Facing The Facts Of Footballing Life At Ibrox

Last updated : 02 March 2004 By Harry Potter

The glimpses of de Boer (Ronald obviously, not his surplus to requirements brother) and Arteta cruelly showing that when they leave the field (or aren’t on it) we are reduced to very average.




The Truth is we are paying the price for the years of mismanagement that has left us with a bunch of has-beens who aren’t up to it – we’re in the WMD era (Watching Murray’s Devastation), and it’s beginning to smart.

Don’t kid yourself that everything will be alright in the summer either. The fabled 3-4 million quid for a striker, where is that coming from? The sale of Arteta, Ricksen and Lovenkrands most likely.



Also the idea that with Henrik gone Celtic will fold easily and we’ll be back on top, do you really think it’ll be that easy, especially with the current players we have?



Over ambition has been cited as the reason for our predicament, an excuse first used by Peter Ridsdale as he headed for the exit door at Leeds. Murray has borrowed this (his friends in the media have ran with the defence as well) and now so too have the Marr brothers at Dundee, Dominic Keane at Livingston & Yorkston at Dunfermline.

Glorious company to keep I’m sure you’ll agree.


It isn’t over ambition, it is in fact complete and utter disregard for the history, tradition & the spirit of their respective clubs (discount Ferranti / Meadowbank / Livvy here of course). These custodians of high office have instead put clubs in the poor house as they greedily tried to grasp the mantle of glory for themselves. There is no Honour here. To jeopardise all that has come before and all that will hopefully come in the future for a few years in the sun, doesn’t add up too very much to me.



What makes it worse is that to a large extent we ably assisted this masterstroke of mismanagement; we sat back and watched it all unfold, without ever really stopping to think what would happen in the long term or voice any disquiet or unhappiness at the lack of forward thinking. The long term has now arrived people.



Forget what happens this Sunday, or the week after, we have to start looking at where Rangers are going to be in five / ten years time from now, otherwise the forthcoming hard years ahead will seem a lot colder without any light at the end of the tunnel.