Andrew Cavenagh has marked one year as Rangers chairman by acknowledging a string of costly mistakes that left the club trophy-less in third place.
The American owner and his partner Paraag Marathe swept into Ibrox exactly a year ago, backed by the San Francisco 49ers, generating enormous expectations among the support.
Despite spending £50million across two transfer windows, the new regime failed to deliver the results fans had anticipated from the outset.
Two brutal slumps at either end of the campaign left Rangers without silverware, while Celtic and Hearts were battling for the title 35 miles down the road.
Cavenagh has openly admitted to blunders including the appointments of Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, as well as failing to identify the right character traits in transfer targets.
The pharmaceutical tycoon confessed the role has consumed far more of his time than expected, to the detriment of his day job back in Pennsylvania.
Yet despite the turbulence, Cavenagh insists his commitment to the club has only grown stronger since arriving in Glasgow twelve months ago.
“No, is the answer,” he said emphatically when asked if he regretted getting involved. “This club gets into you at the molecular level. And once it’s done, you’re done.”
Cavenagh pointedly refused to describe the past year using the words “enjoy” or “fun,” saying the disappointing season made those words impossible to justify.
“I don’t ever want to use the words ‘enjoy’ or ‘fun’ because you can’t have a season like we’ve had and use those words,” he said. “But the challenge is something I relish and Paraag relishes with the rest of us.”
He added that Rangers occupies 150 percent of his thoughts, and that the disappointment of the campaign has served only to sharpen the group’s collective motivation heading into next season.
The signing of Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland has been identified as the first step in an influx of leaders the chairman says is coming this summer.
However, many supporters remain frustrated that Shankland, who was available on a free transfer last summer, was not recruited sooner.
Cavenagh acknowledged the scale of the cultural work still required, saying: “We have made changes to culture, but there are many hard yards still to do. We need to get everybody in the club with a winning mentality.”
He was candid about what the past year had revealed regarding squad construction, stating: “This season has been eye-opening and we have great clarity on what we need to do this summer.”
Cavenagh insisted that improving the squad means more than simply acquiring talent, repeatedly returning to what he called his key words: mentality, chemistry, leadership and experience.
The chairman also made a point of facing supporters directly, including walking the pitch at Falkirk Stadium on the final day of the season to meet the away end.
“My conversations with our supporters, I’ve really come to enjoy,” he said, adding that common ground exists between the board and fans around the shared ambition to win the league.
He was blunt about the bottom line: “For us, success is winning the league. And we didn’t succeed. Period.”
“You can’t sprinkle pixy dust and guarantee yourself a title,” Cavenagh said. “It’s hard work. It’s investment. And we’re prepared to do both.”
About the Author
