Never Say Never - But

SO, Rangers was one wreck which Miller Industries didn't have the equipment to tow back onto the highway. One quick look at the books and even Tennessee rednecks could see it wouldn't work. What next?

Enter a mystery British consortium, with Graeme Souness involved. Pardon me, but this is a wee bit like reinventing British Leyland, with "Red" Robbo, the notorious shop steward, as CEO. Rangers' downfall can be traced all the way back to a single appointment - Graeme Souness as manager.

Prior to his arrival in 1986, Rangers had always bought-in players, but Scottish players, guys who actually got better through being full-time at Ibrox rather than part-time with any other Scottish club. Souness spent, spent and spent again on non-Scots, who needed to be really well-paid to move to this football and cultural back water and the age of over-spending which he ushered in ultimately landed Sir David Murray with the financial fankle which forced him to off-load to Craig Whyte and bring the impending disaster down on the club sooner rather than later.

Now, with Souness apparently involved, I would assume we will see another period of cash splashing, which will last only as long as the money does.

Time is not on the side of these new bidders. Rangers' season ends in Perth on Sunday. Those players who took a wage cut will shortly thereafter revert to their full whack, and with no money coming in, how will these wage demands be met? Meanwhile "due diligence" will be taking place on the books, and given the Yanks shit themselves at even a cursory look at these, who is to say Brits, even Brits with a Rangers leaning, will hold their nerve.

And there, in the background, holding a charge over the Lloyds Bank debt, owning Ibrox and Murray Park, sits the man who cannot lose - Craig Whyte. Nowhere have I seen confirmation that he will walk for anything less than £30 million.

Does the new British consortium have access to the (conservative estimate) £100 million it will take to put Rangers right? I think not.

That £100 million, by the way, does not include the massive "war chest" which Souness will insist on if he is coming in as Director of Football, or whatever - I don't see him returning as Manager or Head Coach.

And, if Souness does come back, what happens to McCoist? Now his managerial record isn't great, even allowing for the problems off the field, but, will he simply be punted by the new owners?

Every time I chew over the what happens next scenario - I return to the same conclusion, only liquidation is sensible; nothing else adds up. But, here again, when did financial common sense ever have anything to do with football?

When someone writes the book - they will have a sure-fire best-seller on their hands.