There’s a conversation Rangers fans keep having, and it never really ends: who’s “good enough”, who needs moved on, and who deserves time. The Dowell one sits right in the middle of it, because it’s not just about one player. It’s about how we judge them.
I’m not pretending Dowell has been perfect, or that every appearance has screamed “undroppable”. But he does offer something that, at times, we’ve badly lacked: a bit of craft between the lines, a calmer touch in tight areas, and that sense he can link the play rather than just recycle it. In a league where so many games are decided by one moment of quality, that matters.
What Dowell actually brings
The biggest frustration is how quickly it turns into extremes. Either he’s a “difference maker” or he’s a “waste of a shirt”. Truth is, he’s probably somewhere in the middle, and that’s exactly why he needs used properly.
If you’re asking him to be a constant runner in behind, or to play like a high-tempo wide forward, you’re setting him up to fail. If you put him in areas where he can receive, turn, and slide passes into runners, you might get value. It’s not complicated, but it does need a plan and, more importantly, a run of games.
Patience isn’t shared out evenly
What sticks in the throat for a lot of supporters is the inconsistency. Some players get endless slack because they’re involved every week, or because people like the idea of them. Others make one mistake, have one quiet spell, and the atmosphere turns instantly.
That’s where the booing point lands. Ibrox can be a brilliant weapon, but it can also turn into a weight. And if a player’s confidence is already fragile, a groan after a sideways pass doesn’t exactly help them play with freedom.
The bigger danger: the constant swing
The line about “turmoil” might sound dramatic, but you can see why it’s said. Clubs get dragged about when every result triggers a meltdown, and every individual performance becomes a trial. Rangers need standards, absolutely. But standards aren’t the same as knee-jerk reactions.
Back the team during the 90. Judge after. And if Dowell is to be part of the squad, then play him in a role that suits and give him enough minutes to actually show what he is. Otherwise we’re just making noise and calling it analysis.
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