John Gilligan can't see Rangers crisis staring him in the face as Hotline backs King over hollow men
Rangers are preparing to kick off their Europa League campaign against Malmo on Thursday. But, while the action in Sweden is eagerly awaited, all the talk on the Hotline from Light Blues fans centres around comments away from the pitch.
Words from the likes of John Gilligan, Dave King and even Craig Whyte over the past days are ringing in the lugs of supporters. Jimmy Mac, Glasgow, said: “My questions to Rangers’ temporary chairman John Gilligan are: Why should King not complain over the abysmal state the club, the board, the manager and the team are in and have been the past three years under mismanagement? Why should King keep all the failures silent and under the radar?”
Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach, added: “A clique of hollow men taking up space on the board who dismiss King as irrelevant, but not one have his battle-hardened ability to get things done or his Castlemilk street-smarts. They’ve short memories.”
READ MORE:Celtic see another Champions League rival stunned as Cesc Fabregas orchestrates Atalanta downfall
Philip Borland said: “So Gilligan doesn’t think Rangers are in a crisis? He needs to go to Specsavers and get new glasses. We have no money, the players we have got are terrible and we will never win anything for years to come. Let King back on board to run things. He can’t do any worse than what the present board is doing just now.”
Mark McManus said: “I see Craig Whyte is putting his head above the parapet in the ongoing comedy soap opera of the crisis club. It tickles me that he seems to be the one solely blamed for Rangers’ demise.”
Gary Stevenson had tongue in cheek concern that Gordon Ashley had not been on with a Rangers financial update. But right on cue, Ashley emailed: “It makes me laugh when Rangers fans dream of investment because with FFP, it simply isn’t possible as you can only spend what you earn. If they want to close the enormous gap between them and the champions, they will need to do it the hard way, but that isn’t going to happen, either. So enjoy future battles for second place with Aberdeen.”
Donald Dundas did speak about the Malmo game, well, of a fashion. He said: “You have to laugh. Celtic fans on telling Rangers fans to concentrate on their own team. One was asking where Rangers had been in Europe over the last decade? A European final and upping the coefficient points so teams like Celtic can qualify automatically."
At Tynecastle, talk about the Hearts job and replacing Steven Naismith is rife. Stuart Wood, Peebles, said: “Can I ask all these pundits who say Derek McInnes should be Hearts manager, when was the last time they left a ground saying Mcinnes plays attacking free flowing football? Because as a season ticket holder for 30 years, I’ve NEVER walked out of Tynecastle thinking I’d like him as our manager. In fact it’s the exact opposite.”
Hugh McKirdy added: “I’m an Aberdeen fan and it won’t be easy to prise McInnes away from Kilmarnock. He turned down Rangers to stay at Aberdeen as he had a great relationship with Stewart Milne. If it’s the same at Killie with Billy Bowie, then Hearts can forget it.”
Sam Morton, Edinburgh, said: “Replacing Naismith, who had one win in his last 15 competitive matches, with McInnes, who has one win in his last 14 competitive matches...Hmm.”
Neil Renton annoyed a couple of Hotline callers. Ian Cuthbertson, Gorgie, said: “It would be nice if he could talk about something else. It is an absolute obsession with Hibs supporters that the only thing they can talk about is Hearts. You would think they have enough problems at Easter Road with their puppet manager Mr Gray whose every decision has to go through his real manager Malky Mackay. Concentrate on your own problems for once.”
Robert Burns added: “He would do well to remember that, back in the eighties when David Duff took over his beloved club, they were affectionately known as duff Hibs.”