The takeover threw money at the club, but it didn't magically sort everything. Problems went beyond cash, with appointments, recruitment and a mixed managerial approach leaving supporters frustrated.
Where the cash helped, and where it didn't
To be fair, without the takeover we'd probably be in a worse place. The cash meant we could buy players and patch holes. But having the money isn't the same as spending it well. There's a sense among supporters that the DoF set-up was weak, that decisions made by a CEO carrying over from the old regime didn't help, and that we made at least one wrong managerial call. Some fans point to Rohl as the man who dragged us back into title contention and had Martin's players playing the right way, while others blame McInnes for a slump that recruitment failed to cure. Truth is, recruitment and managerial choices are linked, you can't blame one without the other when there's no clear football director steering policy.
Mistakes of appointment and expectation
I think the Russell Martin hire was the wrong call when there were other names on the shortlist. That's not hindsight, it's about fit and ambition. McInnes was a popular choice with sections of the support because he's a Rangers man and knows the league, but popularity isn't always what you need when the squad requires tactical flexibility. Fans saw a dip from January and frustration over a reluctance to change shape. You can argue the CEO and recruitment people wanted a stabiliser rather than a high-risk appointment. Personally I'd have stuck with Clement and given him funds, or moved Koppen into a DoF role before bringing Thelwell in. Takeovers take time, look at Leeds, but patience runs thin when there's no silverware to show.
Where we go from here
If we're spending at the level reported, then we should be targeting higher-quality managers and accepting the price that comes with them, whether that's paying a premium or compensating clubs or managers to get someone out of a job. The alternative is chopping and changing and expecting instant success. Fans are right to be impatient, but the club also needs to be honest about timelines and structure. Give the DoF role real teeth, clarify who is in charge of recruitment, and stop mixing short-term fixes with long-term strategy. At least then you know whether blame lies with scouting, coaching or boardroom planning. And yes, would you really prefer to roll the clock back to a Green or Whyte era? I don't.
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