McLeish Stays For Season

[Bigkegman]

Aye - only realistic option is to win the Champs League

[pistol984]

Maybe Murray is resigned to relegation and is gonna use this and next season as rebuilding. Surely they can't be expected to finish above Livi this year?

[crowie]

Don't get me started on Murray

Mid November, after losing to Celtic in the cup

"Alex McLeish has til end end of November to turn things around, then we will review his position"

Since then Rangers have P5 W0 D3 L2. What sort of turnaround is that? And he is still here.

Two weeks ago, before the Porto game, when Adriannse was playing mindgames with McLeish, saying he had been offered his job in the summer.

"Thats a lie, anyway, Alex McLeish knows who the next manager of Rangers will be if he leaves".

Ehhhhhhhhhh????

What sort of motivational tripe is that, saying the current manager knows who you have lined up to replace him?

Quote in the papers from Murray today

"Alex McLeish is safer than 90% of the managers in the UK"

And this from BBC

Murray also refuted claims he had offered the manager's post to any other managers during the recent turbulent times.

"I told Alex what I would do if it didn't work out and we needed a Plan B," he said. "I kept him on board at all times, but I never offered the job to anybody else.

So McLeish knew who was going to replace him (according to Murray), but Rangers never offered the job to anyone else (according to Murray). He was given about 5 games to turn the club around (according to Murray) but his job is safer than 90% of managers in the UK (according to Murray). Anyone else smell bullshit


Personally I do have a bit of sympathy for McLeish as a person throughout all this shenanigans but I would have gave him a bit more respect if he had told Murray to shove his job after the Inter game. However there's having a bit of pride about yourself and there is throwing away £500k.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Well what position does this leave McLeish in now? Surely fan pressure is going to get too much with Murray being made to sack him?

Two convincing losses in a row now and after that little bit of form that picked up it seems its back to normality for thr Rangers side.

Speaking to a disabled Rangers fan who is staying in the hotel here. Seasonticket holder and has travelled to every game for over 30 years.

Last time he was here around xmas he was supporting McLeish to stay but things have changed for him now. He said he hasn't seen such a spineless Rangers side for as long as he can remember. Lackng any quality and fight, especially the bigger valued/paid players.

Even when they were winning he wasn't happy with the performances and felt they were lucky.

Celtic at home on Sunday could be the final nail in McLeish's coffin i reckon.

[crowie]

Celtic at Ibrox followed by Villareal in the Champ League

He will survive until at least the CL campaign finishes but bringing in a new man at this point would surely be a bad move. The transfer window is closed and its not as if there are a hoard of quality players sitting on the sidelines that McLeish is not picking.

Look at tonights team

Rangers: Waterreus, Ricksen, Andrews, Kyrgiakos (Buffel 45), Murray, Burke, Ferguson, Malcolm, Lovenkrands, Kris Boyd (Smith 47), Prso.
Subs Not Used: Klos, Carcary, Hutton, Novo, Hemdani.

The keeper is poor but Klos has been basically been binned and sits about on £25k a week doing nothing.

Andrews and Krygiakos are the best double act since Laurel and Hardy.

Rumours of McLeish having lost senior players such as Ricksen and Prso look truer by the game. Ricksen especially hasn't kicked a ball in months.

Bob Malcolm in the centre of midfield

Lovenkrands has had his good spell to get the new contract offer, that will be him for the next season and a half.

Barry Ferguson had a great season when he was last at Rangers, with players like Arteta and De Boer round about him. As the going has got tougher, Ferguson has faded badly.

They are in a right state and IMO if Celtic (already with a couple of Scottish internationalists added to the squad for next season) and Hearts (with a madman in charge and a NFL sized team roster) add and improve in the summer then Rangers will need a hell of a turn around, and more than just a new manager, to keep up. There is so much dead wood, under achievers and never has beens at Rangers that its frightening.

[zonker84]

Originally Posted by crowie

Hearts (with a madman in charge and a NFL sized team roster)

It's the way you tell them Crowie, that one cracked me up.

Seriously though, I can't believe what has happened to Rangers. McLeish's transfer policy seems a little bizarre to say the least, too many average foreigners have been signed for me lately (Fanfan, Rodriquez, Bernard and others). They say they don't have the money to sign top players any more, and all of these mediocre players will be on decent money with at least a year or two left on their contracts. It's probably going to get worse before it gets better unless they find some investment.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Well when you think it couldn't get any worse.

Been reading Souness doing the rounds about the next manager

The rest of the SPL are quacking in their boots

[zonker84]

....sacked :loon


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...rs/4697444.stm

[zonker84]

Or rather a delayed sacking, he stays till the end of the season to mess it up a bit more first

[crowie]

Worst kept "secret" in football confirmed.