There’s a habit Rangers just can’t seem to shake at times: getting a player who looks like he can genuinely tilt a match, then immediately framing him as a saleable asset before we’ve achieved the success he was brought in to deliver.
That’s where I’m at with Gassama. If you’ve finally unearthed a left-sided attacker who can beat a man, draw two defenders, and still find the far corner when he’s feeling it, why are we rushing to punt him after half a season? It’s the exact opposite of how you build a team that wins things.
You don’t build a title side by selling the spark
Fans say they want success back, the league in our hands, proper nights again. Fair enough. But you can’t demand that and also be comfortable selling your best performers the moment they start looking valuable.
The basic principle is simple: success first, then sell. Not the other way round. If you’re always trading away the players who give you an edge, you’re constantly restarting. You’re forever talking about “replacing” rather than improving.
And the risk isn’t just losing a player. It’s losing momentum, belief, and that bit of fear opponents get when they know you’ve got match-winners in wide areas.
Wingers win tight games in Scotland
In this league, so many matches are about breaking down a block. It’s one thing having the ball. It’s another having someone who can turn a 1v1 into panic for a full-back.
That’s what Gassama gives you when he’s on it. Tricky to play against. Direct. Capable of producing goals that are, frankly, top notch. Those are the moments that separate “steady” from “champions”, especially when the tempo drops and the game gets scrappy.
We’ve been short on reliable wide quality for a while, with the odd exception and a couple of loan spells here and there. So when you finally land a young winger with end product, the answer isn’t to flip him quickly. It’s to build around him and make him part of a front line that keeps delivering.
Learn from the good Rangers sides
Look back at the better eras and it wasn’t constant mid-season sell-offs of the key men. The teams with sustained success kept their best players, added around them, and moved on the ones who didn’t quite fit. That’s how you win cups and keep standards high.
If another club wants him now, that’s not a reason to sell. It’s a compliment to what we’ve got, and a warning that we’ll regret it if we weaken ourselves too early. For me, it’s a no. Get the success in the bag first. Then, and only then, talk about business.
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