Latest Ibrox development suggests Steven Gerrard may have made a mistake…

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Latest Ibrox development suggests Steven Gerrard may have made a mistake…


With Jake Hastie’s omission for Thursday’s UEL third round qualifier confirmed, and the winger’s absence from the match-day squad for the season opener yesterday, it does start to suggest that our questions over this signing were entirely valid after all.

While not hopeless, Hastie has struggled to settle, and being axed for both the UEL second round, third round, and the SPL curtain-raiser is a damning indictment of both his inability to apparently fit in, and Gerrard’s decision to bring him in.

This isn’t an 18-year old, this is an experienced 20-year old SPL performer who excelled at Fir Park statistically, but who Ibrox Noise warned against the signing of when he looked hopeless for the visit of his prospective team and where team mate David Turnbull stood out infinitely more.

With his failure even to get on the bench for 5 of the 7 competitive fixtures of the season so far, questions must be asked why he’s even at Ibrox.

As we say, he’s not a kid – he’s not ‘one for the future’ – and the official channels suggested some weeks ago that he would be getting a full chance in our colours.

Yet, here we are deep into August and so far he already looks like the forgotten man of the summer.

It’s certainly not an age issue – Sheyi Ojo is only marginally older while George Edmundson is too. And both of these two, rightly or wrongly, have been regulars. But Hastie has been immediately cast out.

Ojo hasn’t impressed since that early flurry of bright displays in meaningless matches, while the only other two options for the right are the failed Eros Grezda and Scott Arfield, who may or may not be ideally suited to that slot.

And for Hastie to not even be considered instead is a pretty horrendous omen for him.

We really questioned this signing, more than most. We stand by that. We don’t even dislike him, and could see reasonable signs of ability during some of the pre-season friendlies – but it hardly proved he was good enough for us, period, and Steven Gerrard has seen fit to omit him from most of the competitive action so far this campaign.

Barry Ferguson might have suggested Hastie shouldn’t join Rangers – we’d think in the opposite terms; that we shouldn’t have bothered signing him.

We just don’t know what he adds that we didn’t already have.

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14 COMMENTS

  1. This isn't an 18 year old. He's a 20 year old? Aye, you're right on the money… times running out for him in his career to be ommited from the last two Europa League squads. 🙄

  2. I admit he looked like hes feeling the pressure but he worked really hard in the little game time ive seen him. Lets remember Davis looked mince and defoe was classed as a "failed experiment" before they both found their feet. The lad needs time, and going on Gerrards comments about Kent being nervius when he arrived it seems he's well aware this can happen so maybe hes letting the lad get acclimatised. Too much pressure in a must win game at rugby park. And playing in front of besrs and well fans is night and day

  3. I have never understood negative support for players who have not had time to adjust to our club if we all had the same attitude M,H would have played no more than one game for us

    • Spot on, Rangers supporters are the worlds worst for putting their own players down,have been for years.

  4. Early days but it worried me that he didn't really do much in the first half of the season at Alloa. Certainly not enough to attract the attention of any SPL club never mind Rangers. I hope he proves us wrong and he still is only 20 but it's hard to see where and when he will get a game. Could still be loaned out.

  5. There isn't a mistake in signing Any young domestic player who's stood out in the league when it costs us zero. His wages will be buttons and he showed promise. What if Celtic signed him and he turned out to be a fantastic young player and sold on for £4+million? You'd be moaning for another reason. Ryan Christie, Stewart Armstrong, Scott Mckenna Our own Greg Docherty, Jamie Murphy(when youngster at Motherwell) and loads of other young Scottish players have and/or will make their clubs money if business is done right. We have taken a young Scots who looked fantastic last season, we didn't pay and we have everything in place to give him the opportunity to improve, such as better facilities, players, coaches etc and with a bit of luck he'll get even better, Do us a turn and sell on for profit, covering any wages we've ever spent on him. If not then so be it…it's a gamble worth taking and one she would be taking more of in my book.

    • Agreed. He was one of the SPLs brightest lights last season and we have to take a gamble on young players like him.

  6. I would have been astonished if he was getting much first team action at this stage. He is so inexperienced in playing top level football, 17 games only in the SPL for Motherwell. He has looked well out of his depth in the games he has played for Rangers, don't know whether that is through lack of ability or just overawed.

    Presumably Gerrard sees potential in him for the future, which is what I always perceived as the reason for signing him. With the right coaching and development hopefully he will become a top player over the next few seasons. For a guy who cost us nothing, if we can develop him into becoming a good player then that is a great piece of business by Rangers.

  7. I think young Hastie may come good especially in SPFL games he knows this level and what it takes. This is a massive step up for him to move in these circles with Defoe Davis Arfield etc. Also Steven Gerrard let's give the boy a chance and see how he gets on if he doesn't cut it then at least we tried with him for no real outlay let's put that against Penna etc …!!!!

  8. I think if we had to pay a fee for Hastie he wouldn’t be here, he was purchased based on decent performances in a few short months in the SPL and on his continuing potential, unfortunately we have another loan signing in Ojo that will restrict game time due to having to play, and I believe the same reason we lost Candeias, which I believe was a mistake, but that’s another debate. Essentially in an ideal world Hastie would’ve had a another season with Motherwell to fully assess him over a season before his contract expired, so far it’s not working and that right hand which was arguably a strong position may turn out to be a problem position like the left hand side has been since we came back up

  9. I wasn't a great fan of Hastie coming at all. I didn't think he could offer any more we already had. That said, I think Hastie would have had a far better and effective game against Kilmarnock than Ojo did, he was utterly lost on Sunday!

  10. The guy has alot of competition to get a run and Gerrard has said about rotation. Personally rotation is fine if your a top player but the young blood need game time. Can't give them confidence on the fringe. Hate to say it but look at the difference in christy from the manky mob

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