MOJO in challenge to King on Ibrox cash injection
SAYSFORMEREX-STARMOJOHNSTON
MAURICE JOHNSTON last night threw down the gauntlet to Rangers chairman Dave King – and challenged him to put up or shut up over opening the Ibrox chequebook.
The Gers chairman has faced a barrage of flak from fans over claims he has reneged on promises to spend up to £30million on new players and club investment.
King has insisted £18m has already been spent on the club.
But former Ibrox star Johnston has warned that new manager Pedro Caixinha needs an urgent supply of funds if Rangers are to halt Celtic’s march towards 10 titles in a row.
And he said King should step aside and relinquish control of the club if he cannot fulfil his financial promises.
Johnston said: “If Rangers are going to have any chance of challenging Celtic, they need to spend the cash.
“The fans will never accept being second.”
RANGERS might need to look for a new owner if Dave King refuses to invest more money in the club – according to Maurice Johnston.
The ex-Ibrox star believes the chairman and major shareholder has to either cough up or move out if Celtic are ever to be caught.
Johnston, who played for both sides of the Old Firm, was singing from the same hymn sheet as Walter Smith and Ally McCoist, both of whom have recently argued that only money and lots of it could take Rangers back to the top.
King revealed on Monday he could face a bill close to £14m because a ruling stated he had to make an offer to buy shares in Rangers International Football Club PLC after it was decided the South African businessman acted with others to win boardroom control.
And if he doesn’t have the money or the will to put more into Rangers, then Johnston believes a change at the very top might be the only answer.
“I have no idea how you solve the money problem,” said Johnston, who has lived in North America for almost 20 years.
“It’s a really tough one. If Rangers are going to have any chance of challenging Celtic, they need to spend the cash.
“I know it’s not there right now but that’s what they need.
“I don’t think the supporters will ever accept being second. They will only accept Rangers winning the championship.
“The problem for Rangers is that Celtic are streets in front of them in terms of the finance side.
“If they get £30m from the Champions League or selling Moussa Dembele, for example, if someone is willing to pay it, then that takes them even further away.
“Maybe Rangers need a different owner. Perhaps that’s what has to happen. I don’t know much about the takeover which was in the papers on Monday.
However, what I would say is if the owner injects money into the club then things would be better.
“I don’t know King’s finances but if he puts more money in then things might improve. But I don’t think he’s going to do that.
“If this is the case, then they probably would need someone else to come in and invest their money.
“There aren’t a lot of people out there who would be able to do that. For me, it would have to be someone from China.
“I believe Pedro Caixinha will be fine. He has a good CV and did well at the clubs he’s worked at, which are all at a decent level.
“However, he needs money. I don’t think they have spent enough money since they [the board] took over.”
JOHNSTON was back in Glasgow to talk about the upcoming Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final but Celtic hardly got a mention except in passing when the Parkhead hero turned heretic was gushing in his approval of the job Brendan Rodgers had been doing.
To coin a phrase, it was all about the Rangers with Super Mo, who at least has some knowledge of the man whose task it is to make the blue half of Glasgow happy again.
Johnston has been based in the US for the best part of two decades now and watched with interest as Caixinha’s Santos Laguna, of Mexico, reached the final of CONCACAF Champions League in 2013, beating MLS teams Toronto, Houston Dynamo and Seattle on the way.
“He did really well at Santos and that’s a big club,” said Johnston.
“He won three trophies with them which isn’t bad. He also did fairly well with Nacional in Portugal.
“Look, he’s bringing a different perspective, a different mindset, so it will be interesting.
“The standard of Mexican football is pretty good. It’s similar to the MLS.
“Just look at the CONCACAF. America has three teams in it and Mexico has teams which have reached the semi-finals. Is it better than Scotland? Yes.
“One thing I will say about him is that he’ll bring in better players to Rangers through his contacts.”