Readiness to sell Boyd is sign of financial plight

Having been so insistent in his imperious flaunting of the club's financial superiority in the trophy-laden past, the Ibrox chairman's pleas of poverty in the present tend to go largely unheeded. Hardly a point is dropped in the SPL without a heated demand from some supporters for Murray to "put his hand in his pocket".

The readiness to endorse Boyd's departure may change that to a certain extent, at least among those of the angry brigade with the sense to recognise, finally, that the projected transfer is conclusive evidence of the club's precarious position. Unloading a player who has already scored around 40 per cent of the team's 48 league goals this season is not an action designed to improve the squad's effectiveness, but solely to generate much-needed revenue.

When the manager, Walter Smith, said some weeks ago that his target during the opening of the transfer window this month was to reduce his first-team pool from 28 to 18, the loss of ten players would not be his ideal, but the chairman's.

Nor is it likely that the ten Smith had in mind would have included his most prolific striker.

But Ibrox these days is no different from any other place where financial imperatives prevail. Indeed, given the scale of their operation, Rangers are likely to be more vulnerable than ostensibly poorer members of the Premier League. For the big Glasgow club, the failure to qualify for the group stage of this season's Champions League represented economic cataclysm.

The true effect will not become clear until the annual returns are published in the summer, but Celtic's experience in 2005, when their elimination by Artmedia Bratislava equated to Rangers' defeat by FBK Kaunas, caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the boardroom. And Rangers last August were already much more reliant on the revenue from Europe than Celtic were three-and-a-half years ago.

The desperate need to make reparation of sorts in the eyes of their fans saw the hasty acquisition of Pedro Mendes, Steve Davis and Maurice Edu at an aggregate cost of 8.6 million and, with Kyle Lafferty and Madjid Bougherra having already used up 5.5m, the total outlay would far exceed what Murray had originally envisaged.

As a consequence, the revenue that comes from sales now should not be viewed as spending money for the manager, but as income needed at least partly to replenish depleted reserves. Moreover, replacing the players moved out would defeat the purpose of their departures, which is to reduce the wage bill.

When Murray and Smith talked of "the need to sell before we can buy", the second part of that phrase is unlikely to have applied to this month. Any fees from sales at this time will merely be making up some of the unexpected expenditure of that frantic six-day period in August. It seems most probable that Rangers will not enter the market as buyers again before the summer, and their spending level then will be dependent on whether they have captured the league title that will ensure their entry into the Champions League proper.

Whatever critical repercussions may arise from the prospective transfer of Boyd, the Ibrox hierarchy are likely to be disappointed by the relatively moderate fee of around 3.5 million. This will be due only in small part to a financial climate that makes it a buyer's market, and will owe considerably more to the mystery that is the player himself.

Few players, if any, with his scoring credentials can have inspired so much widespread doubt about his value. Given his figures, it is reasonable to assume that English Premier League clubs from top to bottom have all had him assessed, yet no concrete interest has materialised. That his proposed move should be to a Championship club for such a relatively small price – buttons compared with the money the leading clubs lavish on players with less impressive records – simply heightens his image as an enigma.

The top clubs – their view supported by the reluctance of Scotland manager George Burley and Smith himself to trust him implicitly on the big occasions – would doubtless conclude that he is too often and too easily marginalised by quality opponents. There are times when it is impossible to disagree with that appraisal.

That does not make him any less important to Rangers at the present time. Even if he does have trouble scoring against Celtic, matches against their great rivals comprise only four of the 38 in the league and, as they showed in the 4-2 victory at Celtic Park in August, it is entirely possible that his non-contribution on these occasions can be overcome by others.

Allowing Boyd to leave Ibrox could leave Murray at the mercy of some savage defamation, but his willingness to do so is a measure of the economic downturn that makes it unavoidable.

• Former Rangers striker Peter Lovenkrands is leaving Schalke after two and a half years with the German club. He was under contract until the end of June but has been released "by mutual consent."

Loevenkrands scored six goals in 44 Bundesliga matches for Schalke. He has not played in the league this season, and has suffered from injuries. Schalke managing director Andreas Mueller said Loevenkrands was a high-quality striker but that "it no longer worked out with us over the last half year."

Loevenkrands, who arrived from Rangers in 2006 on a free transfer, said: "The decision that we have made is better for both sides. We are parting on good terms."

TOP 5

Kris Boyd has scored 91 goals in 130 appearances for Rangers (106 starts). Here are five of his best:

Partick Thistle 1 Rangers 2, 24 September 2008, CIS Cup

Kris Boyd scored a breathtaking goal at Firhill with 25 minutes gone when he blasted a left-foot volley past Thistle keeper Jonny Tuffey. Steve Davis picked up the ball on the right flank and swung in a beautiful cross into the box which Boyd hammered first time into the back of the net.

Rangers 1 Hibernian 0, 20 December 2008, SPL

The Ibrox striker scored his 18th goal of the season in last month's encounter. Davis crossed the ball into the area from the corner spot and with his back to goal, Boyd produced a moment of magic and hit an overhead kick into the goal.

Rangers 3 Queen of South 2, 24 May 2008, Scottish Cup

Boyd netted twice for Rangers as they ground out victory in the final at Hampden, but it was his piledriver from a set-piece that stood out. The striker placed the ball outside the area and hammered the ball home to give his side the lead.

Dundee United 2 Rangers 2, 26 March 2008, CIS Cup final

Once again, Boyd guided Rangers to victory in a cup final and he did it in the most dramatic fashion. He came on as a replacement for Sasa Papac in the 60th minute and with six minutes to go, and Rangers 2-1 down, Boyd capitalised on Mark Kerr's error and nipped in to score. Rangers went on to win 3-2 on penalties.

Rangers 2 Celtic 0, 5 May 2007, SPL

With the league title already on its way to Parkhead, Boyd bagged his first ever goal against Celtic. Nacho Novo picked up a pass from Barry Ferguson and crossed into the path of Boyd on the left side of the box. The big striker volleyed on his left foot past Artur Boruc as Rangers won the derby.

Angry supporters accuse club of selling ambition along with striker

RONNIE ESPLIN

RANGERS fans have accused the club of settling for second best by sanctioning the sale of Kris Boyd, whose prolific Ibrox career will be over before the end of the week – if Birmingham City agree to up their initial 3million offer for the striker.

The Clydesdale Bank Premier League club confirmed last night they were prepared to sell their 25-year-old top scorer to the Coca-Cola Championship club.

Rangers Supporters Trust spokesman David Edgar said Boyd's imminent departure is simply the latest blow to Ibrox fans. "It's not all about selling Boyd the player, it's about the message it sends out," he said.

"If we start selling our best players then we are saying that we are no longer interested in being the number one club in Scotland.

"We feared that would be the future for Rangers when Carlos Cuellar was sold (to Aston Villa in the summer] but we were told then that we were being hysterical.

"But now we know that every player is up for sale and that will be the legacy of chairman David Murray. It would be acceptable if the club would come clean and tell us that they need to balance the books but they keep going on about trying to be the best club in Scotland.

"We have to ask how we got to this situation. We have been in Europe for over 20 years and had full houses during that time.

"Let's not forget that we are chasing a league title that we have not won since 2005. It is an unmanageable situation for Walter Smith.

"He knows that if he brings a good player to the club then he is going to be sold. So how can he plan for the future?"

Andy Kerr, president of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, admitted fans may have to kiss goodbye to their title hopes this season.

"Many Rangers fans I speak to are resigned to the fact that if a club comes in with the right money for any of our players then the club will accept it," said Kerr.

"It is sad because we would like to think that we would fight to keep our better players.

"I was brought up to believe that Rangers were a buying club rather than a selling club so that also makes it disappointing. It will have a negative effect on our title hopes because Boyd's goals have helped keep us in it.

"Last Friday, we were down but after the results at the weekend, there is hope again but this might stop us in our tracks.

"A lot of fans are 50-50 on Boyd but most people believe that a player who scores as many goals as he does is an asset. His decision not to play for Scotland seemed to have galvanised him and he has been playing and scoring goals as well as at any time during his time at Ibrox.

"We don't have anyone at the club who can replicate what he does and where can you get someone like him in January?

"The thing is, Kris Boyd was brought to the club because he was the type of player that we didn't have.

"The risk is that he will not be the only one to leave and that would have a detrimental effect on the club."

John MacMillan, general secretary of the Rangers Supporters Association, added: "It is an alarming situation. This is not a statement of intent that we are chasing the title for all its worth. Indeed, it tells you that we appear to have lost ambition.

"We are five points behind Celtic and although that is something of a mountain to climb, it is certainly not insurmountable.

"It's a worrying time for Rangers fans and I would think there will be a great deal of unrest about this.

"The question Rangers fans will be asking is, 'Why are we getting rid of our best scorer at this stage of the season?'.

"A club with any real ambition would be looking to strengthen, not weakening their squad."