25 Jan 2017 12:16:34
I grudgingly accept that we're 2nd best to Celtic by a fair way and the point gap tells the story but to say we can't compete and lay the blame on King is wrong. We have a far superior budget to the teams lower in the league and but for a 3 nil win over Kilmarnock haven't put any team to the sword.
Most wins are by one goal and we battle to score 2. I'd accept the 6 points behind Celtic losing home away but not the 22 it'll be tonight. Don't blame King for not beating Ross County and St Johnstone.
25 Jan 2017 15:50:37
kfraser, the only way we were ever going to be within 6 points of Celtic was if they'd kept Ronnie in charge!
Celtic moved the goal posts by bringing in Brenda and a couple of key players. most of our guys are top end championship level (albeit overpaid) and many of them were always going to struggle in the PL.
It's a transition season for us. I'm sure that come the summer there will be a decent budget to bring another one or two in.
25 Jan 2017 16:24:06
Celtic payed £3.5m for Scott Sinclair and pay him £35,000 a week. Also brought Moussa Dembele in and pay him a king's ransome every week. They have funds to go out and spend £3m in this window on Eboue to tighten their back line. There is no goalpost moving involved. Just money available to their manager to lift the standard of football the team play above the current level of the rest domestically. Why you think he demanded a high level of funding when he took the job? He wouldn't be sitting as pretty in the league and his team wouldn't even have got the point they managed in the CL.
25 Jan 2017 16:56:34
Keepbelieving, no-one is disputing your thoughts but the fact is that Celtic were not forced into liquidation by shysters who had nothing to offer the club.
I think were doing ok considering where we were only 2 or 3 years ago.
If we are not within 6 points of Celtic this time next season, I'd be worried that we were not achieving the way we should.
Even next season, I'd be surprised if we were serious challengers although Brenda will be offski and will be tough to replace.
25 Jan 2017 18:42:27
Good grief we are second in the top flight! How in hell can anybody say our players are top end championship class?
25 Jan 2017 19:02:44
I am very happy with the way Mark Warburton is transforming the club from the first team down to youth level. I am very content with the progress made domestically moving from being nearly men in the Championship to sitting 2nd in the Premiership. I also admire his ability to build a team using low budget buys, free transfers, pre contracts and basically every loophole he can find to improve the team. As he said he will always look to add value to the team and has done that with recent loans like Toral and Hyndman. But people suggesting that Rangers are behind this season due to Celtic moving the goalposts by appointing Rodgers is ludicrous. They simply have a bigger budget.
25 Jan 2017 19:40:47
keepbelieving, Celtic had a bigger budget last season under Ronnie but teetered on the brink until the end of the season.
Had Ronnie been in place this season I'm certain that we would have been close but he isn't. That's why Ian say they moved the goal posts. budget is great but it isn't everything. Man City is the perfect example over the last 5 years of up and down performances whilst outspending virtually everyone in Europe.
Seeker, last season our players were head and shoulders above the rest but they are not up to to PL quality (with a few exceptions) . If they were, we would not have struggled so much against the teams at in the bottom half of the table.
MW's tactics are a bit one dimensional but he is working to a longer term plan. He is asking the players to play in his ssystem even though they may not be the best fit because that is the way he wants the club to perform for years to come.
Over time, it will gel
25 Jan 2017 21:32:56
How do toral and hyndman add value to our team? Think they will be good signings but they don't add value since they ain't our players. P. s BR65 why didn't he just sign players to fit his one dimensional system? Rather than keep signing midfielders when we need 2 defenders a striker and a winger?
25 Jan 2017 21:15:57
if Ronny was still in charge they wouldn't be that far ahead and he had a massive budget, so it is down to a change of manager that they're better than us. its down to management skills that guys like broon, armstrong, forrest etc look totally different players. its called good man management.
25 Jan 2017 21:50:24
BR65
If the players weren't PL standard we would be bottom of the league, wouldn't we?
26 Jan 2017 09:15:56
Keep believing
You are serious delusional if you think under Warburton we are ever going to challenge Celtic. We have a far bigger budget than Aberdeen yet we aren't any better than they are.
26 Jan 2017 15:45:33
difference is we have changed our team recently and they aren't clicking the right way but I don't think that's down to man management as all of Celtic's players are worth more than all of ours and have better experience at the top level
also warbs has helped wee McKay into who he is and I think to compare us to Aberdeen who have had the same team and been in the top flight the whole time we where coming back is wrong we will finish ahead of the sheep that much I do believe.
some people on here where singing warburtons praises and singing the magic hat some after he got us to pley great football last season and now because we don't have the funds to compete its the managers fault?!
naw I will keep believing and trusting in warbs and hopefully he gets money to show he does know the market better than people think.
you lot think it should have happened by now but can't see he is operating a team with both hands tied behind his back and are quick to criticize but slow to give credit for building a team that got promoted and is now sitting second in the PL.
you lot who are shouting that sort of stuff should be ashamed of your behaviour