We’ve seen the reports over the last 24 hours ‘confirming’ Jon McLaughlin and Scott Wright are to leave Rangers, and forgive our lack of surprise that something we said ages ago is indeed happening as usual.
Scott Wright we have nothing against, he’s an honest lad who fell deeply short of first-team material at Ibrox, but he had his moment in the sun v Hearts last May in winning the Scottish Cup Final so he leaves with his head high. He simply isn’t good enough to play for Rangers and Michael Beale identified that very quickly, pretty much entirely dropping him.
A decent wee squad player, with a bit of pace, and who showed some surprising quality in the Champions League when he had the chance. Surprisingly shone a bit v Napoli in Italy.
McLaughlin though, well, this is good riddance. We’ve obviously been saying for months, borderline years that the signing of him was a farce, only for ex-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst to absolutely absurdly install him as first choice goalie.
McLaughlin couldn’t believe his luck, a loser goalie more versed with lower League One in England finds himself first choice in the ****ing Champions League?!
It was one of the most ridiculous decisions in the history of Rangers FC, and we don’t say that lightly. We opposed it aggressively, while comically the majority of fans at the time completely supported it suggesting he was a top goalie and he’d earned his chance. This rather infuriated us, we admit that.
He showed how absolutely garbage he was not just against Celtic, not just in the Champions League, but in every match he’s ever played. He was hilariously given credit for Ryan Jack’s work back in 55 when Jacko’s defensive brilliance meant Rangers had clean sheets all over the place, including covering James Tavernier too.
Based on that, fans falsely exalted McLaughlin, who is, incidentally, as bad as Simonsen, Bell, and you name it, the worst of our goalies in the past. McLaughlin was a 2012-level goalie playing for Rangers in the Champions League, which remains one of the biggest embarrassments in the club’s history.
We’re not blaming this tragic season on a goalie, but three appalling decisions didn’t help: signing him, extending his deal, then actually promoting him to first choice.
Michael Beale does not escape criticism here either – he was the one who decided to defend McLaughlin by suggesting the narrative around him was false, unfair, and he was a top goalie, and that he would be equal choice with McGregor at the very least.
Now, we admit McGregor these days is no better – Rangers should have signed a stopper or two last summer or in January.
But we love McGregor, and he’s earned the right to have an off-season or two at this stage in his life. For all he’s given us, he’s definitely got the insignia to prove it.
But McLaughlin, chosen ahead of Siegrist and Ozer, to name just two, hasn’t an ounce of credibility to his name.
Before we summarise this, we should point out we don’t hate the man, Jon McLaughlin we’re sure is a good chap and we’ve not a bad word to say about him as a person.
But as a goalie, and the privilege he’s enjoyed at Ibrox without earning it, without being a tenth good enough for the shirt, we cannot wait to see him leave.