Are Rangers ready to Progres?

If you will forgive the pun, it is a serious question. This site was derided for being a little sceptical following the disappointing draw with Wales’ The New Saints, and yesterday’s follow up 0-0 against St Johnstone has done little to reassure us.

With less than a week to go till the first competitive match under Pedro Caixinha of the new season, eight players have now been officially confirmed as signed up on the dotted line. No one is doing anything other than praising the manager and the board for such swift action in bringing such a significant number in, given how poor the current squad was, but are we actually ready for European action?

There is a feelgood aura in the air, as well there should – the retail side of things has been solved, Ashley is reportedly selling his shares, there is no legal action against the club any more it appears, and Rangers have signed up eight players while getting rid of Joe Garner.

But that has surely to be tempered a little by the disappointing results in pre-season, which do not indicate things are clicking on the pitch. Not yet anyway. Fans say it is all about fitness at this point, and not to read too much into these results. Pretty sure we said the same about last summer when Sean Dyche’s Burnley tonked us at Ibrox.

We had a glut of new players available for yesterday’s clash with Tommy Wright’s men but only three of them actually started the match. Indeed the XI was pretty much as we were, albeit two more signings came on at the 70th minute.

And one really has to suspect the side which takes the field on Thursday will be much the same. Naturally the opponents are statistically speaking the 10th worst team in all European competitions next season. Yes, they are literally 10 from bottom and have only scored once in 12 matches against continental opponents.

Even a Rangers reserves side should pummel them. And so, if all is pure and holy, Rangers should stroll Thursday’s match with room to spare.

But God help us if they do not.

This article is not meant as negative, nor is it trying to be a Fifth Column, it is simply calling a spade a spade and hoping a frankly rubbish pre-season on the pitch is not any indication of what we can expect once the serious action starts.