Rangers fans expect a lot, and that is exactly how it should be at this club. But there is also a science to building a team that probably sits a bit beyond what most of us in the stands want to admit.
Players do not always arrive fully formed, ready to boss it from day one. Many of them have been good footballers before they sign for Rangers, yet for all sorts of reasons they do not immediately show that level at Ibrox. That does not suddenly make them bad players. A big part of it is the team itself not functioning properly. A bigger part is mentality and confidence.
Those things can be worked on. They are not fixed overnight, and they are not solved just by shouting "not good enough" after a couple of flat performances.
When players turn it around
It would not be the first time Rangers supporters have written off a player, only to see them turn it around with a bit of time and proper coaching. We have all seen lads take a season to really settle, adjust to the expectation, and then suddenly look like completely different players.
The problem is, every time we sign a new batch, the same pattern appears. If they do not hit the ground running, if they dare to be involved in a draw or even a defeat to a side with a smaller budget, the reaction can be fierce. Social media goes wild, the groans in the ground get louder, and patience drops to zero.
But what is the alternative? Do we just churn through player after player every window until one lands perfectly? That is not how proper squads are built, especially in Scotland where budgets are still limited compared to bigger leagues.
Building a squad takes more than one window
We need to build a winning squad and a winning team, and that simply does not happen in one transfer window. It cannot, because not every signing will succeed. Some will be squad players, some will be slow burners, some will fall away. That is normal at every club, even the biggest in Europe.
What matters is having a clear idea of what kind of team we are trying to build and then sticking with it long enough for it to bed in. That includes letting professionals at the club work with these players properly, instead of deciding after a month that they are not Rangers class.
The weight of the jersey and the noise of the crowd
As fans, most of us will admit we do not have all the answers. We see the 90 minutes and maybe a few clips, but we do not see the daily work at the training ground or the psychological side the staff are trying to manage.
What we can control, though, is the environment we create inside Ibrox. Playing in front of 50,000 Rangers fans is a privilege, but it is also brutal if your confidence is already low. Every misplaced pass, every half chance missed, you can feel the tension building. Some players thrive on that. Others need a bit more time and a bit more backing before they truly grow into it.
That does not mean accepting low standards or clapping off poor performances. It just means recognising that confidence is fragile and that part of building a proper Rangers side is giving players a fair chance to show why they were signed in the first place.
If we want a settled, winning squad, there has to be a balance between demanding better and giving new signings the room to become the players we hoped they would be when they walked through the door.
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Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
