Danny Rohl looks shrewd enough to know exactly what this Rangers squad is crying out for. You can see a clear idea of how he wants us to play, but he still feels one or two big pieces short.

Experienced centre half still a must

At the back, it feels almost non-negotiable that we bring in at least one centre half with proper experience in January. The team needs a calm head there, someone who knows how to manage a game, organise a line and take a bit of pressure off when we are under the cosh.

I am fully on board with the idea of keeping big Soapy around as well. He might not be everyone’s first pick every week, but as a squad option he gives you size, aggression and a bit of know-how in Scottish football. That matters when you are going to places where it becomes a battle more than a football match.

If Rohl can add a seasoned centre back on top of that, it would go a long way to giving us a proper platform. You can have all the patterns and build-up in the world, but without a solid spine it always looks a bit fragile.

Striker situation remains a worry

Up front is where the frustration really kicks in. Another striker is badly needed. Danilo just does not look like a natural central striker to me. He works hard and has his uses, but as an out-and-out no.9 leading the line, it does not quite fit.

Chermiti, so far, has not shown enough to justify the sort of fee and wages being talked about. That might change over time, and young strikers can take a while to click, but on what we have seen to this point, it is hard to make a case that he is ready to be our main man through the middle.

Miovski blow just as he was finding his feet

That is why the Bojan Miovski situation feels like such a sore one. Just as the most natural goalscorer we have was starting to settle into the role, he picks up an injury. If it was not for bad luck, we would have no luck at all.

I genuinely rate Miovski. You could tell from the start it was always going to take him a bit of time, especially after not playing a lot of football at Girona before coming to us. He needed minutes, sharpness and to build an understanding with his new teammates.

Recently, he has looked much fitter, more like a proper match-ready no.9. The runs have been sharper, the link play tidier and, crucially, he was beginning to hit the net. That is exactly what we have been missing: a natural finisher who lives between the posts.

So for him to pick up an injury now is a real pity. You just hope he is not sidelined for long, because this team looks a lot more balanced with a real striker like him leading the line. Until he is back, the need for another forward option in January becomes even harder to ignore.

Written by Sir Walter Smith OBE: 13 December 2025

Tags: injury tactics