[The Exiled Heretic]

I know we have the transfer thread but I wanted to start a seperate thread just concerning this coming summer. With 6 games to go in the title race it could probably wait as that's what we'll all be concentrating on but I just wanted to give this a little thought.

I'm actually a bit worried about what we are going to do in the summer this time around. A guy on the radio last night actually brought this subject up concerning the level of some of our signings. He had a point.

I'm really happy to see the likes of Boumsong (although he went), Ferguson, Kyrgiakos, Buffel and Prso come into the club. These are the tyoe of player we need to be successful but there are other players I'm not to happy to see. We can forget last seasons signings as a big mistake on McLeish's part but it's the SPL players he's recruiting that is more of a concern.

McLeish has already raided Dundee 3 times for Khizanishvili, Gavin Rae and Nacho Novo. Steven Thompson came in from Dundee United. Marvin Andrews came in from Livingston. That's 5 players I can think of at the moment. They have all had varying fortunes but none are what you would call Champions League quality. It's not the road really to go down.

The same can be said of Celtic with Laursen and Agathe (possibly the exception) from Hibs, Broto and Fernadez from Livi, Sylla from St Johnstone and Stephen Pearson from Motherwell.

You don't get real quality from the other SPL sides yet both sides continue to pick from there. Celtic obviously haven't learned their lesson by showing an interest in Hartley at Hearts and rumours of Hammell at Motherwell too. Rangers are the same. It looks very likely we'll be taking Murray from Hibs. There has also been talk of Rangers looking at Lovell of Dundee and Miller of Hearts. This is a worrying trend for me. It appears the bulk of these players will get a big wage to make little impact and then need to be offloaded sometime in the fututre to get them off the wage bill.

Rant over. Where would you like to see Rangers strengthen in the summer and who would you like to see punted. This is my own view.

Out on their arse
Shota Arveladze (Going anyway)
Bob Malcolm (Surplus to requirement and not Rangers quality)
Alex Rae (Possibly?, looks past it since the new year)
Gavin Rae (Free up some space in the treatment room)
Zurab Khizanishvili (Can't seem to find his correct position even now)
Gregory Vignal (Doesn't turn up for some games- too casual)
Peter Lovenkrands (Too soft and too inconsistent)

Demotion
Hamed Namouchi (needs to go back to reserve football for at least a year or loaned out)

Coming In
Centre half- we need cover there and it has to be quality cover. Not a Malcolm or a Zurab but quality that looks a first team player. Would also like to big Gary MacKenzie promoted at the same time as additional cover.
Left sided midfielder- We still haven't found the right one. We have a left back playing there at the moment because Lovenkrands isn't adequate enough and Djordjic can't stop being injured or suspended.
Stiker- We need at least one top quality striker. Someone who just has an eye for goal because they will get the chances. At the same time I would like to see Ross McCormack promoted too.


So that's my lot. 7 players out the door and 3 quality buys coming in. My worry is though that the squad is just going to get bigger with average players rather than compact with quality.

 

[Angle_eyes]

I have no optimism for the signings we'll make in the summer (barrel load of laughs, me). I was thinking yesterday about the players that I actually think are good enough to compete domestically and not let us down in Europe. I figured that the positions we're ok in were:

---------------------Klos------------------------
Hutton------------------------------------------
-------------------------Kyrgiakos---------------

------------Ricksen-------Ferguson--------------
----Buffel----------------------------------------
--------------------------Prso-------------------

Obviously some of you may disagree with that assessment, but that leaves me thinking we need 4 quality signings in the summer. Given that we don't have the money for 4 proven players, we'll largely be trusting to the competence of McLeish and our scouts (oh no!!!!!) to pick the good ones out.

Given that McLeish gave Boab a new contract only a few months ago, there's no way he'll be moving on in the summer. Fair enough if he's only a squad player, but he must have played the majority of games this season!

The general feeling is that Michael Ball will be on his way to free up those wages. Maybe this is for the best because although he's a decent player, is he worth the wages he's on? I doubt we'll get much for him, so we'll be writing off a hell of a lot in transfer fees and wages. Thank you again to Mr. Advocaat for that.

 

[The Exiled Heretic]

I forgot about the left back role. Yes I'd agree with that assessment. The good thing is we do have a good spine to the team but that goes out the window if we get an injury there.

McLeish is reported to be looking at left backs so it looks as if Ball will be on his way. If that frees up wages then fair enough.

We definitely need at very least good cover in these areas as we don't even have that at the moment. If Kyrgiakos and Prso were to get injured at the weekend or suspended we would be struggling big time.

 

[Marco Negri]

I'd rather Rangers have a shite team full of Scots rather than a pish team full of Johnny Foreigner.

Hutton, in my opinion, is a good RB. He might not be the same after his injury though.

Burke has had a nightmare season. He looked like a nifty wee player last season but he hasn't done anything since July. I still think he's capable of being a starter, but he needs to get his rump in gear.

Malcolm, Ross, Alex Rae and possibly Gavin 'Prodan' Rae need to be thrown out the door.

I actually trust Eck when it comes to buying players. No, really.

 

[UtregBear]

I think we need to get our hands on players who are having bad spells in Europeans suptopteams. Like Buffel from Feyenoord. Those players are relatively cheap, with lots to prove, and some are only having a lapse of form. But who and for what prize I dunno, I might as well have kept my mouth shot :lala:

 

[King_Henrik]

Yes, more players like Buffel. That's exactly what Rangers need, i agree.

 

[UtregBear]

Yes, more players like Buffel. That's exactly what Rangers need, i agree.

I actually still have faith in him, Im sure you haven't seen the best of him.

 

[Angle_eyes]

I think most Rangers fans still have faith in him UB. When he's played in his proper position he can be an excellent player. KH has got his green and white specs on as usual .

I've read a couple of times recently that McLeish is aiming to actually buy 3 players in the summer, with another 2 or 3 Bosmans.

I'd go back in for Kevin Phillips in the summer. He might be getting on a bit, but I think him and Prso would be a great partnership. If Southampton were to get relegated we could maybe get him on the cheap as well. Not that I hope they do.

We're supposedly gonna sign our second Greek central defender to partner Soti. Efstathios Tavlaradis is supposedly a priority signing and will cost around £1.5 million from Lille. Another defender we're linked with is Brazilian 21 year-old Paulo Andre. You can't help but remember Rafael Scheidt when Scottish clubs are linked with Brazilian defenders, but this one would only cost around £1 million. He's on trial this week to show what he can do.

I guess the transfer rumour season must have begun because we've also been linked with 21 year-old Heerenveen striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar. He's scored 12 goals in 26 league appearances this season and AZ Alkmaar are supposed to be after him as well. No mention of a transfer fee.

 

[Laddie]

Huntelaar got offered to me in fm2005. Scored a shit load so he must be a quality player then.

Has Eck not said there are 2/3 players signed on pre contracts already? Ian Murray is one of them almost definitly, but I am not sure about anyone else. Or I could have been dreaming.

I would like a top class CF to partner Dado, but I am not sure who that will be.

I just hope eck brings in a good 4/5 players to add to the squad, because it is safe to say we are lacking in depth here.

 

[Marco Negri]

I'd take Huntelaar in a second.

 

[The Exiled Heretic]

I've read a couple of times recently that McLeish is aiming to actually buy 3 players in the summer, with another 2 or 3 Bosmans.

We assume one of those is Ian Murray but he's also been linked with left backs, central defenders and strikers. I'd put my money on 4 players but that still does not include a left sided midfielder which we really need. Murray is not the quality we should be aiming for as that is not strengthening the team at all, just adding to it's large averageness outside the best first 11.

We're supposedly gonna sign our second Greek central defender to partner Soti. Efstathios Tavlaradis is supposedly a priority signing and will cost around £1.5 million from Lille. Another defender we're linked with is Brazilian 21 year-old Paulo Andre. You can't help but remember Rafael Scheidt when Scottish clubs are linked with Brazilian defenders, but this one would only cost around £1 million. He's on trial this week to show what he can do.

I read about Tavlaradis too. That is the type of quality we should be looking at. On the official site they also have an article about Paulo Andre. If we are going to purchase a Brazilian I'd rather he was a midfielder or attacker but in saying that hopefully this one is more Lucio than Scheidt. The article points to Rangers not making a decision at the moment and waiting to either see him play in Brazil or get him back for another trial.

 

[Marco Negri]

Could Paulo Andre theoretically play as a trialist in the Old Firm game?

Or has he gone back to Brazil?

 

[blue nose bear]

Could Paulo Andre theoretically play as a trialist in the Old Firm game?

Or has he gone back to Brazil?

dnt know mate but i hope he cnt,i dnt trust Brazilian defenders and chucking him into an old firm derby would be suicide. :wth:

 

[The Exiled Heretic]

The Herald are saying today that the summer clear out has already started at Ibrox and will continue into the summer. The biggest news today is that Aston Villa have expressed an interest in Dado Prso and we hope we will not be going, even for £4m. The big man has been most supporters player of the year for Rangers and already knocked back a Premiership move to 5th placed Bolton in order to join Rangers. The rest are as follows:

Bojan Djordjic- Rangers had offered him a 6 month extension to his loan deal to prove himself after an injury hit stint but he knocked it back. In return Rangers will now let him go back to Manchester United after withdrawing the 2 year option.

Dragan Mladenovic- It looks likeley that Rangers will sell him to Real Sociedad if they are interested for £500,000 (£700,000 all together). This is a real shame and does nothing to enhance McLeish's reputation in my eyes as Dragan never got a proper chance at Ibrox.

Gregory Vignal- Liverpool have now allowed him to go for free in the summer but Rangers don't look like offering him a package after he knocked back a couple. Aston Villa are interested.

Shota Arveladze- The Georgian will go for free but has yet to find a club.

Peter Lovenkrands- The Danish winger's agent is currently looking for a new club after a meeting with Martin Bain. Looks like he's finally been sussed.

Michael Ball- At an estimated £25,000 a week he is one of the last Advocaat era to continue taking a sacks of cash from the club so will be offloaded.

That's 6 players. We will get very little back in return and we do need to replace them. My only worry is that 4 of those are left sided players and basically the only left sided players we have. 6 players in and out is still too high a figure for me. The turnaround of players over the past two seasons has been too large and in my opinion is the reason for our inconsistancy.

 

[Angle_eyes]

Exactly. We can't afford to have these sort of clear-outs every year. McLeish has been banging on all year that this is a new side. If he does the same next season I will be very angry. As for Dado, if he doesn't want to go and we sell him, I won't be back at Ibrox. I know a lot of people feel the same way.

 

[The Exiled Heretic]

Totally agree. There was a massive turnaround of players in 2003 and then again in 2004. To add to that in January there was another big turnaround of players- especially coming in. That doesn't breed consistency and it's not going to help with those early Champions League qualifiers.

Prso better not be sold because that would set us back in the way Boumsong's sale set us back. What chance do we have if we do keep selling our best players? I just can't see it happening and have a feeling that Prso's agent is touting him about to get him a contract extension with Rangers. Fine by me if he gets one because he deserves it.

 

[Laddie]

If Dado goes, then I will seriously consider my support for Rangers. We were promised that we do not need to sell players now, unless we get an offer we can't refuse. The will be mean a huge sum of money then. Better not ****ing happen.