Rangers manager-in-waiting Ally McCoist is sick of the constant departure of players from Ibrox.
Rumours abound about who could be next off the pay-roll with Danny Wilson this week joining Kevin Thompson, Kris Boyd and others who have left the club.
Amid much drama and brinkmanship at the end of last season Walter Smith announced that he was staying on for a further season after a workable budget was agreed between the club and bankers Lloyds TSB.
A reputed transfer war-chest of £5m was to be put at Smith’s disposal along-with vague promises of money from player sales being made available to add to the fighting fund.
McCoist has been promised the managers job at the end of the season but as the club’s depleted squad prepare for the new season the former Question of Sport skipper concerned over what he’s going to inherit.
Fearing more player sales the Rangers No.2 said: “If we lost any more it would disappoint me.
“The possibility exists but I would hope that wouldn’t be the case. Looking at the squad do I think we’ve reach the stage where enough’s enough? Yes, absolutely.
“Look at the players we’ve lost – Thommo, Danny, Nacho, Boydy, Stevie, DaMarcus. Have I missed anyone?
“That’s a lot of squad players to lose without being replaced. You’d have to say it’s time to start replacing them now rather than losing any more.
“Do the people behind the scenes at the bank appreciate that? I hope so, I really hope so.”
That last comment again suggests that it’s the bank that could be running Rangers, a position completely denied by Lloyds/TSB and Rangers last season after an outburst from Smith.
Despite being down to a first team squad of 13, which includes two goalkeepers, boosted by kids from the conveyor belt of talent from Murray Park, McCoist insists that Rangers will still be selective about who comes in to Ibrox.
Hamilton midfielder James McArthur was believed to have been a Rangers target but has signed for Wigan Athletic in a £500,000 deal.
Chris Eagles turned down the chance to join Rangers from Burnley with bizarre suggestions going around that French u-21 defender Yohan Benalouane is a £2.5m target from St Etienne.
Despite taking half a dozen salaries off of the club wage bill it’s unlikely that the finances are there to sanction any transfer over £1m along-with a signing on fee and other associated costs.
Twenty three months on from paying out their last transfer fee McCoist is insisting that the club won’t be spending simply for the sake of it.
He added: “Looking at the lads we’ve lost, it’s safe to say we’d like to get one or two in. We will do that, we’ll definitely do that.
“But there is absolutely no point in just getting bodies to make up the numbers. You’ve got to get the right bodies.
“If that takes time then so be it but I feel for the fans. They will be sitting asking: ‘Where are the new signings?’ We have to get it right for them.”
In a Question and Answer session with the Daily Record earlier in the week Rangers chief Martin Bain claimed that there would be two or three players signed before the transfer window closes.
By the look of things it’s likely that there will be two or three more departures before anyone is signed with Kenny Miller, Steve Davis, Madjid Bougherra and Allan McGregor on the shoogliest of nails.
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