Rangers' Summer of Discontent
2006 is shaping up to be one of the most awful years in the 130 year history of Rangers F.C. Even last season's almighty effort of 1 win from 10 in the Champions League can't make up for a barren trophyless season, and when that is added to the failure to qualify for the CL next season, summer couldn't come fast enough.
Summer 2006 was meant to herald the coming of Le Guen and the French Revolution which would turn the Ibrox club into Le Rangers. A procession of big name signings fueled by the JJB Sports warchest, denied to McLeash, was nothing less than expected, but who has been paraded?
Nobody of any significance. All that has happened is that the club has been handed constant rejection because they won't pay the asking price for players. Why else did Austria Vienna get annoyed with the derisory offer? Just where exactly is the JJB Sports cash?
Le Guen finally showed up at Ibrox months after his appointment at the club. Then it was off to South Africa for a pre-season tour which has since turned into farce. Little did Rangers realize that they would have to play second fiddle to another touring team.
That would be alright if it really was Man Utd, but it turns out they got the raw end of a deal involving Aberdeen. The ultimate insult to any football club. In the last game of the tour, Rangers were mugged 0-2 by the RSA Champions.
Now the way this was reported suggests it was a second string team and this result was irrelevant compared to the drubbing Celtic got from DC United in the USA. That would be okay if the RSA Champions were of a higher calibre than the runaway MLS leaders, and Celtic were playing their first team.
But they weren't, and DC United is several levels above the South African team, but little would you realize this as the result and performance were glossed over as easily as the mad antics of Ricksen were on the plane going to South Africa.
This would be fine if it was an isolated incident but we've seen such terrible incidents such as Rangers fans attacking their opponents team bus with bricks in Spain earlier this year, and today we've seen Le Guen's pre-season planning shredded to pieces with the cancellation of the Bolton V Rangers pre-season game.
Are Rangers fans really that notoriously feared? What has caused this shady reputation to suddenly cause the abrupt cancellation? The answer lies in the incidents of the sectarian songs that Rangers fans were finally called to task for this year. Even David Murray was forced to put his name to a statement demanding it stop, and such dubious organizations as the Rangers Supporters Trust forced to follow follow.
Rangers know they are on their final warning from UEFA and that they will be in serious trouble the next time the so-called fans get up to no good. Maybe the cancelled game in England is an omen.
Summer 2006 was meant to herald the coming of Le Guen and the French Revolution which would turn the Ibrox club into Le Rangers. A procession of big name signings fueled by the JJB Sports warchest, denied to McLeash, was nothing less than expected, but who has been paraded?
Nobody of any significance. All that has happened is that the club has been handed constant rejection because they won't pay the asking price for players. Why else did Austria Vienna get annoyed with the derisory offer? Just where exactly is the JJB Sports cash?
Le Guen finally showed up at Ibrox months after his appointment at the club. Then it was off to South Africa for a pre-season tour which has since turned into farce. Little did Rangers realize that they would have to play second fiddle to another touring team.
That would be alright if it really was Man Utd, but it turns out they got the raw end of a deal involving Aberdeen. The ultimate insult to any football club. In the last game of the tour, Rangers were mugged 0-2 by the RSA Champions.
Now the way this was reported suggests it was a second string team and this result was irrelevant compared to the drubbing Celtic got from DC United in the USA. That would be okay if the RSA Champions were of a higher calibre than the runaway MLS leaders, and Celtic were playing their first team.
But they weren't, and DC United is several levels above the South African team, but little would you realize this as the result and performance were glossed over as easily as the mad antics of Ricksen were on the plane going to South Africa.
This would be fine if it was an isolated incident but we've seen such terrible incidents such as Rangers fans attacking their opponents team bus with bricks in Spain earlier this year, and today we've seen Le Guen's pre-season planning shredded to pieces with the cancellation of the Bolton V Rangers pre-season game.
Are Rangers fans really that notoriously feared? What has caused this shady reputation to suddenly cause the abrupt cancellation? The answer lies in the incidents of the sectarian songs that Rangers fans were finally called to task for this year. Even David Murray was forced to put his name to a statement demanding it stop, and such dubious organizations as the Rangers Supporters Trust forced to follow follow.
Rangers know they are on their final warning from UEFA and that they will be in serious trouble the next time the so-called fans get up to no good. Maybe the cancelled game in England is an omen.
posted by big tommy at
7:23 PM
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