Football Focus

[Otta]

Yeah, but maybe better to accept a 15% cut than find yourself unemployed...

[Parkdrive]

Otta Wrote:

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> Yeah, but maybe better to accept a 15% cut than

> find yourself unemployed...

Doubt it would come to that, I can see other clubs making a play for the best of the bunch and they'd probably end up being a fire sale

[Mick Mac]

Exactly - I'm with PD - let the club sink, good advice PD.

[Mick Mac]

Rangers have managed to burn their way through the ?22m that came from a share issue a little over a year ago and two years worth of season tickets, and have since paid out questionable fortunes to departing directors, advisors and various hangers-on.

That meant returning a ?14.4m loss in the last financial year ? none of which was down to the players who delivered a promotion, or the fans who continued to turn up in droves.

No, the faults and failings are at board level, among the people who appear loathed to set any kind of example by taking a financial hit of their own.

What has stunned, angered and bemused many (the latter definitely the domain of rival fans) is that Rangers find themselves in this shambolic financial position once again

Read more at http://talksport.com/football/deja-vu-scotland-rangers-stare-down-barrel-financial-uncertainty-again-14011776084#YUW2IDgvddmjcG9R.99

[Parkdrive]

I've never understood how or why people that have done well in business seem to lose all financial acumen when they get involved with football.

[Otta]

"and have since paid out questionable fortunes to departing directors, advisors and various hangers-on."

I've not read up on it, but would they have had any choice about paying these people off? Maybe better to pay them off and get6 rid, than keep them involved and milking the club over a longer period.

If I was a Celtic fan, this would be upsetting for me to see. What are Celtic without Rangers? It's like night without day. They need each other.

[Mick Mac]

Otta Wrote:

> If I was a Celtic fan, this would be upsetting for

> me to see.

If you were a Celtic fan, you might feel differently, although I do admit to some mixed feelings.

[Parkdrive]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Otta Wrote:

>

> > If I was a Celtic fan, this would be upsetting

> for

> > me to see.

>

> If you were a Celtic fan, you might feel

> differently, although I do admit to some mixed

> feelings.

I'm not sure the financial woes expereinced by Rangers will be unique to the SPL, I can see clubs in the Prem coming to grief a la Portsmouth and Leeds.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Keef, you ol' romantic, you!

[Otta]

Mick is right, I might feel differently if I were a Celtic fan, and take some joy in seeing the enemy destroyed.

Then I'd realise that I had no one to challenge me, and I'd just get fat feasting on the other crappy teams in my league whilst clinging to fond memories of old firm days.

[Mick Mac]

You forget Otta that it means we get Champions League every year when they are not around.

It's not all about them and never was. We won the European Cup when we won the league 9 times in a row. Rangers were in the top division then but no-one noticed as we were far superior.

Don't try to think it's all about Scotland, we have and always will have bigger aspirations.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Celtic have big breaths?

[Mick Mac]

Have I spelt something wrongly PGC?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

No, my spelling was wrong. Should have been: Theltic.

[Otta]

Well leave the Scottish League then, , because with that kind of opposition week in and week out you'll never win a European cup again.

[Mick Mac]

Ooh, that hurts.

[Mick Mac]

Lennon finds another gem.

Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk has moved to douse the speculative embers burning over a tug-of-war between Arsenal and Manchester City for the player?s services by saying he?s happy in Glasgow, for the time being at least.

The 22-year-old has established himself as one of the Bhoys? top performers since signing from Eredivisie side FC Groningen in the summer, catching the eye of the Premier League?s top two, priced at 17/4 and 11/10 to win the title, respectively.

Van Dijk?s ?1.6m acquisition looks to be another shrewd piece of business from Neil Lennon, who is in line to make another windfall of Victor Wanyama proportions if his Dutch defender?s development continues on such a sharp incline.

Wanyama was snapped up for a measly ?900,000 from Belgian club Germinal Beerschot ahead of the 2011/12 campaign and Celtic got two stellar seasons out of him before flogging him to Southampton for ?12.5m; an immense profit on their original outlay.

It has been reported that any Van Dijk suitor would have to fork out ?10m now following a lengthy stint at the heart of the Celtic defence, starting in nine of the 10 SPL games in which they?ve recorded clean sheets.

[Otta]

And for the record, I'm not trying to be a cunt about Celtic. They're a massive club, with no opposition.Decent opposition is required if they want to raise their game outside of Scotland.

[maxxi]

Otta Wrote:

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>Decent opposition is required if they

> want to raise their game outside of Scotland.

They play football in Scotland?

[Mick Mac]

They sure do Maxxi. The good stuff.

[maxxi]

I can never tell when you're joking Mick

[????]

Back to crap ageing, BFS out

[maxxi]

1st half hopeless - falling apart - an O.G. to keep us in it.

Why not give Morrison and Carroll a run out if they're fit enuogh to be on the bench. Roll the dice y'miserable prck.

ETA - Morrison just on. Maybe he really ISN'T keeping him under wraps to get a high transfer fee....

[maxxi]

Gotta getta new plan Sam. Letting the opposition do what they like for 45 minutes in the hope they'll get tired or fed up and you can bring on your half-fit strike force (Morrison&Carroll) to nick the match later don't work when they finish it before the interval. You plank.

[Alan Medic]

Otta Wrote:

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> And for the record, I'm not trying to be a @#$%&

> about Celtic. They're a massive club, with no

> opposition.Decent opposition is required if they

> want to raise their game outside of Scotland.

Remember Ajax of Amsterdam, 3 times winners of the European Cup. The Dutch league is hardly considered a top league. More recently Porto won the CL. You don't have to be in a top league to do well in Europe.