Rangers clearout on the cards

Rangers are ready to offload a number of their big-money fringe players in the January window.

One of the clearest messages to emerge from the club’s AGM on Thursday was the willingness of the Light Blues board to embrace what has become a desperate need for cost cutting.

It is a charge that will be led by new Chief Executive Graham Wallace, in consultation with manager Ally McCoist.

And that could lead to rapid departures for the likes of Emilson Cribari, Dean Shiels and Steven Smith, either on loan or permanent transfers.

“Here, our total club wage bill last year was very close to 100% of turnover, which is quite clearly not sustainable,” said Wallace.

“Our fans don’t want the threat of administration or some other catastrophe hanging over them.

“They want to know that in ten, twenty, fifty years the club will still be operating in the right way and to make that happen we need to be able to run the business within our means and that is what we intend to do.

“What we have to do and we are starting that process with the manager now, is look at the squad and make what the right decisions for the club.

“Decisions for the near term but also with an eye firmly through the next 18 months.”

It will, the former Manchester City chief operating officer admits, be something of a juggling act.

“Part of the challenge I have in working with the manager is in balancing the football side that with the costs,” he said.

“We need to have a winning team out on the park and we also need to have a team that is playing attractive football.

“And of course if you talk about agreeing on a number of players we would be open to either loan or take offers on, we are still dependent on their being a market for them.”

With cuts expected across the board, Wallace is adamant both that he will not shy away from tough decisions and also that fans can trust him to do what is right for Rangers.

“There is nobody pulling strings behind me. I can absolutely assure them of that,” he said.

“I don’t have complete authority to do everything, and I will have to make recommendations to the board and discuss with them, as you would expect.

“But in terms of taking that initiative and leadership role, it absolutely sits with me.”

The message is an important one. There have been murmurs about a potential boycott by fans disgruntled at the re-election of finance director Brian Stockbridge to the board.

“I see no impediment to being able to implement what I want to do,” said the Chief Executive.

“My hands are not tied by anything or anyone. I am completely independent; I have no links to anybody in the club or in the business.

“In terms of the reports of boycotts and such like you have to take a step back and question what would be gained other than damaging the club?

“I think the vast majority of the Rangers fans are able to understand that. Any form of boycott puts their club in an even more perilous situation.

“At the same time it is incumbent on us as a club to listen to them and to understand what the issues are.”