More tall tales down Govania Way than an episode of Balamory

From the plethora of court cases to fantastical transfer stories to peddling claims of being Scotland's Premier Club, Rangers are the gift that keeps on giving.

The latest goings on at Rangers would give the writers of Balamory a run for their money. If they aren’t losing court battles with Mike Ashley, they are claiming to be Scotland’s Premier club or they are concocting fantastical transfer stories with the help of their poodles in the media.

Yesterday, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard declared that he would not be lured away from the club despite a reported £10 million package on the table from English Championship side Derby County - with the English side on the hunt for a potential successor to Frank Lampard who looks destined to become the new Chelsea manager.

Gerrard aware of Derby interest

According to several Scottish mainstream media outlets, Derby owner Mel Morris wanted a big-name replacement for Lampard and that Steven Gerrard topped his ‘hit-list’ - with a ‘carrot of a £2.5 m-a-year salary and £8 m bonus for promotion to the Premier League’.

Despite such interest in the Rangers manager, Gerrard was adamant he was going nowhere.

He said: “I’m aware of it [Derby’s interest], but there is nothing to say on it. I’m very happy. It’s a privilege to be Rangers manager and my focus is on the coming season.

“It’s very similar to when there’s noise around any of the players. I ask them to stay focused on the job and that’s what I’ll continue to do. There is nothing really to add to it.

“I’m delighted to be the Rangers manager. I’m not money-motivated, so that wouldn’t come into it when I make my decisions. I made my decision to come here to manage this club and this team. I’m really happy here.

“I really enjoyed my first year. Now my focus is on trying to take this team to the next level this season. That’s what I’m focused on.

“Nothing has changed in my mind. I came in here very ambitious and very hungry. Alongside my staff, we have done the best we could in the first 12 months.

“We are very proud and pleased with the progress so far, but we all realise that to finish off a job like this you have to bring success.

“Our ambitions and our focus has not changed. When I stopped playing and came out of an institution like Liverpool, there was a massive void in my life. I’m not going to lie, I missed playing. I missed being around that club.

“I had been around the club since the day I left school to play on a full-time basis. There was something missing in my life and Rangers brought the right fit and the right feel.

“I never took the decision lightly. It’s a privilege to be the manager here. That hasn’t changed and I’m really looking forward to season two.

“I don’t think it looks right if you go through lots of clubs. That wasn’t my way as a player and it’s not going to change my view as a manager.

“As a manager, how long do you stay around for if it’s not in your hands? Sometimes it is taken out of your hands. It’s very difficult to predict how many clubs I’m going to manage or coach in the future.

“All I can say is I am very happy and settled where I am. It will be even better to make this a success. The only way I can do that is on the pitch.”

Interest called out for what it was

Gerrard’s grandiose statement on remaining at Ibrox, was music to the ears of the Rangers support as they were bathed in platitudes from Dave ‘the glib and shameless liar’ King over selling the second biggest amount of season tickets in Scottish football this summer.

Sadly, the mainstream media and the PR gurus at Ibrox failed to take into account Derby County owner Mel Morris being asked about his pursuit of Gerrard, by Rangers fan and Talksport presenter Jim White. Sadly for White, the Scottish press pack and Rangers’ PR department - Morris brought the horde back down to reality with the truth that his pursuit of Gerrard was ‘absolute rubbish’.

So there was no approach for Rangers to reject. There was no interest that Gerrard said he was aware of. There was no bumper package deal worth a £2.5m salary and an £8m bonus for promotion to the Premier League, which the Daily Record gleefully told us yesterday..

Pseudologia Fantastica

This latest fantastical story about Gerrard, follows on from King’s claims of being Scotland’s Premier Club, which followed on from his forcing Mike Ashley into negotiating a better deal for the Ibrox side - despite having to pay £3 million to negotiate that new deal - which Rangers are now regularly going to court over after breaching their own deal.

Not to mention their claims that referee Willie Collum had an ulterior motive against Rangers for sending off Daniel Candeias last season against St.Mirren, that Celtic would fold like a deck of cards if Rangers win just one league title. And this is before we get round to the amazing multi-million pound bids that the mainstream media peddled and Rangers knocked back from unnamed Chinese clubs for their striker Alfredo Morelos - despite Gerrard later admiting that only one offer was ever tabled to the tune of £2.5 million.

There seems to be a real worrying trend of a Pseudologia Fantastica disorder down Govania way and among the Scottish mainstream media lapping up these stories.

Is there a doctor in the big house?