Johnston curve: time to be honest

Newco director and former Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston is getting a hard time for saying “We are probably doing a little better than we would have imagined back in the dark days of running out at Brechin in the fourth tier” and “we are probably ahead of the curve in reality if we finish second or third”.

Newco are not ahead of the curve if they finish second, given their budget and the experience of their playing squad, they are where they should be.  Another third place finish would be behind the curve, but these are semantics.

The big question is, are this club ‘going for 55’ or was that phrase no more than a device to sell season tickets?

Second for Newco is right on the curve.  If they don’t reach there this season, they will soon, and they will finish second more often than any of their direct competitors.  Johnston’s job is to convince 40,000 people to buy tickets for a competition they know Celtic will win.

I understand why Newco do not run with the phrase “going for second place next time” on season ticket renewal campaigns, but they were only delaying the inevitable.  Many other clubs can be frank with supporters on what their ambitions for the season are, but can you really imagine this level of honesty at Ibrox?

Me neither.  They will spin some old tat to an ever dwindling demographic.  Still, at least the club is in the hands of Dave King and not Mike Ashley, one of Europe’s richest men.  That whole effort worked out well.