28 Aug 2026 14:28:23
EHL,
I've taken this from a previous post
"Hopefully this is the wake up call the squad has needed. It won't be pretty, but we need the players who care to step up and create some much needed friction."
I just can't believe some of them or many of them don't care.
We are spending tens of millions on players season after season,
Who seem to have stinking attitudes and lack of fight or respect for the club or their employers.
I don't think there is any excuse for it, but why to so little of them seem to care so little. Of that was any other job, you'd be out on your ear.
No one was interested when they scored their penalties either. No reaction whatsoever after a very poor and frustrating performance.
28 Aug 2026 15:45:04
Yeah, we'd all love to play for Rangers, we'd all play for free and we'd all run through brick walls for the club.
However, just because we feel that way, doesn't mean that those wearing the jersey do.
I posted a couple of years ago after we got knocked out the cup by Queens Park that several senior players were laughing and joking about it in the sauna - a result that ultimately got the manager the sack. That's the reality of the 'standards' at our club.
Last night on the live, I said, very early in the match, that I thought a number of players looked like that pitch was the last place they wanted to be.
Off the top of my head, I can count 8 players who were involved last night who are having discussions about moves, and after seeing what happened to Chermiti, I honestly believe they were more interested in protecting themselves than putting their bodies on the line.
This in my opinion is the biggest issue at our club and what needs to be addressed.
Also, this is not an 'excuse' as so many posters keep saying anytime I post it.
28 Aug 2026 15:53:46
Was watching the Mourinho documentary where Lampard said something that really struck me. He said the manager pushes them to go harder at each other in training. Basically, Lampard said, after a week of going at it vs Drogba in training, the weekend game was easier.
I imagine this also works in reverse when players go easy on each other during training. Imagine being Naderi going up against Fernandez, half arsed in training, and then not understanding why he struggles against a third rate European defence.
I am not saying that Fernandez is a problem. I haven't seen a practice in forty years.
One bad apple can ruin the whole bunch. There has been a dark cloud over this squad since Gerrard. It's more important to cut out the fearful, the lazy, the distracted than it is to bring more expensive players in. The team will struggle until they have an identity, but they have to make it for themselves.
28 Aug 2026 15:54:05
EHL, are any of those players still at the club?
28 Aug 2026 15:55:21
EHL, I've always said that as well, all fans say they'd play for Rangers for nothing. Reality is they wouldn't, no one would work for nothing in their 20's and early 30's whilst others in the team earned 20k a week. They say it knowing it would never happen. What we need to remember is that most players at Rangers have absolutely no prior affiliation with the club and it's just a team to them, it could be any team in any league in the world.
So you're not going to get the "Rangers in their blood and knows what it means to be a Ger" attitude. We need players therefore who have a specific drive and combative mentality as well as a good footballing ability. And if we have a cohort of those players that don't feel valued or wanted by the club, but still asked to go out and perform every week, then there lies your problem!
28 Aug 2026 16:00:17
Ehl, 100% after the Chermiti debacle there does look players Gassama example told there is enquiry and heads get turned, we also got Barron, Cameron, to name that appear to have no future at the club. Then we call on them to perform, yes they are well paid. Our problem now, do we trust McInnes to lift the team or do we part company now?
28 Aug 2026 16:12:23
When you look at the games it's about more than that. I was all for DM and still am (mostly), but at the moment the positions the players are taking up on the pitch do not indicate they understand the pattern, or patterns, of play, or they do not have the ability to implement what they've been told to (which, given tactics are not rocket science, I don't think is the case).
We look uncoached at the minute, and that has utterly shocked me, in spite of the fact that I fully appreciate it will take time to bed in what is practically a full new squad, I thought it would have been better earlier.
28 Aug 2026 16:34:33
It feels a bit like when RM started, the new tactics seemed to be lost on the players and our play was woeful. I feel the same way about last night. Time will tell if DM's tactics will work and the players adjust to it.
28 Aug 2026 16:42:09
Bizz, what pissed me off last night was all the changes in his set up. He'd be better sticking to one formation so our players understand what they're doing. Aasgaard looked lost last night, not in the way he played (poorly), but looked lost at what he was getting asked to do.
McInnes needs to get his finger out, but he definitely gets longer than seven games with a new side, and do believe players leaving is a part of the problem.
28 Aug 2026 16:52:24
Got to agree with EHL on this. Many of the players looked like they had little or no interest in competing last night. There was a lack of fight which I hope will disappear as those brought in by the manager start to replace those who are waiting for the exit door to open.
I hope the change will become apparent as yesterday's team are moved on, but it will have to happen soon if the discontent is to be overcome and replaced with a well-grounded hope, rather than just whistling in the dark.
The need for things to change is clear, but I don't think at this point that it is the manager (he can only use those available to him when the squad is selected for European matches) and some of the better (more expensive) buys came in too late to change things last night or in the Europa League loss.
A year without European football will be hard, as much of our recent high-points have come through continental competitions. However, we need to re-focus on the three domestic trophies this year and hope that next year will be simply changing 3-4 players and not another wholesale purge.
It ain't easy but we need to hang tough right now and stick with those we have at the end of the transfer window. WATP.
28 Aug 2026 17:00:08
EHL,
I remember you posting about the incident after the Queen's Park defeat, and I could believe it based on who was apparently involved.
However, there were a lot of new players on that park last night, and this is where I find it difficult to accept that players discussing moves explains the overall performance.
Dragojevic, Neil, Makhanya, Penrice and Yokota all started. Shankland and Curtis came on, and I would also include Naderi. That's eight players I would expect to be busting a gut, trying to impress and showing that they want to be part of this team.
Sterling, Gassama and Fernandez may possibly have offers or discussions taking place. Chukwuani possibly does as well. I can understand how uncertainty might affect individual players, although it still shouldn't prevent them from giving everything while wearing the jersey.
But from the entire group, only Penrice, Curtis, and Pandur really looked interested and showed the urgency I would expect.
I'm not suggesting you're making excuses for them, and I don't doubt that discussions about moves are taking place. I just think there are too many excuses constantly being found for these performances, players wanting away, players being unhappy, new players needing time or another rebuild being required.
This has been happening season after season, across different managers and different squads. At some point, we need to stop searching for explanations for the players and start asking why the same problems keep being allowed to develop throughout the football department.
28 Aug 2026 17:02:43
Star, but then you get the complete opposite situation, where the manager sets the team up to play one way, we lose, and he gets criticised for that too. The truth is, it probably doesn't matter what he does; if we lose, he will be criticised.
I'm not defending last night's performance, because it was the worst I've seen for a long time.
So what is the answer when eight players are waiting for moves and we don't have anyone ready to replace them? He keeps making substitutions at half-time because he can see players aren't performing, and he changes the formation to see if something else works.
The attitude of the players has been questioned by a few managers now. Clement and Ferguson definitely come to mind. The only difference is that they largely stuck to Plan A and were criticised for that.
Having managed a lot of people in my life, I know that if someone simply doesn't want to perform, there isn't always much you can do. If they need coaching to improve, that's different because they are willing to listen and change. But if players are just waiting for their move away, then I have a lot of sympathy for McInnes.
28 Aug 2026 17:07:55
EHL2020, i have thought the exact same thing that there were players that were not interested but i thought i was being stupid what the answer is to that has got to be a strong manager and the players who do not want to be there get shot even if you take a loss no one is bigger than the club.
28 Aug 2026 17:10:07
Well said, EHL.
The big lump at the back, case in point.
Seen at least 10-15 examples of him pulling out of tackles he could have made.
The club have put DM in a situation where he is taking a sword to a gun fight.
Not sure how any manager is expected to motivate a player who doesn't want to be here or the club don't want here.
Hoping to see the club do the right thing and come out and tell the truth to the fans soon.
It's clear they have been protecting the values of players at the expense of winning games and giving the manager a truly competitive team.
I'm all for maximising values but not at the expense of not winning.
This has always been about resetting the teams foundations and in my opinion this was always going to happen.
28 Aug 2026 17:11:03
Is it time we thought about a novel internal policy approach to better managing instability during the transfer window?
Especially the later period. I've managed many people in a long career, and I'm not naive to human nature, but there are behavioural clauses in contracts and policy limits on changing employers.
I appreciate this may be unworkable, and I'm not an employment lawyer, so just spit-balling here, but are there ways that we can reduce the negative effects of player power during this unstable (for all clubs) period?
McInnes is not blameless, and is certainly not helping himself with some of the optics and his propensity to talk too much, but I have a lot of sympathy in dealing with any highly paid, downed-tools merchants.
28 Aug 2026 17:15:03
Maybe they were laughing and joking because they knew it would lead to Clement's sacking?
I remember watching that game and did wonder if there were some players out there trying to get him sacked by throwing it.
Had the same thought last night.
28 Aug 2026 17:15:38
For as many who could be on discussion.
We had as many new signings on the park.
What's their excuse?
28 Aug 2026 17:33:50
It's a real concern, EHL.
Considering how many new players have been brought in. And I'm having a look at our Squad from last night and if you're saying 8, I can't help but thinking that has to include some who have just signed this window.
It's utterly disgusting, and I'm sickened to hear about the laughing when put out to Queens Park. That's inexcusable!
There aren't many in our squad that aren't new. And by new I mean bought in the last year.
Just don't come to f you don't want to play for the club.
I feel sick to my stomach that the club is spending so much money and find out after the event that they're not interested.
Breaks my heart.