whats the crack with rankin?

[TomCaleyJag]

And about Rankin..

I too would be looking for at least ?100,000 for a proven SPL goalscoring midfielder. ?40,000 is a joke. And has Rankin actually said anywhere that he wants to leave, as the paper says 'MacPherson is aware Rankin wants to leave the highlands'. Has John actually said so?

100th Post for the Topic  :021: Yay :crazy07:

[Johnboy]

I think it's common knowledge now that his wife is expecting, and wants to live a bit closer to family and friends in the central belt...

I believe they also put their house up for sale during the period he was frozen out the team. Brewster has certainly made it clear he would prefer him to remain an ICT player, but if their minds are made up what can you do..?

I just hope it works out for them where ever they go... I'd hate to see someone else fall victim to the Highland Curse... >:D

[RiG]

I believe they also put their house up for sale during the period he was frozen out the team. Brewster has certainly made it clear he would prefer him to remain an ICT player, but if their minds are made up what can you do..?

Yeah I think a lot of people have heard that now....

The following is quoted directly from today's Daily Express.....

"St. Mirren slapped in an improved bid for Inverness midfielder John Rankin over the weekend. The buddies had a ?40,000 bid turned down last week & have since upped their offer and included add-ons to try and clinch the move.

St Mirren are aware Rankin wants to leave the Highlands and hoping this latest bid will be enough to convince Craig Brewster to cash in on his unsettled star.

The former Manchester united trainee has told Brewster he wants to leave because he sold his house when he was frozen out of the team and his girlfriend is pregnant and wants to return to the central belt.

Rankin, who cost Inverness ?65,000 from Highland rivals Ross County, has forced his way back into the team in recent months and Brewster now wants him to stay, but will sell if Saints meet their valuation of the player."

:004:

[Johnboy]

Yeah I think a lot of people have heard that now....

:015:

As FW once famously said....

"Sometimes - once you get so far down the thread you've forgotten where it was you read something...."

[Scarlet Pimple]

RANKIN-40,000 LBS---RIDICULOUS. He will really have to lose some weight.

The Squirrel--some good banter at first  but eventually very tiresome. Always whining about something. Sometimes you felt if he ever tried to crack a joke it would turn into a yoke and be all yellow and runny like his drivel. Eh IHE? :004:

IHE had him on toast most of the time and he turned out to be right about him. Got real huffy when not all the punters on here agreed with him; but the Squirrell did lead us all a merry dance for quite a long time. Excellent piece of detective work , however, --all the resources at the Hall were ultimately involved in unmasking this dastardly furry-tailed mosquito. IHE is still paying off our fee for clandestine  information supplied. Much of it was free gratis since we did not want him to have a stroke before he got to his 29th birthday--succeeded in that. :015:

Sophia--I told you she  is very good at getting out of a tricky situation. I salute you , no sophistry about you, nahhhhhh  .. :crazy07:

[Johnboy]

I get the impression from this interview/article that Brew is very keen to keep Rankin here, and hopes he can persuade him to stay....

I hope he succeeds.....

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/displayNo...;pNodeId=149229

[EWS]

St Mirren fans are convinced he has signed for them, or will be signed by Saturday.  Is he cup tied at all?

[RiG]

I think he is gone to be honest EWS. Some Mirren fans are full of crap on P & B but one or two do actually have good contacts within the club.

I actually think that article basically says "We want him to stay but if we get an acceptable offer we will sell".

I think this would be a big blow for ICT. He has formed an integral part of the midfield and the team that has gone on such a good run. Will be very disappointed to lose him.

[L_G]

He won't be cup tied as we haven't played any games yet in this competition.

I know he is playing well and that Brew is wanting to hang on to him, but if St Mirren come up with a suitable offer for him then I believe he will be off.  I suspect he has agreed all the personal terms required (or his agent will have on his behalf).  

At the end of the day ICT can refuse the offer and force him to honour his contract and I'm sure he would be professional enough to do so, but if he wants to go, then I think it's just an issue of how much St Mirren are prepared to pay us in compensation.  I don't think we should let him go for less than we paid for him. So if the buddies can find another 15-20,000 then I think he'll be allowed to go.

Shame though, he is a good player and I would be happy to see him in an ICT shirt for a while longer.

[starchief]

From that article, it sounds to me like all the Saints need to do is match the price we paid for a 1st Division footballer, who's now an established SPL player.  :33:

[Johnboy]

From that article, it sounds to me like all the Saints need to do is match the price we paid for a 1st Division footballer, who's now an established SPL player.  :33:

Good point....

A well established and proven performer at this level.... :018:

[RiG]

Agree with the posters above. At first I thought we might be lucky to get ?40k for the lad given he was out of the team but now that he has come back in it's not like we are just looking to ship him out ASAP.

We do want to keep him and thus, given our alleged reluctance to sell, the fee we initially paid for him and the fact he has 18 months of SPL football behind him, for me anyway, means we should/could look at getting the fee we paid County and then some more for him.

[Johnboy]

Agree with the posters above. At first I thought we might be lucky to get ?40k for the lad given he was out of the team but now that he has come back in it's not like we are just looking to ship him out ASAP.

We do want to keep him and thus, given our alleged reluctance to sell, the fee we initially paid for him and the fact he has 18 months of SPL football behind him, for me anyway, means we should/could look at getting the fee we paid County and then some more for him.

:022: to that....

I hope you'll consider a career in football management when you hang up your gob strewn boots, Rig..!!

[Libero]

yup i agree with the above.

would be extremely dissapointed of Rankin definately does leave, could never fathom why he was out of the team for so long and i think dropping him earlier on in the season will come back to haunt us.

if he does leave i would hope and expect to receive at the very least ?100k, he cost us ?65k and we have developed him from a good first division player to a valuable SPL player so anything less than ?100k would be a disgrace.

What irks me is, we should not be selling our best players to our rivals!

If St Midden do get him for about ?65k i think it would be an absolute bargain and they'll will be rubbing their hands with glee, if our club does sell one of our most valuable assets for that amount then i seriously think it leans toward an incredible lack of ambition and financial desperation.

[Glebeict]

  Selling one of your best to a rival is akin to suicide

[SMEE]

The more worrying thing for me is not the money we do or don not get for our players..........its the quality of the teams they seem to be willing to leave us for :017:

[Harry Chibber]

why sell him when we are just going to have to buy a replacement anyway...

If it is not going to benefit the club then tuff **** it's his own fault for selling his house before an agreement had been made.  We as a club are going to come off with the worst deal no matter what way you look at this, if the contract HE signed is still valid then he should be made to honour it until we are in a position to make a reasonable profit from selling him or we no longer require his services. 

This could be the make or break of our season.. if the board has any sense at all we will make him see out the rest of the season and demand a fee of ?100+, or better yet offer him a better contract that will make him want to stay with the club and show that we see him as part of our plans

good left footed midfielders are almost impossible to find at the best of times.. I am sick of our board being pushed around by other clubs and big headed players, if Rankin is sold for any where near the fee that is being spoken of it will be a complete joke.

[SMEE]

What are they odds if he does go.... it will be for an "undisclosed" fee  :024:

[kencar]

If it is not going to benefit the club then tuff **** it's his own fault for selling his house before an agreement had been made.  We as a club are going to come off with the worst deal no matter what way you look at this, if the contract HE signed is still valid then he should be made to honour it until we are in a position to make a reasonable profit from selling him or we no longer require his services. 

I was under the impression he sold his house AFTER being told by Brewster he could leave in January  :024: Of course there are 2 sides to every story but I can't help feel that Brew must take some of the blame for the current situation.

[Caley Mad In Berks]

why sell him when we are just going to have to buy a replacement anyway...

This could be the make or break of our season.. if the board has any sense at all we will make him see out the rest of the season and demand a fee of ?100+, or better yet offer him a better contract that will make him want to stay with the club and show that we see him as part of our plans

I agree with this sentiment.  We should try to keep him.  Cowie/Rankin/Black is becoming a very strong midfield.  Shame to break it up for a mere ?100K

[Johnboy]

why sell him when we are just going to have to buy a replacement anyway...

This could be the make or break of our season.. if the board has any sense at all we will make him see out the rest of the season and demand a fee of ?100+, or better yet offer him a better contract that will make him want to stay with the club and show that we see him as part of our plans

I agree with this sentiment.  We should try to keep him.  Cowie/Rankin/Black is becoming a very strong midfield.  Shame to break it up for a mere ?100K

I tend to agree too, but unfortunately when a player is forced to see out his contract with a club he no longer wishes to be a part of, it can consequently have a detrimental effect on his, and the team's  performance...

[kencar]

Unfortunately I doubt we shall get anywhere like 100k for Rankin.

Still I think we already have someone on our books who can take his place and is potentially a better player....Iain Vigurs

[CaleyD]

If it is not going to benefit the club then tuff **** it's his own fault for selling his house before an agreement had been made.  We as a club are going to come off with the worst deal no matter what way you look at this, if the contract HE signed is still valid then he should be made to honour it until we are in a position to make a reasonable profit from selling him or we no longer require his services. 

I was under the impression he sold his house AFTER being told by Brewster he could leave in January  :024: Of course there are 2 sides to every story but I can't help feel that Brew must take some of the blame for the current situation.

From memory, articles and quotes from around that time suggested that Rankin (along with a couple of other players) had been told that they would need to earn their place in the squad and the rumours were pretty rife that he wanted a move to the central belt even before that.

I am in two minds....I can't decide if this is Rankin trying to play the club to get what he wants and break his contract.  Breaking through into the squad and playing some of his best football since he arrived here just as we are coming round to the window seems a little coincidental.  The other side of the coin is that this has been badly managed by the club in their player talks.

In all likelihood it's a bit of both and the club have to make the call as to whether they keep a player who doesn't want to be  here and hope he continues to perform so as to keep up interest and look for a move in future....or whether they cash in and take what they can get now.

[kencar]

I think you are probably right Caley D it's probably a bit of both

Dods, Dargo & Morgan managed to play for us and live in the central belt :024:

[caley100]

  Selling one of your best to a rival is akin to suicide

We have been selling our best players to rivals for years....  and we are still here(and doing well)    some of them even come back....