As if by magic, I had just finished a lengthy piece late last night on the Ibrox takeover when someone sent me Scott Burns’ article from the Daily Record, and I knew immediately that this would be the first piece I posted today.
The reason this is going up first is that I think it lends tremendous weight to the second article — the one I finished first, the one that was supposed to be the opening salvo of the day. Because Burns is one of the first people in the media to look past all the big-money bluster and get right to the heart of the matter.
Financial Sustainability Regulations prevent almost every scenario that the Ibrox fans are clinging to as capable of “saving” their club. And for the first time, reality is visible through the haze.
Let’s be clear here from the outset — I’m not saying Burns’ piece is any great bit of journalism. It’s not. It’s not in-depth in any way. It doesn’t explore how close the club is to the FSR line or what the implications will be if they fail to meet the criteria. He doesn’t properly deep-dive into the accounts either — except to vaguely reference last season’s debt figure. And of course, that doesn’t even take into account what this current campaign is going to look like in terms of losses.
But he does mention the complete failure of their transfer trading strategy. He does mention the losses from the last campaign and how they relate to FSR.
He points out the obligations the club still has in relation to transfers paid up over long periods of time — including players such as Danilo, who’s made no discernible impact whatsoever, and the summer obligation-to-buy fee for Oscar Cortés, who has done absolutely nothing to justify any kind of fee, far less what they owe.
Furthermore, he is the first person in the mainstream media I’ve read in a while who’s gotten real about this idea that they can just get rid of half the team in the summer, make a few million, and use it to reinvest.
He’s at least twigged that it’s not going to be anywhere near that easy and he references their calamitous failure to do it last summer. Their team are on big wages, they are players who’ve seriously underachieved. A lot of them aren’t even first-team regulars. No club is going to come in and pay substantial fees to sign them.
He’s also the first mainstream journalist to point out that this summer’s transfer business is very likely to be severely restricted as a result. He’s the first person to suggest it might consist of low-impact deals for very small sums of money or free transfers.
And remember, all these so-called “systems” being imported to the club from Leeds — if they come at all — aren’t in place yet, and won’t be in place for a while. So whatever transfer lists they’re working off, they’re old ones.
And these are the guys who are expected to come in, bed in, and then challenge us for next season’s title?
I opened the lengthy article on the takeover and what the shape of it might look like by talking about how one brick fell out of the wall last night — and that was the Steven Gerrard brick. The club has flatly denied, to a couple of its pet journalists, that it has any intention of going back to hire a former boss.
They want a clean slate and a clean break with the past.
There’s been no proper examination of what the implications of that particular statement are, but I can tell you right now what it means: the days of high spending are most definitely over. They want someone who is willing to work on a tight budget and under very strict criteria for developing players and turning a profit. And they’ll be operating in a data-driven environment.
That’s not Gerrard. It’s not most managers who aspire to the highest level.
All of this has been made clear by the way the so-called takeover guys run Leeds. So some of the more fantastical stuff appearing in the media about likely managerial candidates should be seen in the following light: anybody linked with the Ibrox club who has a higher reputation than Daniel Farke can be effectively ruled out completely. You think these people would hire José Mourinho to manage at Ibrox when they could have him at Elland Road instead? It’s barking. It’s moon-howling.
Their immediate future is austerity. No matter what the Ibrox fans are telling themselves, there isn’t going to be some huge transfer kitty laid at a top manager’s feet. That’s not the near future. It’s not even in the immediate future, and Scott Burns is the only person in the mainstream media so far who’s been willing to say that out loud and in print. So, he gets some modest credit for that.
As I said, I’m not here to paint this guy as some kind of journalistic titan. He certainly isn’t that. We’re not talking in those kinds of terms.
Nor is what he’s written breaking news to us, because we all know this. We’ve been writing this, saying this, and talking about this for months now. How many of our articles on this site — and on other websites — have gone into detail on Financial Sustainability Regulations and pointed out that it is impossible to even contemplate the kind of transfer spending that some of their fans are clearly expecting?
So Burns gets a little credit for being the guy who sticks his neck above the parapet and finally brings some fact-based coverage to the situation — but he’s well late to the party, because we were already here.
Still, it’s to be welcomed, and it does bring a little bit of clarity for the fans across town who may have been expecting vast transfer spends.
It’s not going to happen. It never was going to happen. And some of us have been telling them that right from the start. I don’t expect them to suddenly believe it just because it’s in the Daily Record. But it should give them pause. It should make them a little less certain that this is going to end well.
And later today, I’ll lay out in some detail what the worst-case scenario might look like.
James, correct me if I am wrong but their season tickets have all been sold based on the back of the take over. Now the bad news gets filtered out.
That would be pure HILARIOUS John M…
But The Celtic Blog, others as well, and all the Ghuys and Ghirls on here have said it as well !
So you actually think that season tickets were only bought because of a probable takeover you are a deluded idiot
They were threatening NOT to buy on Wallow Wallow anyway unless there were changes in the boardroom…
Not sure about any of their other forums though !
As you say, at last someone in the SMSM tells a little bit of the truth.
Maybe the start of the takeover falling apart now the idiots have bought their season tickets.
The bad news is en route for ipox.
No money, same players, same results, roll on next season.
After we clinch the treble.
The mystery around this consortium’s rationale for purchasing this club just deepens.
The club is facing a potentially very expensive court case, they are still paying transfer instalments on various players, still paying ex managers, are losing out of contracts in the summer, have player purchase commitments on Cortes and someone else, have a mountain of debt already, loans due to directors at some point, a ground that needs a lot doing to it, a very wealthy competitor next door, a load if poor players they cannot shift, good loanees leaving and not so goof coming back and it goes on and on
Now the Leeds guy’s time is taken up mostly with tge Ibrox takeover. Why when his own club has just been promoted and there must be so much for him to do there. Shambles
Sorry for the typos yet again but got so far twice writing it only for it to disappear so didn’t want to risk losing it again. It just happened again midway through writing this one
Some in their support accuse us as being obsessed with their club. I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed, but what I will admit to is that since around 2011, between the old club and the new club they have given me and I’m sure all of the Celtic support a great amount of entertainment. The next episode in this Ibrox saga might be about to begin, or it might not? Whatever way this ongoing, is it on or is it off goes, I’m pretty sure it’s going to entertaining stuff. There is no easy answer to their problems, but the gullibillies always think there is, I don’t know what the Americans will pay to take some kind of control, but as hard nosed business men, I’m sure they’ll make sure that they are not going to lose money on the deal.
If this deal doesn’t go through then they are up a creek without a paddle.
Wouldnae give burns one crumb of credit either. He is and always has been, just another of jacksons DR, ibrox fan boy disciples. Doin that article, tae somehow give his own rep some sort of browny points more like.
Now they are rolling out ex players to greatly dampen the expectation of the Ibrox fans. This one is saying they should not have expectations of overtaking Celtic as the consortium are facing a mountain of problems, really huge issues all over the Ibrox club from what he is hearing. He reiterates the FFP and the difficulty getting rid of unwanted players etc etc as if it is news to us all.
Despite the Leeds guy supposedly being up to his neck working on the Ibrox takeover it seems in reality, according to a piece in the rags, that he is actually up to his neck working on increasing the Elland Rd capacity to 53k and planning to develop the club into something awesome for this century. What a guy.
Apparently the rags are drawing comparisons about this upgrade which will allegedly be music to the Ibrox fans ie a crumbling old stadium getting a makeover, increasing the fans capacity, taking it up to a UEFA Grade 4 standard club. Honestly what are we supposed to believe
Believe anything daviebhoy54 – Believe anything apart what’s in The Scottish Scummy’s…
Believe I’ve won last nights Euromillions (I’ve not checked the numbers yet)…
Because there’s more chances of truth in that than anything that’s crayon scribbled about Sevco in The Scummy Scottish Football Media !
Huge Fanfare and PR spin to come IF the takeover goes ahead. However as Daviebhoy suggests something stinks in the rationale to invest in the huns.
There could be an almighty Trump-type let down to come for the Klan….Moving players off the wage bill like before for a couple of hundred thousand is not going to give them a kitty to replace players.
The PR narrative will be around home grown talent, future-centric policy, sustainability, blame who were there before yada yada. The Klan will believe anything though.
For us Jungle Jim’s it’s gonna be a huge point and laugh exercise.. Jillions in the warchest for new players, LMFAO.
The guy at Leeds have just seen his team promoted to the biggest league in the world is he going to resign to take over at the Huns? Fekin no chance.!
Take the value of the club in its entirety into account.
The share issues & loans have it seriously diluted in any form of value.
Hypothetically a £1.. pork pie is only worth £1..
How much is it worth with loans and several thousand shares secured on it.
Yes still £1..
The problem with a buyout at Rangers ll is who will pay grossly over the top to gain control of the loans, diluted shares, plus the outstanding debt???.
Should I want to do a buyout, I would wait for an Administration / Liquidation to secure the club and assets at the most realistic price.
A business man wants to make profit, no one goes into a business to lose money.
Leeds are currently in considerable debt, no one is putting money forward to clear that, I suspect tv revenue will reduce some of it.
Oh I must go, I just seen an old 80s Lada car on sale for £50k 2 wheels, no engine, rusting nicely, if I get in early maybe I can secure it ? eh maybe not.
Much the same scenario with buying out a controlling stake in Rangers ll
Burns does not deserve any credit.
He could have penned that article at any point over the past 6 weeks but it suddenly drops 24 hours after the season ticket renewal deadline passes.
He is an Ibrox pet.
They’re ALL Liebrox pets Jimmy – Each and every one of The Scummy Bastards, Each and every one of them…
The Blogs report this…
Obviously I don’t buy a rag of evil so I’ve never heard of him !