Result First, But The Standards Still Aren’t There

Another lacklustre Rangers display, but the result matters. That’s the uncomfortable truth of it. You take the points, you move on, and then you ask yourself the same question we’ve been asking for too long: why does it still feel like such hard work?

There were moments of effort, and a couple of individual performances you can’t knock for attitude. But too many others either look miles off it, or they drift through games without the level of responsibility you’d expect at Ibrox.

Comfort, chaos, and the basics at the back

Sterling looked far more comfortable than Souttar. That’s not even a fancy tactical point, it’s just what your eyes tell you. When a defender looks assured, the whole team settles. When he doesn’t, everyone gets dragged into needless drama.

Tavernier, for me, looks well past where he needs to be even as an adequate squad player. That’s a brutal thing to write about someone who’s worn the armband, but football doesn’t wait for reputations. At this level, you either influence games or you become a problem teams target.

And the “Belgian international” going missing again? It’s hard to ignore. The frustrating part is it feels like it gets brushed aside because he’s meant to be captain material. Captain material is showing up when it’s scrappy and ugly, not only when things are flowing.

Midfield talent without the control

Dio is the one that gets me. Technically, he should be one of the most gifted midfielders in Scotland, but he doesn’t prove it often enough. There are flashes, then long spells where the game passes him by. That’s the difference between being a nice footballer and being the midfielder Rangers actually need.

Barron at least brought energy and tried to drive things on. I can see him as a really useful squad player, no complaints there. But as a proper number 6, the one that controls tempo, protects the back line, and makes the simple pass at the right time, I’m not sure he’s that guy.

Thelo is very easy to criticise, and he’ll always divide folk. But if he’s doing more than the big-money midfielder and more than our strikers, what does that say about the rest of the unit?

Up top: effort isn’t enough

Gassama is one I’m still hoping can add more to his game. There’s something there, but it needs to turn into end product and consistent decision-making.

Chermiti was similar. Like Barron, he was energetic and he tried, but ultimately did very little. That sums up too many of our attacking performances lately: plenty of running, not enough threat.

Butland deserves credit for a strong showing. He’s been much maligned, and he did what he’s paid to do. I do agree his distribution can be a hindrance though, and at Rangers that part of the job matters because it affects how quickly you can play through the press.

As for Miovski, plenty clamoured for him. I’m not convinced, and I’d even argue Chermiti is a better option. Either way, we’re still talking about a forward line that isn’t doing enough.

The bigger worry is leadership. Right now it feels like a group of pretenders, with a squad paid over the odds for very little quality. The one bright light has been Danny Röhl, a breath of fresh air, and it genuinely feels like he and his staff are trying to work miracles with what they’ve got. But where’s the next Ferguson type coming from? The kind of leader who makes good players excellent. At the moment, we don’t even have the leadership to make poor players less poor.

Written by Aphelion: 28 December 2025