Keith Wyness blasts Rangers chief after what he said to fans
Rangers chief executive Jim Gillespie deserves criticism for some of his comments at the club's recent AGM.
That is according to former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that it is a "very rocky" situation at Ibrox at the moment.
Gillespie hit the headlines after last week's AGM by comparing new manager Derek McInnes to Jurgen Klopp, with the comparison raising eyebrows across Scottish football.
Wyness believes that the boardroom man has a lot to answer for at the moment, and feels that the fans could potentially turn on him later down the line.
Rangers secured their first win under McInnes with a 5-1 drubbing of St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup on Sunday, having previously gone winless in their first four competitive games.
That included their exit from Europa League qualifying at the hands of Jagiellonia Bialystok, a defeat that will have cost them plenty in terms of revenue.
Rangers fans 'understanding' of rebuild
Aberdeen's former chief Wyness - who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004 and now runs a consultancy business advising elite clubs - believes that Rangers fans are "understanding" of the rebuild that the club is going through at the moment.
He made it clear that the AGM was "harmonious" last week, but does not necessarily expect that feeling to continue if results don't pick up.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, he was quick to point the finger at Gillespie.
"The AGM was reasonably harmonious; I did see a lot of the fan reaction and listened to a lot of the voice pops from some of the fans," Wyness said.
"They're sort of understanding that the rebuild is happening and that the group is working hard on the rebuild. Although I think the new chief executive, Jim Gillespie, didn't cover himself in glory with some of his comments.
"Nevertheless, overall, it does seem that the Rangers fan base is reasonably understanding at the moment, even though the start has been very rocky for McInnes."
Keith Wyness in no doubt over Rangers ticket plan
Wyness told Football Insider earlier this week that Celtic are likely to reciprocate Rangers' plan for a 2,500 Old Firm away allocation for Scottish Premiership games.
Chairman Andrew Cavenagh outlined that as the maximum workable allocation at the recent AGM, after crowd issues on several occasions last season.
Wyness indicated that there is scope for the numbers to be increased, but only if good behaviour is shown on a consistent basis.
He was also clear that he does not expect the fans' attitudes to change at all, given how long the issues have been prevalent across both sides of the Old Firm.