Rangers transition: Is 2nd next season a possibility?

[timewilltell]

The number of changes currently underway at Rangers include New Investors, New Sporting Director, New Head of Recruitment, New Technical Director, New Chairman, New Board Vice Chair, New Manager, and a likely clear out of maybe 5/6 players, the same coming in.

Given this will be new to all of them, and the possibility that it will all take time to bed in, if we kick on, is second place in the league a real possibility?

[Hibby70]

Probably not, they were rank rotten this season and still finished second comfortably

[Centre Hawf]

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The number of changes currently underway at Rangers include New Investors, New Sporting Director, New Head of Recruitment, New Technical Director, New Chairman, New Board Vice Chair, New Manager, and a likely clear out of maybe 5/6 players, the same coming in.

Given this will be new to all of them, and the possibility that it will all take time to bed in, if we kick on, is second place in the league a real possibility?

No.

I personally don't think we'll finish third this coming season either, so I find the idea of second near impossible regardless of how much change happens at Ibrox. But despite how bad a team Rangers were this year, I'd be amazed if they were worse than that this year.

[hibsbollah]

Trans huns? What public bathrooms will they be allowed to use?
Careful, this going to be another ‘blame Sturgeon’ pile on.

[Jones28]

No chance, their worst season probably since the were promoted and they still finished a mile infront of us.

[04Sauzee]

I think they will be closer to Celtic tbh. Celtic could lose Maeda. I'm sure Hatate is looking for a move. I think Celtic's recruitment has to be spot on this season

Hopefully Hibs have a good window and we can push for 3rd again.

[DH1875]

Erm.....no. Not just us, rangers will finish 2nd comfortably.

[Paulie Walnuts]

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No.

I personally don't think we'll finish third this coming season either, so I find the idea of second near impossible regardless of how much change happens at Ibrox. But despite how bad a team Rangers were this year, I'd be amazed if they were worse than that this year.

If we don’t get into the group stages then we absolutely should be looking for third again. We’ve got a fairly settled squad and a settled manager who have just spent the last 6 or 7 months massively outperforming all other non OF teams.

If we get to the groups then it’s probably a bigger ask though.

[easty]

Let's just hope we can be consistent enough to get 3rd again. When did a team last finish 3rd two seasons on the bounce?

[Hibs Go Bragh]

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The number of changes currently underway at Rangers include New Investors, New Sporting Director, New Head of Recruitment, New Technical Director, New Chairman, New Board Vice Chair, New Manager, and a likely clear out of maybe 5/6 players, the same coming in.

Given this will be new to all of them, and the possibility that it will all take time to bed in, if we kick on, is second place in the league a real possibility?

You appear to have forgotten about Del Boy's Hearts! You don't sign players from Walsall unless you're planning on pushing Celtic all the way.

Rangers investment might sound good but without McInness and AnalTicks (ouch!) the rest of us are at their mercy!

[Lago]

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The number of changes currently underway at Rangers include New Investors, New Sporting Director, New Head of Recruitment, New Technical Director, New Chairman, New Board Vice Chair, New Manager, and a likely clear out of maybe 5/6 players, the same coming in.

Given this will be new to all of them, and the possibility that it will all take time to bed in, if we kick on, is second place in the league a real possibility?

No

[Centre Hawf]

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If we don’t get into the group stages then we absolutely should be looking for third again. We’ve got a fairly settled squad and a settled manager who have just spent the last 6 or 7 months massively outperforming all other non OF teams.

If we get to the groups then it’s probably a bigger ask though.

We should be looking for it of course, I'd expect Hibs to always be secretly targeting third even when we've been honking and finished 8th the season prior, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if we did get it personally. Although your point about group stage football is an interesting one for Aberdeen to contend with and Dundee United may also ***** the bed similar to what they did before when they qualified. But the real threat for me this year is sadly Hearts. No European football at all, new manager that will probably get an instant reaction from his squad this summer. It just feels like one of they seasons for them if they can start their season strong while the rest of us travel about and drop silly points on Sundays for the first 5/6 games, but time will tell.

I think the issue is we largely outperformed our own level to achieve what we did. Obviously we have a full season now to wipe the slate clean and not have to go on a 20 match unbeaten run to get third and can instead spread out the losses we did incur a bit healthier. But I do think the run is perhaps over exaggerating things for us a bit. Some players have probably played the best football of their careers so far in this last 6 months. Can they all replicate that? Can we replace the better performing players that we're likely to lose with similar that perform to that level? Boyle is a year older and carried us numbers wise, will he drop off? If so will Bowie step up? Will we have an adequate option like Gayle off the bench when we need a moment of true experienced quality?

Just a lot of question marks for me next season before I could put a firm "we're favourite for third" marker down let alone 2nd. Although there are as many question marks over Hearts and I've tipped them for third so maybe it's just a natural Hibs pessimism in me from the decades of getting excited to have it crushed.

[JohnM1875]

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Let's just hope we can be consistent enough to get 3rd again. When did a team last finish 3rd two seasons on the bounce?

Agree with this. Its such a big ask these days. Be a huge achievement if we manage it.

[Bostonhibby]

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You appear to have forgotten about Del Boy's Hearts! You don't sign players from Walsall unless you're planning on pushing Celtic all the way.

Rangers investment might sound good but without McInness and AnalTicks (ouch!) the rest of us are at their mercy!

I'm predicting nothing until Dhanda has pronounced for next season.

Now they've got fellow bottom sixer Killie's old manager and a guy from Walsall the Budge revolution could finally be about to begin.

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[jakedance]

Not a chance. Maybe someone can have a good start, like Aberdeen last season, and fool some folk into thinking it will be interesting but they won't be able to sustain it over a season.

[JeMeSouviens]

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No chance, their worst season probably since the were promoted and they still finished a mile infront of us.

Their first 2 prem seasons they came 3rd.

I can't see them being that bad again mind you. Best hope is they go for Carlo's boy and he turns out to be another Cathro. Promising coach, ***** manager. We can but dream.

[gbhibby]

Don't think they will finish second as Celtic will be in that position below us.

[Since452]

Not a chance. They were around 10 points behind Aberdeen in 3rd a one point. They ended up 17 points clear in 2nd. Just isn't going to happen.

[timewilltell]

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Erm.

Time will tell.

👍

[Unseen work]

No

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

Highly unlikely, not impossible.

[Steve20]

Not a chance. They'll finish 2nd, but nowhere near Celtic.

We have to make sure we have a good window to make sure we're up there for 3rd again. Because Aberdeen have the guaranteed European cash, Hearts have a fair amount of cash and despite what some think, their recruitment will be multiple times better than normal (yeah yeah Walsall player, but that's only one. Silly to think they won't be strong next season)

So, no 2nd is not a possibility, but 3rd is IF we spend money and spend it on quality.

[JohnM1875]

Not sure why, but I can see Celtic having a bit of a stinker next season. Think they’ll still win the league, but it'll be closer.

[number9dream]

The Russell Martin bandwagon is gathering momentum and there will be plenty of Teds wary of his 'wokeness' while it doesn't take much to get that mob turning on their own team.
We might feast on a few terrible short goal-kick routines at Ibrox but the percentages all point to Rangers being stronger than they were this time round.
Aberdeen and Hearts will be chucking money at it, so a repeat of third place is going to be tough, but we are coming from a good place.
If Russell, or whoever it is, hits the ground running, they should get closer to Celtic. I've heard a few of their fans grumbling about Rodgers' recruitment record second time around and they will probably sell at least one of their star names.

[Since90+2]

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Not sure why, but I can see Celtic having a bit of a stinker next season. Think they’ll still win the league, but it'll be closer.

If Celtic spend big on a top class striker, which I think will and need, they'll win the league again comfortably IMO.

They've already added Tierney who will be a standout in the Scottish league.

[JohnM1875]

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If Celtic spend big on a top class striker, which I think will and need, they'll win the league again comfortably IMO.

They've already added Tierney who will be a standout in the Scottish league.

They *****ed £9.5m on Idah and I think he's dreadful. Not sure they’ll spend similar money again on the same position a season apart.

Be surprised if Hatate and potentially Maeda stay. Really hard players to replace.

Tierney, when fit, is an unreal signing. He’ll absolutely spend time out injured though.

[Up-the-slope]

The Rangers / Rangers / Two for under a £ (49 er's)

If as I hope they are a bit cack and every other team targets then like this year they COULD stumble. BUT in that case they would burn cash and change manager again / and or spend big in January.

I would love to see a no manager changer or singings during a season rule (know it will never happen for variety of reasons) but it would even out the spending to get out a hole and could be very funny...

Imagine Wee Barry given job is totally cack and loses the dressing room but they can't replace him...

[ancient hibee]

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We should be looking for it of course, I'd expect Hibs to always be secretly targeting third even when we've been honking and finished 8th the season prior, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if we did get it personally. Although your point about group stage football is an interesting one for Aberdeen to contend with and Dundee United may also ***** the bed similar to what they did before when they qualified. But the real threat for me this year is sadly Hearts. No European football at all, new manager that will probably get an instant reaction from his squad this summer. It just feels like one of they seasons for them if they can start their season strong while the rest of us travel about and drop silly points on Sundays for the first 5/6 games, but time will tell.

I think the issue is we largely outperformed our own level to achieve what we did. Obviously we have a full season now to wipe the slate clean and not have to go on a 20 match unbeaten run to get third and can instead spread out the losses we did incur a bit healthier. But I do think the run is perhaps over exaggerating things for us a bit. Some players have probably played the best football of their careers so far in this last 6 months. Can they all replicate that? Can we replace the better performing players that we're likely to lose with similar that perform to that level? Boyle is a year older and carried us numbers wise, will he drop off? If so will Bowie step up? Will we have an adequate option like Gayle off the bench when we need a moment of true experienced quality?

Just a lot of question marks for me next season before I could put a firm "we're favourite for third" marker down let alone 2nd. Although there are as many question marks over Hearts and I've tipped them for third so maybe it's just a natural Hibs pessimism in me from the decades of getting excited to have it crushed.

Forgive me saying so but this is one of the most downbeat posts I’ve seen on here. Hibs are one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and for a long stretch played like it. What on earth does outperformed our own level mean? Should we be ashamed because we played like we had good players and coaches? Surely going on an unbeaten run is better than a more “even spread” of results because teams begin to realise that you are difficult to play against and are to be respected.Why should it be any more difficult for us than other clubs to improve the skill levels of existing and new players?

[Since452]

If we don't get European group stage football as I think then I fancy us for 3rd place again. If we somehow get in the groups I think it'll be 4th or 5th.

[Centre Hawf]

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Forgive me saying so but this is one of the most downbeat posts I’ve seen on here. Hibs are one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and for a long stretch played like it. What on earth does outperformed our own level mean? Should we be ashamed because we played like we had good players and coaches? Surely going on an unbeaten run is better than a more “even spread” of results because teams begin to realise that you are difficult to play against and are to be respected.Why should it be any more difficult for us than other clubs to improve the skill levels of existing and new players?

Who said anything about being ashamed? Going on an unbeaten run was incredible and the togetherness the squad showed was outstanding to pull third out from the fires of a relegation battle and nothing can take that away from them. What I said has got nothing to do with the size of the club but the realistic nature of the squad and how the league has been for a number of years now. But in the context of the question of 'can we finish 2nd?" I think it's fair to say that the we're more realistically going to finish 4th or lower than we are 3rd or higher.

I think there's a reasonable chance that some players during the second half of this season could have played 'above' what they're maybe able to consistently deliver over a run of numerous seasons for example.

I look at a guy like Rocky, I think he was outstanding and got my vote for POTY and I'd love to try and keep him. But the reality is we've seen more poorer seasons from him than this really good 7 month stretch. Dylan Levitt finished the season like the wizard we heard he was in training, but he was tipped to be out the door in January because he couldn't string two halves together at Hibs. Martin Boyle is our biggest threat but he'll be a year older, can he chip in with 30 goal involvements again next season? If he loses even a third of that output you're going to have to find it elsewhere.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that some players could be at threat of dropping even just a little bit next season compared to what we've seen since November, they can't all be perfect forever. Finishing third two seasons in a row is difficult in this league and history will show that it can be a big challenge to build upon what came before with the amount of turnover in players you can have in any season.

I'm not saying I expect Hibs to go back to fighting relegation like we thought we were in October/November last year and that's actually the true level of this squad. I like to think we'll be in that battle for third and if not then we can be in the top 4/5 for European places again.