Rangers owners, Thelwell gamble and a fresh start
The Rangers hierarchy misjudged the Thelwell experiment, but early signs from Cavenagh and Danny Röhl suggest lessons have been learned and January will be vital in proving long‑term intent.
Rangers’ owners clearly believed that bringing in Kevin Thelwell and his team was the right way to modernise the football operation. On paper, hiring people with experience in the English game looks like a sensible move. In reality, life at Glasgow Rangers is its own beast and the idea that success down south automatically means you will stroll Scottish football has been badly exposed.
That is not a slight on Everton or English football, it is just an acceptance that Rangers is a unique pressure cooker. The scrutiny is harsher, the margin for error is smaller and the demand to win trophies every season never eases. Thelwell and his colleagues looked to have been caught out by that intensity, and the Americans appear to have realised fairly quickly that the experiment was not working, choosing to act and move them on.
Owners made a costly mistake, but reacted
Dispensing with a senior football structure so early will not have been cheap. It will have set the board back financially and underlined how high the stakes are when you try to reset the club’s direction. Yet there is another way to look at it. Rather than stubbornly persisting with something that was clearly misfiring, the ownership accepted it was a mistake and moved to correct it.
Supporters are well within their rights to be wary. We have heard big words about long-term plans before, only for recruitment and decision-making to fall short. However, the recent messaging from football chief Cavenagh and the tone of Danny Röhl’s press conferences hint at a group who understand the demands and are willing to be front and centre in explaining what they are doing.
Why January will be a real test
January now shapes up as a crucial marker of intent. If the board are genuinely determined to restore Rangers as the dominant force in Scotland, the winter window is where we will see that backed up. It is not just about how much is spent, but whether the club shows a clear plan in the market, a joined-up approach with Röhl and a willingness to address obvious weaknesses rather than chase short-term fixes.
The early signals suggest the owners are “all in”, but talk is cheap in Glasgow. The support will judge them on the quality of their decisions, not the gloss of their statements. Actively fixing the damage from the Thelwell era, even at a financial cost, at least shows they are not hiding from their own errors.
Holding judgement while the picture clears
For now, it is reasonable to park the pitchforks and give this regime a bit more time. They misread what was required at Rangers, they have owned that misstep and they appear to be trying to put it right. Whether that translates into trophies, improved recruitment and a stronger squad is something only the coming windows and seasons will answer.
Rangers News Views aims to give supporters honest, thoughtful coverage without the usual rumour mill. For the moment, the most balanced stance on the ownership is cautious patience: acknowledge the early failings, recognise the corrective action and demand that January and beyond finally match the standards this club expects.
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