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When asked if Rangers have to sell before we can buy, the boss replied:

“That’s the reality that the board told me a few months ago.

I know this, the recruitment team knows this also. This is the reality of the club. I had other expectations when I came in in October, I have to say.

But I know the reality now. I am very motivated to build the club and help in that. It’s focusing not only on the short term but also on the long term.

If I only looked at the short term I would only bring in experienced players who can do the job directly. Mistakes like that have been made too much in the past and at the end you don’t reach your goals.

You need a different philosophy and that’s what we are all working towards. This is a massive rebuilding job, it is true.

Maybe some people would run away from that but, having been seven months in Glasgow, in this city, in the stadium, in the club, I have to say this club already took a big part of my heart in that way.

I am really confident that we can work in stability the next months, the next years, that we can make a lot of things better in the club. We have been busy with that also.

We have been changing staff in the medical department, in the performance department.

It is all over the club that everybody is working really hard to make things better. At the end, it will benefit the cause of growing as a club.”

Comments

Jamie

Lack of communication from the board is creating apathy. Whether it be good or bad, facts need put across by the board. It is still essential that they communicate with the support even if the messages aren’t positive.

Tommy

Highly refreshing for someone at the club to tell the truth with the support. You can count on one hand how often this has happened in 25 years. The concern though is that Clement clearly has been misled at some point, which is far from ideal. The point itself shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. The squad is bloated mess. If we can get a handful out and bring a few mill in then it’s badly needed and then gives us a chance to do some business. We are paying the penalty for a legacy of neglect. And if the current board were upfront and honest about this then the support would have understood, Instead, many will just blame them for the years of squad mismanagement that happened in the years previous.

Gordon Woods

What does anyone expect when we have an incompetent hierarchy in charge of the club. Kept Wilson even though every fan could see he was a fraud Waste money every year or court proceedings. Gave the guy who laid out gerrards cones 15 mil to spend on shite. John Bennett is completely out of his depth. Gotta feel for Koppen and Clement having to work with these clowns.

Calum Stankey

Looking like its going to be a long season ahead and I get the feeling that Phil is trying to condition the support for what is potentially going to a painful season. The collapse from March/April is biting with no guaranteed CL cash. We aren't renowned for our patience so going to be a tough gig. If the board have sold him a mis-truth I'd be surprised if he can be arsed hanging around.

Graeme McLeod

This is now three managers who have hinted that the board haven't given them the backing they were promised/expected - the only exception was Beale, who they instead allowed to bury us with terrible transfers and squad management. This makes the transfer business we have already completed more baffling. Spending £2 million on a striker from the Morrocan league who wasn't exactly tearing it up there and the manager says won't start right away? A centre back from Milan with no senior experience who the manager says is a project? Combine this with the state of our academy - no head of academy and more meaningless friendlies for the B team this year - and it's not just the stadium issue that's a shambles. At this point it feels like the entire strategy from the board is just to consistently hoodwink fans until the season tickets are paid for, rather than being honest with us.

Alan Spiden

So, the reality is not what the manager was led to believe when he was first appointed. This really does not augur well for this season does it. Or is that me being overly pessimistic following the already negative close season?

Alan Weir

Probably what most of us suspected, but still makes for very stark reading. The hoped for “big signings” seem miles off and we simply have to get behind the projects we’ve recruited with a degree of realism and patience. Unfortunately, these are qualities some of our supporters don’t have. It’s grim up Govan.

Jim Milne

Likely no chance of Sima signing now.

Latimer

This is not what a manager should be saying in public. Clubs now know our position and will low ball offers.

Gordon McCool

Fuck this, I away for a lie down.

Calum Stankey

Agree with this Tommy. If they are honest with us, give us a decent idea about what they are trying to do (reset the strategy and squad) and effectively build long term then set the expectations

Ross

He isn’t the first manager to criticise this board,it’s important we all get behind the gaffer

Jim Milne

If results don't go our way while we are at Hampden we need to back Clement. He's the right man for the job, and despite the last few years of disappointment since 55 & Seville I'm of the belief we have a proper manager that we need to support. He would have been well within his rights to walk if what he says is true, and I believe he is telling the truth. We are at a big crossroads, we can't keep changing managers every 10 months, and I'm of the opinion Clement will be successful and set up the player trading model we have been yearning for.

Graham Jones

It’s kind of what I thought was the case, but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear the man spell it out. He’s been left in the lurch by a board who seem to keep bullshitting anyone who crosses their path. They let Gerrard down, and he left, then they let Gio down and he was sacked because of their mess, and then they handed all the loot to someone who was sacked within weeks of spending it all poorly, and now we have a gem of a manager and they have to stop this pattern of failure right now. I don’t blame Clement or Nils Koppen, I’m looking at the board, and every one of them who have been screwing things up since King left. King had many faults, but he always made sure there was a budget of some sorts.. is there any room for a share issue, or is that simply out of the question now. They need to find answers because they are lucky to have someone as good as Clement, because anyone else of his standing would’ve walked by now. The need to start delivering for him, and help the man out, FFS.

Rona Bluebell

It’s the absolute lack of upper level leadership that pisses me off. Do something! New investors, share issue, loans. If you can’t provide solutions then step away. My fear is we need a benevolent saviour and don’t have one. Praying we sell quickly as the thought of starting in four weeks with a weaker squad than last years is beyond awful.

Rona Bluebell

Or be honest and say we need 5000 bears to put in 10k each to raise 50 million to back Clement. Or an equivalent mathematical version of this. But try something, don’t just oversee stagnation with no ideas.

Granters

Basically the club needs new ownership. The current stewards don’t have (or aren’t prepared to put up) the money required to make us competitive again.

Stuart McNiven

Clement is the only person at the higher echelons of the club who communicates effectively.

Graham Roy

Kinda sums us up at the moment! One fuck up to another! In someways glad the manager has said something but this is not the way this message should be put out! Sound like frustration from manager coupled with a defeat means he has vented to a degree. The chairman now needs to address the fans as if we are not able to buy 1 player now if no one departs then serious questions need answered. We are unlikely to make any sort of decent money on player sales so does this mean another manager isn’t getting backed?! I am not looking forward to next season already!

Ralph Wiggum

Realistically, Clement will walk if there's a whiff of a better offer for him. He'd walk into any of the top jobs back in Belgium and could still attract a good offer in many European leagues. The last time we were in this situation Walter was manager, but Rangers were in his blood and he was also nearing retirement and probably didn't have a move in him. Why would Clement stay here completely hamstrung when a more attractive offer comes up elsewhere where he may have the funds to operate properly?

Simon Lewandowski

I think its great that the manager has spoken up about this issue,let's be honest no one really thought we had a massive war chest that would totally change our fortunes did they? warning signs were there early in the window when we missed out on two targets that by all accounts were very close to being done.the big worry is why the people in charge not being honest with the manager from the start this board has made this pre season a disaster they are slowly sucking the joy out of the fans

Martin Boyd

Nice to have a grown up in charge of the football team. Meanwhile the board lurch from one f'up to the next .

james whyte

A Belgian who has been at the Club for a few months can communicate to the fans better than our Chairman. What he said is to protect himself should the shit hit the fan on the park. Which, if we don't get sime faces in ASAP it will IMO. Shitshow again then. Strap yourselves in. Going to be a long old season. Oh, and now the Chairman has to tell us what the hell is going on.

William Alston

I looked back at the season ticket renewal message and it was just a couple of paragraphs about how Clement needs our support basically. Not one word from the chairman, I think at the time I was expecting us to have heard from the chairman at the end of the season but this never came. John Bennett should have been out at the end of last season telling us all the situation and making it clear, the fact we now have the manager doing this and saying he's been sold a pup is untenable. I think Bennett should go for the stadium debacle alone, this just adds to my belief that he will never be a rangers chairman and there is nothing he can say now that will change that

Martin Sutherland

We all knew after the 55 season the club made mistake after mistake and now we are seeing the damage that has caused. High wages for average players, inability to sell players at their peak and a board who have no idea how to run a football club. I am willing to get behind the manager and players, but we need to make our new Chairman aware that the spotlight is well and truly on him.

stefan strzelecki

Totally agree, regardless of budgets , this group of leaders , have mismanaged the funds generated. If money is so tight, why to goodness , are there so many costly construction projects completed, and initiated ? Heard David indicate earlier in the week , that he would much prefer such building estate improvements , when the sun is shining . Wholly agree with this view . The core function of the club is to provide the nucleus of high quality football players , and management , to drive sporting and financial success for the club. In that very order.

Paul

Whilst I appreciate the manager's honesty, clubs now know we are desperate to sell. On the manager, if we can't sell the players we all know should be sold, then he simply can't start them. A mix of academy and the ones we do manage to sign is the only option. Build a young attacking team and we will stick with you, go with the same old and you'll be gone.

Luke

Really drives home how big a mistake it was to give Beale free reign. I’m struggling to think of a single good decision that the board have made in recent history. The club seems like an unorganised mess. If they aren’t making the wrong decision, they are making the right decision at the wrong time. Not a good way to run a football club and things are look really dismal for the foreseeable.

dotty 84

The one positive is that at least this is forcing our hands and hopefully it'll get stragglers who just want to stay and pick up a wage to move on.

Gary Shaw

I fear it’s going to have to take another Covid style collapse from them across the city for us to win the league in the next few seasons…..even pessimistic folk like myself get a bit excited at pre season but something just doesn’t feel right about the whole club the last few years and this pre season has to be the worse feeling I’ve had 😔

Mr J K Murray

sign in the crowd written on box carboard read lock ness is a myth Ajax's is a reality, held up by a teen,new mason handshake,hold hand up to ear as if trying to hear, hic,

chris smith

It seems we were all lied to. This board are making it really hard to move forward in any positive way.

George Higgins

I’m not sure how we raise cash in these ffp days Rona but I do know that there’s no chance unless the board come out and be honest with the fans. Even depressing news which is disturbing would be better than silence.

Gregg

Confirms what we all knew I guess. Hopefully when we see some movement we can target some quality experienced player. We have had a bloated squad for too long - draining the club of cash. Hope we go with a slimmed down squad from now on.

George Higgins

I may be wrong but if a billionaire rocked up and gave us millions we couldn’t spend it on players due to FFP. I think infrastructure projects are different. We need to generate income and at the moment that appears to be through sales.

Daniel Ward

Really really want him to succeed but can’t help feel he is going to be the next scapegoat. Mediocre freebies until we can shift overpaid shite like souttar goldson Lawrence hagi lammers off of the wage bill, and the players will have to take a hit financially to go.

Gregg

Agree George - we see down south clubs with far wealthier owners than ours having to sell players before deadlines. We talk of the manager “not getting backed” but it’s not as easy as someone sticking their hand in their pocket - nor should they have to. Now’s the time to refocus and have a sleeker, more agile squad backed up by young players. Our wage bill has been too high for too long and we haven’t had the returns from it.

Gregg

We had the chance to invest in the club a few years ago - the uptake (in my view) was disappointing. As a support, whilst we have backed the team through some dark times, there’s never been an appetite to invest in the club. We still want a sugar daddy (again in my view). One interesting point is the US interest in clubs in Scotland - to me it seems bizarre as I can’t see how they make a return. But these people aren’t stupid.

Andy Barnett

If this isn’t game over for the utterly pathetic Board, I don’t know what is. We will be lucky to win one league title and a handful of cups between now and 2030. Directionless. Incompetent. Opaque. Uncommunicative. Obdurate. It’s time to go. Sack the board. #sacktheboard

Alastair McGeoch

Our first Saturday of the 24/25 season and it’s already “FFS Rangers!” Not surprised we have to sell before we buy given what was said in Jan when we signed Diomande and Cortes. What is worrying is Clement basically saying the board haven’t met the commitments they made when he joined the club. Never a great way to start a new season. Begs the question, why not back Gerrard, GVB or Clement yet let Beale blow millions?!

CJT

Selling to buy is part of the much vaunted trading model. The problem is poor choices on the current crop. Over valued and over paid recruits were always going to be hard to shift. We also likely need to get as much for them as we still owe on them with instalment profiles nature of so many deals now, so can’t just give them away. Only way through it is investment that FFP doesn’t allow or accepting this is a long-term fix. I think the manager knows that (whether he’s willing to accept it is the question). However, we as a support are not good at accepting anything other than immediate results are we? We have to accept we’ve played a part in putting pressure on to make short term decisions. Not selling to invest after 55, sacking Gio too soon and giving money to the last crackpot are all examples. I think if the board gave us a short, medium and long/term vision to set expectations it might help though. Foundations built while being competitive, then regular winners at home then building to regular real competitors CL level. This is all being cranked by seeming incompetence at board level though . Clearly competent business men but equally clearly not football business men. If they can learn or bring in and empower someone who knows how to do this, we have a chance. This manger can do what’s required I’m sure if we can keep him (or don’t chase him away). If they can’t they need to step aside, assuming someone else has the desire, funds and talent to do it. Big season terms of titles won and overall trophy count, the realities though are we need to be building something that secures titles in the future rather than knee-jerking to current position. Unfortunately not sure board is capable or we’re patient enough. There’s a cycle of distrust snd failure started here and someone needs to be strong enough to break it.

C. J

The banter years never ended. Our club is absolutely shite.

Alan Weir

Genuine questions, Andy, if we sack the board who comes in in terms of personnel and what comes in in terms of money?

Gregg

We didn’t have the money to “back” Gerrard. We did with Gio though, that is the strangest part and can’t help wonder where we’d be if we had.

Andy Barnett

That’s the problem Alan. The only way to get rid of this shambles of a Board is with new investment - and there doesn’t appear to be anybody waiting in the wings. We’re stuck with this shower for the foreseeable, however the fans have a part to play in voicing our discontent.

Gregg

With no alternative - as you suggest - maybe discontent should be done more constructively than the sack the board patter then? Our fan base is already more than capable of toxicity - something that needs changing. Hopefully a new (strong) CEO will be the first step to improvements. The board (ownership) isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and howling at them isn’t going to achieve anything. I get people are frustrated - raging etc.

Andy Barnett

Instead of howling and toxicity, I’m advocating for change. The fans who invest high levels of money and time into the club are being treated as children and with utter contempt. If we don’t mobilise (in the right way) and we continue to have these frustrated conversations every year then we’ll be stuck where we are for a generation.

Paul

He needs to ditch the players playing in that formation. We need speed, creativity. From the academy or new players, he simply can't go with the same players using the same tactics or or he will get the same results

Paul Kerr

The tide has turned on the board this summer. The stadium was one clusterfuck too many. A catalogue of previous failures are now ammunition rather than put behind us. We aren't listening to excuses any more. The failings of the board put us here. Forget being thankful for soft loans or whatever which has been their narrative in the past. They've squandered tens of millions that ultimately comes from our pocket via tickets, shares, sponsorship, merch and media. Change of leadership is required.

Andy MacArthur

Remember that ‘Best in Class’ statement on meeting standards as a club… It’s just another depressing blow to our start of the season. I haven’t felt this apathetic since the lower division years. Even with Pedro there was a glimmer of hope as he had been backed and made his own signings. Now we have our first proper manager since Walter and he is operating with one hand tied behind his back, it’s pathetic. To have won 55 and reached a European final and be in this position is unforgivable. 10s of millions squandered with Beale and we now have weaker squad and poorer club infrastructures. Change is required at the top, but I don’t see where the change will come from.

Gregg

Fair enough - so the change is for someone to buy us? And if that’s not forthcoming - how long are we to keep going?

Craig McWhinnie

Bit worrying that he was expecting different when walked in

Gregg

Fair enough - ideal scenario we get some new ideas and investment. If not I’d say we need to try and get more from what we have the now. A strategy would be a start - and winning more football games isn’t one (c) Douglas Park

John leitch

I don’t think this is a surprise Last season our squad was bloated and our wage bill too high Our recruitment model has been flawed Too many high earners offering little or no return

David MacT

Is our net spend not usually around £3mil to £5mil anyway? I say that as this info is nothing new. Not sure why it's the huge talking point people are trying to make it out to be. Most of the money last year came from selling Sakala, Colak and Kamara. The year before it was Bassey, Aribo and Itten.

David Kiltie

The key FFP metric is staff costs (player wages plus amortization of transfer fees) as a % of turnover. Share issues don’t qualify as turnover under accounting rules though obviously beneficial in terms of cash position. For all the criticisms of both MyGers and NEH, both boost the revenue figure. Our signings so far have been either Bosmans or loan to buy, so won’t add to this year’s amortization charge. The Blue Sky Lounge should allow us to increase match day revenue (once we are back at Ibrox!). The Scottish TV deal will always be garbage so the board need to be imaginative in finding new revenue streams.

David Kiltie

The board was criticized for not backing Gerrard after 55. To be fair, en route to 55 the club had pushed the limits in terms of losses and FFP limits. We needed to sell in order to buy. The regret now is that we could have brought in masses for Kent, Kamara, Barisic and Morelos in the summer of 2021. Gerrard said no to major sales and no one on the board was tough enough to overrule him. Obviously we are all experts with the benefit of hindsight…..

Darren

Am I being alarmist? Maybe, but if we don't qualify for the CL group stages we might never catch celtc again. Any cash they need to pay out in court they've already banked, they have more sellable assets, more season ticket income, a higher ffp figure and solid boardroom structure. We need a CEO, a hands on Chairman, a PR revamp and half a squad to move on that no one wants or will go for peanuts. Due to failures going back before 2012 we're spending money on fixing Ibrox rather than the team and by the sounds of Clement promising managers one thing then delivering them something else. Season feels like a write off before it's even started!

Rona Bluebell

I just think we need to be creative and explore all angles. Bottom line is we need money. Benevolent owner is one route, investors are another but exploiting willing fan support has to be in the mix. For example, could fans ‘buy’ a player collectively and get funds back based on what the player is then sold for further down the line? Creative solutions are worth a look.

Doogz

Gerrard let himself down failing to beat a bang average 10 man Malmo team and failure to qualify for that seasons CL. Gio should have thrown them under the bus after qualifying and not backing him.

Russ

Not as alarming as made out tbh, Clement has seemingly decided to invest in the future with the funds he has been given which is a good thing, and backs up what he's saying about this being a long term project. Hopefully the situation the club finds itself in with the budget it has is the wake up call this board needs to start operating like an elite sporting operation that it should be. Unforgiveable we're in this position right enough.

KennyY

There’s plenty in that squad to be sold but going to be hard to shift them