Ally McCoist faces his toughest day in football as he tries to stem a players revolt against Craig Whyte.
Hours before Whyte put the club into administration the Ibrox owner reassured players at Murray Park that he was doing everything possible to prevent the crisis developing any further.
By 3pm Whyte had put the club into administration with job losses expected across the board including the playing staff. Players such as Sone Aluko, Sasa Papac and David Healy who are out of contract at the end of the season, and who have no sell on value, are likely to be axed with a huge doubt over the future of Steven Naismith who has a long term injury.
Against that backdrop of uncertainty and speculation McCoist must prepare a team to face Kilmarnock on Saturday with little likelihood that appearance money and win bonuses will appear in their February pay packet.
McCoist has backed Whyte all the way since he took over the club from Sir David Murray but will require all of his persuasive powers to put a focused team on the park on Saturday.
One senior player told The Express: “It all became a farce and we feel cheated. It could all have been so much different. We have been led up the garden pah.
“Now all the lads are thinking about what happens next and what the future holds. Whyte has already told us he could not guarantee any of us have jobs going forward. We need more answers.
“The chairman did mention that if administration became a necessity than he would want the club to exit it by March 31 so we could play in Europe next season but we don’t know what to believe now.”
Meeting the deadline of providing audited accounts that are no more than six months old seems highly unlikely after the events of yesterday meaning that Rangers won’t be enjoying European football next season.
Hearts, Dundee United, Dunfermline and Inverness Caley Thistle are all owed money by Rangers and highly unlikely to find a cheque in the post.
Rangers owe Hearts £800,000 for the transfer of Lee Wallace, Dundee United are owed their share of the gate money from their recent Scottish Cup win at Ibrox while Dunfermline and Caley Thistle allowed Rangers to sell tickets for away matches.
Despite the bleak picture McCoist remains fully behind Whyte and believes that the club can emerge stronger from administration.
He told the club website: “Going in to administration obviously wasn’t ideal but it’s the opinion of many people that it might be the best thing for this football club.
“Everybody at this football club wants the club to continue, which it will do that’s for sure, and this might just be the best way forward.
“So we have to adjust to what’s happened, react to it and take the club forward and we aim to do that.”
As well as cuts to the playing staff there will also be redundancies throughout McCoist’s backroom staff.
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Thought the Nigerian Messi would be ok since he is self-employed? 🙂
So glad we hit the huns for cash up front regarding the last derby game.
I just can’t get enough!
WELL THE £10 JIBE HAS COME BACK TO TRULY BITE.
THE APATHY AMONGST THE RANGERS FANS IS UNBELEIVABLE…ONLY 150 FANS OUTSIDE IBROX TO DEMONSTRATE…IN THE PRE-MCCANN DAYS DAY WE HAD THOUSANDS OUTSIDE FIGHTING FOR THE CAUSE.
I ASSUME BBC SPORT SCOTLAND ARE ALSO NOT CHUFFED BECAUSE AS OF 9AM THIS MORNING THEY STILL HAVE NOT UPDATED THE LEAGUE TABLE.
JELLY & ICE CREAM ANYONE ? JCGE
Can’t wait for our next trip to Castle Greyskull. Jelly+iCe Cream-24/7
I swear some ex Rangers fans are still looking for their promised War Chest.
BBC sport England
Celtic 65pts
Rangers 51 pts
at the speed of light read the Liverpool echo on-line
It shows some cheek and disrespect to current staff whether background or playing, that Cousins was hired on £30k a month knowing that administration was imminent and tax bills were not being paid!
Ragers deserve no sympathy whatever!!
This solidifies their corrupt ways. The fact is they knew the administration was imminent yet still signed a player for 30K a month knowing full well they rae having their finances closely scrutinized.
Frankly, I have no sympathy towards their corrupt ways which stole trophies for years. Their methods quite literally stole money straight from all other clubs in the SPL. Maybe teams like Gretna could still exist iof they had been allowed to steal the way rangers have.
Their corruption has lost teams points which equate to hard cash. It cost them places in cups, which equates to hard cash. it cost them league positions which, yes, equates to hard cash.
Rangers have stolen from every club they see in the country, the people of Scotland and UK in general, and while you were all law abiding citizens and tax-payers, they avoided paying theirs, making them officially a corrupt organization, sticking it to all in the country, including, and even moreso, their very own fans.
Your right, the main reason he didn’t pay any tax since May was he obviously had it in his plans to go into administration so thought what the hell theres no point in paying ANY tax, whats the point in another £10m if we could owe well over £50m.
Thats truelly criminal & they deserve REAL punishment. It’s going to be great rubbing their noses in the huge pile of shit they have themselves in… i’ve heard a few people saying Motherwell could catch them for 2nd, theres no chance that McCall would dare challenge them.
Kauto, the stupid wee …t, payed to join the bigotdome …. there’s more brains on a false face.
HAIL HAIL
JograBear, on 15 February 2012 – 11:00 AM, said:
it must be true there is a thread on it! Quality.
He’s in de Med, you’re in de Nile.
“chuckle!”
With the likliehood of losing Aluko, Papac, Healy, Bartley, Cousin and a couple of younger players theya re going to be very short on the ground for cover. While such as Whittaker, McGregor, Davis etc will surely be looking elsewhere as their new contracts are now worthless.
Cash flow will be a constant enemy for them to see out the season if they can. No clubs will wait for money owed, nor do they have loyal crowds who will continue to support the club on home games thereby giving much needed funds to pay for policing / stewarding costs etc.
They will struggle to see out the season I suspect, the euro slot is no formality with Mallorca having completed administration and still failing.
Future is bright…it’s green & white.
surely if they cant pay hearts wallace should go back to hearts