Hallmarks of an Effective Soccer CEO or Chairman

The most effective executives in the world are generally rated on a few criteria:

They can inspire innovative new revenue or product lines (Steve Jobs, Apple)
They aggressively defend their products in the media and in the marketplace (Bill Gates, Microsoft)
They keep shareholders up to date when the company stumbles or makes a significant error (Willie Walsh, British Airways)
They embody values which attract other leaders and investors (Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway)

I have been arguing for years that Sir David Murray falls short on all of these fronts—and not just at Rangers.

He is not innovative with the club. Tapping the expat market—our NARSA conferences are run by very committed fans but the support from Rangers and JJB has been poor.

Tapping the global market—we could have used our huge advantage during nine in a row to tap into the then emerging Asian economies, we've likely missed the best chances there even if we do return to form.

Tapping the electronic era—our club website requires you to log in to reach most content and by the time stories are posted there, the mainstream media, never mind the forums, are light years ahead.

He does not defend our key product; the club. A small number of arrests are allowed to cast a pall over our Manchester final and he sides with the critics. Fans are arrested for carrying the Union Flag—he's silent.

The club is fined over the use of a word which is allegedly sectarian—he does nothing. Our players' cars are attacked—he says nothing. A player is issued death threats—no public statement.

Not content with letting our revenue sources stagnate and our club be maligned, he then expects fans to buy shares but act like silent partners. How many chairman would sit back while their company's finances are the subject of debate in the press. A simple statement stating that the club is solvent but looking to reduce overhead and rebuild would at least put a brave face on things.

Quite what Murray stands for is unclear. The highs of 9IAR are balanced by the lows of the fallout from that run. Despite over a decade of dominance, we were quickly caught and passed by Celtic on the field and off it.

Its not whether Kris Boyd goes or doesn't go that worries me, just as it wasn't going out to Kaunas that worried me or Paul Le Guen arriving, being overruled and leaving that worried me.

These difficult episodes could be overlooked if there was a positive background to it all. But there isn't.