The appointment of Danny Röhl has sparked an element of excitement among the Ibrox faithful, as we appear to have a hungry and exciting coach with a real vision and appreciation of the fans. However, the disastrous appointment of Russel Martin, which every fan spotted a mile away, and an outrageously poor transfer policy have given the new manager an uphill climb before he even gets going.
A woeful start to the league, Sunday’s cup exit, and sub-par European performances have left Rangers with little to fight for apart from the Scottish FA Cup. The top 5 betting apps have the team as around 7/2 second favourite behind Celtic, but the season already feels over.
While this will remove some pressure from Röhl as he settles in, the fact that so much money was spent over the Summer, with the result being a weakened team, changes should be forthcoming in higher positions from those responsible.
Kevin Thelwell is the latest in a long line of those in charge of Rangers’ finances and important decisions who behave like he’s playing Football Manager rather than dealing with an actual football club. One of the biggest controversies was the decision to spend a reported £8 million, which could rise to £10 million, on Youssef Chermiti.
At just 21, it is a shame that he will be under such scrutiny, and every fan will hope he finds his feet soon. But this was another decision that fans knew was wrong before it even happened. To spend so much money on a forward who has a virtually non-existent record is not feasible in Scotland.
His one goal came from a goalkeeping mistake, and he chose that time to celebrate with a ‘taling gesture’ to the fans. Perhaps not the wisest move when you should be doing the talking on the pitch.
When you consider that Rangers’ new look frontline of Chermiti or Miovski, with Gassama and Antman out wide cost in the region of £18 million, we could have spent around £13.5 million on Abdallah Sima who scored 16 for Rangers in 2023/24 season, Vaclav Cerny who scored 18 and contributed 9 assists last season, and Karl Etta Eyong who we were linked with in the Summer.
The 22-year-old Cameroonian was apparently the subject of a loan bid by Rangers, which was turned down by Villarreal. He moved to Levante for around £3.5 million, where he has 5 goals in 8 La Liga appearances and is now being linked with £35 million to £40 million bids from Manchester City, Arsenal, and Barcelona.
The signing of injury-prone winger Oscar Cortes for around £4.5 million, only to loan him out, and £3 million on a 24-year-old Peterborough centre-back that doesn’t get a sniff, is further evidence that change is desperately needed.
Add to this a plethora of loan signings that could make up the back four, all coming with high wages and loan fees, and the decision by Thelwell to employ his son as head of recruitment beggars belief.
Rangers have no divine right to success, but fans put their heart, soul, and finances into the club and deserve to know that the right people are in place and the players are willing to fight for the cause.