Talks over massive cutbacks at Rangers last night ended in stalemate amid simmering anger between all parties.
Administrators Duff and Phelps have barely made any savings as they begin week four running the club with anger and confusion coming from players and agents as they attempt to negotiate a deal to retain a credible team on the park.
Cars were going in and out of Murray Park till 10pm with the only permanent departures being Gregg Wylde and Mervan Celik who volunteered to walk away rather than live under the tension of the current situation.
While the administrators may be able to come to some sort of arrangement with the players getting those deals signed off with agents is a completely different matter as David Whitehouse admitted:
“This has been a very frustrating day,” he admitted. “Earlier we believed we had agreed in principle a basis for cost-cutting measures with the players accepting substantial pay cuts.
“Sadly this evening we have been unable to reach agreement on the personal conditions sought by the agents to the players in respect of wage cuts.
“There is still hope these issues can be resolved tomorrow, but it is disappointing it could not be done tonight.”
With Duff and Phelps admitting that the club is operating on a month to month basis the agents will be looking after their clients long term futures.
Reaching agreement with agents representing a dozen first team players seems highly unlikely with players at various stages of their career and with vastly different values should they be released or made redundant.
While Allan McGregor or Steve Davis would find a Premiership instantly David Healy and Lee McCulloch face a less certain future.
Drawing up fresh contracts is another minefield with both the SFA and SPL currently investigating claims that Rangers have previously issued players with side contracts.
As each day goes by without any cost cutting the likelihood of mass redundancies seems inevitable.
Unless someone can come up with the magic formula to take £1m a month off the Rangers wage-bill and keep all the players onside Wylde and Celik could be joined on the outside of Murray Park by a dozen or more former team-mates.
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Quite clearly the players & agents are looking after NUMBER ONE…..IF they are forced to take a wage cut until the end of the season, they want vastly reduced transfer fees to ensure they can pocket a big signing on fee. Such loyalty to the club is touching, Like Wylde leaving to ensure jobs are safe…then heading down south for a bigger pay packet & signing on fee.
I’m sure the main delays are in agents trying to find other clubs so their clients can jump the sinking ship before they are pushed.
Hope they get a big turnout to see the guys who have cost their club EVERYTHING. The so called legends with the dual contracts and offshore accounts who have bled the club dry and still expect the deluded to come out and pay them again….comedy gold.