There are a few points worth clearing up here. National eligibility isn’t some weird loophole — countries pick who they’re entitled to. That doesn’t make every call right, but it does mean a player’s club location doesn’t cancel out their value. At the same time, I’m not prepared to paper over Scotland’s World Cup showing; it was a disappointment.

Eligibility and the bigger picture

To be fair, players based across different leagues can still be important for their countries. You can see why smaller nations reach further afield to assemble a squad. It’s not the same as celebrating failure to pick people just because they’re near home. Rangers fans can accept that without abandoning support for the club or the national team.

Scotland’s World Cup: honest appraisal

Let’s not dress it up. If the standard we wanted at the tournament wasn’t met, we should say so. That doesn’t mean burying our heads — it means being honest and using criticism to push for improvement. There’s no value in pretending a weak display was anything else. We can still be positive about Rangers while calling out Scotland’s shortcomings.

Selection debate — minutes and experience matter

On the Miller versus Barron point, I made my stance clear: give preference to players with real senior minutes. It’s not snobbery, it’s common sense. Someone who’s played barely any first-team football will struggle to cope at international level. You can have talent, but match sharpness and experience make a difference. I’d rather a player who’s been tested week in, week out than one with token minutes.

Look, we all get to our opinions honestly. You can celebrate optimism, I’ll call out what I see as poor choices. That’s how debates on Rangers and Scotland should go — blunt, fair and aimed at getting better. You’ll see this argued on the boards, and it’s the kind of thing that can fire a proper discussion rather than empty cheerleading.

Written by Stromtrooper1: 14 July 2026

Tags: squad