefit everyone left in the league, we would see a drop in tv income (which we dont rely on) while everyone else could get a tidy gain in tv money (which they rely on more)

Hard to see who'll be fighting Rangers corner for them.

it depends on how much the tv will drop by. if the rest of the teams in the league see a drop in income they'll want to find a solution to keep in Rangers

Eirebear wrote: »

You really believe that the rest of the clubs will see a rise in the sum they recieve from TV?

You just need to look at how Sky have stipulated that their must be four games a season contested between rangers and Celtic, scuppering any chance of league reconstruction, to show how much value they place on the fact that both clubs are involved in the SPL.

If Rangers go out of business and are dropped to the 3rd division or whatever, that contract gets ripped up and Scotland goes without TV money - Sky won't even offer half of the current deal for a one team league.

Agreed, Sky would have no interest without Rangers, maybe ESPN would continue but they would pay buttons compared to the current deal.

If it comes to it I'd be shocked if Rangers didn't get voted back into the SPL, you also have to take gate receipts teams get when Rangers play away from home, for a lot of teams they double their attendance, that's revenue some of these teams can't survive without.

As a matter of interest EB what do you think is likely to happen if that scenario does happen?

RoryMac wrote: »

Eirebear wrote: »

You really believe that the rest of the clubs will see a rise in the sum they recieve from TV?

You just need to look at how Sky have stipulated that their must be four games a season contested between rangers and Celtic, scuppering any chance of league reconstruction, to show how much value they place on the fact that both clubs are involved in the SPL.

If Rangers go out of business and are dropped to the 3rd division or whatever, that contract gets ripped up and Scotland goes without TV money - Sky won't even offer half of the current deal for a one team league.

Agreed, Sky would have no interest without Rangers, maybe ESPN would continue but they would pay buttons compared to the current deal.

If it comes to it I'd be shocked if Rangers didn't get voted back into the SPL, you also have to take gate receipts teams get when Rangers play away from home, for a lot of teams they double their attendance, that's revenue some of these teams can't survive without.

As a matter of interest EB what do you think is likely to happen if that scenario does happen?

Honestly I have no idea, I think administration will happen, however I have no clue what will happen after that tbh.

KeithAFC wrote: »

Well like I said, we need rational thinking in this discussion and that post is not rational. Rangers and Celtic are the oxygen for Scottish football. Without one of them, the league is non existent and will not get the support from Sky or ESPN.

You need to be realistic about it. The interest in the league would drop and without any Old Firm games, you would struggle to get any good TV deal into the league.

So for me, it is a non starter. You call it justice, I call it insane. You have to look at the overall picture and what is good for Scottish football in the long run. You have to keep people interested. Sky don't subscribe to the SPL because of Dundee Utd or Hearts. Its because of Rangers and Celtic.

The oxygen of Scottish Football is the fans and they are sick of the current setup, bored to tears of it and are voting with their feet. You have SPL clubs closing stands because of a lack of demand.

Its more important to remove the dependency Scottish Football has on Celtic and Rangers. League reconstruction needs to happen, teams playing each other 4 times needs to go.

If it takes the collapse of Rangers and the current tv deal to force these changes then I would be all for it. Rangers shouldnt be getting a free pass because they cheated and messed up, that would just drive more fans away from attending matches right across Scotland and leave clubs more dependant on a TV deal for bread and butter which is not a stable income in Scotland as things are.