The 3-0 loss to Hibs was appalling as were the draws with Aberdeen, Inverness and Falkirk. No Rangers team should be two up at home and end up drawing with a team like Falkirk. We have won just two matches on our travels including our recent defeat of Kilmarnock. We have drawn another three – at Livingston, Falkirk and Dundee United. There have also been four league defeats at Tynecastle, Celtic Park, Pittodrie and Easter Road. Each of these defeats was hard to watch and worryingly we need to return to all four of these venues before this season ends. We have 10 away league matches still to play this season.
Like the majority of Rangers fans I have major concerns that David Murray has retained the current management team. Reaching the last 16 of the Champions League is a tremendous achievement but no-one can argue that the league form has not been shocking this season! Managers should be judged on results and that is why Alex McLeish should have been replaced. Our goal over the next 19 games has to be to move as far up the table as possible. Are McLeish, Watson and Wouters capable of managing the players to achieve this goal? This is the same management team that has managed the club to our worst run of results in our history. Good teams will drop points occasionally but the vast majority of performances in the games we have dropped points in have been a disgrace. We deserve to be in fourth place as we are playing average!
Between now and league match 38 of the season we have to hope that Celtic, Hearts and Hibs all drop points and give us a lifeline which we must take. We have seen lifelines handed to us on a number of occasions this season but we have surrendered and failed to take advantage at each opportunity. The win over Hearts was an improved performance and I hope to see the players being fully committed in each the 19 “Cup Finals” we will play in the SPL over the next 5 or so months.
For me the decision to keep the management team is not the best interests of Rangers – short or long term. Yes we are into the last 16 of the Champions League, but unless there is significant improvement we will suffer more embarrassment between now and May. We may not qualify for Europe via our league place. That would be a major disaster for Rangers. I am still not confident of Rangers getting a win at any SPL away ground. Next month we’ll struggle at Fir Park and up in Inverness although by then we will hopefully have moved some underachievers on and brought in some players who can turn our season around. Our first team squad consists of a handful of players you would build your team around, a number of good younger players, some players who are border line as to whether they should stay or go and a number of players who should be shown the door pronto!
Players to build a team around: Barry Ferguson has suffered as there are inferior players around him but a few good signings would benefit him. We have missed big Dado Prso since he was injured and will be a better team when he’s back. Chris Burke is beginning to show signs that he’s a decent player so deserves a run in the team. If he plays like he did against Hearts each week then he could become a Rangers legend. Nacho Novo is another player we have missed although his early season form was not good. Prso and Novo give their all week in, week out and their commitment to the Rangers cause is unquestionable. Ian Murray is versatile and as good a squad player as we have at Rangers so I would keep him. Sotiros Kyrgiakos should stay as he’s commanding but it should be reviewed in the summer. Sometimes he makes rash challenges and lets his team mates down. Thomas Buffel is undoubtable the “spark” of the Rangers team. He has the skill to create chance for team mates as well as score himself. Not many other members of our squad are capable of doing this. I would definitely keep Ferguson, Prso, Burke, Novo, Murray, Kyrgiakos and Buffel. I would also keep Klos at the club until 2007, but bring his replacement in next summer.
Youth: This season we have seen that we have some younger players at the club who are more than capable of playing for the first team on a regular basis. Ross McCormack is arguably the best set piece taker on Rangers’ books yet he has only played a handful of games in our first team. He deserves a run in the team and should have been rewarded for his goal against Porto by starting a few more games. Also Steven Smith has proved in the last few games that he has the potential to be a great Ranger. These players come in with enthusiasm and confidence that is often lacking in older players. Charlie Adam is doing well at St. Mirren and is potentially capable of doing a job for Rangers. There has to be a mix though and maybe he would benefit from an extended loan? Alan Hutton should play at right back whenever fit, but McLeish should at least have Alan Lowing on the bench. Dany N'Guessan is rumoured to be a wonderful player so he need to start a game to see what he can do. Jukka Santala has been outstanding at Thistle and hopefully he'll come back a better player.
Border line: There are some players at the club I feel could maybe still do a job for Rangers, but I also feel that it could be in their and Rangers’ best interests that they move on. Hamed Namouchi is not a left midfielder but playing him there is one of the baffling decisions McLeish has made on a regular basis. Play him as an attacking midfielder and maybe he’ll perform more consistently? If not he should be moved on. Fernando Ricksen has been poor all season. I hope his month or so out of the team will see him return as a better player. He has been a shadow of the player he was in season 2004/05 and on this season's performances I would move him on! Peter Lovenkrands has played well in December but he has lacked consistency for as long as I remember. Julien Rodriguez and Marvin Andrews can play well but I feel there are better central defenders available. As Ronald Waterreus will not be a Ranger next season I would move him on too although maybe not until the summer.
Not good enough or too old: Alex Rae is not going to provide us with a great deal in the last 6 months of his contract, but he’ll stay as the chances of selling him are very low. Certainly he should leave at the end of this season. Steven Thompson is not good enough to play for Rangers. He should be sold if anyone is willing to buy him. He has scored some important goals but there are better players at the club. Brahim Hemdani had a history of being injured so he should never have been signed. When he has played he has been poor and even Bob Malcolm gives more to the Rangers team than Hemdani. Francis Jeffers is not a Premiership striker and has been awful when he has been given the chance. I feel sorry for Federico Nieto as he’s been injured, but he has not shown any of his potential. Olivier Bernard may have been injured a lot of the season but he is nowhere near good enough to be first choice left back. It looks like
Jose Pierre-Fanfan will be moved on; it is disappointing as he was supposed to be a great signing. I didn’t think I would ever hear a Rangers manager say we would miss Bob Malcolm when he’s out suspended! Having said that I still do not rate him and feel he should leave.
I think it is Celtic’s title already. Unless we go on a phenomonel unbeaten run they will have won the league by the time the SPL splits in April. If we are to achieve our main goal our manager has to show more faith in the good younger players he has at his disposal - these players are capable of doing well for the club. Their desire to play for Rangers is there for all to see. We need a mix of experienced and young players to become a better team. As Alex McLeish is staying he has to make some important decisions. He has to move on unachieving players and bring in better replacements. The signing of Kris Boyd is a good one for Rangers. He is a blue nose who knows what Rangers are all about and I welcome his signing. Hopefully we'll see a few more quality signings brought in.