Many Rangers fans have been reacting on social media after BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton claimed Gers players must prepare themselves for pay cuts, unless the club thinks they are the richest in the world.
Clubs around Europe have begun deferring parts of their player’s salaries or putting non-playing staff on furlough, as they begin to adapt to the financial challenges arising from the coronavirus pandemic.
Norwich City became the third Premier League side to put their non-playing staff on the UK government’s job retention scheme on Tuesday, following Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in doing so.
FC Barcelona players, meanwhile, have agreed to slash their wage by 70% a week during the crisis to ensure all non-playing staff receive their full pay, while Juventus players and manager Maurizio Sarri have agreed to their pay being frozen for four months at an estimated saving of £80.7m for the Serie A outfit.
Rangers are yet to announce any similar measures being taken at Ibrox, but Sutton has noted in his column for the Daily Record that the Glasgow outfit must follow bitter rivals Celtic in preparing to protect themselves from a massive hit.
“Celtic are preparing for wage cuts as the first big step towards protecting themselves against a massive coronavirus hit,” Sutton noted. “Next thing we heard is that the SFA are doing the same. Surely Rangers have to follow suit shortly.
“Unless Dave King left a giant pit of money as big as the gaping hole in football’s finances as he walked out of the door, given what is happening around the globe at the moment, the Light Blues hierarchy have to be making a similar move.
“If they aren’t, they must be the richest club in Europe and we just didn’t know it.”
Here are some of the messages shared after Sutton’s comments saw many fans flock to social media to reply…
Free financial advice from Sutton.
Really is April 1st isn’t it 😆😆 pic.twitter.com/CoTVLqFiWE— 𝕽𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖗 (@BigRangersBear) April 1, 2020
Null and void chris,just like the season 😂
— Mick Gallagher (@MickGal86818982) April 1, 2020
Rent free in sutton’s head
— Woody (@kplloyalbear) April 1, 2020
Financial advisor Sutton, giving out free advice?? Now why didn’t we all reach out to him?? Rent free! he can not go through a day without a thought for our magnificent club. Begs the thought, did he want a move to us but we turned him down or a failed medical?? The pain 😂
— Daddy Bear (@theliftman07) April 1, 2020
What’s to say they haven’t? Just cause it’s not been made public doesn’t mean it’s not happened.
— Katie (@katiemcgowan200) April 1, 2020
Ah it’s April’s fools day so expect fools to be writing for a joke paper
— steve (@steveglasgo) April 1, 2020
Surely Rangers tell Chris what their plans are before anyone else, they’re on such good terms
— Colin Affleck (@AffleckColin) April 1, 2020
Helicopter Sunday haunts his every day. For a former Millionaire turned bankrupt I question his financial acumen to comment on this.
— Malcolm McCutcheon (@MalcolmMcCutch3) April 1, 2020
Doh ,we know ,we know
— Furloughed Fraggle 😷 (@1873Rickster) April 1, 2020
Chris Sutton really is obsessed with rangers 😂 😂
— PaulClarkson🏴 (@PaulC92572142) April 1, 2020
More financial advise from a man who went bankrupt. Fair play to Hollicom, that’s some puff piece.
— Chris McLaughlin (@Chr1sMcLaughlin) April 1, 2020
In other Rangers news, Steven Gerrard is ‘weighing up’ an approach to a 14-time international defender who is on course to leave his current side this summer.
It’s the 1st of April, it’s Chris Sutton Day.
Mutton is a cracker to give anybody money advice😂