Is this ‘goodbye’ to Rangers’ fan favourite?

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Is this ‘goodbye’ to Rangers’ fan favourite?


We must admit we’re more than a spot disappointed at Ross McCrorie’s relegation to Portsmouth. Let’s face it, Rangers to League One is genuinely a huge downgrade, and while it gave Greg Docherty a new lease of life and development in a new position, Docherty was loaned out because Gerrard viewed him as surplus and not ready for his Rangers team.

That, given the dozen of appearances Ross McCrorie has made at age 22 for the Famous, surely doesn’t apply to him.

Which is not us saying we’re outright bitter about this move – let’s face it, the post-split Rangers last season was exceptional, and appears to be starting pre-season in much the same manner – so few can argue with any decision Gerrard takes from here on in.

But we find the loan for McCrorie, if not outright ‘insulting’, then a bit puzzling.

McCrorie has 55 appearances for Rangers, and has bloomed since moving into midfield. While he’s a ‘different’ player to Glen Kamara and Steven Davis, Rangers are barely any weaker for his being in the side, and all three offer something different.

We guess the issue we have is exactly what is McCrorie going to achieve at Portsmouth at 22? What is he going to learn for life at Ibrox that he hasn’t already?

Ultimately, what we’re saying is, if McCrorie isn’t part of Stevie’s plans this season (his direct competition is 23 and 34), he probably isn’t part of them at all, and why don’t Rangers just sell him now – Portsmouth do want an option to buy, a ‘try before you buy’, so we suspect the move will become permanent.

We’re not exactly bitter, and we’re certainly not demanding McCrorie is the first name on the team sheet, not with the results and performances the way they are. We also suggested McCrorie would indeed be going out on loan, something Gerrard strongly hinted at anyway.

But to Portsmouth on loan? We can understand a Sheyi Ojo, a Ryan Kent, a Joe Worrall etc coming to Ibrox to get serious big team and senior football experience, but what on earth can a lad who’s been in the Rangers first team for four years possibly learn down there that will prepare him Rangers?

We just don’t get the impression Gerrard wants McCrorie, and while he’s absolutely right to thin the herd at Ibrox, we feel young Ross would have been better off sold (to Portsmouth or anyone else) and starting anew.

The only contingency is that Stevie knows Kamara will be a serious target for sale in the future, if he continues to develop as he has – and wants a ready-made replacement match fit to come back in.

McCrorie is a team player and will do what it takes for his club. If Steven Gerrard thinks his going out on loan is the best thing for Rangers, that is what McCrorie has done.

We just wonder if we really will ever see McCrorie become the midfield fulcrum in our colours we believe he could be. Especially given the purchase clause Pompey are looking for.

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17 COMMENTS

  1. So playing a dozen games spread out over the season for Rangers make you too good for Portsmouth and league one?How many games had Docherty played for Rangers before being sent to league 1? How many more top flight games had Docherty played in Scotland compared to Mcrorie before being sent to league one? Aren't they similar ages and weren't you just telling us in two different articles how Docherty has been sensational in league one and will now cause Gerrard a real headache picking between Docherty and Aribo another league one player for a slot in the Rangers first team? Tad hypocritical..

    I see your point about just selling him but surely it's worth waiting to see how he turns out after playing a whole season down South rather than just cutting him loose?. After all League 1 is a level we are only too happy to shop in. If Mcrorie has a stand out season at Portsmouth and is still not even 23 then he will be much more valuable and experienced when he comes back to Rangers Or he will be much more valuable for selling having put himself in the shop window so it's a win win for Rangers. His alternative is sitting around twiddling his thumbs on the bench waiting for injuries or suspensions before he can get a run in the team. Besides Gerrard clearly thinks League 1 is a standard good enough for Rangers first team or he wouldn't have signed Aribo and he certainly wouldn't have signed Edmunson from League 2.

  2. Don't agree. I think, as you say, Ross has done his learning and developing. What he needs now is games, 30+ starts a season.
    He won't get that at Ibrox, and probably not in English Championship. So options are League 1 or SPL. Portsmouth at a higher level than Shrewsbury.
    Where I agree with you is Kamara may be sold and so we need Ross battle hardened with lots of games by then.
    No way there should be a purchase option, he should not be for sale. This loan us for club and player benefit, not Portsmouth.

    • I don't agree that it is insulting or puzzling, which you stated in paragraph 4. He needs games, won't be guaranteed that in English Championship, so League 1 guarantees it. Not an insult, for the same reason.
      You also ask why not just sell him? For the same reasons – he will hopefully come back next season stronger, Davis may retire, Kamara may be sold, so having McCrorie with another season's hard experience benefits us.

    • Not sure a player with 4 seasons of Rangers experience in front of 50K will benefit much from League One and their modest stadium/crowds but there you go. Incidentally, we didn't say it was insulting?

    • "But we find the loan for McCrorie, if not outright ‘insulting’, then a bit puzzling" paragraph 4.
      I took that to be an implication that you found it puzzling, if not "outright insulting"

  3. With the number and quality of midfielders we have now, McCrorie was unlikely to get many games. So he is better off playing regular games somewhere. It will be interesting to see whether Rangers will agree to a purchase clause, that will certainly give us a big clue as to whether or not Rangers see him as a potential first team player at Ibrox.

  4. McCrorie is a Ranger through and through . I think we are over analysing this a little he is an excellent member of the squad but lacks that little bit of finesse ala Davis Kamara and will struggle to get too many games this season . It will do him no harm to go out on loan and experience a different level yes lower standard but he is young and has been in the Ibrox Cacoon for a long while. I support the loan and wish him well and hopefully see him again at Ibrox .

  5. Your article contradicts itself , you think he is good enough to play for us so he shouldn`t be loaned but we should just sell him instead.Like you. I rate young Ross but if he and the manager think that regular football rather than filling in , is best then he should go on loan .Pompey will be challenging so it will be a better loan than Docherty had last season.Hopefully it is until Christmas then he can come back for the second half of the season if needed .By the way same applies to Middleton , these guys need to play every week.

    • Far from it – we said he's good enough but we can't argue with him not being selected if the team wins. There's no contradiction, just a resigned acceptance that our favourite players don't always play. As long as it's for the good of the team.

  6. I kind of see your point IN but the truth is there are too many players in front of McCrorie and sending him out on loan makes sense. I still think, and hope, he can have a future with Rangers but it may take a season playing 30-40 games elsewhere to push him on as a player. It seems widely accepted that Docherty has come back a better player so why not McCrorie. Personally I would've preferred it was a SPL club.
    I also would like to see him getting those games as a centre half. He has all the attributes to be a great centre half for Rangers. He just needs some experience to iron out the weaknesses in that position.

  7. It's being widely reported that Portsmouth have an option to buy which is very disappointing as I consider McCrorie a valuable asset. At this time we don't know what the buy option is but I can't imagine it'll be a huge sum given that it's a lower league English team.
    I'm fed up with us getting nailed to the wall for players we sign then give our assets away for next to nothing or nothing. Look what happened to Alves and Cardozo after WE paid THEM to leave. Even our so called "deadwood" has some value if we did our business properly. Surely we could get modest fees for guys like Holt, Rossiter and Hodson with bigger fees for Dorrans and Lafferty. But I suspect we'll do our usual and give them away for nothing, or worse still pay them up to leave. Jeez even Pena and Herrera must've had some value. They were both full Mexican internationals.

  8. Yep it is indeed basic maths. How many did he play under Gerrard? And in a new position? Did he even start a dozen games in midfield? The point is Doherty had started as many games for Rangers as McCrorie has for Gerrard in midfield and he also has more top flight experience so if he can go down to league one and improve then why can't Mcrorie?. You said Doherty has improved in league one adding goals and assists to his game. I'm simply asking why Doherty at the same age and roughly same amount of starts for Gers in the midfield can go to League one and learn more and come back a better player and one you think is now good enough to challenge for a first team spot but for Mcrorie it's a step down? Wouldn't he learn more and improve playing for Portsmouth on loan than sitting on the bench at Ibrox? And wouldn't it benefit us either way if we got a better player back or sold him for more than we would if he's not playing much football and showing what he can offer?

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