Since Giovanni Van Bronckhorst took over Rangers I have written several critical blogs and asked questions over his tactics.
In that period I’ve also written on Ross Wilson and on this board room. When you are critical of Rangers it brings a lot of personal attacks and when you get to a European final it allows people to fling it in your face and tell you how clueless you are.
On the flipside there is people who tell you that you simply aren’t critical enough. He won’t criticise and give up his comfy position at the club, an accusation people won’t let go. On my last blog I criticised Alfredo Morelos, his attitude and condition. The very next day the manager dropped him from the squad and said the same. The personal abuse was overwhelming. I was a puppet, a fraud, a club arsekisser. The fact Gio shared my opinion was irrelevant, I must have been told by the club to do it.
When we didn’t spend after Champions League qualification I said this board was negligent because the squad was short of quality, people said I was an entitled brat.
Two atrocious results later and writing something is now unavoidable. I have waited, ‘don’t overreact Steven, don’t blog angry’, there is so much wrong that it needs said and I’m prepared for the backlash of whoever has an opinion on it.
There will be those that will even say it’s not enough, those that want anarchy and aggression towards the club. To them I say this, 4lads is a free fans blog, it’s not a supporters group or supporters trust, I’m not here to demand answers or lead a revolt. If you think I’m not hurting then you don’t know me at all. I will continue to ask the club and lobby for better but I am a small blog which is worth remembering as you set your anger levels.
I said before that both Giovanni Van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson’s performance left questions that were completely fair and criticism that was unavoidable.
It’s now September and it seems we are back to writing this again.
Two four nil thrashings are never pleasant, it should never happen but every single one of us know from the last ten years alone, that we have no right to achieve anything simply by turning up. The manner of the defeats though are absolutely appalling and this can’t be disputed.
Gio has an away league win record of 46% this calendar year, something I spoke about online. Thirteen games, six wins, five draws and two heavy parkhead defeats. The performances less than impressive, littered with mistakes and a lack of enjoyment. We have conceded nineteen goals in those thirteen games with two clean sheets only. Europe a bit different, two leg affairs but two wins in eight.
The manner of these ‘away’ performances getting steadily worse. This season in Belgium against USG we were lucky it was two nil only. Against Ajax and Celtic we were lucky it wasn’t worse, both quickly three nil up and allowed to soften their tempo.
We look unorganised, we look short of ideas and there is no pattern to our play at all. What’s even worse is the players look like they aren’t trying and have no heart. We aren’t winning tackles, it doesn’t look like they are bursting a gut, half paced jogging a theme and dare I say it, looks to me like some of them have given up.
Van Bronckhorst can’t change it and he certainly doesn’t seem to be solving it either. The same goals conceded and mistakes of February are prominent now.
This will now only go one way for him unless he arrests a horrible start to the season. Personally I’m not sure he can. Unless he installs some passion and confidence into this team and they then have to buy into his ideas which they look like they don’t even understand currently.
But he hasn’t been helped.
Ross Wilson’s recruitment has been abysmal. Not just this summer, but for windows before. Dross like Zukowski, Diallo and Ramsey plauged his January efforts whilst Sakala is his signing of the summer before.
Every single one of us knew the positions to address this season, we needed the midfield strengthened and we had to get a right winger. Instead, we got a winger who played on the left and two attacking number tens on loan and a free. Zero money spent where we needed it. Scott Arfield and Steven Davis being renewed was a sign of what was to come.
Big money was spent on a centre back from Liverpool who so far has barely kicked a ball for us and millions on a left back who looks a project signing for the future.
Now we don’t have millions, we have a small budget but somehow he has managed to waste it all because months in we are still waiting on many of them making an impact. We needed to be ready, we needed to scout players and we needed specific questions answered.
He has failed miserably to recruit what we needed. He was also happy to be front and centre and claimed responsibility for the managers arrival.
If Van Bronckhorst does fail at Rangers he shouldn’t be the only one falling on his sword, Ross Wilson’s record is dismal and he should be following him also.
As for the board and the running of the club? Every single one of us is indebted to Douglas Park and the investors. We know they covered the clubs short fall, especially during covid and we know they have put in million of pounds.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t legitimate concerns.
Rangers football club has taken in million of pounds of transfer income and spent very little in return. That is undeniable fact. Sure we don’t get it all upfront and we have to watch FFP models but surely speaking to the fans isn’t too much to ask, when they don’t it merely creates voids people are willing to fill with the magical whatsapp rumours.
The failure to address so many issues and somehow become completely silent (when was the last time you heard from Stewart Robertson?!) from fan engagement, is almost absurd.
Australia, email debacle, Fan engagement, customer service, ticket office, club website, travel European Partner, Castore, Edmiston House, champions wall, Safe standing, Disabled access, MyGers, the list of complaints goes on and on.
When you don’t address it and communicate then people get even more pissed off. I don’t think any of it is irretrievable but fans want answers and basic customer service, the ‘small things’ then become ‘big things’.
Then you get maximum Champions League charges, nothing in return and before you know it we are exactly where we are now.
A pissed off fan base ready to go for anything. Accusing you of ripping them off and treating them like customers only.
The saddest thing of all, no one can blame the criticism nor defend it either.
The club requires leadership and action, immediately.
There is a balance to everything, everyone is angry. I’ll forever be indebted to those who have put their own money in and guided the club, but criticism and questioning is completely fair.
What they can’t afford to do is sleepwalk any further during these next few weeks and months.
Big questions are coming with a fan base that is already angry. The manager, the Director of football, off the field issues. It’s all coming to a head and this boardroom better be ready, this boardroom needs to do better.
There is so many questions and very little answers.
Action will speak louder than words and it can’t be anything like it is lately.
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Four Lads Had A Dream 
Wholeheartedly agree with everything you’ve said!!!
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I agree 100%. We are all Rangers supporters and only want the best for the club. If we see or feel that something is not right we voice our opinions and hopefully our fellow supporters who are on the board listen and act.
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Couldn’t have put it any better ..
Well said 4 lads
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I read your blog every time, you are an honest sincere guy that tells it like it is, you say what you see. It may not make for pretty reading but somehow the truth has to be spoken. The club, the team, the management are lost in a circle of a horrible mess of their own making and are clueless as to how to fix it. Sound bites, soft interviews etc fix nothing and fool no one with an ounce of sense. I don’t have answers or solutions but I can see what’s needed. You please keep up the good work and let the nay sayers rabble on. The whole fan base is hurting and are angry, rightly so at that. We are the most loyal fan base in the world and deserve better, saying so should not be frowned upon. We wake up every day as rangers fans, at the end of the day we go to sleep still rangers fans and forever it shall be so.
Yours sincerely
Alex Wallace aka the busker.
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Spot on Stevie,agree with everything you have said.
I have been following Rangers since i was six,that is 67years now and yes i have seen quite a few poor teams but they mostly fought for the jersey.
This team look disjointed,heartless and gutless.
To witness certain players walking about rather than at least jogging back when we lost the ball is criminal.
The players at the moment are a disgrace to our jersey.
Rant over,
George
.
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I completely agree with everything you said. 👏👏
Big changes needed this weekend with the team and if Gio doesn’t change it, I will have lost all confidence in him. It’s a MUST WIN against the sheep.
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Love reading your posts you speak the truth and things must change it is embarrassing watching the team struggle to get up the park I will not point the finger at any player but they must look in the mirror at themselves.
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If you raise your head above the parapet you will always get shot at no matter what you say . I applaud your honesty, your passion and your views . The majority of descent Rangers fans also see this, they also know what is currently happening at our club right now and not looking through blue tinted glasses . As you rightly say , there are so many issues that are angering the fans right now it’s scary! I hope all or most of these can be addressed before it becomes untenable.
Keep up the good work.
Regards
Fellow fan and SJ season ticket holder .
David
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No spirit fight or belief in this squad Stevie but like you said we as supporters of our club demand answers from above or I fear we could have a disastrous end to this season I think the best for us will be dropping into the Europa league we need to kick on and prepare for Aberdeen away which won’t be easy unless GVB picks up the morale and lack of fight I mean if you can’t play for the badge on your chest then leave its as simple as that
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Fully agree with you.
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Well said stevie totally agree with everything you wrote. Saddens me that I’ve spent £180 on the three champions league games and the board haven’t invested at all
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Absolutely spot on can’t believe who bad we have become honestly think manager be happy to go lost the dressing room Cant c any way back
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I just wonder how many of the signings brought in the manager ‘wanted’ in terms of the player.
Matondo is a inconsistent winger who had got attitude problems (seen at previous clubs and when on International duty), so that doesn’t strike me as a Gio player.
Davies seems to be a panic but after Bassey left.
Souttar was on our radar before Gio came, so again more of a Ross Wilson signing. But you have to question his injury history.
Midfield is an area of concern and I’ve been saying it for over a season now that we need to look to the future. Davis lowers the tempo of our play, Jack is not the same player, Kamara has given up cause he’s not got his move.
Arfield gives his all but age is starting to catch up with him against better teams.
Defence is a nightmare now.
Goldson only signed on as he didn’t get a move and now he’s totally out of form.
Sands is getting torn to shreds but he’s not a centre half, he would be better served as a defensive midfielder as he’s got a good reading of the game.
Tav is way off at the moment, that could be down to injury but now if he’s out we don’t have a natural right back to come in bar Devine.
Even up front we have issues.
Kent is trying but it’s just not happening.
Wright tries but he’s not good enough.
Colak has done okay but he doesn’t have much service.
Fred needs game time to get fit.
Major questions in our playing style, as we are so slow in terms of getting the ball moving. We are so so predictable to play against.
Major questions of the board.
Rumours of takeover, board taking their money out now we’ve made a shit load of cash.
Just seems that our title win seems a very distant memory.
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Bring Sands into midfield,him and big John, thou shall not pass. King into center back with Goldson. Get Kent off that left wing. Let him have a roaming role by picking the ball from midfield and running through the middle. Lets get behind the team. We can turn this around because WATP.
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Steven,
Sadly I agree with everything that you have said. Sad because we are whimpering onto and off the park at the moment and there’s still Saturday to come!
We are desperate for a leader who can drag us back from this and it has to be pronto. On the park, Gio has made too many changes and somewhat needs to man up and accept, that Shagger, Jack, Arfield, and a fit Davies and Morelos need to be back asap to install some pace and more importantly fight in the team. Yes Jack gave the 4th goal away, but he also was snapping into challenges like no one else had in first 45 mins!
Off the park, the board need to show leadership and be upfront about the finance and lack of communication with the fans, if they think the fans will stay quiet, sadly they are mistaken as we all know they can be removed as easily as they entered.
In my 46 years of following the Rangers, we have all witnessed defeats, eg, Valencia or Bayern , Red Star, at Ibrox but those were class teams, a Sturm Graz away, an Ajax are a few to mention , but it’s the manner and the lack of response.
We need to turn this around quickly and no better place than up north on Saturday, the fans deserve at least the passion and knowledge that the team are playing for the manager but more importantly the badge, and if it’s too heavy the move along so someone else can fill the void.
Yours sincerely
Tom
Sent from my iPad
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This is spot on we have been sleep walking while our rivals have been wide awake
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Great Blog. Sums up exactly where we are and how most of us are feeling. Keep up the blogs and ignore the criticism.
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Well said! 👏
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