New Ibrox Regime Issues Stark Warning: No Big Spending to Catch Celtic as reports claims that…

Sometimes I think the stenographers at the Record don’t think very hard about the language they use when it comes to certain things, especially Ibrox.

I’ve often decried the language they use.

When the “World exclusive” came out about the 49ers takeover, they used the word “plunge” constantly when it came to how the new prospective owners would invest in the club.

As in, they would “plunge” millions into it.

Now, it everything we read is to be believed, they will be plunging millions into the club.

That exact idea is what we’re finding most baffling thus far.

But this morning, in an article in the Record, Ross Pilcher referred to the prospective new owners as a “hard nosed regime”.

Now, to you and me, a hard nosed regime is something that is portrayed as very authoritarian.

I’m not sure Ross Pilcher, the author of this article, meant to use that language to send a message to Ibrox fans.

(Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)

A message that their new owners will be an actual regime, rather than Sugar Daddies, as the Gullibillies expect.

I sincerely doubt he had that idea in mind.

That would be way beyond the intelligence of a typical Record stenographer.

No, I’d rather go with the theory that he’s not entirely familiar with what a regime is, let alone a “hard nosed” one.

It does, however, ironically fit into the narrative of his article, whether he intended to or not.

To me, this article was designed to temper expectations when it comes to the expected “£50 million” war chest to be handed to the new manager once he is installed.

The man used to deliver that news?

“Finance expert” Kieran Maguire.

He of Football Insider fame.

The opening line sets the tone:

Kieran Maguire explains why time is being taken over Ibrox deal and what fans shouldn’t expect in the early days

Maguire is then quoted as the person who is delivering the message most bears won’t want to hear.

You know?

The fanbase that thinks we’re running scared of the idea of this takeover?

Here’s the opening paragraph:

The new R*****s regime won’t be splashing the cash as soon as they are handed the keys to Ibrox.

That’s according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, who was warned any fans expecting a quick fix based on cash to think again.

Finally, someone is developing some sanity in all of this.

Maguire’s “credentials” may be questionable, but anybody with a modicum of common sense knows the idea that tens of millions will be invested in the playing squad is patently ludicrous.

Especially if the “hard nosed regime” has to spend the guts of £100 million to acquire a controlling interest in the club.

Pilcher refers to the BIG NEWS that was released earlier in the week that “Productive conversations” had been had 49ers Enterprises and the Ibrox hierarchy.

You know?

That’s big news since the “World Exclusive” broke last February.

“Productive conversations.”

It’s gone from dotting i’s and crossing t’s to productive conversations.

Wow!

And Pilcher says the deal is expected to be completed sooner rather than later.

Or at the end of May.

Or was it April?

Then again, it could be the end of June.

But sooner rather than later, you know?

Maybe even the on 12th of never?

Maguires doom and gloom sets the tone for the whole of the article.

I’ve no doubt that there’ll be plenty of disgruntled bears spitting their tea and Irn Bru out this morning after reading this.

Take a look at this:

They are hard-nosed businessmen,” he told the Scottish Sun.

It will not be a trophy asset approach that perhaps we’ve seen at some other clubs where somebody has come in and just whacked out the chequebook and had limitless amounts to spend.

So everything will have to be justified. Everything will be linked to budgets.

Now Ibrox and budgets don’t get on very well with each other.

In fact, any kind of coherent accounting seems to have been beyond the grasp of any board in charge there in the last 13 years or so.

So budgets, and adherence to budgets will not be music to the ears of the average bear.

(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

That is, in fact, a scary concept.

The next paragraph did make me laugh though.

Because it’s clear it’s designed to placate an already agitated support:

Concerns have been growing amongst some fans over the amount of time being taken to rubber stamp the takeover.

But Maguire explains that the incoming owners will be going through the R*****s books with a fine toothed comb and that doing it properly is preferrable to doing it swiftly.

The 49ers will be going through the R*****s books very, very carefully. They’ll take a very forensic approach., he added.

Except that that kind of language will not placate their support.

It will do the complete opposite.

If you are going to go through the books of a club that has lost over £100 million in the last 13 years, forensically, then it isn’t going to make for pretty forensic analysis.

Remember when they borrowed £3.2 million from the government during Covid?

Was that ever paid back in full?

Will that crop up during the forensic analyis?

These are all the small things that the likes of Ross Pilcher and his buddies choose to ignore.

It just falls under “forensic analysis”.

Maguire’s final guesswork doesn’t exactly reveal anything.

Nor does it give any kind of clear picture on a timeline for this to happen:

They will have presumably signed broad agreements with individual shareholders to acquire the shares, which takes them through this 50 per cent threshold.

These things do take time. What I would say to all fans is important that you get things right rather than you get things done quickly.

So there are several not so positive messages in this article.

1. If the takeover happens, there isn’t going to be huge investment in the playing squad.
2. They are looking at everything forensically, not good…
3. Everything will be linked to dreaded “budgets”.
4. It’s going to take time, a whole lot of precious time.

Anybody get the feeling the media are starting to roll back on their initial enthusiasm in relation to all of this?

You know?

When they talked about tens of millions being “PLUNGED” into the Ibrox club.

One wonders if the yanks are beginning to wonder is said plunging is a worthwhile venture?

Only time will tell.

And time really is dragging on with this, isn’t it?