Sunday 12 February 2017 00:05, UK
Rangers chairman Dave King has claimed that Mark Warburton viewed the Ibrox side as a “stepping-stone”, following his departure from the club.
Sky sources understand that a representative made a request to release the three from their contracts on Wednesday due to interest in Warburton from Nottingham Forest, with sources also understanding the request was reversed on Thursday.
King has now released a statement in which he has moved to address a number of points, which include giving reassurances on investment in the playing squad.
However, he has also outlined the board's view on the departure of Warburton and suggested problems started following a leak to the media from a confidential review into the side's recruitment plan and performance between board members and management.
"Ahead of the board meeting at the end of January, I advised the manager that the board wished to review our recruitment plan and performance over the previous two windows," King said in a statement.
"This was a routine request and was timely given the concerns that everyone at the club has with regard to the high level of wages we were paying relative to the performance on the pitch. In particular, a large portion of our wage bill was not even seeing regular playing time.
"Under normal circumstances such a review would remain confidential. However, in this instance, your board's routine questioning of management was leaked to the media and conveyed as being a negative reflection of the board's attitude to the manager and the recruitment department. It was confirmed to me that the leak did not come from a board member.
"Irrespective of who leaked confidential information, it is clear from subsequent media comments that the manager did not respond well to the board reviewing his recruitment activity. This is a strange position to adopt and, in my personal experience, is not a position that a more experienced manager would adopt. No manager in the world can reasonably expect to be beyond scrutiny."
The statement continued: "Things moved quickly from that point. There were rumours that the management team (presumably their agent) was negotiating with English clubs and, in one instance, I was informally approached to ask if the club would waive compensation if the management team was to leave.
"While this was unsubstantiated by direct confirmation from the club in question, I was alert to a conversation that Mark Warburton had with me after joining the club in which he advised me that his long-term ambition was to manage in the English Premier League and he viewed Rangers as a stepping-stone to achieve this.
"His comments to the media simultaneously reinforced his present unhappiness at the club."
King said he was "not surprised" when the management team's representative approached Rangers' managing director Stewart Robertson to offer their resignations "without compensation", as long as the club agreed to waive recompense from any new side they moved to.
The statement added: "While we were dealing with the admin and press releases relating to the resignation the agent again contacted us and asked to defer the resignation until the management had secured a new club.
"I assume that the new deal had somehow collapsed at the last minute. The board met to consider this request but resolved to hold them to the original agreement.
"We are now in the process of reviewing the best interim and long-term solution for ensuring that a modern and robust footballing structure is put in place that will continue with and entrench the footballing philosophy that we have in place.
"We also must protect and support the marvellous work that has been achieved by the academy over the last two years."
