MAIL SPORT COMMENT: Paraag Marathe and Andrew Cavenagh are serious men ... with an air of authenticity their predecessors at Rangers lacked

Daily Mail​

16 hours ago

Telling people the things they want to hear really isn't all that difficult.
Heaven knows, the Rangers support have heard it all in recent times. From moonbeams, front-loaded war-chests, rivals set to collapse like a house of cards and much, much more, the custodians of the club have spouted enough hot air to fly a balloon across the Atlantic and back in the past 20 years.
Notably, there was none of that on Monday as Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe, main figures in the American consortium, met the media for the first time after their £20million investment had first been approved at a general meeting.
While it will be trophies rather than words that the businessmen are ultimately judged on across their time at Ibrox, everyone present was left with the impression that Rangers are now in the hands of impressive people with boundless ambitions and a clear plan.
As tempting as it would have been for the pair to get caught up in the moment and promise the earth like so many before them, the only guarantee they actually gave was to leave no stone unturned in their quest to return Rangers to the top of Scottish football. The trick will be doing so while their stock is still high.
There was still plenty of meat on the bone for the masses to devour. But there was no attempt to disguise the fact that neither will seek to take shortcuts back to the top. After an initial injection of cash, the modus operandi will be shrewd player trading and data-led recruitment.
They sincerely believe they can win the Premiership title in short order, but accept the task is extremely arduous. The same applies to reaching the Champions League on an annual basis.
Both are also cognisant of the fact the west of Scotland isn't known for its deep reserves of patience and are prepared for what might come if a recalibrated side under a new manager doesn't hit the ground running.
The word 'project' was never actually used. Without question, though, that's exactly what's now under way.
Marathe spoke of the need for discipline to underpin every decision made in order for the strategy to succeed and of the need of the club to be financially sustainable. You didn't sense these were mere empty platitudes.
While Rangers will gain from the know-how and experience of the 49ers and Leeds, there will be no direct financial benefit from those relationships. Similarly, the redevelopment of Ibrox isn't being seen as a quick fix.
Quite clearly then, a club that's haemorrhaged money for years is going to have to learn to wipe its face.
The words of Cavenagh and Marathe couldn't have been further removed from the hype and hyperbole of so many of their predecessors. That made their introductions all the more impressive. It's much harder to tell the public how it's actually going to be.