THERE have been defining moments in Old Firm history over the last 40 years.
The arrivals of David Holmes, Graeme Souness, David Murray and Walter Smith were revolutionary for Rangers in the 1980s.
Paraag Marathe (left) is at the forefront of the US-based consortium in talks at Rangers[/caption]
49ers Enterprises coming into Ibrox could be as big as the Graeme Souness Revolution, says Boyd[/caption]
Fergus McCann transformed Celtic when he arrived in the 1990s[/caption]
Across the city, Fergus McCann saved Celtic in the 1990s, while Martin O’Neill took control after Dick Advocaat’s golden spell.
Alex McLeish and Gordon Strachan won titles, before the late, great Walter’s return revived Rangers, but since 2012 Celtic have been dominant.
Fast forward to the present day and Rangers fans will hope that could all change again.
They have an American Dream after it emerged the San Francisco 49ers are part of a takeover bid.
These supporters have every right to be excited. Make no mistake, this takeover could be transformative for Rangers and could again change the landscape of Scottish football.
Paraag Marathe and his consortium are serious people.
They are shrewd businessmen who know how to run a sports club and succeed at it.
The 49ers Enterprises wing has made a huge impact at Leeds United and it doesn’t shock me that Rangers are on their radar.
Right now, an MLS football franchise would probably set you back the best part of $250million, maybe more.
Marathe and Co could find themselves turning Rangers around for about half that sum.
For a world-famous club of that size, with a global fanbase, that is an incredible deal.
There is a lot of work ahead but they will be driven by the ambition to make Rangers Scotland’s dominant team again.
We sometimes play down the appeal of our two main clubs. Trust me, Rangers and Celtic are as big as any in Britain.
Marathe and his consortium members only need to look at the reaction generated by their interest to see that.
I didn’t think it was possible, but it appears fans of certain clubs have become even more obsessed with Rangers than they were before.
The consortium have a long-term plan of making Rangers a modern, fully-functioning club.
Some will disagree, but I feel they can also have short-term success with relatively small investment in the current squad.
Who owns Rangers?
As the San Francisco 49ers pursue potential investment in Rangers, SunSport looks at who own the biggest blocks of shares at Ibrox
Dave King 12.96%
Borita Investments & Perron Investment (owned by directors Julian Wolhardt and John Halsted) 12.69%
Douglas Park 11.54%
George Taylor 10.22%
Stuart Gibson 9.53%
John Bennett 7.11%
Let’s be honest, Rangers have been a basket case off the pitch for years — but they still managed to win the league in 2021 and reach the Europa League final in 2022.
In fact, they should also have won the Premiership last season but for a late collapse.
Celtic are strong. They are a well-oiled machine on and off the pitch and will add quality again in the summer. But the on-field gap can be bridged quickly in Scottish football.
Ange Postecoglou showed that in his first year when he arrived to a shambles at Celtic Park in 2021. They had finished 24 points behind Rangers the previous season and lost half a team that summer.
But he still managed to win the league with some good recruitment and coaching.
I don’t buy into this idea that Rangers can’t properly compete for the title next season.
They beat Celtic 3-0 last time out and some would say they should have won the Premier Sports Cup final.
With the right signings and management, they can become more consistent against the rest.
Do that and then the destination of the title comes down to the games with Celtic.
Long-term, the US investors have key areas to improve, with a profitable player-trading model top of the list.
Kris Boyd reckons Rangers fans have every right to be excited[/caption]
They will see the success Celtic have had on that front and replicating that is crucial for Rangers moving forward.
That requires smart signings and the right management — which brings us to Philippe Clement’s future.
Patrick Stewart backed him to a point in his Rangers TV interview this week but was careful with his words.
He pointed to Europa League progress, but domestic consistency always has to come first.
Clement is hanging on at the moment but, for me, is nearing the end of his Rangers tenure.
I didn’t think it was possible, but it appears fans of certain clubs have become even more obsessed with Rangers than they were before.
Kris Boyd
A sporting director will be appointed and it sounded like he will make the big football decisions — not Stewart.
If that is the case, it would amaze me if the new American owners kept the Belgian on.
They have clearly done their due diligence as the real reason for Stewart’s “root-and-branch review” became clear. Given the long-standing links between Marathe and Sportsology, who carried out the review, that was clearly a smokescreen.
I have huge respect and sympathy for many of the shareholders who will possibly sell up in the coming weeks.
They’ve spent millions trying to get Rangers back to the top and only ever had the best interests of the club at heart.
Unfortunately, they trusted the wrong people with their money and were let down by years of mismanagement.
Ultimately, the shareholders have been forced to look for outside investment and that has led to the takeover.
Stewart this week warned supporters that things could be “tough” for a while and you can understand why.
Major financial decisions — like sacking Clement — will have to be parked, no matter how far they fall behind Celtic.
But there is a lot for Rangers supporters to be excited about, starting with Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
The Special One is coming to town and, while the Turks are strong, they are beatable.
Jose Mourinho will add the glamour to an attractive tie and you would never write him off.
After all, I’m pretty sure he won his last competitive game against an Old Firm team back in 2003…
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
