Rangers feel like they’re at that awkward but necessary stage where the manager is clearly pointing at the gaps in the squad, but the club also needs to think bigger than one window, or even one manager.
The ideal is simple enough to say and harder to land: a style of football that carries across seasons, where recruitment isn’t ripped up every time there’s a change in the dugout. The manager still matters, of course. He should absolutely be identifying the areas we’re short in, and he should get a say when a list of options is put in front of him. But that’s different from recruitment being a personal shopping list.
What “a club style” actually means
When fans talk about a club style, it’s not a buzzword. It’s about profiles. The type of full-back you sign. The kind of midfielder you rely on in build-up. The forward who can press and link play as well as finish. If you get those basics right, the next manager doesn’t walk into a dressing room full of players that don’t suit what Rangers want to be.
And let’s be honest, we’re not quite there yet. You can see we’re still short in certain areas if the aim is to play a consistent brand of football, week in, week out, without constantly having to compromise. Too often it feels like we’re trying to force a plan with the wrong mix, rather than having a squad that naturally fits the plan.
Why Celtic can look steadier through change
I’m not pretending their model is perfect, but you can see why they can absorb changes a bit easier at times. They’ve generally leaned into an attacking approach as their default setting. That means when a manager goes, the basics of “what Celtic look like” don’t necessarily vanish overnight.
It also makes recruitment more straightforward. A manager can say, “I need this position strengthened,” and the recruitment team already knows the type of player that fits the wider system. Even if there’s a bit of discomfort during a transition, it doesn’t stop them working in the market.
Rangers can’t keep starting again
The truth is, whoever comes next at any club inherits a squad and has to get a tune out of it. That’s football. The best-run clubs make that inheritance easier by having a consistent plan behind the scenes. For Rangers, that should be the target.
Let the manager have influence, absolutely. But build the squad around an agreed identity so we’re not forever lurching between approaches. That’s how you stop one rebuild turning into another.
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