Rangers fans love a new face. We also love a quick verdict. And that’s where it starts getting a bit messy, because we’ll happily bin a young player after a couple of errors, then demand the club signs three more lads who’d also need time.

Nsiala is 21, turning 22 soon. That’s still young for a centre-half, and anyone who watches football knows that position is brutal for learning on the job. One misread, one slack header, one moment of panic, and you’re the reason a goal goes in. It’s not like a winger losing the ball and getting another go two minutes later.

Nsiala and the patience problem

The point being made is simple: Nsiala was doing fine until one or two mistakes, then he was dropped. Maybe that was the right call in the moment, maybe it wasn’t. But the wider issue is how quickly the “not good enough” label gets slapped on players who are still developing.

Because in the same conversations, you’ll see fans pushing for Watson, Cameron and Curtis. And fair enough, supporters want hungry players with potential. But if the argument against Nsiala is that he’s not ready right now, then how does it automatically become fine for others who also aren’t ready right now?

You can’t have it both ways. Either we accept development includes mistakes and rough edges, or we’re basically asking for finished products on a budget that doesn’t really allow it.

“Flops”, context, and what Rangers can actually attract

The same logic pops up in the forward areas too. Skov Olsen gets tagged as a “flop” because things didn’t click in the Bundesliga and Serie A. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: if a player smashes it at every big league stop, Rangers aren’t getting near him in the first place.

It’s also worth remembering Brugge have given us a sore one in Europe before. That gap exists. So when fans talk about signing a player from that level, there’s always going to be a catch: form dipped, career stalled, needs a reset, something. That’s the market.

Positions and price tags: the SPFL magnifier

There’s also the constant risk of confusing a “good player” with a “good fit”. Maswanhise might be a talent, but if he’s a left winger and Rangers need a right winger, it matters. And if we’re judging one player harshly because he didn’t crack it somewhere else, then we have to be consistent when we talk about others who couldn’t get a game at a bigger club.

Then you get the fee chat. A striker having a strong spell in the SPFL can suddenly be spoken about like a £4m certainty. Sometimes that’s just the league magnifying any half-decent run into a big price tag. It happens every season.

So aye, be ambitious. Want better. But let’s keep the standards consistent, and the expectations realistic, especially when we’re talking about young players and “projects”.

Written by DJB_Ranger: 12 January 2026

Tags: transfers