Ross Wilson is the latest miracle worker recruited to Ibrox, following into the footsteps very quickly after Mark Allen discovered ‘family problems’ after two years stamping his personality on the ailing Ibrox infrastructure.
That is the infrastructure that recruited Jake Hastie, Greg Stewart, Sheyi Ojo, Jordan Jones and Ryan Kent during the summer to provide competition to Glenn Middleton, Jamie Murphy Ers Grezda and Scott Arfield.
During his brief time at Ibrox Allen paid off Kyle Lafferty, Bruno Alves, Fabio Cardoso and Graham Dorrans after failing to find a buyer. All four were quickly fixed up with new clubs after banking their pay off cheque.
Mark Warburton and Graham Wallace were previously given the five star treatment. The former city trader had the inside track to the best Academy prospects at Spurs and Arsenal as well as contacts through the City of London, Wallace created the modern Manchester City, produced a 100 day review that said the club needed more money and collected his pay off.
According to star-maker Wilson’s LinkedIn profile he was Southampton’s Director of Football Operations and Board Member from March 2015 before opting for Ibrox.
Soon after arriving at the club Wilson had to cope with the departure of Ronald Koeman for Everton, his selection of Claude Puel was sensible, delivering results driven by the arrival of Virgil van Dijk from Celtic.
Mauricio Pellegrino followed Puel as Southampton started to slip down the table, in March 2018 Mark Hughes was called in to fight relegation which he managed and was rewarded with a new contract. Results continued to be grim with Hughes sacked at the start of December with Ralph Hasenhuttl brought in, the fifth manager during Wilson’s four years and eight months at the club.
As Southampton slipped down the towards relegation battles the money brought in from regularly selling players to Liverpool was virtually squandered.
Celtic are currently benefiting from Mo Elyounoussi, a year after signing him from Basel for £16m Wilson couldn’t find a buyer. Sending him to Celtic for the Wanyama/ Van Dijk/ Forster treatment was the best option open.
In January 2018, six months before signing Elyounoussi, a fee of £18m was spent on Guido Carrillo from Monaco. After seven goal-less matches he was bumped out on loan to Leganes with his transfer fee written off.
Sofiane Boufal was in the same price range in the summer of 2016, with Wilson well established at the club. Boufal was billed as the replacement for Sadio Mane but a record of 3 goals in 50 appearances saw him sent on loan to Celta Vigo.
On Wilson’s watch Elyounoussi, Boufal and Carrillo cost Southampton £50m in transfer fees, add in signing on fees and wages, no resale value and all three out on loan with the Saints left paying the bulk of those wages.
Southampton have had a long running and informal set up that has seen then get a good supply of players from Celtic and sell at great prices to Liverpool with Van Dijk fitting both categories.
Both of those relationships were set up before star man Wilson was on the scene, pre Van Dijk £100m had been raked in from sending Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Mane and Nathaniel Clyne to Anfield.
Prior to Southampton the former Falkirk stats geek spent three seasons at Huddersfield. Two years after he left they won promotion to the EPL but now linger back towards the bottom of the Championship with no sign of a long term plan or blueprint.
Wilson seems exceptional at self promotion but the most successful ‘Sporting Directors’ tend to keep a low profile, letting others guess at how much of an impact they are having.
As the new guru of Ibrox soaks up the fawning adulation underneath the story isn’t quite as glittering, if he fails to sell Alfredo Morelos and James Tavernier he may uncover some family issues requiring a hasty retreat out of his new blue heaven.
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