Price Tags Don’t Score Goals at Ibrox

Rangers fans are too quick to judge individuals before the team settles. If a forward is learning the number 9 role on the job, you judge the trajectory, not the fee.

One thing that keeps getting lost in the noise around Rangers is that development takes time. Not just for a player, but for a full group trying to become a proper team. We can all spot the moments where it clicks, and we can all spot the moments where it doesn’t, but it’s the trend line that matters.

Improvement isn’t always loud, but it’s there

With this lad, I’ve felt for a while there were signs in his game that were moving the right way. Not perfect, not consistent every week, but definite patches of improvement. And over the last two or three outings, it’s looked more like he’s started joining those patches together into actual full performances.

That’s the bit supporters should be paying attention to. In Scotland, especially at Rangers, you don’t get a long bedding-in period if you’re a striker. You get judged on whether you’re a threat, whether you occupy centre-halves, whether you give us an out ball, and whether you make the right runs often enough to turn pressure into goals.

The number 9 role is a trade you learn

There’s also a point here that matters: this is the first time he’s really started as a number 9 for any club. That’s not a tiny detail. Playing up top isn’t just “stand in the box and finish”. It’s back-to-goal work, timing, movement across the front post, setting the press, and knowing when to drift and when to stay central.

If he’s learning that role while also trying to cope with Rangers expectations, you can see why it comes in waves. Some games you’ll get the link-up and the runs, other games it’ll feel like he’s still searching for the rhythm. But lately it’s been closer to a striker who knows what he’s meant to be doing.

Forget the fee and judge the player

We also need to drop the obsession with the price tag. I get it, it’s hard. Fans are wired to compare what we paid with what we’re getting. But the player didn’t set the fee, and he can’t go back in time and negotiate it down, so hammering him for it is just noise.

If he keeps improving, there’s still a scenario where Rangers come out alright from it. Either he becomes a more reliable starter who adds goals, or he builds enough form that the club can get money back on him. That’s the reality of modern squads. But it starts with letting the player develop, not writing him off because of a number on a spreadsheet.

And lastly, the idea that “only a couple” are backing him is daft. Plenty of Rangers fans can see the progress. Some are just louder than others, and that’s fine. Truth is, if you’re watching properly, you can see what’s starting to come together.

Written by Angus1812: 5 January 2026