Criticism of Rangers' transfer record is over the top

[ian1964 10,367]

and Premiership table proves it - James Black

Our Rangers blogger responds to Gordon Parks' Sunday Mail column on the club's summer business.

After a pretty rough couple of weeks for Steven Gerrard's side, Rangers again rose to the top of the Premiership table on Sunday after a nervy 1-0 win over Hamilton at Ibrox as they looked to get over recent disappointments against Aberdeen, Dundee and Rapid Vienna.

With the European campaign over for the season, all focus now turns to the domestic scene as Gerrard looks to lead his side to their first title since 2011 - but I was left scratching my head in bewilderment reading Gordon Parks' MailSport column yesterday as he described Rangers' league showing so far as 'grim' while taking aim at Gerrard for praising Ibrox director of football Mark Allen for his work in the transfer market over the summer.

Now, the former striker is obviously entitled to his opinion - and as a former pro, he has some great insight that many who cover the game lack - but Sunday's column was short-sighted.

There's not a Rangers fan who'll disagree that there has to be some improvements at Ibrox in January if Gerrard's side is going to take that step and get their hands on the Premiership trophy come May but sitting two points off Celtic with 22 games left to be played is far from 'grim'.

For the last few years, all we've heard is how Brendan Rodgers' side is some sort of unstoppable force domestically yet, just a few hours after Parks' column went live, Rangers are again top of the pile.

I'm not really sure what it is that Parks was expecting from the Gers this season but scoring more goals than any other side in the top flight, and conceding fewer than everybody not called Celtic, doesn't really have me reaching for the white flag and preparing to concede the title before the Christmas decorations are packed away for another year.

With 15 new faces arriving at Ibrox over the summer - and just as many heading in the opposite direction - and the added pressure of facing an extra 14 games in Europe this season, Gerrard has made an impressive start to life in management.

The Liverpool icon will admit himself there are areas where he and his side can improve in the short-term but I'm almost certain that if you had offered him a run to the Europa League group stage (only to be knocked out on matchday six) and be very much in a title race then he would have bitten your hand off for it.

I know I would have.

Parks had a pop at Gerrard for his praise of Allen and claimed that only Allan McGregor has lifted himself out of 'mediocrity' since the start of the campaign. Apparently, Niko Katic is being 'found out' and Eros Grezda and Joe Worrall were scouted by Colonel Blink.

We're talking here about three young players who, if they were Scottish we'd still be calling kids who need to be wrapped in cotton wool. At 22, Katic has moved to a new country with a new language at a club where there is more pressure on him to succeed than he will have ever experienced at Slaven Belupo.

Grezda, 23, has started five games so far and has made a steady, if unremarkable, start to his Ibrox career as well as being a regular for his country after recovering from ankle surgery earlier in the year.

Worrall is a 21-year-old England U21 international and is at Ibrox to get more game time to continue his development.

Looking at the other new arrivals, Scotty Arfield has scored five times and created four assists in the league so far (Celtic's latest superstar Ryan Christie has hit the net five times and failed to register an assist but is being lauded as the next big thing across the city).

Connor Goldson has been solid at the back since his arrival from Brighton and Gareth McAuley should prove to be a decent addition at the back as he uses his experience to help his much younger colleagues develop.

Ryan Kent is another who has impressed since arriving over the summer although another who moved from Anfield, defender Jon Flanagan, hasn't been great as he fills in for Borna Barisic at left-back.

Barisic is another who already looks as though he will be a fantastic signing for the Gers and the Croatian international has been a huge threat down the left for Gerrard's side either side of his injury problems.

Ovie Ejaria and Umar Sadiq's loan moves never worked out but it's far from the first transfer which hasn't worked out and certainly wont be the last - Sir Alex Ferguson said in one of his books that a 50 per cent hit rate on transfers can be considered a success.

Maybe I've missed something and they've changed they way that league tables are calculated but if being top of the table with a team riddled with 'mediocrity' is what passes for a 'grim' start to the season then I can only hope that it continues in the same vein over the next six months.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/criticism-rangers-transfer-record-over-13744347

[der Berliner 3,196]

Whatever makes a headline these days is good enough. Every half-brained sports journo would put 2 and 2 together and not come out with 3, as per usual in the Scottish media. And that's what this ex.-Rangers Media chap rightly says.

 

We changed our central defence a few times but it was clear as day that once McAuley with his vast experience was fit, he and Goldson would be our preferred pairing.  Flanagan was first and foremost a back-up defender for ANY position in the back line. Whatever the issue with Wallace is, he was not coming back. So once Borna got injured, Flanagan was made an auxiliary left-back, nothing more, nothing less. And he performed admirably, if not outstanding. Borna is back now and with Grezda, for whom Kent and Middleton were stand-ins, we'll soon have a left wing combination that will hopefully work as well as Tav & Candeias.

[DMAA 3,592]

We're always going to be over-criticised by the media, but what the table proves just now is that Rangers and Celtic are both performing significantly worse than the norms of recent history.

 

If it says anything about our transfer record it's not particularly flattering and we can't escape that, even if it is being overblown.

[T-1000 174]

35 minutes ago, DMAA said:

We're always going to be over-criticised by the media, but what the table proves just now is that Rangers and Celtic are both performing significantly worse than the norms of recent history.

 

 

Agreed, but other teams might also have improved with bringing in loan signings and their use of plastic pitches.

[JFK-1 1,661]

Have to wonder what the opinion is of the yahoos given their massive budget superiority and their current points haul. Grimmer than us presumably?

 

How about hubz? Lying in 8th and with a significant budget superiority over the bulk of those above them.

Or perhaps just taking snipes at Rangers is the optimal click bait.

[Gonzo79 13,508]

9 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

How about hubz? Lying in 8th and with a significant budget superiority over the bulk of those above them.

I would be wary about mocking the Leith tramps' league position just now.  Give it seven days...

[JFK-1 1,661]

12 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

I would be wary about mocking the Leith tramps' league position just now.  Give it seven days...

I'm not in any way superstitious so from that perspective not wary of mockery of anyone. My angle on this article is the haste to 'mock' us while we sit top of the league. And the reticence to take similar snipes at the yahoos who apparently have only the 5th best away record in this poor league. In fact an identical away record to that we have.

 

 

 

Quote

Former Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart on BBC Sportsound

 

Away form is massive. Celtic have won three out of nine. They've not played Aberdeen or Rangers away yet. They've only won three - against St Johnstone, Hamilton and Dundee.

 

In the away form table, Celtic are fifth, Rangers sixth, Hibs seventh. Kilmarnock are sitting top. That just shows you the consistency they have.

 

If any team can string consistency together away from home, they'll get themselves away at the top of the table.

 

That's where the league will be won or lost this year.

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46587283

[Gonzo79 13,508]

Every time we've got cocky since the 2016 cup semi, it has come back to bite us on the arse.  That's a fact, nothing to do with superstition. 

 

As for the away form table, that is genuinely embarrassing.  I hope Gerrard is looking at that and is shaking his head.

[DMAA 3,592]

15 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

As for the away form table, that is genuinely embarrassing.  I hope Gerrard is looking at that and is shaking his head.

I think the poor form of our rivals (and our success in Europe) has prevented the necessary scrutiny of our poor performance at times this season. At this stage we have it all to prove and have no reason to boast or gloat. We'll have a much better idea of where we stand in 10 days' time. I'm fearful tbh, although I expect a decent result tonight.

[ian1964 10,367]