So, how should we judge Sir David Murray's continued occupancy of the best binoculars on the bridge? On one hand, with the club surely in very serious financial waters, to his credit he is sticking around and (whilst defending all flak with his accustomed ferocity) is very much in the firing line; he continues to be there. Regardless of how we got here, without him right now, we could actually be in a very dark hole instead of skirting round its edges. In some ways this could be described as a selfless act; knowing that he simply cannot allow Rangers to completely fail forces him to stick around and be closely associated and often blamed for the dire situation we may shortly find ourselves in. It may not be the only reason he's still here, but you can be sure it plays a part.
On the other hand, as he hangs on refusing to drop his price to an acceptable level, he is knowingly presiding over the very probable further decline of Rangers FC. We are entering yet another period of significant downsizing following what has been a clear malfunctioning of effective management in footballing terms, in operations, in communications, in marketing and in strategy. In many ways, his continued stewardship offers little more than the continued promise of no progress and therefore almost inevitable decline. Given the extraordinary scale and loyalty of the Rangers support in Scotland, Britain and worldwide, this is an extremely selfish position to take.
Sir David Murray can no longer do what is required to progress Rangers as a football club and a sporting, social and cultural institution. For that reason he should drop his price, find a suitable buyer, pack up and go live the rest of his otherwise successful life in peace. Then we can all get on with the new future Rangers deserves.
Sir David might be owed a lot in financial terms - but in every other sense, the Rangers fans are owed a whole lot more for a lifetime's devotion and commitment shown through support and frequent, significant financial contributions. Given what Rangers is, continuing to 'tough it out' purely on the basis of money is a quite disgusting example of the selfishness of a very wealthy man.
The Chairman needs to go not because he wants to go - he needs to go because he needs to go. These two reasons might well result in the same conclusion, but they are quite different things.
Fire And Skill