Rangers, mentality and the Ibrox atmosphere problem

This isn’t the worst Rangers team we’ve ever seen, not even close, but you can feel how fragile they are. On the pitch and in the stands, everything feels tighter and touchier than it used to.

The louder we fail to properly compete with Celtic, the harsher the reaction gets. You sense it most at Ibrox. One bad touch and the groans start. Another misplaced pass and the boos rumble. That has grown year on year since we came back up, and it’s not helping anybody.

A different calibre of Rangers player

Part of the problem is obvious to anyone who has watched us over the years. We don’t have the same calibre of Rangers player we used to, especially in terms of mentality. We’ve had squads in the past full of characters who absolutely relished the jersey, who could take the pressure, the noise, even the anger, and go again without shrinking.

This group doesn’t look like that. That’s not to say they don’t care, but they don’t look as mentally tough. When the temperature rises in the stadium, too many of them go safe. Or worse, they just switch off. You see it in silly decisions, half-hearted passes and a reluctance to try the risky ball.

Fitness, confidence and those basic mistakes

There are reasons for the poor performances beyond just “they’re not good enough”. Fitness and confidence are right at the heart of it. When a team isn’t fully fit, the head usually goes before the legs. Players take an extra touch, passes are a yard off, the concentration dips. Confidence then takes another hit and it becomes a vicious circle.

Lack of confidence shows up in the little things. A player turns back instead of driving forward. A shot is taken when a pass is on, just to get rid of the ball. Marking gets slack. None of that excuses them, but it does explain why even simple football can suddenly look so messy.

You can be sure the manager will be looking hard at those two areas: getting them properly fit and rebuilding belief. Without that, any shape or system will just fall apart under pressure.

What the crowd can control

Nobody is asking Rangers fans to clap bad play. That would be ridiculous. But there is a difference between being demanding and being destructive. When a player actually tries something positive and it doesn’t quite come off, raining down groans every single time only makes the next attempt less likely.

That constant negativity does affect players, especially the ones who are already struggling. You can see the shoulders drop. Being aware of that isn’t about going soft, it’s about understanding how much influence 50,000 people can have, for good or for bad.

And, truth is, it’s not just a Rangers problem. Both sides of the Old Firm support can turn quickly when things go wrong. If Danny Röhl or any Rangers manager continues to struggle, you’ll see just how similar the reactions in Glasgow can be, regardless of the colours. The standards are huge here. Maybe the trick for all of us is finding a way to keep those standards high without burying our own team in the process.

Written by Angus1812: 13 December 2025