Is the arrival of Lawrence Shankland a game changing signing for Rangers? If Rangers need blue blood, Scottish, and Rangers as well as guys who can actually play the game, then yes it is. If one looks at the top scorer stats of last season, then naturally we can see that Youssef Chermiti is among the top three or four in the standings. 20 goals and assists for the season is on its face fairly impressive. The problem was that one of the hat tricks was during a dead rubber. We also had a hat trick and two bizarre Celtic aberrations in there which made up the bulk. None of it contributed towards anything overall in the season that made any real difference.
Shankland Delivered All Season
This is where Shankland comes in. His goals and assists made a difference throughout the whole season. He led by example and scored and assisted in big matches and in small matches. His performance was uniform throughout the season and included two months out through injury.
Youssef Chermiti, for his faults to be fair, at least was not injured. Therefore his numbers benefit from an extra two or three months of matches that Shankland did not have. Both have around about the same numbers for the season. However, Shankland’s were in there from the start all throughout the season and in the split as well.
He is an all round deliverer.
The Leadership Rangers Have Needed
Is he a game changer? Yes, in truth he is. Here is the kind of player that Rangers have been needing. He is not the youngest anymore. However, it could absolutely be argued that few could be more experienced in the right way than Shankland.
He has European experience. He is a Scotland international. He nearly won the league with Hearts last season and absolutely should have in all fairness. He is completely of the right stock to take Rangers forward.
We have needed leadership on the park forever and this is as leadership as it gets.
We will discuss the merits of him potentially being made captain in due course. However, for now, the pure attributes of his playing career are there for all to see.
The CV Speaks For Itself
He has shown with Ayr, Dundee United, Hearts, and of course he will do so with Rangers. He has the CV to back himself up.
The only time he did not have such a good period was Beerschot in Belgium. In all fairness, everyone needs to have a duff period. Everyone needs to have at least one weaker spell in football.
Does that suggest he cannot handle pressure? Well, time will tell of course.
He has shown for Scotland. He has shown for Hearts at the top of the table. He has shown pretty much everywhere and his attributes have clearly shown he is capable of delivering.
It is of course a free signing. He is 30 and he is more than capable of delivering for many more years to come.
Rangers Finally Have Identity Again
He has waited his whole career for this. This is the move he has wanted from day one.
When you have a player who will crawl through fields of broken glass on his hands and knees for you, you know fine well it will deliver on the pitch.
He will work like a dog and he has the qualities to back it up.
We are not saying he is Erling Haaland of course. However, he is the kind of stock that Rangers need going forward and it is the sort of signing that will make a difference next season.
It has been a complete lack of the likes of Shankland that has cost so much for Rangers. We have had absolutely no soul or Rangers identity.
At last, in Shankland, we will.