New Rangers chairman John Bennett already has a full docket after stepping up from his role to the top job at Ibrox.
Douglas Park announced on Tuesday evening he will be stepping down from his post at Rangers with the board unanimously backing vice-chairman Bennett as the man to take the club forward. He has big shoes to fill with Park overseeing a 55th Premiership title victory and a run to the Europa League Final during his three years in the chairman hotseat.
Bennett comes into the top job with plenty of experience having first joined the board back in 2015, and stepped into the deputy chairman role in 2020 serving under Park – acting as the perfect apprenticeship for the new man in charge as he prepares to tackle a host of burning issues . The lifelong fan of the club has a full inbox on his first day in the job, so where should he be focusing his attention?
Record Sport takes a look at the issues on the agenda for Bennett in the post-Park era.
Transfer planning
The business in the transfer market has been under serious scrutiny this term at Ibrox with the likes of Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey leaving a gaping hole in the side the club have struggled to replace. The January additions of Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell have signalled things are going in the right direction, but boss Michael Beale has openly spoken about his hope for a massive rebuild in the summer.
Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Ryan Jack, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Steven Davis and Filip Helander will all be free agents in June, and Beale has admitted he wants at least five new players in the door. It's up to Bennett to back the boss with the funds in his planned overhaul.
Targeting trophies and catching Celtic
Bennett will have to lead the charge to challenge Celtic after taking the reins from Park. The Union Bears have made their feelings clear this season over the lack of silverware in recent campaigns, using Beale’s own quote on Ibrox standards to enforce their message with a banner at Livingston reading "Two major trophies in eleven years - uphold the standards that matter”.
Since then, Rangers lost out in the Viaplay Cup Final to Celtic and Bennett will know he needs to start bringing more trophies in the door. It’s in Rangers DNA. A win over Celtic on Saturday would keep the Light Blues' faint title hopes alive, and a win in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Ange Postecoglou's side would put Beale on course to keep the trophy in Govan. Bennett will hope to be placing some silverware in the Ibrox trophy room come the end of the season.
Lawsuits
Bennett will be no stranger to the legal fights at Rangers in the past 12 months. The messy battle with the SPFL over their refusal to display branding with league sponsor and online car dealer cinch is still fresh in the mind.
The row stemmed from a conflict with the club’s own deal with Douglas Park’s motor group, and it was a battle they eventually would win. However, reports suggest Rangers are set for another row with the league body and it's the arrangement with Glen's Vodka.
The sponsorship deal with Loch Lomond Group, who produce Glen's, is set for renewal but it's claimed Rangers have written to their Premiership counterparts warning they feel "unable to fill any aspect of the new agreement". It could leave Bennett dealing with a legal battle immediately after taking the top job.
Fan fury
Managing director Stewart Robertson and sporting director Ross Wilson have come under fire from sections of the Rangers support this season. Displays at Ibrox have shown images of Robertson and Wilson crossed out shown with the message "time for change". But Bennett is likely to back the duo so the likes of the Union Bears could be waiting a while yet.
Certainly manager Michael Beale has gone on record to back Wilson amid the protests, insisting he works well with the sporting director. He said: “Ross’ sole job isn’t recruitment, it’s a number of people. My job is to win games of football and make the fans happy. That’s what I’m trying to do with the players, that’s my sole focus. We’re trying to make the fans happy. I understand their frustrations but I think we’re much stronger when we’re all together."
Making a mark on Europe
It's been a whirlwind 12 months for Rangers in European football. The club saw off some European heavyweights on their way to the Europa League final last term, but received a massive reality check on their return to the Champions League.
Rangers now hold the unwanted record of the worst performers in group stage history, and some fans were raging with the hefty price tags on their way to the dismal record. A 7-1 thumping at home to Liverpool was the ultimate low point and some punters had to pay £71 to see that nightmare unfold., while a three-match package was as high as £180. Bennett will need to navigate the balancing act of keeping the punters happy and funding Beale's push to reach European football's top table again.
Balancing the books
Last year saw Rangers have post a £5.9million operating profit for the year to June 2022 with the club's accounts also revealing a record turnover of £86.8m, and Bennett will look to steer the club to similar financial success. There were a host of contributing factors in the profit last year including Rangers lifting the Scottish Cup and reaching the Europa League final - which generated £30.5m in total.
Nathan Patterson's move to Everton plus the £4.25m received from Aston Villa in compensation for former boss Steven Gerrard and his backroom team were also included in June 2022 results. Champions League participation and sales of Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey will be reflected in the upcoming accounts. So with all that they should be positive but some supporters have spent much of the season wondering where all the money went. We’ll soon find out. Against the backdrop of all this was yet another share issue at the start of the week. 7.7m of them were released at a price of 25p which would raise another £1.9m.
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