Rangers: Andrew Cavenagh on the capture of Celtic, transfers, Russell Martin, the Champions League, Ibrox and more | Football news

The president of the new Rangers, Andrew Cavenagh, insists that he can again bring the club to the top of Scottish football, but admits that it will not be easy.

The Ibrox team finished last season 17 points last season behind Celtic, which won its fourth consecutive title of Scottish first, and 13th in the past 14 seasons.

Cavenagh, who directs the American consortium which acquired a 51% participation in the Rangers last month, is now aiming for long -term success at the club.

He also discussed the potential of Ibrox’s expansion, football in the Champions League, transfers and the appointment of Russell Martin…

What does he think of trying to catch Celtic?

He said: “We savor this challenge. We are impatient, we are competitive, and we are therefore looking forward to the challenge.

“We think it is achievable or we would not be here (to make Rangers the best team in Scotland).

“We don’t think it will be easy. This will not occur instantly, but we will endeavor to improve performance on the field and we will continue to build the club’s infrastructure.

“If we didn’t think we could win, we wouldn’t be here. We are here because we think we can.

“There is a real job to do, I think everyone is aware of it. Paraag and I, we share the sense of urgency of our supporters. We are with both feet today and we will advance as quickly as possible.”

When he was asked how far he thinks that the rangers are to make their full potential, Cavenagh said: “I would give you the simple answer that is finished second and we would like to finish first. We are in a position where we would like to be.”

“When I think of the short duration, I do not focus on challenges; I focus on opportunities. We have what I think is the good plans, and we are starting to have the right team in place, and I mean by that that the staff, not the team – who will continue to change during the summer.

“Instead of thinking about things that awaken you at night, I think of opportunities in front of us. This club has so much potential and we are impatient to take this potential energy and transform it into kinetic energy.”

“Expanding it Ibrox is interesting”

The subject of Ibrox’s expansion has never been too far, with rangers with a list of important season tickets.

He was confirmed to the club’s EGM that various options on the improvement of the stadium were under discussion, but Cavenagh insists that it is not his immediate objective.

He said: “Ibrox’s expansion interests us but not one of our short -term objectives.

“Right now, we are focusing on improving performance on the field as well as the club’s infrastructure itself.

“Any increase in income we can get, we put it back on the ground.

“There are a lot of different levers to shoot, certainly more than on the commercial side.”

The “lightning moment”

Cavenagh had been in talks to lead the American takeover of the Rangers since last October, and explained how he had become aware of this opportunity, the more what attracted him to Glasgow.

“I was in the Upper East Side in Manhattan, ahead of a coffee about to go to a New York Yankees match,” he said.

“I know the rangers forever as a football fan. So when the telephone call came to ask if I would have an interest, it was a moment of flash.

“The call was from the Allan, a banker in New York. I had met him six months before and he knew that our group was interested in a rare but good opportunity for football.

“The called to me and I said absolutely. Three seconds later, I was on the phone for Paraag.

“There are a lot in this attractive club. But the three large ones are the supporters – the extent and depth of the fans base are incredible. We have not seen many other clubs in Europe with this type of scope and passion.

“Ibrox is an incredibly magical place to attend as a supporter.

“And the competitions in which we play, the League, the Cups and Europe.”

What did he say about transfers?

The Rangers concluded an agreement with Bournemouth to sign the defender Max Aarons, while they are interested in Conor Coady de Leicester, the winger outside contract Kwame Poku and more.

While Cavenagh insists that the club is in a “different” position this summer compared to the last, he admitted that it was open to the sale of players for the right costs in the future.

“This is an area where we will be really opaque. The window is not something that a thing that opens and closes the way it looks like. There are many different simultaneous things during the summer.

“The only thing I would say is that the club is in a different position this year, where we can be patient from a financial point of view. When there is the right opportunity, we will jump on it and where it is just to be slow, we will be slow.

“The world of football is the one where you acquire players and they are advancing for larger costs. This is part of the financial model for any club. In any club that is not one of the first five in the world, the players are not permanent, and the players will sometimes move on, and the clubs will make costs for them, and it’s good for the club and good for the players.”

What about the investment of 20 million pounds sterling?

Cavenagh was expressed following the club’s EGM where an investment of 20 million pounds of the American group was elected in exchange for more actions.

Some supporters have wondered if others would be to come, and Cavenagh said: “20 million pounds sterling is the amount of primary capital that we put. We have been careful not to say that we will not vend more, and not to say that we are going to put more.

“When we think of the amount of the necessary capital, we look at it through three objectives. The first is, what impact will it have? We are not precise on where the 20 million pounds sterling go, but we think that 20 million pounds sterling are the right amount this summer. The two other objectives that we examine are the PSR and we assure that we are directing the club in a lasting way.

“We do not seek what I consider high sugar – come and spend money, sign some players and try to earn something and then you have the sugar accident.”

How important is Is the football of the Champions League?

Rangers face the Panathinaikos In their second round qualifier in the Champions League next month, with two other series of matches thereafter, if they succeed against the Greek team.

Cavenagh admits that the mixture with the elite of Europe is the objective and will help generate more income, but insists that plans are in place if they fail to get there.

“The Champions League is the objective that we are trying to reach each year. Each year, this is our goal and we have to spend three games, or three series of matches and it will not be easy. It is important because it brings more income. It will always be our reference.

“We have plans for anything. It is not as if we are on this and if it does not happen, there is a kind of problem. This is not at all the case, but that is our goal.

“While we increase income, which come from the Champions League, we can reinvest this in the club. This is why this is the objective of both a sporting point of view and the prospect of the income model.”

Why was Russell Martin appointed?

Cavenagh was one of the key characters who signed the appointment of the new head coach Russell Martin, after a process that saw the Rangers hold talks with various candidates, including Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard.
When asked why the former Southampton boss is the right choice, he said: “There were four criteria that we examined for the head coach.

“First, someone who would train what we think is the right style of play or game model. Two, someone would strengthen culture and the way we think they must be built. Three, someone who will develop talents. And four, someone who will win matches. Russell was the star of all these metrics, unanimous among our team. We are enthusiastic to have Russell.”