As Stuart Leslie dragged home a penalty at the home of Scottish football this past Saturday, a wave of celebration passed around the Glasgow area and further. Rangers were champions once more.
Was the title secured on a dramatic last day to stop their bitter rivals winning? Did it send fans to Ibrox in their thousands to savour the victory? Did it secure a place in Europe’s finest competition? The answer to these questions is of course, no. The title victory followed on from Rangers’ very poor draw with Montrose, and the way in which the title was secured very much reflected the underwhelming attitude the Royal Blue support has felt towards their side in recent weeks – some for even longer. But nonetheless, the line had to be crossed at some point, and as McCoist has been eager to point out, the outcome doesn’t change whether it had been done through a 5-0 victory, or through a result going in their favour elsewhere. This was as monumental step, and it is arguably a title which had to be won more than any other in the past.
As fans and club have said alike, “Stage One is complete”.
It has been made clear in recent times that the task for this season was to simply win the league. Some have questioned whether this has been quite enough for a club such as Rangers and few can question that there is an urge for change moving upwards. A section of fans have been pondering whether McCoist is the manager is the right person to take the club forward. At the same time, some fans have questioned whether this squad of players has the right attitude or even quality to play for their club. The matter of change delving further than what the fans actually see when they attend the football has also been discussed. New coaches, scouting networks, and more modern ideas have been exchanged and examined.
And if recent proceedings are anything to go by, the hierarchy at Ibrox also share this desire for change.
In a matter of weeks, a number of personnel have moved on from Ibrox; Neil Murray, Pip Yeates, Tommy Wilson have departed from the coaching staff, and Francisco Sandaza of the playing staff most recently has had his contract terminated. For a number of reasons; some unknown and some well-publicised, one has to question where this is heading. Although all departures may not have been planned, the short period of time in which they have taken place it would be difficult to pass it off as purely coincidental.
If the last couple of weeks have shown anything, “Stage One” was pretty straightforward; “Stage Two” looks like it may be something completely different.
As already mentioned, a need for change is felt by many, but what type of change is it that lies ahead? The current model is bringing very little gain, and as Charles Green is quoted as saying recently, the club needs to “tighten the ship”.
So the big question that remains at the moment, is the change fans have in mind the change the owners have in mind? When the fans want a model based on youth-development and to build a new football philosophy, are we really heading towards the aggressive, ruthless business side of Charles Green rearing its head? Are the recent departures simply a step towards progressive change, or is it cuts that Green deems necessary? And if more are to follow (with some expecting they will) is it really the image we want to be giving off from the club with a large number of staff being let go of in a short period of time? There is a fine line between widespread change and cuts for the necessity of the club – should and will the fans be made aware of which of the two lies ahead?
The fans also have to question whether Green’s recent moves have indicated what direction the club is heading in. With Sandaza being, in essence, sacked, the decision has provoked various reactions throughout the support – was the decision correct, or was it harsh and opportunistic? And what does it mean for the future? Is an iron fist running the rule at Ibrox at the moment? It also brings up the case of Neil Murray – is this case passing by with any clarification as to why he has been removed from the club? On top of this, will the Neil Alexander conflict develop any further than what is being spread around the tabloid newspapers? There may be differences in the cases, but it is difficult to argue against the fact that a pattern is emerging.
Of course, most of this discussion is simply speculation at the present moment. Although nobody knows what is to follow behind the scenes at Ibrox, the developments in recent weeks have shown that radical changes may be afoot. However, there is little doubt that this change should be closely watched by the fans. The more time goes by, the more Charles Green tends to morph from the quick-witted defender of Rangers to a hard-nosed businessman; is further development in this change coming? Can anyone truly say they believe Green to be the trustworthy figure to lead the club forward?
The finishing touches are currently being applied to “Stage One”. It may be time everyone takes a step back and has a good think as to what they want “Stage Two” to be.
garrycarmody 