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McCoist claims Edu, Bedoya are on the outs from Rangers

Bedoya (Reuters Pictures)

It appears that Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya's days at Rangers are coming to a close.

With the embattled club set for a League Cup battle against East Fife Tuesday, Edu and Bedoya won't be part of the festivities, with Rangers manager Ally McCoist leaving both players out of the squad for the match, claiming that they both are leaving the club.

That Edu and Bedoya would wind up elsewhere after everything the Scottish club has endured in recent months is not a stunning development, but McCoist's comments about the American contingent at Rangers are his first specific and directed ones since the club was demoted to Scotland's fourth tier. 

"Edu and Bedoya are not in the squad due to the fact that they want to leave," McCoist said on Rangers' official website. "I have thanked all the players for coming back. We have lost 23 players since January and a lot of them chose not to come back to the club. You will have to ask them why they didn’t come back and allow the club to get transfer fees.

“I am not daft enough to think that a few of those who came back will still leave. All I have asked them is that if they are going to do that could they do it as quickly as possible in the respect of the club and the team moving forward.”

Edu has been linked to various clubs in Turkey, Spain and France, but nothing has materialized as of yet. Bedoya, meanwhile, was nearing a deal with Helsingborg in Sweden, according to Swedish reports, but that has yet to come to fruition, either.

The third American at Rangers, Carlos Bocanegra, was not among the players referred to by McCoist in his comments, and recent Scottish reports have offered speculation about the U.S. captain's future, with The Evening Times reporting last week that he may wind up staying in Glasgow despite the club's current standing. Bocanegra captained the team in its first match as a new company on July 29, a 2-1 victory over Brechin in the Ramsdens Cup. 

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What do you think of this development? Relieved that Edu and Bedoya appear to be getting out of that situation? What would you think if Bocanegra stayed at the club?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Saying “DeMerit is faster” is like saying Torres is taller than Adu.

    And I say that as one of Jay DeMerit’s biggest fans.

    Reply
  2. “No way?” Because who will take his place? Cameron who may or may not be actually playing for Stoke once he gets a work permit? Gooch who can’t stop a USL forward? Ream in the Championship? It’s bad enough you start hearing DeMerit rumors and whatnot. You’re indifferent to the wilderness that is our backline, which struggled in the first qualifiers.

    Don’t get me wrong, it wouldn’t launch his career, but he’s 30+ and we’ve used people barely getting PT before, I can’t believe getting games anywhere actually hurts.

    I see it as more of a worrisome situation in terms of our overall roster than I see it as dire as you suggest.

    If you just want to ignore the potential Rangers transfers him out, as I suggested, that’s your business, just don’t call me “daft” when you do so.

    Reply
  3. I just don’t see Boca starting for the USMNT if he stays on with Rangers. I would rate Demeritt higher than him anyway. Demeritt is faster, a better pure defender, and is actually a better distributor of the ball. Boca is better in the air slightly and they are both even on leadership quality’s. Personally I would love to see a Demeritt/Cameron pairing going FWD while bringning in Hines, Ream, Gonzo, John and possibly Brooks in this next year.

    I don’t think Klinsmann will be calling in Edu for this up coming friendly.

    Reply
  4. Well if he’s that concerned about money, that’s his personal choice but he won’t be getting any USMNT callups from Klinsmann.

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  5. Are you daft? There’s no way Boca will get callups playing in the 4th level of Scottish football. The level of competition is so low that it just wouldn’t make sense because his skills would not be at their peak.

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  6. i was wondering the same thing, do they make the US-MEX roster? id say there is more to lose than to gain in a friendly in Mexico City…

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  7. Oh, it is so noble of Ally to think about the greater good of the club and wonder why the players might think differently. The club did not get relegated because the players screwed up. If I am a player, I have to ask myself, do I get a better chance to get signed by a new club if my new club has to pay a transfer fee to the Rangers or if my new club can get me without paying the transfer fee? And the answer is obvious to everyone, but Ally.

    Reply
  8. 1. He could make that money outside of the Scottish FOURTH decision.
    2. Fine, if he wants to money and to play in a pub league, thanks for your service to the USMNT but we will have to look elsewhere.
    3. It’s still a slap in the face to MLS.
    4. Playing in the Scottish 4th division is NEVER the right decision. EVER.

    Reply
  9. seriously, if Boca stays, i don’t want to see him in a USMNT kit. that’s absolutely ridiculous and a slap in the face to MLS.

    and Edu/Bedoya need to hurry up and sign. same with Dempsey. i’m really not happy with this transfer window as a whole.

    Reply
  10. Edu needs to move. Valencia is the biggest team after him. He’d get much more dough and be on a CL side but he will have to compete hourly for the team. The French/Turkish teams listed, he could start for them. If I were him I’d head to France and get this done before the weekend.

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  11. Good point. The max he would get is less than 400 K. But if he would transfer to even Denmark he’d get that amount right off the bat. He needs to head to Portugal or France, he’d get double that easily

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  12. There must be some decent teams in the top 6 leagues that need a veteran centerback. If not I’m sure he’d get lots of looks in Holland or Turkey

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  13. McCoist DID thank them. He’s just not featuring them because they have indicated that they want out. Get ir right Kimo.

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  14. I remember the Edu to Valencia rumors in early July, and some posters here were openly skeptical and calling them ridiculous. Although surprised, I was more open-minded, but I think now the skeptics were right and that the Valencia rumor probably was bogus and possibly started by some hack in Scotland who heard that Valenciennes (in France) was interested and incorrectly assumed Valencia (in Spain). The news story linked below weeks after the initial Valencia rumor says “Maurice Edu has been linked with Valenciennes and Valencia…” Yeah? Both teams? Sorry, don’t buy it.

    http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/335095

    All that said, I find it worrisome that Edu, Boca and Bedoya at this late date have not yet found new teams. A couple of weeks ago I thought maybe they were just being choosy, but now I am not so sure. Ditto for Clint Dempsey, with news reports out today that he is training alone at Fulham. I am wondering whether Klinsmann will call those guys in for the Mexico friendly if they are still in limbo. An injury would make a transfer much more difficult.

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  15. LOL…McCoist didn’t thank Edu and Bedoya for staying on after they played on 75% reduced wages for the 2nd half of the season. Sod off McCoist!!!

    Reply
  16. “..so that he can bring in fresh stars”

    Best line from the linked article. I am sure stars the world over are lining up to play for Rangers as they traverse the frozen tundra of Scotland playing it front of 100 to 500 seated fans a game this year on their travels.

    Reply
  17. That’s not what he’s saying. He’s talking about players who bolted at the first opportunity rather than come back to honor their contracts long enough so that Rangers could get a transfer fee.

    He’s not blaming them for leaving, just that they could have helped out the club’s financial situation by coming back for another week or so.

    Reply
  18. Amen, I’d have done SOMETHING by now. Not like there was a summer tournament to distract them, we had the friendlies then the qualis and then it’s been a quiet summer.

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  19. Dude, you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s a registration embargo (“transfer-in”) not a transfer-out ban. After September 1 they can’t SIGN O-18s for a year. Nothing about selling them.

    Now, if you wanted to say something bright you’d argue the “transfer-in” ban makes it more difficult to practically transfer out because you can’t buy replacements. But go on

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  20. Well not if Boca signs a short term contract, e.g., 6 months – 1 yr, then he can move freely outside the transfer window.

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  21. A lot of the posters here are clueless about Bocanegra. He is 33, and might have at best 2 – 3 more years playing pro ball. He’s probably making at least 2x what he would get in MLS.

    If he goes to MLS, might get 300k total for next 2 years. Stay with Rangers with get 600k+
    total.

    What you do ??? Boca is making the right decision.

    Reply
  22. And another thing about the transfer ban…If Rangers players don’t move on by September 1st, the soonest they can transfer out is January 1st, 2014.

    Now that’s a long time to be playing pub league ball regardless of how little you think we have on the back line – someone will emerge to take his spot in that interval.

    Reply
  23. Dude, the one year transfer ban is in effect as of Sept. 1st

    Not saying a transfer can’t happen, but the clock is ticking and Boca has been coy on the topic of moving on from Rangers, even saying no to MLS and that he is open to staying with NewCo.

    Now our backline isn’t screaming depth, but it isn’t screaming pub league quality either. I’d say the same thing if Boca were to come to MLS and play solely in the reserves league. You need to play quality competition to even have a hope of being competitive at the international level and you’re fooling yourself if you think the 3rd tier of Scottish football can provide that. You’re also naive if you think staying won’t hurt his standing with the Nats in the long run.

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  24. hmmm idk why these moves havent been completed yet… These players have awful agents… Bedoya to swiss austrian belgian dutch league boca edu to a big five league… I mean edu/boca cant play at norwich city or a wigan cmon

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  25. Uh, Ally–it’s probably because your club went bankrupt and was dropped to the fourth division. I don’t think we need to ask the players why they want to leave.

    Reply
  26. Why in hell would he stay? Come back to MLS at least, you were playing in a lesser league already but at least had a shot at some UCL games until now. No reason to stay at Rangers unless you are a Scot.

    Reply
  27. Because the USMNT screams “backline depth” donn’it?

    Also worth pointing out that McCoist’s own comments about sliding over to NewCo to allow it to transfer you on, suggest you might very well not stay put. Now, I don’t blame the players for keeping their own fate in their hands after the Rangers debacle and their own pay failures and pay cuts, but, “he’s done” is hyperbole.

    Reply
  28. wow, just do it already!!! the season has started or is about to start in most leagues across Europe.

    if Boca stays, until January, does he keep the US armband? interesting to see his form after running with the scottish 4th division for a bit…

    Reply

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